《Stuck in a Chinese novel》


 Chapter 1: The Beginning

    It was a peaceful day in Yuan Yin city. Birds chirped while the people went to their everyday lives in the morning. Cars traveled on the road systematically and people walked on the side paths, busy with their own work.


    Just like the whole city, the Ruan Villa of the Ruan family was also peaceful in the morning because their young master usually slept at this time.


    This wasn''t the main villa of the Ruan family but a smaller one where the young master, the sole son of the Ruan family independently lived. Of course, the independence of a young master came with a lot of servants so even though he was the sole master of the house, there were hundreds of servants at his beck and call.


    "Prepare the breakfast, Miss Lim." A gentle lady in her mid-forties asked the servant in charge of the kitchen duties, also known as Lady Lim.


    "Of course, there are only two hours left until the young master wakes up, Miss Kang." Lady Lim replied to the gentle lady who was also the head maid of the villa, Xu Kang.


    "Thank you for your troubles." Xu Kang gently replied and left to oversee other matters of the villa. The gardeners were peacefully doing their job. The laundry was also being peacefully done. Every matter of the villa was being carried out peacefully.


    "Sigh¡­" Xu Kang heaved a long sigh, full of exhaustion. It wasn''t because she hated peace but because she knew the said peace wouldn''t last for long. There was just a little over an hour before their young master would wake up.


    Once he does, nothing will remain peaceful. The peaceful cooking, gardening, laundry, and all other tasks of the villa would be interrupted. That was why even though everyone was working peacefully, they were also trying their best to do it fast.


    "Hah¡­ how can such a devil be the blood of the chairman and mistress?" She couldn''t help but ask that question on a daily basis now. She would even ask it multiple times a day sometimes.


    "Should I just retire before it gets out of hand?" She wondered to herself. Day by day, their young master was getting worse.


    At first, they were just slight scoldings. Then it became a little harsh but there was nothing major. However, soon insults began to hurled out of his mouth. If that wasn''t enough, physical scolding was also added to that list. It was slowly getting bad. If he found something wrong, he would complain about it severely.


    Sometimes, it would get physical and the victims would have to be hospitalized.


    Everyone was afraid. Afraid of the day when the situation would get out of hand. Of course, it won''t be a problem for the young master. He was the young master of the biggest family of the Yuan Yin city. Even if he killed thousands of common people, at most he would receive a slight scolding.


    That was why, not only Xu Kang but most of the servants wanted to retire before something irreversible happened.


    "FUUUUUUUCCCCCC*****KKKKKK!!!!!!!" Just as she was thinking this peacefully, a shout that shook her innards reverberated throughout the villa startling not only her but everyone who was working. Everyone, along with Xu Kang, thought completely terrified, "Is today finally the day something is going to happen?"


    Xu Kang hurriedly left her spot and ran toward her young master''s room. Even though she knew she was heading towards danger, she couldn''t let anyone else take the brunt of the young master''s anger.


    "Miss Kang!" On the way, she ran into the head butler Chen Xian, who was also heading in the same direction as her.


    "It could be dangerous. Please stay back." He instructed Xu Kang. Chen Xian was a man in his fifties but since he wasn''t an ordinary human, Xu Kang was sure he could defend himself against the young master so she heeded his advice.


    They both stopped outside the young master''s room from where the sound of yelling could still be heard. They were both afraid of opening the door but they were worried about who was inside there with their young master.


    "Who is in there?" Chen Xian asked Xu Kang quietly. She was also unaware of who was inside so she could only shake her head.


    Chen Xian wasn''t satisfied with that answer so plucking up some courage, he turned the knob of the bedroom and door and slowly turned it.


    =====


    While inside the room before Xu Kang and Chen Xian''s arrival.


    "Say that once again, you mothertucker!!!" A handsome young man, completely naked in his bed yelled at empty air as if yelling at the god.


    [Host, you need to calm down]


    A voice spoke inside of his head that no one other than him could hear.


    "Calm down? CALM DOWN?!!! DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOMETHING I SHOULD BE CALM ABOUT?!!!" The handsome boy again yelled loudly while hitting the air aggressively.


    [Look at the bright side host, you can have anything you want]


    The voice that spoke inside of his head, sounded utterly terrified. It tried to placate the young boy by showing him the bright side but the young man only got angrier.


    "I HAD EVERYTHING I WANTED BACK HOME!!! WHY WOULD I NEED TO COME TO THIS PLACE FOR THAT?!!!" The young man kept yelling non-stop. His anger didn''t seem like it was going to go away any time soon.


    [But¡­ But host, its not like I am the one who brought you here]


    The voice in his head defended itself with a tone overflowing with innocence.


    "YOU MOTHERTUCKER!!! ACTING ALL INNOCENT. Then who is it? WHO IS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE?!!!!!" The young man''s voice would go up and down in volume suddenly which confused the voice in his head.


    [I¡­ I am not sure, host]


    [Maybe it was god]


    "THEN BRING THAT GOD TO ME!!!!!" The young man yelled in response.


    The voice in his head didn''t know what to do in this scenario. It was at a complete and total loss so it decided to do the smart thing. Shut up and let the anger die down.


    ====== Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This is the beginning. Let me know your thoughts after reading the next couple of chapters.


    I will upload the first five chapters over the time before tomorrow. Hope you like it and give feedback.

 Chapter 2: Going Shopping

    Xu Kang and Chen Xian slowly opened the door to see their young master sitting on his bed, completely naked and huffing like an angry bull. This was a sight they had never seen before.


    As soon as their presence was announced even lightly, the eyes of their young master turned to them. A shiver ran through both of their spines. Xu Kang was understandable since she was a normal human but the same couldn''t be said for Chen Xian who was a Qi master at a fairly high realm.


    Yet looking into those eyes overflowing with anger, all they could see was coldness and freezing coldness that froze them down to their souls for a tenth of a second.


    "Who are you?" Their young master asked, noticing both of them standing there at the door, frozen out of fear or something else.


    Both of them forgot to reply because the earlier image was still fresh in their minds. However, the lack of reply made their already angry young master, angrier.


    "I SAID WHO THE HELL ARE BOTH OF YOU?!!!!!" A shout that would even rouse the dead hit both of them and knocked them out of their trance.


    "Apo¡­ Apologies, Young Master Ruan. We are your loyal servants." They both replied in sync in a little louder than usual voices. It was nothing compared to the shouts of their master though.


    "Then say that without spacing out." Their young master replied scoldingly and settled back down in the bed, still naked.


    Seeing his state of dress, Xu Kang spoke, "Young master, if you sit like that, you will catch a cold."


    She wasn''t concerned about her young master''s health but concerned that if something happened to him under their watch, it would be their heads on the spike even if their chairman was a kind-hearted person.


    Only then did the Young Ruan lower his head and see that he was completely naked even without underwear. He heaved a sigh and stood up, still naked. He didn''t even bother to cover himself and walked over to the walk-in closet that was full of clothes.


    Both the servants saw their young master head in and soon, another shout followed, "WHY ARE THERE NO DECENT CLOTHES TO WEAR?!!! DO YOU WANT ME TO DRESS LIKE A CLOWN?!!!"


    Xu Kang felt like her eardrums were in pain from that shout. Their young master waltzed out of the closet in underwear and a pair of sandals and addressed Chen Xian, "Take me to a good tailor. A very good one."


    It was a wonder, many of their young master''s acts were wonders but they didn''t have the time to question that because they were completely overwhelmed by the shouts of their young master.


    Chen Xian nodded hurriedly and led the young master to the outside of the villa. Every servant in the villa bowed when their young master passed but they were taken aback by his state of dressing, however, from the looks of it, the young master didn''t care.


    He was loaded into a car and the car left with the driver under a lot of stress because of his master''s unusual behavior. Usually, he was just worse, today, he was unpredictable. Chen Xian was personally in the passenger seat because he was also baffled at their young master''s new antics.


    While in the back seat of the black luxurious limo, the young Ruan alone sat while staring into empty space with anger seething in his eyes. The good news was, he wasn''t shouting at least.


    ''Explain in simpler terms.'' He asked the voice in his head.


    [Ye.. Yes] sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The voice in his head stuttered but began to explain itself nonetheless.


    [Currently, host, you are in another world]


    [A world of novels]


    Young Ruan didn''t say anything for a while but the voice braced itself for another shout because the anger of the young Ruan seemed to be increasing.


    ''Continue.'' The young Ruan simply thought which was meant for the voice in his head.


    [Your objective is to survive in this world without dying for fifty years]


    ''Who would kill me?'' He asked next after the voice''s latest reveal.


    [The world]


    [The will of the world will try to kill you one way or another since you are destined to be the stepping stone for the protagonists]


    The voice paused to let the situation sink in inside the host''s hot head. The young Ruan said nothing for a while, his anger levels kept going up and down with each passing second.


    ''What do you mean protagonists?'' He asked next, picking that one detail that many might have missed. The voice had said protagonists which signified there was more than one protagonist.


    [You are the villain of the first novel but if you manage to clear the first novel, you will automatically become the villain of the second novel]


    ''What if I choose not to be involved?'' The young Ruan asked next.


    [You¡­ You cannot. You have to be.]


    The young Ruan said nothing in reply and asked, ''How would I know what to do? I have never read such novels before.''


    [The host has never read novels?]


    The voice asked astonished at the young Ruan''s reply.


    ''I run ten different world-level companies across seven different time zones of different countries. Do you think I would have time for something like this? I don''t even have time for a girlfriend.'' The young Ruan replied in his head.


    The voice was astonished once again but chose to entice its host.


    [Then you can have all the girls you want in this world]


    ''DO YOU THINK I CAN''T GET ONE IN MY WORLD?!!!! I JUST CHOOSE NOT TO!!!!" Young Ruan yelled in his head which made the voice tremble once more.


    "Young master, we have arrived." Just then, Chen Xian informed, opening the partition of the driver section and the back of the limo.


    ''We will continue this conversation later.'' Young Ruan said in his head and got out of the limo.


    "Do you intend to go inside like this, Young Master?" Chen Xian asked. Even on the road, the people were glancing at young Ruan weirdly. Some were even taking pictures.


    Young Ruan didn''t reply and simply walked up to the entrance of the glamorous and luxurious-looking shop.


    =====


    Let me know what you think of the characters. Unfortunately, I can''t and won''t make any changes to the MC.


    I can, however, make changes in how the others are to him. Allies, enemies, whatever you think, let me know.

 Chapter 3: System Introduction

    The Elegant¨¨. The biggest clothing shop in Yuan Yin city. It was a shop frequented by the biggest families of the Yuan Yin city. The head manager, Tian Long, of the shop, was a respected person in the entire city who was respected by many.


    Today was a peaceful day in the shop. Everyone was tending to the small but influential buyers who were there to buy from the shop.


    Suddenly, Tian Long was informed of very disturbing news. The young master of the Ruan Family was on his way to their shop to purchase custom outfits.


    Cold sweat appeared on Tian Long''s forehead as he remembered the cruel young master of the Ruan family but there was nothing he could do about it. The Ruan family was the biggest shareholder in the Elegante shop. In a way, the shop owner was coming.


    Tian Long hurriedly tended to the customers and those who could not be tended to in the small time frame, were excused. They were upset about this but when told who was coming, all customers ran outside without care. In just five minutes, the entire shop was emptied.


    Another five minutes later, a luxurious and grand limousine stopped in front of the shop. Before Tian Long could step out to welcome the guest, the guest himself stepped inside.


    The state of the guests not only baffled him but all of the rest of the employees in the shop. Most of the employees were women so when a handsome young man walked in dressed in nothing but his boxers, no matter how cruel he was, made the young maidens blush terribly.


    "Are you the owner of this shop?" Young Ruan asked straight away without engaging in any sort of pleasantries.


    Long Tian quickly snapped out of his daze and replied, "Yes, Young Master Ruan. Although I am not the owner, I am the one who manages this branch."


    Young Ruan nodded and said, "My measurements are written on this paper." Young Ruan gave a piece of paper to Long Tian before he started speaking after breathing in quite a bit, "I want a Single breasted suit with a single button. The jacket would be cobalt blue with the same color as the pants and a sky blue shirt with stripes to go with it.


    The suit would have three decorated studs of light silver on each cuff."


    Long Tian was still reading the paper when Young Ruan began to describe his demand for suits.


    "A double-breasted suit with both sides having deep grey buttons. The jacket would be light grey and the pants of the same color. To go with it would be an off-white shirt along with a slight grey tie."


    "A three-piece suit of simple black and white mixture."


    "A tuxedo with similar features as the three-piece suit."


    "And finally an Italian suit with a long overcoat of light brown color. The jacket would be deep black while the waistcoat would have stylish deep blue stripes. The tie would also be black and the shirt would be of the same color as the stripes on the waistcoat."


    "I will leave it up to you to match matching shoes with each attire and deliver by the end of today."


    By the end of his instructions, everyone in the room had their mouths wide open. The servants of the Ruan family were astonished at how commanding their young master was while Tian Long and the rest were astonished by the detail young Ruan had for these types of things.


    Still, Tian Long wasn''t in his position without any merit. It didn''t take him long to snap out of his astonishment and he replied, "Young Master, they would be done by the end of the day and I will personally deliver them."


    Young Ruan nodded and replied, "Very well. Your payment will be delivered upon delivery. Good day." Young Ruan then turned and headed for the door of the shop. Without a word, he opened the door of the limousine himself and entered without a word.


    Chen Xian hurriedly followed and entered the passenger seat of the driver''s section. Opening the partition, he asked, "Where to now, Young Master?"


    "Take me back home. I''m hungry." Young Ruan replied in a serious tone and closed the partition without letting Chen Xian reply.


    =====


    Once again, young Ruan had enough time to collect his surroundings so he asked the voice in his head. ''Explain yourself. What are you and what is your role?''


    [I am your support in this world. I will help you reach the greatest heights no one in this worl--]


    The voice began to explain but was interrupted by young Ruan, ''Skip the sales pitch and tell me your functions.''


    The voice inside his head didn''t know how to reply to that so it just heeded the order and said.


    [Would you please say ''Status window'']


    Without further ado, young Ruan said, ''status window'' in his head, and a hologram appeared before his eyes.


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 1 sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    HP: 10\\10


    Cultivation realm: Mortal


    [Stats]


    [Skills]


    [Shop]


    [Quest]


    To further know the details, open each section]


    ''Stats.'' Reading the institutions, he thought of the next tab that opened the next moment.


    [Strength: 4]


    [Stamina: 1]


    [Agiltiy: 2]


    [Defense: 1]


    [Qi limit: 0]


    [Charm: 26]


    [Luck: 1]


    [AP: 0]


    [Limits]


    After the stats, there was another tab that showed the limits but he didn''t know of what so he thought of that next before making a deeper analysis.


    [Strength: In the mortal realm, the highest limit is 20]


    [Stamina: In the mortal realm, the highest limit is 20]


    [Agility: In the mortal realm, the highest limit is 20]


    [Defense: In the mortal realm, the highest limit is 20]


    [Qi limit: In the mortal realm, this stat would be zero. Advance to the higher realm to unlock Qi-related information in the system]


    [Charm: In this world, the highest limit is 100]


    [Luck: In this world, the highest limit is 100]


    [Further information will be unlocked when the system is updated]


    [To update the system, please clear the scenarios]


    ======


    Over the next few chapters is the system setup. Let me know what are your thoughts on it. Do not hesitate to comment.

 Chapter 4: System Introduction (1)

    ''If I guess, the mortal realm would be a normal human limit. Compared to that, my stats are pathetic.'' Wei Jun Ruan inwardly analyzed. The mortal limit for the physical stats was twenty. Given that his stats were in single digits and all lower than five, it was a bummer.


    ''What is the method to increase the stats?'' Wei Jun asked the system in his head.


    [In the mortal realm you can simply train to increase them]


    [Consuming tonics and magical pills is also an option both of which can be found in the shop]


    [Another good option would be the refined elixirs that exist in the world]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun replied to the system''s detailed explanation.


    ''Explain leveling to me.'' Wei Jun decided to cover everything before he moved on to the next tabs.


    [Leveling can be done by robbing the protagonists of this world of their opportunities]


    [The more you rob them, the more level value you will obtain]


    ''So that''s like EXP gain?'' Wei Jun comprised the explanation more simply.


    [Not quite]


    [The gain depends on the level of the opportunity and the level of the protagonist as well]


    [If you rob a very low opportunity of a very minor protagonist, you might not get anything at all]


    [Also increasing the level is like increasing your power limit]


    [Even if the level doesn''t increase, your body will grow stronger slightly]


    ''Which means the level show is just an indication of my natural growth from the protagonists.'' Wei Jun arrived at the conclusion regarding the leveling system. His stats and skills aside, his level would only increase when he robs a protagonist.


    ''Then, why would I need to increase my level? I can simply increase my stats through cultivation.'' The simplicity of levels begged another question so Wei Jun made sure to ask.


    [That is because if you don''t level, you won''t be able to increase your stats and grow stronger from a certain point]


    ''In other words, a bottleneck.'' Wei Jun simplified the explanation.


    [Exactly]


    ''Tell me the limit I will reach before I would need to increase my level.'' Wei Jun next asked to know his limitations before he needed to get involved with the protagonist.


    [All stats at 20 and as for cultivation, the peak stage of the first stage, the Qi sense realm, would be your limit]


    ''I see. That means the cultivation stage isn''t important for now so I will leave it for later.'' Feeling that he had covered everything in the stats tab, he moved on to the next tabs.


    [Skills: None]


    ''I know many skills yet why aren''t they here?'' Wei Jun asked inwardly as he knew of many practical skills yet none of them were here.


    [The only skills to appear here are cultivation-related skills or skills that the host will obtain from the protagonist]


    [Other than that, the user can have no other skill]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun simply replied before he moved on to the next tab.


    [Shop]


    [Gold: 0]


    [Healing pill: 10 gold]


    [Qi restoration pill: 10 gold]


    [Stamina restoration pill: 10 gold]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    [Cleansing pill: 100 gold]


    [Marrow cleaning pill: 500 gold]


    [Bone cleansing pill: 500 gold]


    [Blood cleansing pill: 10000 gold]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    [Armor of lion king: 100000 gold]


    [Whip of judgment: 100000 gold]


    [The ring of infinity: 1000000 gold]


    Wei Jun skimmed through the contents of the shop and checked them thoroughly. The items in the shop ranged from ten to billions of gold. The items in the shop didn''t just consist of cultivation-related things but there were many other things related to daily life and masculine life as well.


    There were things that were also ethically wrong in the shop such as an aphrodisiac. Other than that, there were also all kinds of remedies in the shop as long as he had money for it. The shop even offered pills to cure ailments that were impossible to cure normally.


    ''This is something.'' Wei Jun commented. Even he couldn''t help but admit that it was a massive help that would make his life here a lot easier.


    ''How do I obtain gold?'' Wei Jun next asked. His assumptions were that the gain must be somehow related to the protagonists as well.


    However, he was proven wrong by the next reply of the system.


    [By converting real-time money]


    ''No wonder. It was too good.'' Wei Jun inwardly sighed. If all he had to do was interfere in the life of the protagonist to gain gold, it would have made things too easy.


    ''What would be the conversion rate?'' He asked next since now that he knew he had to earn money, he needed to know how much.


    [100 Yuan to 1 gold]


    ''Which would mean that if I want the ring of infinity, I would need a hundred million Yuan.'' Wei Jun estimated.


    [Exactly]


    ''Do you think it is easy to make that much money?'' Wei Jun asked seeing the nonchalant reply of the system.


    [If it''s the host, it is possible]


    ''Ho.'' Wei Jun said before he asked, ''You know of me?'' Wei Jun asked leisurely.


    [I am aware of your true identity]


    ''Who made you aware?''


    [Well that was--]


    The system paused. It realized that since earlier, its host hadn''t yelled. So it made sure to take a close look at its host''s facial expressions.


    That leisure and uninterested attitude displayed by the host was nothing more than a mirage. The host was concealing his true emotions, leading the system with his fake emotions to release information.


    Such as, who was responsible for bringing him here.


    [That¡­ that cannot be answered as the system level is too low] S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The system replied in an awkward tone, avoiding the question.


    ''You''re avoiding my eyes, aren''t you?'' Wei Jun asked with the same expression and attitude, not letting out the fact that he was angry in the slightest.


    [Please forgive me]


    ''Who brought me here?'' Wei Jun ignored the pleading of the system and asked with the same demeanor.


    [¡­]


    The system couldn''t help but tremble as it began to find the current attitude of the host more terrifying.


    =====


    Patiently waiting for your comments.

 Chapter 5: System Introduction (2)

    ''In the end, it didn''t tell. Which means there is someone else in control.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly as even after grilling the system for a few minutes, no reply came regarding the identity of the person who sent him to that world.


    Seeing that there was no other choice, Wei Jun decided to move on. ''Show me the last tab.''


    The system hurriedly complied, afraid that its host might once again become angry.


    [Quests]


    [Side quests]


    [Main quests]


    ''Open side quests.'' Wei Jun commanded but the tab was empty. There was no side quest so he moved on to the next one.


    [Main Quest I]


    [Run Long]


    [Description: The first protagonist of the world and the novel you are a minor villain of will try to kill you as you are a stepping stone.


    But you, who aren''t who you are supposed to be won''t be able to sit and wait for the protagonist to show up and kill you.


    Make Run Long, the first protagonist''s life a living hell. Make him fall to the deepest pits of despair and when he has nothing left, finish him off.


    Objective: Kill Run Long


    Reward(s):


    #1: All stats +10


    #2: System update


    #3: Shop level update


    #4: A three percent discount on all items in the shop permanently S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Punishment: The world will kill you in 365 days]


    ''Hmmm¡­.'' Wei Jun deeply analyzed the information given by the quest system before he made a list of questions to ask the system. He found many odd points in the quest so he wanted to know about them.


    ''From the description, the quest isn''t just telling me to kill him but kill him after making him worthless, why?'' Wei Jun asked. If he just had to kill him, he could have killed him easily but what if the additional description wasn''t just for show but a condition?


    [The host suspects correctly]


    [You can''t kill the protagonist unless you rob him of his luck before]


    [Until it falls below a certain point, you will not be able to kill him]


    [The world will somehow save the protagonist no matter how illogical]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun replied before asking, ''And I take away his luck by taking his opportunities? Can he replenish it?''


    [Yes and he certainly can if he gets his hand on the designated opportunities before you can]


    ''And how am I able to know of his opportunities?'' Wei Jun asked about the next concerning matter. He had no idea how to rob the protagonist of his luck because he didn''t know how to obtain the things to do so in the first place.


    [From the novel]


    ''I haven''t read the novel.'' Wei Jun replied, suppressing the small amount of anger that almost poured out.


    [That¡­ For a small amount of gold coins, the host can read the first of the three volumes of the novel]


    The system, seeing no other choice offered an alternative. Wei Jun, who hadn''t read a novel of this category before was completely oblivious to the logic of this world so getting just this was something.


    ''Why can''t I read the rest of the two?'' Wei Jun asked, a little worried by the lack of information. If he missed something, what if it backfired? ''I can''t take a chance.'' He thought inwardly before focusing on the answer provided by the system.


    [Usually, the host wouldn''t have had a need of this because he would have already read it but if I have to be the one to provide, I can only bend my authority by this much]


    ''And what if I want to read the next two and you can''t provide?'' Wei Jun was a little irritated by the reply but still chose to be rational.


    [There is a method for that but for that, the host would have to sacrifice his own growth]


    ''What do you mean?'' Wei Jun asked curiously.


    [The luck you would obtain from the protagonist, instead of using it to increase your own stats, you could use it to read the next volumes]


    ''And my level would still increase?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Yes but the stat increase with each level won''t]


    ''I get it.'' Wei Jun replied and slumped back into the car seat. The next question he had was this, ''Why the time limit?''


    [Because that is the time frame the protagonist gets involved with the host and kills him]


    ''So he gets involved with me and kills me in a year. I see. Makes sense.'' Wei Jun understood the essence of the logic. Now that he had cleared all the doubts, he just had one question to ask.


    ''How long before the novel begins?'' Wei Jun asked. It would give him the time frame to get involved with the novel and make preparations.


    [One month from now]


    ''Which means I have a month to raise my stats and prepare. Also, I would have to find a way to make money. It would be a waste to not use such useful items.'' Wei Jun prepared a plan inside his head.


    Just as he had finished everything, the car stopped outside his mansion. The familiar large door came into his view from the car window.


    The butler, Chen Xian opened the door to the car and Wei Jun stepped out, still dressed in his underwear.


    "Tell me," Wei Jun addressed Chen Xian and once he was attentive, Wei Jun asked, "Do I have money in my account?"


    Chen Xian made a strange face to that question as he wasn''t sure why he was asking him that but he still replied nonetheless. "You would have about seven million Yuan, Young Master Ruan." Chen Xian respectfully replied.


    ''That would be seventy thousand gold. How much is needed for the first volume?'' Wei Jun calculated and then asked the system about money.


    [It would take only ten thousand gold to do it, host]


    Wei Jun nodded and turned to the butler and said, "Withdraw two million. I need them by an hour." Chen Xian nodded and replied, "You will have them in an hour, Young Master Ruan."


    Wei Jun nodded and made his way inside the villa but instead of going to his room, he headed for the kitchen. He was hungry.


    ======


    This is it guys. The first five chapters.


    I hope you like them and stick around for more.


    Do not forget to comment and review your own points. Let me know what you expect from this novel.

 Chapter 6: Possession?

    "What is all this?" Wei Jun calmly asked the middle-aged lady, Lady Lim. On the table, what was prepared as breakfast was nothing but greenery. Salad, cucumbers, and everything of the same category.


    "This¡­ This is your breakfast, Young Master." Lady Lim worriedly replied, suspecting that her master had another whim.


    ''So my predecessor was a cow.'' Wei Jun inwardly commented before he turned to Lady Lim and instructed, "Prepare meat. A lot of meat. Make sure it is only beef. You have one hour."


    As expected, Lady Lim thought that her master had another one of his phases where he wanted to do more eccentric things. "Right away, Young Master Ruan." She still wisely chose to comply and left.


    Wei Jun just sat there, still in his underwear while the rest prepared the things to his liking. While he was waiting, Chen Xian showed up with a briefcase and respectfully placed it in front of Wei Jun. "The money you ordered, Young Master Ruan."


    Wei Jun opened up the briefcase and checked the amount of money stacked in neat 1000 Yuan bills. He nodded and closed the briefcase and said, "I work somewhere, right?"


    Once again, Chen Xian made a strange face but he still chose to reply thinking that his master was going through another one of his phases just like Madam Lim. "Yes, Young Master Ruan. You are the CEO of the Dragon Stars entertainment company."


    ''Entertainment company? I hope it is successful.'' Wei Jun inwardly commented before he nodded and asked nothing more. Soon, even before the hour was up, Wei Jun''s table was full of all kinds of beef delicacies.


    Without caring about manners, Wei Jun dug in and ate like an animal. He stuffed his mouth with a steak that was carefully and aesthetically prepared, without caring for its appearance. He then ate short ribs and from the looks of it, it seemed like he was even going to eat the bones.


    ''Nothing beats beef when it comes to nutrition. I need it most for the training regime I am going to set up for a month now.'' Wei Jun inwardly planned while he bit a massive chunk of meat off a tomahawk.


    The servants were astonished at how their master, who was practicing manners because of a certain reason decided to forego everything and ate like an animal.


    The meal soon came to an end. Nothing was left on the plates except for the bones. No sign of even gravy was on the plates. They were squeaky cleaned by the young Ruan and after he was done, a massive burp that must have sounded throughout the villa was emitted by the Young master who was practicing decorum just yesterday.


    The servants were once again at a loss about what was happening. Madam Lim seemed like she had arrived at a conclusion about their master''s change but she chose to refrain from saying anything.


    "That was fantastic." But before she could say anything, she heard something she had never heard while working here ever before. A praise. Her master had praised her cooking and it wasn''t just a small praise but the satisfaction on her master''s face relayed everything.


    She was shocked down to the core so much so that she remained frozen in place, not knowing how to react. She wasn''t alone, all the other servants were sharing the same dilemma of how to deal with this unexpected scenario.


    That''s when Wei Jun spoke, "Where is the gym in this house?" and everyone snapped out of their frozen state.


    Chen Xian was the first to snap out of it and said, "Let me take you there, Young Master."


    Wei Jun nodded and left with Chen Xian. As soon as he left, Lady Lim and Xu Kang stared at each other. Each having their own theory about their master''s change.


    Just as Wei Jun left, Xu Kang presented her theory. "Young master has been possessed by an evil cultivator. We must ask the chairman to do something."


    The change was too much for these people; this was the only conclusion they were about to arrive at.


    However, Lady Lim didn''t agree. "If it was an evil cultivator, we would have all been dead or worse, used by now. I think Young Master is going through a heartbreak. Miss Yu must have said something again." She gave her own hypothesis.


    However, the rest of the servants glared at her with disgusted eyes. Their eyes clearly said, "Have you gone mad?" Even though their lips didn''t utter a word.


    "A demon can never be an angel. He must have been possessed. That is the only explanation." Xu Kang didn''t agree with Lady Lim even though the explanation given by Lady Lim was very plausible. It wasn''t the first time their master had changed his habits because of his fianc¨¦e. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But, he had never, ever before changed his ways when it came to his servants. No matter how he changed, he always mistreated his servants no matter what.


    "Then how do you explain him praising us? If he was a demon, he wouldn''t have uttered a praise no matter what." Miss Lim was adamant with her own theory and she wasn''t budging.


    It was a good explanation and even though the past behavior of Young Ruan made them strictly refuse the fact that their master could do something nice, even they were somewhat believing the fact that their master''s change may have something to do with his fianc¨¦e again.


    "Okay, okay. Let us not jump to conclusions. I will inform the chairman about this. Let''s see what he will do." Xu Kang, seeing that there was no end to this debate, ended it herself by involving the big master.


    Lady Lim nodded and so did the rest of the servants. Everyone then returned to their daily tasks, not forgetting this matter though.


    On the other side, Chen Xian stood stunned at the vulgar words coming out of his master''s mouth.


    "F***!!!"


    "DAM******!!!!!"


    "HOR********!!!!!!!!!!"

 Chapter 7: Cleansing

    "FU*K!" Wei Jun loudly exclaimed as he did another push-up with a lot of effort. But what was about it that made him so angry?


    "TEN!!!" He loudly yelled as he slumped down on the floor. It was just his tenth push up but it felt like his soul would leave his body any moment now.


    As he lay there on the floor, huffing and panting, he inwardly said, ''Fu*k. Just ten push-ups. This body is beyond pathetic.''


    It took him half an hour to do just ten push-ups. He hadn''t run, or done any other exercise. Yet he was on the floor huffing and panting. That made him more angry than the fact that he was thrown into another world without a warning.


    [Don''t give up, host]


    The system encouraged Wei Jun but that only seemed to have made Wei Jun angrier. ''You are the reason I can''t do just this much.'' Wei Jun blamed the system as although the system had claimed that he was his support, the system had nothing or given him anything useful by now.


    [Why¡­ why don''t you purchase cleaning pills to remove wastes from your body?]


    The system advised. Wei Jun decided to listen and opened up the shop. Although he hadn''t exchanged money yet, he was soon going to do it so he thought about arranging a list of items he might need.


    [Stamina restoration pill: 10 gold]


    [Cleansing pill: 100 gold]


    [Marrow cleaning pill: 500 gold]


    [Bone cleansing pill: 500 gold]


    [Blood cleansing pill: 10000 gold]


    ''For now, these are my focus. I asked the butler to get me two million which would amount to twenty thousand gold. Out of twenty, ten is set for the first volume of the story so either I can buy a bunch of other stuff, or I can purchase the blood cleansing pill.'' He analyzed the situation with great detail before he closed the shop and stood up with great effort.


    He made sure to curse a lot while standing up.


    "Bring the briefcase to my room." He instructed the butler who was standing still on the side and made his way to his own room.


    After arriving in his room he said, "Leave the money and leave. Prepare the lunch by three. Don''t disturb me before then."


    "Yes, Young Master Ruan." Xian Chen nodded. He placed the briefcase on the nightstand and after a slight bow, he left.


    As soon as he left, Wei Jun moved closer to the briefcase. He opened it up and touched the money. The money disappeared from inside of the briefcase and twenty thousand gold appeared inside his system shop.


    He decided to hold off on knowing about the story. The priority was to become capable enough to do basic exercises properly. If he could do that, then he would still have enough time to worry about the protagonist.


    ''There also another agenda.'' Making money. That was the most urgent agenda on Wei Jun''s list. He had already made a plan regarding that but there was still something he needed to check before he could decide on anything.


    ''Purchase stamina restoration pill, cleansing pill, bone cleansing pill, and marrow cleansing pill.'' He spent 1110 gold on the spot to purchase the basic pills to bring his body to proper shape.


    [Stamina pill]


    [Effect: Restores the consumer''s stamina completely]


    [Cleansing pill]


    [Effect: Cleanses stomach and nasal tunnel of the consumer]


    [Marrow cleansing pill]


    [Effect: Restores the marrow of the consumer to the optimal human condition]


    [Bone cleansing pill]


    [Effect: Nourished the bone quality of the consumer to the optimal human condition. Ex: Calcium deficiency is solved along with other problems] S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The effect of the pills wasn''t that great. It only made his body the optimal body of a human but right now, even that was a luxury. Just a few pills were doing what hundreds of supplements cannot do.


    Without wasting time, he took the stamina restoration pill and a warm current passed through him. After a few seconds, he felt refreshed like he had just woken up after a great rest.


    ''Is there a side effect to these pills?'' He asked the system just to be sure.


    [The side effect of anything is mentioned in the description]


    [However, their effect wavers if you consume them a lot]


    ''Which means my body will get used to them at some point and they will lose effect.'' Wei Jun surmised the explanation given by his system.


    [Yes]


    He nodded and took the cleansing pill next or at least he was about to when the system hurriedly warned him.


    [It would be better to take the pills in the bathroom to avoid the mess]


    ''What mess?'' Wei Jun asked warily.


    [You will be cleaning yourself]


    [That cleansed waste has to go somewhere, doesn''t it?]


    Wei Jun found this explanation reasonable. After all, things won''t just magically disappear but they would be expelled out of him.


    He changed his location to the bathroom and took the cleansing pill first.


    After a few seconds, he began to feel something in his stomach. Before he could act on it, he vomited into the sink. He kept on vomiting black fluid along with a few chunks of what he suspected to be undigested food.


    It wasn''t long before he stopped vomiting but he vomited a lot in that short time. He didn''t just vomit, he farted as well.


    After what felt like a long time but in reality, it was only a few seconds, Wei Jun calmly analyzed the changes within him. His breathing was now easier and he felt liberated.


    He nodded after seeing that the pill''s effects were legit. He then used the marrow cleansing pill. This wasn''t painful and it secreted nothing but he felt little stings on his spine a few times in a minute or so. There was no effect to inspect so he took the next one.


    This time, he didn''t feel anything for a while so he thought that this was it but he was sorely proven wrong when a crack ran through him. A painful crack.


    "FU*K!!!" He screamed as pain overtook him.


    =====


    Let me know what ideas you have regarding my novel. Whether you think I''m going in the right direction or not, don''t forget to comment to let me know.


    Also, visit my other work, "The Archangel of death." You don''t be disappointed.

 Chapter 8: The Illogical World

    Crackle! Crackle!


    From his skull to his toes, every bone crackled. His facial alignment changed many times before it settled at some point. After that, after a few short crackles, his body began to calm down. Wei Jun remained on the floor after this massive bout of pain.


    [Defense: 5]


    [Charm: 27]


    After taking the pill, his defense seemed to have increased by four. It was some improvement and that wasn''t only it. Wei Jun slowly stood up, completely refreshed as if the earlier attack of pain was nothing but imaginary.


    He flexed his body and stretched his arms and legs. Once he was done with this, he checked his body to notice any changes and he saw that his height had increased by about four inches. It wasn''t a massive change but someone as keen as Wei Jun could notice it without much effort.


    His chest was also a little wider now though it was still scrawny but handsome. His facial structure was a little wide now and his chin was chiseled to the prime condition. His nose was well-defined and his eyes became a little sharper.


    ''That would explain my increase in charm.'' Wei Jun inwardly commented before he stopped examining himself and went to stand under the shower. He didn''t bother turning the hot water on and took a cold shower. As the cold water flowed down his body, he asked his system, ''Is it a good idea to buy a blood-cleansing pill? I feel like it would be inefficient if I use it now.''


    He shared his own view of the system. The reason he thought so was because the prices of the items so far seemed to have been adjacent to their effect. If he takes a blood pill that costs 10000 gold right now, would his body be able to bear it?


    [You''re absolutely correct, host]


    [Not only would it be inefficient; it could also be dangerous as your body might not be able to bear it]


    [Your vessels could end up exploding]


    The reply given by the system was somewhat the same as his own assumption. But in the end, they were both assumptions. The system said, ''Could end up exploding,'' which meant there was a chance they might not.


    ''It''s better to not take a risk.'' Wei Jun decided before he bought nine stamina restring pills and stored them inside his inventory.


    He had already used 1200 gold by now but he still had a lot left.


    ''Purchase the first volume.'' Wei Jun commanded the system and the system obliged. Ten thousand coins disappeared from his inventory and shortly afterward, a lot of information began to flood his mind.


    After it passed, ''I thought it would be in the form of a book but this is better.'' He commented on the convenience before he went through the information that was in his head.


    =====


    "Oi." After reading the novel, Wei Jun didn''t care whether he was speaking in his mind or not.


    [Yes host]


    The system replied to his address. Wei Jun quietly sighed before he inhaled and then, "WHAT IS THIS ILLOGICAL BULLSH*T???!!!!!!!!!!!!"


    If the system had ears, they would have been torn at this yell. It remained quiet and prepared to be yelled at.


    "How the hell can a person survive after burning alive?! How does a plan appear when he jumps off of a building?!! How does the magma turn into ice when he falls into it but remains magma when a villain falls into it?!!!


    And how in the hell of a mothertucking sanity and all the logic in the entire creation that is sane and sound DOES HE SCREW A GHOST?!!!!!!" Gradually, Wei Jun''s each question amassed force behind every word and finally, it erupted at the last question.


    He went silent. He huffed and puffed as he remembered the things he had just read. The things that only made him angry the more he thought about them. The more he thought about them, the more he wanted to jump off of a building himself.


    He was waiting for the system to reply and justify the illogical things he had just read in his mind.


    [That¡­ That would be the world keeping him alive, host]


    The system meekly replied. There was no reply from the host. He remained quiet but the system knew, it was all the calm before the storm.


    "F***!!!" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "SHI****!!!!"


    "DAN******!!!!!"


    "MOT*****!!!!!!"


    "HOR********!!!!!!!!!!"


    =======


    In a luxurious mansion that spanned about the same area as a medium-sized building, a girl with ethereal beauty stood in front of a man with similar features. Anyone could tell that they were father and daughter by the shared similarities.


    Currently, the man had a defeated expression on his face and a contemplating one at the same time. He was seriously contemplating what to do as the matter was already out of his hands.


    "What do you think?" He asked a striking woman who sat next to him with her legs crossed. She was also contemplating something very hard as she replied, "The Ruan family''s influence may be unquestionable but it won''t last for long so maybe it is worth considering it."


    The man nodded at the reply of the woman who also happened to be his wife. The answer of his wife was along the same lines of what he had deduced so he was ready to do it. But still, he wanted to make sure. It wasn''t just anything at stake but his entire family would be at risk if something went wrong.


    "You do not have to worry, Father. Yao Tian has assured me that his family has been planning to take over for a long time. Also, since the Ruan family''s sole successor is a failure no matter what it comes to, the Ruan family would most likely end up with the current head, or maybe Lin Ruan would end up inheriting everything.


    No matter the case, if we stand with the Ruan family, it would create troubles for us as well." The young girl with enough beauty to drive a man crazy explained in great detail to her father.


    Her father nodded and replied, "We will attend tomorrow''s dinner and then see how things progress."


    =====


    Most of you can now guess the world building but there is still more to come so stay tuned. Also, if you have any idea regarding this matter, do not hesitate to speak\\comment up.

 Chapter 9: Raising Stats

    Massive thanks to my first supporters for this novel, "Shadowlord96" and "afrn8". I hope you like me novel and keep on supporting it.


    "Young Master Ruan, the clothes that you ordered have arrived." Chen Xian informed Wei Jun while he was training hard. Wei Jun had been training the entire day and not once had he taken a break. To the point that Chen Xian was now worried but he refrained from saying anything, afraid that his master would yell at him.


    [Strength: 5]


    [Stamina: 4]


    [Agility: 4]


    Wei Jun''s stat had increased after an entire day of hard work. The good thing about the system was that the increase was permanent which meant that even if he lazed around or ate anything unhealthy, his stats wouldn''t drop. He was quite happy with this function so his mood had improved quite a bit after seeing his progress.


    ''Today is Friday, right?'' He asked the system.


    [Yes]


    ''Very well. After tomorrow''s training, we will leave to take the protagonist''s opportunities.'' Wei Jun decided to work on this matter the entire weekend because he had decided to go to the office on Monday.


    He came to the reception hall, still sweaty and in his underwear, and saw the man from this morning at the clothing shop whose name he didn''t bother to ask nor did he have an interest in knowing.


    Tian Long bowed as he saw Wei Jun enter along with his staff. Wei Jun didn''t say anything and waited for Tian long to begin. Tian Long also didn''t waste any time because he was already very nervous in Wei Jun''s presence.


    "Young Master Ruan, these are the clothes that you had requested. I have prepared them exactly as you instructed." Tian Long nodded and one by one, all the employees displayed all the suits.


    Five luxurious suits were presented to him that Wei Jun, still in his underwear, properly examined and said, "Marvelous. I like them. State your price."


    Wei Jun was once again put in a good mood at the job well done. Tian Long on the other hand was stunned like the rest of the employees and the servants of the villa that he failed to register Wei Jun''s words.


    Chen Xian cleared his throat, which made Tian Long snap out of it and he hurriedly but nervously replied, "Young Master, how dare I receive money from you. Please, the Elegant¨¨ would like you to have them as a gift. No! It would be our honor."


    Wei Jun''s mood improved once again and he replied with a loud laugh, "Hahaha! I like it. I like your sincerity but I won''t take them for free. I will make sure to remember this. Whenever you need something that I can help you with, come straight to me without hesitation."


    Tian Long was happy by the promise made by Wei Jun and he smiled while saying, "Then I will take my leave with the reminder of your generous promise."


    "Hmm¡­ You''re excused." Wei Jun said and turned to Chen Xian, "Take this to my room and prepare dinner in an hour. Tomorrow I have to go somewhere so I must sleep early."


    "Eh." But Chen Xian was taken aback by Wei Jun''s institutions and confusedly said, "But Young Master Ruan, tomorrow is the birthday banquet of your mother."


    ''Mother?'' Wei Jun was also taken aback by the newly revealed information.


    [Wei Jun Ruan''s mother, host]


    ''So what? She isn''t my mother so what do I care?''


    [But wouldn''t it be a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with the upper class for your business]


    ''Hmm¡­ That makes sense.'' Wei Jun thought at the system''s suggestion and replied to Chen Xian, "I seem to have forgotten about it. Thanks for reminding me. We will head there tomorrow."


    Chen Xian nodded at the plausible answer and left along with the servants who carried the suits.


    Wei Jun ignored that and went back to the gym. There was still an hour before the dinner and he didn''t want to waste even a second. He still had about five stamina pills and he wanted to use them before sleeping.


    =====


    Saturday, 15:00. Five hours before the banquet.


    [You have consumed a stamina pill]


    [Stamina is restored]


    [You have consumed ten pills in quick successions]


    [Effect of the stamina pill will slightly drop]


    [Stamina pill will now recover ninety percent of your stamina]


    [To restore the effect, please refrain from consuming stamina pill for a week]


    ''So it became like this once I took ten stamina pills in close intervals, huh?'' Wei Jun analyzed the changes as he exercised. The limit on the stamina pill would be removed by itself if he didn''t take it for a week just like a drug effect.


    ''Well, there is no need anyway.'' He thought inwardly as he checked his stats.


    [Stamina: 10]


    [Agility: 8]


    ''I mostly trained my stamina so I could last longer.'' He thought inwardly.


    [Last longer?]


    ''Shut up.'' Wei Jun snapped at the system''s joke and continued, ''Since agility is closely linked to stamina training, it increased quite a bit as well. As for strength, since I didn''t focus much on it, it would explain why it didn''t raise much.'' sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Strength: 7]


    All in all, his stamina had reached a point where he could finish basic physical exercises without a hitch and almost twenty-four hours of nonstop exercise would explain how he raised his stats by that much.


    ''Let''s finish another set before I wash up for the party.'' Wei Jun decided and began training. His one set only consisted of 10 Km running which he did running around the villa instead of on the treadmill. One hundred pushups, curl-ups, and burpees. After that, he would perform a similar number of sit-ups and he was done with one set that took him about an hour with his current stats.


    Just as he finished, Chen Xian appeared and said, "Young Master Yuan, if you don''t end it now, you will be late. Please do not forget, instead of the banquet, there is also dinner with the Yu family."


    ''Now what the hell is that?'' Wei Jun annoyingly commented inwardly but refrained from saying anything. He simply nodded and began to prepare for the evening.


    =====


    Let me know in the comments if you think I''m going too fast or making the MC strong at a very slow rate.

 Chapter 10: Heading to the banquet

    ''I must say, I look dashing.'' Wei Jun commented as he examined himself in the mirror while dressed in a tuxedo. It was a normal tuxedo with nothing special except for the studs yet it looked better on Wei Jun than it did on anyone else.


    "Let''s go." Wei Jun came out of his room and ordered Chen Xian who had been waiting outside Wei Jun''s room for a while now. It was six in the evening and the banquet would start at eight. The son of the birthday woman was already very late.


    The car left the villa of Young Ruan and after a drive of twenty minutes, it entered the premises of a mansion five times the size of Young Ruan''s villa.


    ''It''s adequate at best in size.'' But for a person like Wei Jun or the real one possessing the body, the mansion in front of him wasn''t very big.


    The car soon stopped in front of a main door. A girl with brown hair and brown eyes was standing at the main door wearing a displeased look. That girl was the incarnation of beauty itself. Sharp nose coupled with a smooth face and rosy lips. Her eyes would drown anyone in them if she stared at someone with them.


    She was about five feet tall in height and age-wise, she seemed somewhere around the early twenties. Her dress of choice was a green dress that cascaded down to her heels of the same color. A shoulder-cut dress that accentuated her milky white skin color. Her green ruby earrings also made her very attractive.


    It took a few seconds of stepping out of the car to properly analyze the girl standing in front of him for Wei Jun. He could also guess she was angry. But what he wanted to know the most was, ''Who is she?''


    [That is one of the heroines of the first novel, host]


    [Also your sister]


    ''I see.'' From that, Wei Jun didn''t need to ask for the girl''s name. He knew exactly who she was. Lin Ruan, a primary heroine in the novel and the adoptive sister of the previous holder of Wei Jun''s body.


    "How could you be so late? You were supposed to be here by five. You should have been here in the morning." Lin Ruan complained as soon as Wei Jun got closer to her.


    Wei Jun didn''t reply. He kept staring at her for a while before he replied, "I was busy picking up a suitable gift for Mother."


    Contrary to that, during the brief stare, Wei Jun was thinking something else entirely, ''She isn''t my mother so why should I?''


    [Wouldn''t it be better to just blend in?]


    [Lesser headaches that way]


    ''You''re right.'' He replied before he asked, ''Anyway, what should I do about her? If she is a heroine, then she''s an enemy. Do I need to kill her?''


    [Not necessarily]


    [In fact, this could be an opportunity]


    [Since Lin Ruan is a very crucial point of Run Long, making her your ally instead would deal a massive blow to Run Long]


    ''In other words, this girl is an opportunity I need to take away from Run Long?'' Wei Jun surmised the explanation.


    [Yes]


    ''Then does that mean, every heroine and friend of the protagonist is also an opportunity? And not just items and manuals?'' He asked as he purchased something from the shop and then lied about the gift thing.


    [Precisely]


    ''I see.''


    "Don''t let it happen again. Can you imagine if the guests had arrived before you did, how embarrassing would it be?" Lin Ruan reprimanded Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun nodded and apologized, "I truly apologize, sister. I will make sure to make up for it."


    Lin Ruan was taken aback by Wei Jun''s answer. She was expecting Wei Jun to push the blame to someone else or say something mean. Apologizing and doing that so nicely was the last thing--- No, it was something she hadn''t even considered from her brother.


    "I... Ah... Okay." She stuttered as she failed to form a proper reply. Wei Jun walked past her and entered the luxurious mansion. Just as he entered, the shine from the various decorative lights and the chandelier overtook him. He observed his surroundings as various servants moved at the directives of their superiors to prepare various delicacies to enjoy during the banquet.


    "Come on, Mother is waiting for you." Lin Ruan said as he was still taking everything in. Wei Jun nodded and followed Lin Ruan through the mansion. After walking for about ten minutes, they finally arrived outside a room.


    Many servants were standing outside that room, looking increasingly worried.


    "What is happening?" Wei Jun asked as he saw the atmosphere was far from celebratory.


    "You shouldn''t concern yourself with these things." Lin Ruan curtly replied before she moved ahead. The servants made way for her to access the door and after a slight knock, she said, "Mother, please don''t spoil your mood on such a festive occasion. Look, even Xiao Wei is here now."


    After a few seconds, the door opened and a woman with a red face came out. Not only her face, but even her eyes were swollen and they were red that Wei Jun suspected were from crying.


    He wondered what would have happened before the woman who appeared from the door whom he could barely assess, jumped at him with such a speed that he couldn''t follow her movements with his pathetic agility.


    Still, he prepared himself but before he could, he was already in the warm embrace of a woman who was crying nonstop. "Xiao Wei. What has happened? Look what they did."


    The woman who had taken Wei Jun by surprise started rambling incoherently. Many of her words didn''t make any sense but from the looks of it, she seemed to be relaying important information but Wei Jun couldn''t understand.


    He turned to look at his new sister who also seemed down after seeing their mother like this. "What happened?" This time, Wei Jun didn''t ask out of curiosity but there was authority in his voice.


    Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 11: A poisoned grandfather

    Lin Ruan trembled at the authority displayed by her brother. He had never had such an overbearing atmosphere around him before. It was not only new but so unfamiliar that Lin Ruan questioned herself whether she was in the presence of the same person or it was someone else.


    "That¡­ The¡­ Grandf¡­" Once again, for the second time today, she had a problem forming proper words to answer her brother.


    "Your grandfather has been poisoned. As soon as the news came out, many of our businesses have been attacked. Your father is currently there, dealing with the situation." The entire family moved inside a room where an old man was sleeping. His complexion wasn''t normal but a little purple.


    His breathing was calm though so other than his complexion, there was nothing indicating something was wrong with him.


    [The plot for you seems to have begun, host]


    Wei Jun nodded as he compiled the information from the novel. The Ruan family was a powerful family in Yuan Yun city. The head of the family, Sun Ruan was a very powerful man, not only in terms of influence but cultivation as well.


    The cultivation of people had ten stages but a city like Yuan Yun City which wasn''t very big compared to other big cities or even the capital, being at the peak of the fifth stage was considered very strong. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cultivation was divided into ten stages.


    [Qi sense realm]


    [Qi gathering realm]


    [Qi empowerment realm]


    [Qi manifestation realm]


    [Qi Master]


    [Qi Grandmaster]


    [Qi Commander]


    [Qi Emperor]


    [Qi Saint]


    [Qi Spiritualist]


    The first four stages were simple stages in which a cultivator learns the secrets of Qi. Each stage of Qi cultivation had further three stages, beginner, intermediate, and peak. The fourth stage was the stage when a person could manifest Qi outside of their body.


    However, even though there were ten stages of Qi cultivation, the highest rank someone right now was a Qi saint and that was the emperor.


    Being a peak Qi master in such a small city where the peak cultivators were at most the beginning stage of the Qi manifestation realm, was an achievement.


    In the novel, although Run Long comes to this city a month later, his affiliates, the rival families of the Ruan family already begin to cement their influence. The Ruan family was already in a precarious situation with all the families gathered to get rid of them, when the protagonist got involved in a feud with Wei Jun, the Ruan family wilted away at an even faster pace.


    The rest of the part that unfortunately, Wei Jun couldn''t read because he didn''t know what happened in the second volume however, according to the system, the Ruan family would be finished in the second volume so Wei Jun wanted to at least read that.


    Anyway, the beginning of the fall even before Run Long started from the fall of Sun Ruan, the head of the Ruan family. And the lead family to do that was the Tian family who were avid supporters of Run Long in the novel.


    Anyway, ''The fall of the Ruan family begins with the death of this old man. So all I need to do is just cure him, right?''


    [You could do that]


    [However, I''m not sure if it would give you any experience since we don''t know of the influence it could have on the story]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun simply replied. Wei Jun had no feelings regarding this matter. It didn''t matter to him whether the old man died or not. What mattered was how it would affect the story which in turn would either benefit him or be disadvantageous for him.


    ''The fact that the Tian family is an enemy is clear so if I cure this old man, he will deal with them for me so there is a chance it could be beneficial for me. At the very least, it won''t be detrimental for me.'' Wei Jun carefully took some time to cover all the factors before he arrived at the conclusion of saving Sun Ruan.


    "Go and prepare money. A lot of money." Wei Jun turned to talk to his sister. Usually, if Wei Jun had said that, Lin Ruan would have yelled at him in anger but today, Wei Jun had been acting differently so maybe that was why she decided to listen to her subconsciously.


    "How much money do you need?" Lin Ruan asked.


    ''How much?'' In turn, Wei Jun asked his system.


    [After analyzing his state, it could be easily solved with a phoenix''s tear which should be available for two hundred thousand coins]


    [You could also try the Nine Yang antidote which is a cheaper alternative]


    [Phoenix tear: 200,000 gold]


    [Nine Yang antidote: 50,000 gold]


    ''Damn!'' Wei Jun inwardly exclaimed, completely astounded by the fact that something could be so expensive. But then again, there were things in the shop that were of billions of gold so just this much wasn''t surprising.


    ''The first one would surely heal him but the second one is a chance, right?'' Wei Jun asked his system.


    [Yes]


    He nodded inwardly, turned to Lin Ruan and said, "Make it twenty million Yuan."


    Lin Ruan was a little taken aback by the price so she asked, "Only?" For the Ruan family, whose net worth was almost two billion, along with frozen assets, an amount of twenty million was very small.


    "Yes." Wei Jun awkwardly replied since he wasn''t aware of any of this. He just thought that it was a lot of money given that his own account had only seven million.


    Lin Ruan nodded and left the room. It was now just Wei Jun, his mother whose name he didn''t know, and his grandfather whose name he came to know from his system.


    His mother was still clinging to him, still crying in low sobs so he decided not to disturb her. Besides the fact that it was hard for him to call her mother, the fact that he felt overwhelmed by her behavior was also the reason he was at a loss for what to say.

 Chapter 12: Grandfather up with a bang

    After a short wait, Lin Ruan came back with a briefcase filled with money. "Good. Now leave and prepare for the banquet. Take her¡ªmother with you." Wei Jun instructed once he had everything. Now he just needed to keep everything a secret, not because he was afraid, but because explaining would be a headache.


    "Shouldn''t we cancel the banquet?" Lin Ruan asked as she consoled her mother and convinced her to leave.


    "No. This is a perfect opportunity for everyone to see that the old man is all well." Wei Jun seriously replied. In his hastiness, he even forgot to address Sun Ruan properly. But the atmosphere was tense enough that no one picked up on this detail.


    Lin Ruan, along with her mother left the room and now there were only Wei Jun and Sun Ruan left. Wei Jun opened up the briefcase and placed his hand on the money. The next moment, the money disappeared and all that was left was an empty briefcase.


    He closed the briefcase and stored it in his inventory just to avoid meaningless questions.


    [Phoenix tear: 200,000 gold]


    Wei Jun purchased the item from the system shop. It appeared in his inventory from where he pulled it out magically. It was a small vial holding at most ten milligrams of fiery red liquid that seemed viscous like gel.


    He uncorked the top and emptied the contents in the mouth of the old man. For a few moments nothing happened and when Wei Jun started to think that it failed, Sun Ruan''s body began to glow red. It kept on glowing until the glow settled down and vanished slowly.


    [The treatment is complete, host]


    [He should wake up anytime soon]


    Wei Jun examined the changes in the old man. He was vibrant unlike before. Almost as if he was glowing. He was fully healthy and not shriveled like before and there was no sign of a purple complexion.


    ''What happened to the venom? Shouldn''t it have secreted?'' Just like the impurities inside his organ were expelled, Wei Jun thought that a similar thing might happen here as well.


    [The phoenix tear scorches anything unnecessary and then turns the power into nutrients to nourish the body]


    [I suggest that the host should also take some of it once your stats increase to about a hundred]


    ''For no reason?'' Wei Jun asked. It felt like the system was asking him to take it for no reason even if he wasn''t injured or poisoned.


    [Just like how supplements can be taken by a completely healthy person, there is no harm in using this one too]


    Wei Jun nodded as he understood. It was more like a supplement to prevent anything bad from happening.


    Just as he thought everything was over, suddenly he was pushed away along with everything else and crashed into the wall of the room. This sudden force was emitted from the old man lying on the bed.


    [HP -5]


    [Host, get out of here]


    [He is advancing to the next stage of Qi cultivation]


    Wei Jun''s system warned him and Wei Jun, who had sustained quite a few injuries and his HP had decreased by half, didn''t need another warning and ran outside the door just before another wave emitted from the old man.


    "Xiao Wei, what happened?" Outside the room, he could see Lin Ruan running towards him along with her mother in tow. Many more servants were behind her as well.


    "Don''t come over here!" Wei Jun yelled as he stood up and ran into his sister, taking her by her hand and pulling her along with him. That was when he realized, that no matter how much he tried, his sister just wouldn''t budge.


    [She''s a cultivator]


    ''Thanks for the obvious.'' He retorted before he again yelled, "Don''t go over there. The old man is advancing to the next stage of the Qi!!"


    Lin Ruan was astonished by the words uttered by Wei Jun because it was impossible for Sun Ruan to advance as his limit was only the fifth stage of Qi. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But her doubts were answered when another powerful wave of Qi destroyed the wall of the room and the door and hit the things on the outside as well.


    "Out of the house, now!!!!" She yelled even stronger than Wei Jun and took Wei Jun and her mother''s hand and jumped in the air, landing on the floor of the ground floor, then ran to the door and outside the mansion.


    Heeding her advice, the servants evacuated as well. The entire mansion was emptied and after just a few moments it was emptied, a powerful wave of Qi emitted from the mansion and it started crumbling. The entire mansion, covering the same area as a large building, crumbled slowly to the ground.


    But the waves of Qi never stopped. One more powerful wave, that was strong enough to reach them could be seen in the distance.


    Wei Jun became wary. The earlier hit had taken half of his HP, this one seemed more powerful. Wouldn''t it just kill him?


    Before it got to that point, however, Lin Ruan and their mother stood in front of everyone and extended their palms in the direction of the qi.


    A blue shield appeared around everyone with which the wave collided. Luckily the shield remained intact even though it was greatly cracked.


    [Your mother seems to be a cultivator too, host]


    ''Again, thanks for stating the obvious.''


    Wei Jun now understood why their grips were so strong despite their beautiful feminine features. They were cultivators that Wei Jun was trying to be.


    However, as he witnessed all of this, a question prickled his consciousness. ''If everyone in this family is a cultivator, how did they lose to Run Long who at best can only reach the second stage of Qi cultivation?''


    [I think your answer can be found in the second volume]


    ''You''re right.'' Wei Jun nodded and just at that time, the tremors and waves of Qi stopped. The entire mansion was nothing but rubble now but in between that rubble, something glowing could be seen.


    A bubble of blue light was glowing and inside of it, stood an old man with his eyes closed. Everyone stared with anticipation and just at that time, the old man opened his eyes and a wave of Qi spread throughout the surroundings.

 Chapter 13: Family meeting

    "I didn''t know that Young Master Ruan would be so handsome." A man and a woman pair flattered Wei Jun to the point he got sick of it. Or at least a normal person would have gotten sick of it but the same couldn''t be said for the current Wei Jun.


    [It''s sickening how people change] S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''It''s nothing new. When faced with an obvious choice, humans always change.'' Wei Jun replied while he smiled and replied with his own flattery of the woman''s beauty or the man''s nonexistent handsomeness.


    The entire banquet venue had been changed to the garden. Lin Ruan considered canceling the banquet but Wei Jun was adamant that doing so wouldn''t be good for them. The reason was simple. He wanted people to know that the baseless rumors of the old man Ruan being poisoned were false and not only that, his current visage spelled that he had entered the beginner stage of Qi Master.


    ''The stocks would double by tomorrow. All those planning to take the position of this family should either change sides or back off.'' He analyzed as the banquet progressed.


    [But it wouldn''t change, would it?]


    ''Of course, those who want the position won''t change. Only their target would change.'' Wei Jun replied as he engaged himself in another meaningless conversation with another man.


    [You]


    ''Of course. I am the only weak link in this family. The target is obvious.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [I pity them]


    The system murmured in a low voice but Wei Jun heard it loud and clear since the system was in his head. However, he didn''t say anything about it. It was true after all. Had they gone after the Ruan family, Wei Jun would have only helped where necessary but if they come after him, they would be his enemy. The current owner of Wei Jun''s body didn''t take kindly to enemies.


    ''We begin tomorrow.'' Wei Jun said as he now completely focused on the banquet. After the banquet, there was supposed to be a dinner with his fianc¨¦e''s family but now that the mansion was on the ground, he didn''t know what would happen about it. Also, he was a bit tired to attend that dinner as well.


    Although he took a healing pill to heal himself, he was still not in the mood to engage himself in another meaningless conversation.


    Finally, after what felt like hours, three to be exact, the guests started leaving one by one. The garden was soon empty with only the Ruan family servants and the members of the Ruan family left. There was no sign of Wei Jun''s current father since he was still taking care of the business problems.


    "Join me, all of you." Sun Ruan said when only they were left. Wei Jun moved and took a seat at the table. Under the clear night sky, twinkling with stars, the family sat on a round table.


    "It was a good decision not to cancel the banquet. Now they all know where the Ruan family stands." Sun Ruan began with these words.


    "Exactly father. I couldn''t help but seethe with anger when that b***, Ran Tong praised me so much when just yesterday she was singing praise of the Tian family." Wei Jun''s mother, whose name he found out to be Pei Ruan, replied to Sun Ruan''s remark.


    "Who poisoned you?" Wei Jun wasn''t interested in these useless things. He wanted to know who was the main target that he needed to deal with. If the old man Ruan was poisoned, he could also be in danger.


    "I have no idea. One day I was fine while the next day, I began to vomit and then started feeling weak all over." Sun Ruan described his poisoning and also told him everything he knew after that.


    Wei Jun found nothing useful in that information so he remained quiet while the family discussed more things.


    Finally, the question of the hour was brought up by Sun Ruan, "Xiao Wei, how did you cure me? Not only was I cured, but I also succeeded in advancing to the next stage even though my limit had been Qi master for almost thirty years?"


    Wei Jun didn''t reply. He didn''t want any headaches over this but he was just being optimistic thinking he wouldn''t have to answer this.


    "I would rather not say, grandfather. It was a favor to someone very powerful and I was asked not to divulge any information about it." Wei Jun leisurely answered with no facial distortions that might depict him lying or hiding something.


    "I see." Sun Ruan replied. They were all broiling their own theories and Wei Jun was more than happy to let them.


    ''Xiao Wei seems to have a connection with someone strong.'' But if Wei Jun knew the thoughts inside everyone''s heads, he might have laughed out loud.


    "What should we do now, grandfather?" Lin Ruan asked once this was over with. Now they needed to decide what to do next.


    "Be cautious of the people around you. I will contact a few old friends to hire guards for all of you. And regarding business, adopt an aggressive approach from now on. Not only target our rival companies without any disregard but also use whatever means you can to rake every business to ourselves." Sun Ruan instructed.


    Wei Jun nodded with a smile. He liked this approach. This was how he had built several business empires in his original world. Taking everything he could without caring for the means. Of course, even a person like him didn''t cross the line but it was different for those who crossed the said line first.


    "Also, a rumor has surfaced recently." Lin Ruan said before this conversation ended. Wei Jun who was about to stand up, annoyingly sat back down.


    "What is it?" Sun Ruan asked but Lin Ruan hesitated as she glanced at Wei Jun, worried about his reaction. Still, after a few moments of inner debate, she decided to divulge this information, "The Yu family and the Tian family are currently in a relationship. Especially their young master, Yao Tian had been spotted many times with Liu Yu."


    As this information was revealed, everyone turned to Wei Jun to witness his reaction but they were puzzled as the same uninterested expression remained on his face since the beginning of this conversation.


    ======


    Honestly, I wasn''t expecting a review so fast. Anyway, as promised, I will upload three chapters throughout today. They might push until the end of the day so please understand.


    Also, let me know in the comments what you think.

 Chapter 14: Treasure hunting I

    ''The way they were all behaving; I feel like I should know who Liu Yu is.'' Wei Jun said inwardly while he was in the back seat of the luxurious limo, traveling back to his villa.


    [The primary heroine]


    The system replied which made Wei Jun ask another question, ''Then shouldn''t she be with Run Long? Why is her affair with this Yao Tian?''


    [I wouldn''t know]


    [Maybe there is information about it in the novel]


    Wei Jun nodded. Even if the system knew, it wouldn''t tell him unless he paid the appropriate price so he decided to let go of this issue. It didn''t matter to him anyway.


    ''So far I know of two treasures that Run Long obtains in the first volume. Tomorrow I will be going to get them.'' Wei Jun decided. He analyzed everything perfectly and compiled a plan inside his head for the next month. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, the car stopped in front of his villa. It was already an hour past midnight. Instead of exercising or doing anything, he headed straight to bed and went to sleep.


    Wei Jun woke up at dawn after three to four hours of sleep. He was fatigued so he stood up and started doing his normal set of exercises. His stats didn''t increase after an hour of exercise so he was tempted to use a stamina pill to resume training but he controlled himself. He had plans for the day.


    He took a refreshing cold shower and ate a healthy breakfast filled with meat. Once he was done and it was about eight in the morning, he asked Chen Xian, "Is there a car I can use for myself?"


    Chen Xian was taken aback by this question but then he thought that maybe Wei Jun was asking if there was a car prepared for him to use. Seeing that this made sense, Chen Xian decided to believe in his reasoning and replied, "There is a car fueled and ready for the Young Master''s personal use."


    Wei Jun nodded and headed straight to the garage under the guidance of Chen Xian. There, Chen Xian pointed at a car among many others that resembled greatly with the McLaren Senna GTR but the logo was different so Wei Jun assumed that it was a company of this world.


    The car was a mix of black and white. Feeling the car with his hand, he muttered, "At least the previous owner had a great taste in cars." Which was the least he could say about his choice of clothes that Wei Jun had thrown in the garbage because of how flashy and idiotic they looked.


    Wei Jun was dressed in a single-breasted suit that he had made the first day he arrived in this world with a pair of matching shoes. ''I need to remake some clothes. These are quite a tight fit now.''


    Since Wei Jun used the cleansing pills, his height had increased a little and his chest was also a little wider compared to before.


    Still given his charm value, Wei Jun seemed like a character straight out of a movie.


    He opened the car door and sat in the driver''s seat. He started the car as the garage door opened. He revved the engine a few times by accelerating the pedal and once the door was fully opened, he sped out of the garage at a sudden speed. He left the villa and traveled the highway of the Yuan Yin city.


    It took him about an hour of driving and a lot of searching for a map before he arrived at the hillside area of Yuan Yin City. The reason he was here was because there was an opportunity hidden for Run Long in this place. Run Long was a doctor by profession.


    He mostly dwelled in medical practice along with martial arts and in a city like Yuan Yin, he was protected by the big families for his medical talent.


    Wei Jun stopped outside of a motel that wasn''t up to his standard. It was a single-room motel for those passing through the hillside area so it wasn''t luxurious in the least.


    Even when he entered the motel, a smell assaulted his nostrils. The smell was a mixture of filth, an unsanitary environment, and debauchery.


    ''So this is what this place is used for.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly as he approached the reception where a man was sitting, reading a book.


    "I want to rent a room." Wei Jun said to get the man''s attention. The man let go of the book and looked at him. There was skepticism in the man''s eyes that he didn''t bother to hide.


    The question was obvious, ''What was someone obviously rich like him doing in a place like this?''


    Nevertheless, the man didn''t say anything. Not rich like Wei Jun, but often some moderately rich people came to this place to hide various scandals.


    The man simply took a key off the wall and said, "Your room is on the second floor."


    "I don''t want that room. Give me that one instead." Wei Jun didn''t take the key but demanded another room.


    The man glanced at the room Wei Jun was talking about and said, "That room is already taken."


    Wei Jun wasn''t in a mood to get entangled in this so he simply pulled out a few notes of thousand yuan and said "Then empty it out."


    The man was astonished after seeing the clanking notes as if fresh out of the ATM. He hurriedly took the notes but not before glancing at the wallet that Wei Jun had put inside his pocket.


    Wei Jun could clearly see the greed in the man''s eyes but he stayed put and said nothing.


    "Give me a minute." The man stood from his seat and came after a few moments along with a couple. "The room is all yours."


    Wei Jun was a little disgusted when he entered the room and smelled the smell of fresh debauchery but he was here for only a few moments. He began to check the walls of the room until he finally found what seemed like a cavity in the wall.


    Without hesitation, Wei Jun punched that part of the wall and it crumbled easily. The material used was even lower than substandard in quality so Wei Jun didn''t have much problem doing it. Once the cavity was exposed, Wei Jun smiled as a shining object came into his view, "There you are."


    =====


    Thanks to ''Kubasino13'', I was able to salvage the clothing situation before the novel could get a lot more messy.


    I request the other readers to do the same and comment if they find something wrong that I might have missed so I can fix the mistake while it is still possible.


    That''s it. Thanks for reading.

 Chapter 15: Goons

    "There you are." Wei Jun said with a smile as he pulled out the shining stone from the wall. It was green in color and there were veins inside of the stone. The stone seemed to be pulsating with power.


    ''Does it have any use for me?'' Wei Jun asked his system.


    [You can absorb the Qi inside to increase your own but seeing as you have no Qi, storing it inside your inventory would be a good idea]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun nodded and put it inside his inventory. Then he waited and waited but the desired message wasn''t showing up.


    ''Why haven''t I received the EXP for this?'' He asked the system with a frown.


    [The item still exists]


    [It might end up with Run Long some way so until it isn''t completely depleted of power or destroyed, the opportunity still exists]


    ''That doesn''t make sense. How will he obtain something from my inventory?'' Wei Jun annoyingly asked.


    [The world works in mysterious ways]


    The reasoning given by the system somewhat made sense. If the world could somehow bring a plane when Run Long was falling from the building, then anything could happen.


    ''I can''t believe I just thought it made sense.'' Wei Jun, a little disheartened, opened the shop and searched for something and after a little while, he found it.


    [Blue Fang dagger: 5000 gold]


    Wei Jun still had about four thousand gold left in the shop after he bought this dagger. The reason to buy this dagger was simple, the people waiting outside this room had dangerous intentions regarding Wei Jun. If they knew who Wei Jun was, they wouldn''t do it but since they didn''t, their greed blinded them.


    [Blue Fang dagger


    Tier: E


    Description: A dagger made from the venomous snake known as Blue Calamity. The dagger made from its fang has poisonous properties. The dagger makes the user swifter compared to normal. It also has a few interesting effects that have a random chance of applying


    Effect(s):


    Attack +30


    Agility +5


    50% chance of bleed effect applying


    50% chance of poison effect applying


    5% chance of a critical hit


    Additional information: The poison effect would depend on the opponent''s Qi level. If the opponent has Qi, the special effects will apply every time]


    Wei Jun carefully read the description and effects of the dagger. He was very pleased with the qualities and effects of the dagger. Just for five thousand, the dagger was very good.


    It was very well crafted as well. The sharpened blade was purple in color while the hilt was dark. Both the blade and hilt were held together by some kind of metal. There were also some inscriptions on the dagger that Wei Jun suspected applied the effects of the dagger.


    Even after reading the description, Wei Jun remained in his spot, motionless for a while. Ten minutes passed and he didn''t move. The people standing outside the door finally became impatient and opened the door.


    "And here I thought you would never enter." Wei Jun commented as three men barged into the room and stood some distance away from him.


    Although it sounded like he was saying that to no one in particular, the three men knew it was directed at them so the man at the reception replied, "So you knew about it? that''s good if you already know. Hand over everything you have and we will let you go."


    Wei Jun didn''t reply. He simply turned around and stared at them.


    ''I don''t need their names, just tell me their stats.'' He commanded his system while he simply just stared at them without saying anything.


    [Strength: 13, Agility: 7, Stamina: 11]


    [Strength: 8, Agility: 15, Stamina: 4]


    [Strength: 10, Agility: 10, Stamina: 9]


    The stats of all the men were higher than Wei Jun''s but he could tell that they had no fighting experience. All they knew was how to brawl. None of them knew proper fighting techniques.


    [Strength: 7]


    [Stamina: 10]


    [Agility: 8]


    Wei Jun equipped the dagger and his agility increased to thirteen. He felt lighter on his feet as if weight had been removed from his feet.


    Just as a dagger appeared in his hand, the three men became wary as one of them said, "We don''t want to end this in blood. Just give us everything you have."


    But Wei Jun wasn''t in the mood to listen. The three men were murderers. An experienced man like Wei Jun could tell so he decided to kill them anyway.


    Wei Jun didn''t reply and turned his gaze to the one in the middle, the receptionist. He was the one with the lowest stamina but the highest agility among all of them.


    Without a word, Wei Jun leaped at him, his dagger prepared in his other hand. The man moved to guard himself as the rest of the two men leapt at Wei Jun but mid-way through, Wei Jun stopped himself effortlessly but the rest of the men couldn''t.


    It was a feint. Wei Jun changed his target to the one who was most unstable at the moment. The third man with balanced stats. Wei Jun leaped at him and before he could even react to the speed displayed by Wei Jun, a small cut had already appeared on his cheek, Wei Jun hurriedly stepped back and the receptionist who had jumped at him missed.


    Wei Jun ignored the receptionist and the man who he had just nicked and targeted the last man with the highest strength but low agility and as expected, he couldn''t keep up with the agility shown by Wei Jun along with the techniques displayed by Wei Jun.


    In just a moment, Wei Jun was behind him. "Watch out!" The receptionist warned his companion but it was already too late. Wei Jun had already driven his dagger through the man''s heart.


    The rest of the goons stood there, horrified as they couldn''t believe how easily a boy half their size and probably half in age as well, so cruelly killed one of them.


    "What are you so surprised about? If you guys started this, you should have the guts to see this through the end as well." Wei Jun spoke while retracting his dagger from the man he had just stabbed who slowly slumped to the floor.


    =====


    If you find any grammatical errors, please highlight them because I couldn''t proofread this chapter. I had a long day at the university.


    Also, the three chapters for the second review are shifted to tomorrow for the same reason. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 16: First kill

    As the man slowly fell to the floor, Wei Jun examined the state of the rest of his opponents. One of them seemed absolutely fine while the other one was sweating and the area around his cheek was darkened where Wei Jun had nicked him with his dagger.


    Just as the man died, a set of notifications appeared before him.


    [You have killed a human being]


    [No Qi detected]


    [No stat gain possible]


    Wei Jun was surprised about raising his stats through this method but he held on asking the system about it for now. He needed to deal with the two men who were exchanging glances with each other right now.


    Wei Jun prepared himself and before the two men could execute their own plan, Wei Jun jumped at them. The men instinctively raised their guard to protect themselves but Wei Jun, at the perfect moment, fell on the ground. He rolled and cut off the tendon of the man whom he had poisoned before.


    The man screamed in pain and the other one, using his superior agility, attacked him once again but Wei Jun''s agility was also almost the same while the dagger was equipped so not only did he succeed in dodging, but he also created more distance between him and the men.


    The man whose tendon he had just cut grasped his feet while screaming in pain. The effect of bleed and poison had taken effect and he was slowly bleeding to death. Wei Jun decided to ignore him now as he would inevitably die even if he did nothing.


    Wei Jun turned his focus on the receptionist who was running toward him. The small area of the room provided less space to dodge but a man with Wei Jun''s experience easily used the terrain to his advantage. He jumped behind the bed to interrupt the receptionist''s momentum.


    Just as the man was about to attack him again, Wei Jun threw his dagger at him. The man succeeded in barely dodging the dagger but before he could turn around, he felt a strong hit in his stomach. Usually, for a buff man like him, it wouldn''t have hurt that much but there was proper technique behind that blow hence why even he was in pain.


    Wei Jun didn''t let up and hurriedly backed off. He circled around the man and picked up his dagger that was embedded in a wall.


    The receptionist composed himself but he was out of breath.


    "Your stats are good but your stamina is sh*t." Wei Jun commented as he once again jumped at the man and started grazing him with his dagger while dodging the futile attacks of the man. After thirty seconds of constant slashes, the receptionist was bleeding all over and finally fell on the floor. Wei Jun carefully came behind him and embedded his dagger through the man''s heart.


    A similar set of notifications appeared but he gained nothing from them again. He let go of the man and turned his attention to the last man who was crawling out of the room desperately. Wei Jun didn''t say anything and got behind him.


    Before the man could say something, he grabbed him from his mouth and drove the dagger through his neck slowly. The man trembled like a dying fish and soon died on the spot.


    Wei Jun ignored a similar set of notifications and headed for the door. He opened the door to see the hallway empty. There were no witnesses to this incident. Probably the men had something to do with it.


    He straightened his jacket and simply strolled to the reception table and searched it. After a little search, he found the thousand yuan bills he had given the receptionist. He took the bills because he didn''t want anyone identifying them. Finally, when all the evidence was erased, he strolled out of the building.


    [There is a camera, host]


    ''I know. I saw it the moment I came here. Don''t worry about it.'' Wei Jun replied as he got into his car and drove away. He had made sure that not even a single drop of blood would fall on him. Although he wasn''t afraid, there was no harm in being careful to avoid headaches.


    He drove away to the city and after another hour of drive, he arrived at an antique shop. He didn''t visit this shop even though it was in the city before because it wasn''t open at that time yet.


    Wei Jun entered the shop and saw an old man reading something behind the counter. He simply said, "Welcome. Let me know what you like."


    The tone of the old man was frustrated like he hated his job and he didn''t even raise his attention from the book. Wei Jun ignored the old man and began looking for what he was there for.


    Shortly afterward, he found a stylish ceramic box with various engravings. The box was locked and no key was in sight so he took it to the old man and said, "I want to buy this."


    The old man finally raised his head to see a young man buying a piece he had been trying to get rid of for a long time. However, he couldn''t just sell it to the young man because, from the looks of the young man, he seemed influential.


    If he didn''t like the box, he might accuse the old man of scamming him. The old man said, "The box is useless. There is no history to it and it is locked. If you still want to buy it, I will sell it to you at the price I obtained it ten years ago."


    The old man made sure to get his meaning across because he didn''t want headaches later on.


    Wei Jun simply nodded and asked, "How much is it?"


    The old man hesitated but told him the actual price, "Ten thousand yuan." Wei Jun simply procured ten notes and handed them to the old man before walking out of the shop.


    Once he was outside, he examined the box and said, "So what the hell are you hiding?"


    =====


    The three chapters for the review are ready and will be out in a while. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 17: Heading to the office

    "So what secrets are you hiding?" Wei Jun murmured as he examined the old box in his car. He had come to a secluded parking lot so he wouldn''t be disturbed by anything. Even after a lot of poking, the box wouldn''t open without a key.


    ''What do you think?'' Seeing no other option, he asked his system.


    [If you tap at the bottom, a cylindrical key should appear]


    [If you spin it to the left nine times, then seven to the right, and then again six times to the left, the box should open]


    ''And you''re only telling me this now.'' Wei Jun asked with narrowed eyes as he located the key that the system was talking about.


    [I was examining the box]


    ''Sure, whatever.'' Wei Jun followed the system''s instructions and viola, the box opened. Inside the box was a simple piece of parchment. One of those old papers.


    Wei Jun used the system to identify the piece of paper because he couldn''t understand what was written on it.


    [It is an ancient breathing method]


    [It could help you in cultivation]


    Wei Jun contemplated for a while before he purchased a lighter from the system shop for 1 gold and burned the paper.


    [Wouldn''t it have been better to use it for yourself?]


    ''What can I expect from a technique that only raised a protagonist''s strength to the second level?'' At most the strength of the protagonist was at the second level of Qi in the novel so there was no benefit if he were to learn this method. Wei Jun would rather hold off and learn a better one later on.


    As soon as the paper completely became ashes, a set of notifications appeared before him.


    [You have taken a major opportunity of Run Long]


    [Your level has been raised by seven]


    [Would you like to integrate stats?]


    ''What does it mean?'' Wei Jun asked as he stared at the last notification.


    [Usually, you would have simply leveled up but since you want to save enough to read the second volume, I have altered the method a little]


    Wei Jun understood and said, ''Then hold off on empowerment. How much more do I need to level up for me to be able to read the second volume?'' S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You can read the second volume at level twelve while you can read the third volume at level twenty]


    [You also have the option of permanently sacrificing your cultivation]


    ''Will I be able to get that cultivation back?'' Wei Jun asked curiously.


    [If you expend the same effort, then yes, you can]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun simply replied but didn''t ponder on it for too long. As long as his level increased hence increasing his stats and cultivation limit, he could somehow gain strength even without the empowerment form leveling.


    Wei Jun started the car and headed straight for home. It wasn''t even noon before he returned and he headed straight to the gym after changing clothes.


    Another relentless training session began only this time; he wasn''t going to rely on the stamina pills.


    =====


    Wei Jun woke up at dawn, his body sore to the point that a normal person wouldn''t even have considered opening his eyes yet here he was, getting ready to train a lot. Today, instead of doing one, he did two sets and raised his stats by a bit by pushing his body to the limit.


    [Strength 9]


    [Stamina 11]


    [Agility 9]


    Wei Jun didn''t know how to increase his defense so he focused on what he could. As for the defense, although he had a hint of making his body sturdier like bone cleansing did, he decided to hold off on that for now. Although defense was important in a fight, right now he needed stats to survive daily life first.


    With his body screaming in pain, he took a cold shower and after drying himself, he soaked himself in a tub full of warm water. His bones loosened a bit and he felt better so much so that he remained in the warm water longer than he wanted.


    Alas, he had to get up because he needed to get to the office as well. Wei Jun wanted to make a lot of money so he could use various resources available in the shop and the best way to do that was to have a hell ton of money.


    He got out of the bathtub. He then got dressed and just as he exited his room, Chen Xian was coming over to his room. He was astonished to see Wei Jun up and ready already when his usual mornings began around noon.


    "Good morning, Young Master." Chen Xian bowed and greeted him. Wei Jun nodded and said, "Prepare breakfast."


    Chen Xian nodded and immediately turned around and left for the kitchen. Wei Jun instead went to the dining room and took a seat at the dining table. After a few minutes, a healthy breakfast arrived that only consisted of beef. Without caring about anything, Wei Jun dug in but this time he was careful not to ruin his suit.


    Once he was done with the breakfast, he addressed Chen Xian and instructed, "Bring the car around. We will leave in ten minutes."


    "At once, Young Master." Chen Xian replied and left after a brief bow. Wei Jun checked his system and after finding nothing out of the ordinary, he stood up and left for the main door of the villa.


    A limousine was ready with the backseat door opened and held by Chen Xian. Wei Jun nodded at Chen Xian and entered the car. He took a seat in the back and closed his eyes. His body was still aching but it was now bearable at least.


    ''So I own a managing agency.'' He inwardly muttered as various plans regarding business began to form in his head. Wei Jun wasn''t the type to dwell in only one field so he planned to expand his business to other branches as well.


    [Like?]


    The system curiously asked to which Wei Jun smiled and replied, ''I''m going to make a movie.''

 Chapter 18: The Tian and Yu families

    A young man was sitting on a recliner and slowly sipping whisky from a glass. He had simple black hair and eyes but his appearance was anything but ordinary. A handsome man who could rival celebrities when it came to appearance could be the only way to properly praise him.


    While he was staring at the empty air, drinking his drink in small sips, a man entered the darkened room and greeted the young man, "Good evening, Young Master Tian."


    Young Tian nodded which was the permission for the man to continue, "I brought the report from the Ruan family. Would you like to hear it?"


    Young Tian didn''t reply for a while before he said, "I don''t want to hear how our meticulous plan failed, I just want to know because of who it failed." Young Tian spoke with hatred in his voice.


    The man hesitated. There were a few things that Young Tian hated. What he was about to say was one of them. He couldn''t afford to make his master angry.


    "Butler Sa, are you aware I don''t like being kept in the dark?" Young Tian threateningly spoke. The man, also known as Butler Sa inwardly sighed. Seeing no other choice, he named the person who had caused young Tian''s plans to fail, "According to the reports of the spies, it was Wei Jun Ruan.


    Reports indicate that Sun Ruan was poisoned according to the plan and his condition was worsening by the minute. However, when Wei Jun Ruan showed up, he alone went into the room where Sun Ruan was, and the rest is history."


    Young Tian was already aware of the cultivation advancement of Sun Ruan. Not only was Sun Ruan wasn''t dead but his power had increased by one level.


    "What''s the damage?" Young Tian asked next, suppressing his bubbling anger with great effort.


    Butler Sa sighed once again and began his report, "The mayor declined our requests to expand after this incident. As for the bill, nothing is certain about it. Also, with the Ruan family suddenly going on the offensive like this, many of our medical businesses have taken a great loss. Along with that, the real estate business and the chemical factories are also in a pinch. And¡­"


    Young Tian interrupted Butler Sa at this point as he had had enough of the report. The damages were massive and he didn''t want to hear about them anymore. "What of the families?"


    Butler Sa hesitated just like he hesitated when Wei Jun Run was discussed. Still, this time, young Tian didn''t have to warn Butler Sa, "The families are hesitating to cooperate after this. Some are even complaining that even though we assured them of the Ruan family fall, not only are they completely fine, but they are stronger than ever.


    Some are even blaming us for the losses they have to bear because of the Ruan family''s offensive."


    "Tch¡­ Leeches." Young Tian cursed. When they were in power, these families were flattering and lathering them in butter but now that things have taken a slightly difficult turn, they have all turned on them. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What did father say about this?" Young Tian finally asked what mattered to him the most.


    "That¡­" Butler Sa didn''t know how to compile the correct words to make that answer. Young Tian turned to look at him, his eyes filled with a fury which caused the butler Sa to finally let go and answer, "He has handed over all authority to Young Master Noh."


    The glass in young Tian''s hand shattered as soon as he heard this answer. Finally, the anger inside of him couldn''t be contained as he yelled, "WEI JUN RUAN!!!!!!"


    ======


    At the same time, in another mansion, a father and daughter were engaged in an intense debate.


    "Father, it''s just a minor setback. If we let go of all plans right now, we won''t get anything." Liu Yu argued with her father who remained seated in a great chair without caring what his daughter was saying.


    "That''s enough out of you. You will do nothing now. Just be prepared to go to the congratulatory dinner on Saturday." Liu''s father, Zen Yu spoke in a reprimanding tone and ended the debate with his daughter. Liu Yu was at a loss as she had been trying to convince her father for a long time but he wasn''t budging.


    Without a choice, she begrudgingly left the study room where she was. A man in his forties, dressed in a butler suit bowed when she left the room.


    She didn''t respond and kept trekking for her room. The butler followed after her with a little concerned expression. As soon as Liu Yu opened the door to her room, "Aahhh!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed on top of her lungs.


    The butler did nothing and just stood a little far away from her. He was letting her get it out of her system before he would do anything.


    "Has there been any word from Yao Tian?" Liu Yu asked when she stopped screaming after a few minutes.


    "There hasn''t been any. The Tian family is currently in quite a pickle. Also, the control of the corporation has been handed over to Noh Tian. Yao Tian is no longer in control." The butler explained the matter to her in great detail.


    Liu Yu clenched her fists in fury and began screaming again for some time. "USELESS!!!! EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM!!!!!"


    She kept screaming for some time before she calmed down finally after some time. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to the butler, she spoke, "I think it is time to visit my fianc¨¦. Schedule a meeting with him tomorrow. I will finish this for once and for all myself."


    The butler didn''t say anything for a while but then advised against her decision, "The master wouldn''t be happy if he found out."


    "Then make sure he doesn''t find out." Liu Yu replied and waved her hand which was the signal for the butler to leave. The butler bowed and left the room. As soon as he left, Liu Yu slumped on her bed, sprawled on its surface. She closed her eyes as she thought, ''I refuse to be controlled. No matter what.''

 Chapter 19: Firing Spree

    "Good morning, Director Ruan." A beautiful girl greeted Wei Jun but contrary to what was normal, instead of a positive reply, all it did was create an imaginary line of anger on Wei Jun''s head.


    "Good morning, Director Ruan." Another girl greeted. Another line formed.


    "Good morning, Director Ruan." Once again, another beautiful girl came into his view and greeted him. Unfortunately, this was it. There was no more room on his forehead for another imaginary angry line to form. He was above his limit now.


    "OUT!!!!!" A shout emanated from his mouth. A shout everyone in the building heard.


    "Pa¡ªPardon?" The girl at the reception trembled when she heard Wei Jun''s scream. She was not only taken aback for a few seconds; she was also hellishly confused at what had suddenly happened.


    "I said out, you ****" Wei Jun used a very bad word that had to be censored which once again, confused the girl immensely.


    "I- I don''t understand, Director Ruan." She replied, still feeling immensely confused.


    "Haa¡­" Wei Jun sighed. He cleared his throat calmly as if the earlier shout was nothing more than the imagination of everyone present. Or that was so until they heard what left his mouth next, "I said you''re **** fired, you *** of a ****, whose name starts with **** and ends with ****."


    The ears of the girl who had been directed by Wei Jun''s censored words began to bleed after hearing all of that. not only her but everyone around was stunned too. Before they could get over their shock, Wei Jun once again screamed, "AND YOU, YOU, YOU, AND YOU TOO. OUT!!!! YOU''RE ALL FIRED!!!!!!"


    So the matter was simple. Wei Jun arrived at his company on a peaceful Monday morning. Ready to find out where his company stood in the world of business. That was the beginning of the imaginary lines. His company was sh*t. Complete and total sh*t.


    The reasons were many as he began to analyze.


    Receptionists who are beautiful but don''t even know how to properly answer a phone.


    P.R. team that was full of beautiful women but they didn''t know how to deal with articles.


    Managing team that also only consisted of women with immense beauty but they didn''t even know what they were supposed to do.


    Bodyguards consisted of beautiful women who didn''t even know how to make a full fist let alone even spell the word, ''Guard.''


    In a short period of time, in only a half hour, Wei Jun exploded. He began from the receptionist and began to fire all those that were useless. He skimmed through the entire two-story building and ended with his own beautiful but useless secretary. Before noon, the only person in the entire building was none other than Wei Jun. In other words, everyone was useless.


    After firing all of the women who left with tears coming out of every pore of their bodies, Wei Jun came to his office and slumped into his chair.


    "Not a good start." He mumbled under his breath as he planned his next move. Wei Jun had decided to make a movie but after going through everything, he discovered that the actors his agency was contracted with were anything but actors. For one, they were all women and second, they were terrible at acting that even commercial companies weren''t hiring them.


    If there was one quality they had, they were extremely beautiful.


    ''What did I do to deserve this? A useless body through and through. At least put me in someone capable.'' He complained inwardly as he picked up his phone and dialed Chen Xian''s phone number. The call went through and was answered on the first tone, "Yes, Young Master."


    "Come to my office." Wei Jun simply instructed before he opened the internet and began to search for actors. After a lot of skimming, he found one actress that attracted his attention. A familiar name.


    Quan Li. A secondary heroine. Also an opportunity for the protagonist, Run Long. ''What do I do with her?''


    [Wouldn''t seducing her solve that problem?]


    ''How?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [If she falls in love with you, she won''t fall for Run Long, automatically making Run Long miss this opportunity]


    ''You didn''t understand what I meant. How? As in how is that a viable solution?'' Wei Jun replied back, a little quirky.


    [I don''t understand, host]


    ''Ignoring the fact that one of the heroines is my sister, that still leaves me with one main heroine and two secondary heroines. And that''s not all since according to you, there are more heroines in the next volumes.'' Wei Jun stated.


    [Yes]


    ''So what I''m asking is, should I seduce all of them?'' Wei Jun made his point. The system didn''t reply.


    ''I don''t have the mental capacity to tolerate so many women. Instead, getting them out of the way is a better solution.'' Wei Jun finally gave his answer.


    [So you are going to kill them all?]


    ''I''m not a maniac. No, getting them out of the way simply means that I will make it so that they either end up hating Run Long, or they end up away from the story.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [But if they don''t?] S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Then I have no choice but to kill them.'' Wei Jun leisurely replied. At the same moment, Chen Xian entered his office, puzzled by the absence of people in the building.


    "I threw them out." Wei Jun said before Chen Xian could even ask something.


    "I need people who can run a company. Not leeches who instead of earning me money, take it from me." Wei Jun said as he examined a chart. It had been three months since the previous Wei Jun started the company. In just those three months, the amount of money he had invested, no, wasted on the staff was more than thirty million Yuan. In those three months, the earnings of the company were zero.


    Wei Jun became angrier the more he saw the statistics of the company. Suppressing his anger, he said, "Schedule a staff hiring for tomorrow. Let the entire city know that I''m hiring. The bare minimum requirement is college graduation. Also, I will conduct the interviews myself. You have till tonight to arrange everything."


    Chen Xian bowed as he heard Wei Jun''s order loud and clear. He left and Wei Jun was once again left alone. ''Should I work out today then?''


    =====


    This is it guys¡ªthe third bonus chapter of the review. Comment and let me know what you think of them.

 Chapter 20: Hiring

    "State your name, age, and the post you are applying for." Wei Jun spoke as the three candidates in front of him only listened. They nodded and replied one by one, "Xu Rong, 31, Manager." "Ka Kong, 28, Manager." "Hu Hai, 21, PR."


    Wei Jun nodded as he read their resumes. After a thorough interview, the first two interviewees were asked to leave while the third one was hired on the spot.


    "State your name, age, and the post you are applying for." Wei Jun said the same line as the next three candidates came in. One of them was a male bodyguard, who was hired. The other two were applying for management but only one of them was hired.


    Now Wei Jun had one person for each department. However, the applicants kept coming in. They never ended even though the day came to an end. After all, a branch company of one of the most influential companies in Yuan Yin city was hiring. Everyone who could, came to try their luck.


    The interviews ended for the day. Wei Jun now had three PR staff members, eight managers, and four bodyguards. There were also auditions for actors but none of them piqued Wei Jun''s interest.


    Just as he was about to end, a girl forcefully entered the room. Wei Jun was slightly offended and he said, "The time for interviews is now over. Come back tomorrow."


    The girl didn''t listen though. She gave her reason, "Sir, I''m not a resident of Yuan Yin city. I have to go back to Xon Huan City today if I don''t get a job. Please."


    Wei Jun wasn''t a monster so he nodded. "Very well. I can spare a few minutes. What post are you applying for?"


    "I have majored in marketing so I will be applying for PR." She enthusiastically replied. Wei Jun skimmed through the resumes to find her resume but there wasn''t any. It seems she was there for an uncalled interview.


    "State your name and age. Also, there is a page over there. Read the situation and tell me how you will handle it?" Wei Jun decided to give her a shot even though there was no resume.


    The girl began to introduce herself, "I''m Quan Kui. I''m twenty-two years old. I graduated at the top of my class with a GPA of 4.9."  S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Quan Kui properly introduced herself before picking up a page. After giving it a read, she asked, "Do I have to do this?" She was confused. She was applying for PR so why did she have to do that?


    Wei Jun didn''t notice that detail and simply replied, "Everyone has to do that. I need to see if you are fit for this entertainment company."


    Quan Kui wasn''t satisfied with the answer but she still chose to do it. She picked up the page and began, "What are you doing?" In an angry tone. Then her expression and tone changed as she said, "Love is nothing but a waste of time to me."


    "No, no--" Wei Jun was about to interrupt when he saw that Quan Kui wasn''t reading her own requirements but the dialogues prepared for the actors who came to audition. However, he stopped when he noticed how flawlessly Quan Kui was saying her dialogue. There was no hitch in her voice. Her voice was calm and changed according to the situation. Same with her expression.


    ''She''s a natural.'' He thought inwardly before he said lightly, "Found her. My heroine."


    ======


    The interviews the next day also came to an end. The PR members were now five. The managers were now eleven and as for the bodyguards, there were now eight of them. As for the actors, there was only one who was standing in a corner, sweating like crazy. ''I came for the PR then why acting?''


    Quan Kui was puzzled at Wei Jun''s decision regarding her. She wanted to ask why but she was hesitating because of her circumstances. She couldn''t afford to go back so all she could do was just go along with it.


    ''This is a chance. I must not waste it.'' She inwardly decided as Wei Jun entered the office. The building was now operating normally. Wei Jun had asked the managers to be on standby while the PR team was tasked to make designs for the movie he was planning. Also, they were doing subtle advertising.


    As for the bodyguards, they were all sent to the Ruan villa. They were sent there to train themselves in Wei Jun''s gym. He had also thought of teaching them some defensive martial arts. Some of them were already experienced but not so much when it came to professional fights so he wanted to turn them into proper shape before he handed them work.


    That left only one more hired person. The sole actress, Quan Kui. "So sorry to make you wait." Wei Jun spoke as he took his seat in front of Quan Kui.


    "Not at all. I know you are a busy person." Quan Kui politely replied. Wei Jun nodded and without further useless chatter, he slid across a file on the table towards Quan Kui. Quan Kui took the file curiously. Inside there was a stack of about ten pages.


    "This is the contract my agency will be offering you. I would like you to give it a thorough read and let me know if there are any complications. As an overview, I will tell you the main points." Wei Jun stopped to let his words sink in and once he was sure, he continued, "The contract lasts for five years. During those five years, your monthly pay would be 100,000 Yuan.


    Your working hours would be nine to five daily along with shootings of desired times. Whatever you earn from commercials, my agency would take half of it while the rest of the half would be yours. In these five years, you won''t be allowed to go outside the city unless very important. You can''t have a public relationship and if you already have one, you must end it.


    You cannot take part in any other serial or film." Wei Jun kept on going for ten minutes while poor Quan Kui listened with her mouth open, stuck on only one point, ''100,000 Yuan.''

 Chapter 21: Hiring (1)

    "And it goes without saying, the monthly pay you earn would be your pay for the shootings you do with us." Wei Jun ended the brief summary of the contract while Quan Kui still had only one thing in her mind, ''100,000 Yuan every month.''


    Wei Jun gave her time to get over it but even after a few minutes had passed, there was no response. She was still stuck on the amount of money Wei Jun was offering. ''This is going to be a headache.'' Wei Jun thought.


    ======


    "Set a meeting with these people. Three for different intervals of breakfast. Three with different intervals of lunch and three with different intervals of dinner." Wei Jun instructed Chen Xian. Chen Xian was extremely capable so Wei Jun had decided to make him his secretary until he could find a proper one.


    "Very Well, Young Master Ruan." Chen Xian left after a slight bow. As Wei Jun was left alone, his phone rang. On the phone, the name ''Liu Yu'' could be seen.


    ''Again?'' Wei Jun thought. His expression could be described with only one word, ''Troublesome.''


    Wei Jun canceled the call and went back to work. It wasn''t long before his phone rang again but this time, it wasn''t his fianc¨¦e but his sister, Lin Ruan.


    He picked up the call but before he could say anything the other side angrily spoke, "Why haven''t you been answering that bit*h''s phone?"


    ''Bitch?'' Wei Jun thought and then it clicked, ''I''m impressed.'' He was inwardly impressed by Lin Ruan''s cussing and replied, "I was busy. I am busy. I will be busy. I don''t have time to waste on her."


    Lin Ruan was taken aback and asked, "Weren''t you following her like a dog? Why the sudden change now?"


    Wei Jun didn''t reply instead he lamented inwardly, ''Not only was he a waste, he was also a simp. The worst kind that exists.'' But there was no use doing so. It was what it was. He replied, "I didn''t know why I did that but I realized I was wrong to do that. Anyway, if she bothers you again, just don''t pick it up."


    "I see." Lin Ruan simply replied before moving on from the topic, "And what is going on at your agency?" Wei Jun simply replied to her inquiry, "Going through a slight change. Nothing else. If you have nothing more to say, then I will hang up."


    The call ended and Wei Jun went back to work. Soon Chen Xian entered and informed him of the successful completion of the task. Wei Jun praised him and got back to work.


    =====


    "Shining Star Entertainment Agency. Quite a long name, don''t you think, director Ruan." An extremely beautiful woman spoke as Wei Jun cut into a steak for the ninth time today. Wei Jun didn''t reply as he was already fed up with the actors he had to deal with today.


    Five of them were small actors who were happy to sign up with him but Wei Jun changed his mind after checking everything. He had been successful in hiring three actors. Two small and one big-time actress. However, this one in front of him was someone he needed to have signed with him.


    But there was a problem, there wasn''t enough revenue to get her contracted. Wei Jun only had five million in his account out of which, he had already spent 500,000 Yuan on everything. The movie won''t be made before the month was up and there was an entire staff to pay. There was an option of asking money from Lin Ruan but Wei Jun wasn''t the type to do so.


    So, Wei Jun had decided to resort to other things. Offer her something she won''t get from anywhere else. But Wei Jun didn''t know what she needed or wanted. He had no idea since she was someone who wasn''t mentioned in the novel''s first volume. Maybe she wasn''t in any of them. But she was a known actress and her skills were extremely good.


    "Wouldn''t it be true if I do have shining stars in my agency?" Wei Jun replied with a question that didn''t need to be answered.


    "True." Song Li replied before she added, "But I don''t think you have what it takes to make a contract with me. Not to mention that I already am in a contract with another agency."


    "Your contract is about to expire. And as for whether I have what you need or not, don''t come to a decision so soon about that." Wei Jun literally had everything. He just didn''t have money to get that.


    That''s right. After going through the shop thoroughly, Wei Jun found heaven-grade cultivation techniques however, their prices were as follows.


    [Buddha''s cultivation technique: 10,000,000 gold] sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Phoenix''s rage cultivation technique: 50,000,000 gold]


    [Dragon''s blood cultivation technique: 100,000,000 gold]


    To purchase the last one, he needed ten billion Yuan. As of right now, Wei Jun couldn''t even dream of that. It was a relief that the system had ensured him that he could change his cultivation technique whenever he wanted to.


    Meaning, that he could begin with a cheap low rate one that barely increased his cultivation, and then go for the better and more expensive ones when he would have enough money for them.


    So in essence, he had everything he needed. Even things that were found in dreams were found in the shop. Affording them, however, was a completely different story.


    "You''re quite well informed." Song Li said, referring to her contract expiration before she added, "But maybe you don''t have what I need."


    Wei Jun didn''t reply. He simply opened the shop and searched for something. It wasn''t expensive. Only one thousand gold. He bought it which brought his gold down to 2890.


    [Yongcheng pills (Temp) x10: 1000 gold]


    [Description: A magical pill that makes you younger temporarily. A cheap alternative for those who cannot afford pills with a permanent effect.


    The effect only lasts six hours. There is no cool-down to taking the pills. The pills can be taken in succession. The pill would only make one about ten years younger. The facial settlement will bring slight pain.]


    =====


    The bonus chapters for the review will be up shortly.

 Chapter 22: Xia Lu

    Wei Jun''s research wasn''t limited to Song Li''s contract expiration. There was one more thing that Song Li was facing. The problem of aging. No matter what, she wasn''t what she used to be. Her skin now had wrinkles that she had to hide with a lot of makeup. Although her contract was about to expire, there was a chance she wouldn''t have her contract renewed again after this.


    There was the option of cultivation, but not everyone could afford it even if one had a lot of money. Not to mention, talent is also a great factor when it comes to cultivation.


    Wei Jun couldn''t afford the eternal youth pill but he could afford something that gave temporary effect. Besides, a temporary effect would have her hooked for a long time. A permanent effect would cause Wei Jun to lose in his negotiation.


    "Tell me, how many layers of makeup have you applied?" Wei Jun asked, a completely irrelevant question but from the expression on Song Li''s face, it hit closer to home.


    "Just know that you''re not fooling anybody." Wei Jun once again remarked before he put his hand into his pocket. Song Li, on the other hand, remained quiet but she knew that Wei Jun knew of her current predicament.


    Wei Jun pretended to take something out of his pocket while in truth, he was pulling it out of his inventory and said, "I will let Miss Li decide that. Use one while you stand in front of the mirror. I will wait for your call." Wei Jun said nothing else and simply left after paying.


    Song Li was intrigued and picked up the small vial that contained ten blue pills the size of a human nail. Although Song Li had no reason to, she still decided to check it out.


    =====


    ''So the pill would make her look younger?'' Wei Jun inquired from the system as he returned to his villa.


    [Yes and no]


    [It doesn''t just change the appearance]


    [It makes the consumer younger]


    [As in entire being]


    [Muscle structure, any ailment if that person has reverts back to that time, everything]


    ''Wow. I just had an amazing idea.'' Wei Jun thought after hearing the system''s answer.


    "Check if there is an auction this weekend." Wei Jun asked Chen Xian who was standing close to him. Chen Xian simply nodded and bowed slightly to relay his acknowledgment of the command.


    After that, Wei Jun returned to eating. Although he had eaten all day, those portions weren''t even one-tenth of what he eats at just one time so he was really hungry. Madam Lim had to prepare three times worth of food for Wei Jun on very short notice.


    Once Wei Jun finished eating, he went to the gym to do a few sets where he found the bodyguard team exercising diligently. However, their diligence was nothing compared to the exercise they were doing. A simple set of a few pushups and running. That''s all they were doing.


    ''Wah. They expect to guard someone with just this much effort.'' He thought as he went to them. They stopped once they saw him and greeted him, "Good evening, Director Ruan."


    Instead of replying, Wei Jun said, "It''s not enough. What you are doing isn''t enough." A smile appeared on his face that for some reason, scared the bodyguard team.


    =====


    ''How frail of them. It''s not like they aren''t being paid.'' Wei Jun remarked inwardly as he stared at two resignation letters from two bodyguards. The rest remained were the people who desperately needed to be at the company so even though their bodies were broken, they still didn''t resign.


    They were, however, extremely astonished when they saw Wei Jun doing ten times the exercise that broke them down without breaking a sweat. So maybe money wasn''t the only reason they remained at the company.


    Wei Jun moved on from this issue and opened his phone to see many missed calls from Song Li. She had called him thirty-nine times throughout the night. Even now he was receiving calls from her. Wei Jun smiled and called her back finally.


    "I will do it. I will sign whatever contract you give me." The first thing she did after picking up Wei Jun''s call was agree to whatever terms he had.


    Wei Jun chuckled and replied, "Then I will wait until your contract expires. See you in ten days." Wei Jun didn''t listen to another word from her and ended the call. Since he had given her the honey, it was time for the hatchet now.


    She would soon end up using all those pills and once she ran out of them in a few days, for the remaining days, she would again have to live with those wrinkles and heavy makeup. That would make her even more dependent on Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun now decided to come back to the matters at hand. He was missing one crucial piece of the puzzle to complete it. ''I need a hero.''


    There was no male lead in the film he had been planning to make. He wasn''t also sure about making Quan Kui the heroine after some deep contemplation. Quan Kui was new. She needed to start from the bottom. He needed a heroine who was experienced.


    As he was stuck in this dilemma, Chen Xian entered the office and reported, "Young Master Ruan, Miss Xia Lu has accepted your proposal to have dinner."


    Wei Jun was left puzzled at this news. ''Who the hell is Xia Lu?'' He inwardly tried very hard but couldn''t find an answer.


    [She is the third main heroine]


    The answer to his question was provided by the system. Wei Jun nodded as although he knew there were three main heroines, he only knew of two and nothing about the third one since she wasn''t in the first volume. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun nodded and contemplated on the spot without replying to Chen Xian. This was a serious matter. He couldn''t just deal with it like the other meetings.


    [Why not hire her?]


    The system proposed. Wei Jun''s eyes widened. ''That''s it! I don''t have to get rid of her if she is one of my loyal subordinates.''


    Initially, Wei Jun was deciding whether to kill her or not but now that he could approach this problem in another way, the solution was very simple.


    "When is the meeting?" Wei Jun finally replied, asking about the meeting.


    "Tomorrow lunch." Chen Xian replied. Wei Jun smiled and said nothing in return. ''Let us wait for tomorrow then.''


    =====


    The rest two are coming in shortly.

 Chapter 23: Xia Lu (1)

    Wei Jun was sitting inside a luxurious steakhouse. The same one where he met all the actors. He was reading a newspaper which was very unconventional given that everything was digital these days. Still, in the middle of very rich people, he sat there unfazed by the strange gazes he was getting and kept reading the newspaper.


    As for his mood, it was a little upset. He was upset because the time of the appointment had been seven pm yet even after ten minutes, there was no sign of Xia Lu. He was upset because to him this wasn''t work but instead he was wasting time.


    "I didn''t know people still read newspapers these days." A melodious voice entered his ears when he was just about to close the newspaper and leave. Wei Jun turned to see a woman of incredible features, competing with Lin Ruan in terms of beauty. He didn''t need someone to tell him that she was a heroine not only in dramas or movies but in real life too.


    ''No wonder she''s a female lead.'' Wei Jun internally commented, unfazed by the beauty before him. To him, only one fact mattered. Was she a headache, or not? S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''re late." Wei Jun didn''t care for the beauty in front of him and mercilessly made sure to remind her of her unpunctuality.


    Xia Lu was thrown off her composure because of Wei Jun''s obvious complaint. She had expected him to flatter her the moment she arrived as he had been doing for a long time.


    Still, since she had to save face, she chose to reply to that while taking a seat opposite Wei Jun. "I''m sorry for that. Traffic was something else."


    Wei Jun wasn''t really interested in her excuse so he moved on from the topic, "Thanks for meeting me here."


    Xia Lu didn''t reply instantly but scrutinized Wei Jun for a moment before commenting under her breath loud enough for Wei Jun to hear, "Like I had a choice when you forced everything on me."


    Wei Jun didn''t reply. He remained quiet in his spot. But inwardly, he was cursing everything he could, ''Fu*k, these two have history. It should have been obvious but I was too focused on the movie.''


    Since the butler said that Xia Lu had agreed to a meeting, it must have meant that Wei Jun was the one to initiate it. And given the previous Wei Jun''s nature and Xia Lu''s obvious extreme beauty, it should have been obvious that Wei Jun had some distasteful history with her.


    Still, Wei Jun managed to control the situation by backing down, "If I have somehow caused you some trouble, then I would like to apologize for that."


    Xia Lu was taken aback but after a few seconds, it made sense to her. ''He must be using the guilt tactic.'' Xia Lu thought inwardly but only if she knew Wei Jun''s inner thoughts, she wouldn''t even think anything like this.


    ''She''s my money-making ticket. Can''t let her get out of my grasp.'' To make money, Wei Jun would even eat a pineapple pizza. A simple apology was nothing to him.


    "I see." Xia Lu decided to play along to figure out Wei Jun''s impure intentions. "Then, shall we discuss how it didn''t work out between us? We need an excuse for our families, right?"


    Wei Jun, however, wasn''t interested in that. "It seems Miss Xia has misunderstood my reason for our meeting. I simply wish to hire you for the movie I will be making." Wei Jun chose to direct without creating any misunderstandings.


    As expected, Xia Lu was taken aback. ''Must be another way.'' She inwardly thought as she refused Wei Jun''s offer, "Unfortunately, I don''t wish to work with you."


    "Why not?" Wei Jun simply asked, getting straight to the point.


    "Do I really have to say it?" Xia Lu asked skeptically but seeing Wei Jun''s inquisitive expression she scoffed and said, "That''s because you harass your celebrities, se*ually. And it isn''t one or two incidents, there are many more disgusting things you have done."


    There was disgust on Xia Lu''s face. Wei Jun properly analyzed that expression. She wasn''t lying. However, once again, he simply didn''t care. He never did care from the beginning for the reputation he had. Reputations can fall with a paragraph of gibberish without even proper evidence and they can be built through lies.


    "Then you can assume whatever you want. You can simply choose to do it or not. It is entirely up to you. If you need reassurance, the contract can be made according to your desires. Also, if there is something you need, I''m sure I can get it for you." Although Wei Jun was strictly sticking to business, to Xia Lu, all it sounded like were excuses.


    When Wei Jun saw the expression on Xia Lu''s face, he decided to give up. It wasn''t going to work given how persistent Xia Lu was and the hate seen in her eyes was pure.


    "Very well." Wei Jun simply stood up and left without another word. He was wasting time ringing a bell in front of a cow. It would have been more efficient to hire someone else or train Quan Kui to the fullest for this role.


    Xia Lu on the other hand was left stunned. Wei Jun didn''t say anything, he simply left. That move puzzled her but she convinced herself that that was another one of Wei Jun''s tactics.


    Still, ''Getting stood up like this. My first time.'' She thought inwardly as a seed of annoyance planted itself in her heart.


    On the other side, Wei Jun was anything but happy, "What fu***** bul****. If she was going to waste my time, she should have just refused over the phone." With genuine annoyance, Wei Jun drove away in his McLaren. He headed straight to the office as he wanted to get things done before retiring for the night.


    As he was driving, on the way, he saw a street vendor. A guy selling roasted skewers. Wei Jun pushed the brakes and the car came to a complete halt.


    There was a smile on Wei Jun''s face as he muttered, "Found him. The hero."


    =====


    Just a little more.

 Chapter 24: The hero

    "Give me ten of those." Wei Jun said as he approached a guy in his mid-twenties, selling skewers at a roadside vendor.


    The appearance of the guy was anything but deserving of selling chicken skewers. He should have been a model with that kind of appearance.


    Lean chiseled physique along with silky smooth hair that covered his forehead. Eyes of brown color with sharp features. His skin color was milky pale and all in all, he was just a wow.


    If Wei Jun''s appearance was a 27 charm, then this guy was easily in the category of 15 or 16. And that fact was further accentuated by the lack of male customers and the unnecessary flux of women.


    Wei Jun had to wait for twenty minutes in a line full of women to buy those skewers.


    "Of course." The vendor guy exclaimed and prepared skewers. As soon as Wei Jun ate the first one, the first thought in his head was, ''I wonder if it would be okay to vomit on the road?''


    In blunt words blunter than a blunt weapon that could crack a head open, the skewers were straight-on disgusting. There was not one thing good about them. Wei Jun turned to examine the women only to see them throwing everything they bought away in dustbins and then getting back in line again.


    Wei Jun was at a loss of words. Still, Wei Jun wasn''t one to waste food so he gulped all of them down in a few minutes with great difficulty and got back in line.


    This time, Wei Jun didn''t say anything but passed on a stack of ten thousand Yuan bills. The vendor guy was shocked at the money and asked with his mouth almost hanging, "You¡­ You need skewers for all of these?"


    Wei Jun cleared up the misunderstanding by saying, "No. I want you to close the shop for the day for this money."


    The vendor guy was confused and all the women who heard Wei Jun began to make a fuss. Wei Jun ignored them and asked the vendor guy, "I have a job opportunity for you. This money is just to give me some of your time. Nothing else."


    Wei Jun was confident he could convince the guy for the job. All he needed was a beginning and nothing buys a conversation better than money.


    =======


    The name of the guy Wei Jun was trying to scout was Xiao Heiling. He was a twenty-three-year-old orphan. He spent most of his time in an orphanage and then when he came out, without any qualifications, odd jobs were all he could do.


    Luckily he was blessed with beauty so a few gangsters decided to use that. They opened a street vendor and even though he was a terrible cook, women flocked to his stall every day and he made a killing. He was making a thousand Yuan every day which was more than he could dream of before.


    However, his expression right now was very funny. The reason? The terms that Wei Jun was offering him. They were the same as Quan Kui but Wei Jun wasn''t just giving them to him.


    ''No matter how good looking, an ambition is properly needed.'' Wei Jun thought as Xiao Heiling asked, "Are you really giving me all this?"


    Unfortunately, Wei Jun doused cold water on him by replying, "Of course not. You have to earn it. If you can''t, I can simply take everything away like those gangsters."


    The earlier excitement of Xiao Heiling faded away as he sat back down in his seat. "Then what do I need to do?" He asked Wei Jun since he couldn''t figure out Wei Jun''s intentions.


    "What do you wish to do in your life? Is it helping out at that orphanage? Is it another noble reason? What is it?" Wei Jun asked in succession instead of replying. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Heiling didn''t reply. He was hesitating for quite a while when Wei Jun reminded him, "Of course, you cannot lie. You lie, I will know and I will walk away."


    Xiao Heiling nodded and finally, after another bout of brief hesitation, he replied, "I don''t have any noble goal as you stated earlier. The director of the orphanage I grew up in used to beat me up along with almost everyone so I hardly have any feelings for the orphanage. And even after that, life hasn''t been good to me. if I have to reply to your question, I simply want to live a lavish life.


    A big mansion, many cars and girls shouting my name all the time."


    Xiao Heiling stopped at this point and simply waited. Wei Jun didn''t say anything for a while but then, beginning with a small cackle, he began to laugh until it got to the point that everyone in the caf¨¦ was looking at them now.


    Xiao Heiling thought that Wei Jun was laughing at his goals but he didn''t say anything about it. after a while, when Wei Jun stopped laughing, Xiao Heiling began to get up to leave when Wei Jun said, "Money is the greatest motivation to a man. Money doesn''t lie. It doesn''t betray. In other words, it is a good goal to have."


    Saying so, Wei Jun stood up and passed Xiao Heiling a card, "Be there tomorrow at nine in the morning. Don''t be late."


    Xiao Heiling remained in his spot and didn''t move. He was stunned at how Wei Jun had simply and so easily accepted his selfish reason. He didn''t move from his spot even when Wei Jun was long gone.


    =====


    Xiao Chen was worriedly looking at his young master and nervously looked at his wristwatch once again. The time was three minutes past nine. With each half-minute passing, Wei Jun''s expression would worsen.


    "I told that bastard not to be late yet his nerve. He is four minutes late." Wei Jun''s face was worsening with every moment when his landline rang, snapping him out of his angered state.


    Wei Jun picked up the call to hear an unfamiliar voice on the other side, "So you are the bastard that wants to take our money maker away, huh? I don''t know who you are but be at ''The Club'' in an hour."


    The call ended without waiting for a response from Wei Jun. However, Wei Jun was clever enough to figure out the crux of the matter.


    ''Huh¡­ These fu*ks. Determined to get in my way.'' Thinking so, Wei Jun left his seat and instructed Chen Xian, "I''m going out for a bit."


    =====


    Guess what''s coming? Let me know in the comments.

 Chapter 25: The Gang

    ''There doesn''t seem to be a camera around.'' Wei Jun observed the building he was getting in. From the looks of it, it was a strip club given its name and the bouncers standing outside of it. Wei Jun observed as much as he could before he entered. How many exits it had, whether or not it had a fire escape, and most importantly, how private it was.


    Done with everything, Wei Jun approached the main entrance only to be stopped by a bulky bouncer. "We''re closed. Come back at eight."


    Wei Jun simply replied without getting angry, "Your boss called me here. It is related to Xiao Heiling."


    The bouncers looked at each other and the left one nodded. He called someone and then turned to Wei Jun, "Go in. Head straight to the manager''s room."


    Wei Jun entered without any reply or indication of a reply and headed straight to the manager''s room. He observed on the way as well. Although there were cameras in the building, they were currently turned off given they weren''t blinking. But he couldn''t be too sure since they might not necessarily need to have a blinking light.


    Wei Jun counted the men who could fight and noticed that there were only seventeen of them outside, he was relieved. His current stats weren''t so great that he could take on a large number of people.


    ''It would have been a different story if I had guns.'' Wei Jun thought. For some reason, there was everything in the system shop except for guns. ''Still, it might not even come to a fight.'' S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Wei Jun was in a bad mood, he wasn''t going to resort to extreme measures just to hire an actor. He would try to solve things as peacefully as he could. If that didn''t work, well, then there were a lot of different choices at his disposal.


    He reached a section that was secluded from the rest. A man was standing outside the sole door in that area and Wei Jun guessed it would be the manager''s room. He was stopped by the man outside and he was searched thoroughly before he was allowed to go in. Wei Jun didn''t resist and chose to cooperate for now.


    The door opened and Wei Jun passed through. The first thing he noticed were seven laughing men and one injured person with his face severely swollen from the beating he received.


    ''Tch. They had to aim at his face.'' Wei Jun internally clicked his tongue in annoyance. Xiao Heiling''s face was his true value. If it was damaged, it would be bad for business.


    Wei Jun turned his attention to the men who had stopped talking to each other and turned to look at Wei Jun with intimidated gazes. Wei Jun didn''t cave under their stares but made sure to analyze all of them properly from head to toe. Although he wasn''t expecting a fight, he would be too careless as well.


    "Who are you?" The man behind the table rudely asked while Wei Jun still observed his surroundings. He kept on observing and didn''t reply for a few minutes. He didn''t say anything even when the boss slammed his hand and said, "What the hell are you looking around for?"


    Wei Jun remained unconcerned and kept up his observation. After a few minutes, when the boss didn''t like his behavior, he signaled a man standing near Wei Jun who pulled out a gun and pointed it at Wei Jun''s head.


    "I will ask you one more time. Who are you?" The boss asked while the man with the gun brought the gun dangerously close to Wei Jun''s head.


    Wei Jun stopped and turned his gaze to the boss while he simply replied, "You called for me here. Regarding Xiao Heiling."


    The boss slumped back with a small chuckle, "Oh, so you are that guy. Well, it''s good you''re here. I wanted to see who it was."


    The boss didn''t say anything further and waited for Wei Jun to reply. Wei Jun simply pulled something out of his pocket and passed it on the table while saying, "Here you go. A check of 100,000 Yuan. Leave Xiao Heiling with me."


    Although Xiao Heling was a lot more expensive, Wei Jun still chose to offer only this much money. ''This is all I can afford right now.'' He thought inwardly. The reason was simple. He only had a few million Yuan left and even all of that was settled for the next month. He could only manage this small amount of money for now.


    The boss examined the check and laughed out loud. Following his lead, the rest began to laugh as well. The laughter carried on for a while before the boss spoke amidst short cackles, "Just this?" His tone was full of mockery as he threw the check back at Wei Jun.


    "That pretty face makes me ten thousand Yuan every day. I can make this much money in just ten days. Why would I let go of a golden goose just for a few gold coins?" The boss said, his tone full of arrogance and pride.


    It was true. Xiao Heiling''s business would make more than ten thousand Yuan every day because of how many women would come to his stall. Xiao Heiling was paid one thousand for that and the rest went to the gang. Such a small amount of money never mattered to the gang since the beginning.


    "Then why have you called me here?" Why was Wei Jun there if they didn''t intend to make a deal over Xiao Heiling?


    The boss smirked sinisterly and replied with menace marred over his face and tone, "Because I wanted to see which bastard had the guts to covet something that belongs to me."


    Wei Jun perfectly understood what he meant by that. They wanted to kill Wei Jun.


    ''Well, if they want to kill me, then that''s an entirely different story.'' Wei Jun thought as he equipped simple gloves from the inventory.


    ======


    Let me know if you find any typos. I''m kind of on auto-pilot today.

 Chapter 26: Second blood

    "I see." Wei Jun simply replied. No one noticed the gloves'' appearance on Wei Jun''s hand. The gangsters were busy making fun of the situation when suddenly, Wei Jun grabbed the gun pointed at him and swiftly knocked the man out.


    Before the others could even react, Wei Jun killed five men with a headshot. It didn''t even take him eleven seconds with the gun interval between each shot being two seconds. Five gangsters were shot in the head and killed on their spots even before they could even pull their guns out. Swiftly, Wei Jun pointed his gun at the boss who was trying to retrieve his own gun in panic.


    He stopped when he saw a gun aimed at his head. He raised his hand to show his surrender while he said after a slight gulp, "Look, earlier was just a joke. We can¡­ we can come to an agreement."


    Wei Jun didn''t even flinch slightly and shot the man in the head instead of giving any sort of reply. Now the only people in the room that were alive were Wei Jun, the trembling Xiao Heiling who was sitting on his knees, locked with his arm, and the knocked-out gangster from whom, Wei Jun had snatched the gun.


    Wei Jun ignored the trembling man and pointed his gun at the door. As expected, the door opened slightly after a few seconds and even before the person could peak properly, he was shot in the head through the door. It was the guard outside the door.


    Then, before the rest of the company could join in, Wei Jun moved over to the knocked-out gangster and put the gun in his hand. Then he pressed the trigger after aiming the gun at the gangster''s head with his own hand.


    Wei Jun then equipped a mask worth ten gold and picked a few guns from the dead gangsters. There were still people alive in the club but they all didn''t need to die. Only those that could block his escape path. Wei Jun slowly peeked out through the bullet hole in the door. There were three people who were deciding whether to go in or not.


    Two of them were bouncers while the third one was from the few gangsters Wei Jun had spotted upon entering the club. Without waiting, Wei Jun prepared himself and before the rest could do anything, Wei Jun jumped from behind the door and headshot all three of them.


    Once they were all dead, Wei Jun pointed at the cameras he had noticed and shot them as well.


    After the cameras were destroyed, Wei Jun calmly moved over to the desk of the boss, harshly pushing the dead body of the boss off the chair and starting the computer. It was password protected but he easily bypassed it and soon, Wei Jun located what he was looking for.


    The camera feed of the last ten days. Since there was a risk of recovery, after making sure that there weren''t more servers with the same connections, Wei Jun transferred everything to the hard drive from the online server, completely erased the data, and then took the hard drive out of the computer.


    Then his gaze traveled to the still kneeling Xiao Heiling, still trembling and from the slight browning on his pants, who had done something quite embarrassing too. Wei Jun didn''t say anything about it since it was a natural reaction. If he hadn''t shown such a reaction during this massacre, then Wei Jun would have doubted Xiao Heiling.


    "Come on, let''s go." Wei Jun picked Xiao Heiling who started to apologize for things he didn''t even do. Wei Jun ignored him and collected the guns from all the gangsters. He stored all of those guns except for the ones he had used to kill the gangsters in his inventory.


    Wei Jun searched for a cloth and found a jacket from one of the gangsters. Wei Jun took it off carefully and threw it at Xiao Heiling, who obviously missed it.


    "Pick it up, take your pants off, clean yourself, and wrap this around you. Don''t forget your pants though." Wei Jun instructed the still-disoriented Xiao Heiling.


    After that, Wei Jun searched around the room, typically behind the paintings, and soon found what he was looking for. A safe. Unfortunately, he didn''t know how to crack it in such a short time frame.


    ''Oi, open it.'' He instructed his system inside his head.


    [That¡­ Host, I cannot intervene in your life much]


    ''Open it.'' Wei Jun said with a scary face that if the system had a face, surely a nervous expression could have been seen on that face.


    [An appropriate price is needed for interference]


    ''Open it for free.'' Wei Jun said next, his expression contorting even further which was concealed behind the mask.


    [Ye¡­ Yes]


    The system in the end gave in and asked Wei Jun to put his hand on the safe. Wei Jun did so and soon after a second, the safe clicked open. Wei Jun turned the wheel and opened it to see a lot of jewelry and cash. There were also documents but unfortunately, Wei Jun could not do anything about them since the owner was probably dead.


    He stored everything that he could inside his inventory which was about a couple million yuans aside from the gold and jewelry.


    Xiao Heiling had done what he was asked by now and was tightly clutching his sh*t-stained pants while he was still trembling.


    "Come on." Wei Jun said and began to move out of the club. The remaining people inside the club had abandoned the club. It wasn''t like Wei Jun to leave witnesses but he couldn''t just kill everyone here right now.


    Wei Jun came out and opened the car door. He was hesitant to let Xiao Heiling in but he was needed to make the movies so Wei Jun had no choice but to let him in.


    Wei Jun then drove away but he was careful on the way back. On the way to the club, he had noticed road cameras. He made sure to avoid those on the same route and took some detours to make it so that if one checked the feed, it would seem like Wei Jun never stopped somewhere and headed to the hillside area of the city.


    Wei Jun spent some time there and then returned to the city using another route, creating an alibi for himself. It wasn''t a reliable alibi since his stay at the club was almost fifteen minutes, but it was still believable because there was no way he could have killed all those people in fifteen minutes.


    "We won''t speak of what happened again. Understood?" Wei Jun asserted his position with a strict tone. Xiao Heiling was already scared. Seeing that Wei Jun wasn''t affected after the killings unsettled him even more. He thought about ending his deal with Wei Jun.


    Just at that moment, Wei Jun spoke, "And don''t think of canceling our deal. Now you are a witness to a murder. If I feel a threat from you, I will have to kill you too."


    Xiao Heiling trembled because of the serious tone Wei Jun had adopted. There was no doubt. If Xiao Heiling did something detrimental to Wei Jun, Wei Jun would kill him.


    "Under¡­ Understood." Xiao Heiling spoke in a trembling tone. Wei Jun didn''t reply and stopped outside of a hotel.


    "Go inside. Rent a room." Wei Jun said while handing Xiao Heiling a couple of thousand yuans. Then he resumed his instructions, "The jacket you''re covering yourself with, once done with everything, make sure to burn it."


    Xiao Heiling nodded in understating so Wei Jun said his last piece of instruction, "Also be at the agency by six in the evening. If you are late, I will come find you myself. And you won''t like it."


    Once Wei Jun was sure that Xiao Heiling was properly scared, Wei Jun drove off to get his car cleaned before anything else.


    While driving, Wei Jun addressed the system, "Oi." Since no one was around, he didn''t bother speaking in his mind.


    [Yes, host]


    "What is the meaning of this? I couldn''t ask you last time because I was focused on work."


    What Wei Jun referring to was this set of notifications that appeared every time he killed someone.


    [You have killed a human being]


    [No Qi detected]


    [No stat gain possible]


    For a few moments, the system didn''t reply as if considering its reply. Wei Jun didn''t press on and patiently waited for an answer.


    After a while, the system replied.


    [I have no idea, host]


    [Whatever it is, it isn''t the function of the system]


    "You mean to say you don''t know anything about it?" Wei Jun asked, rather than dissatisfaction, curiosity all over his face.


    [No, host]


    [In the first place, it''s not like I know everything about the system]


    [I am, in the end, a support after all]


    Wei Jun didn''t ask for anything more. For now, he needed to contemplate the information provided by the system. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    =====


    I wanted to make a proper action scene with a lot of neck-snapping and bone-cracking but considering before guns, such moves are somewhat impractical. Gun shot is more logical, not to mention easier.


    Let me know what you think.

 Chapter 27: Xia Lus cooperation

    [I am curious about something, host]


    While Wei Jun was having his car cleaned, the system posed a question. Since Wei Jun had nothing to do at the moment, he decided to humor the system.


    ''What?''


    [Why didn''t you use the dagger while killing them?]


    [Wouldn''t it have made your job easier?]


    ''That''s because I would be leaving the same pattern.''


    Wei Jun''s reply was only this much but that was all the system needed to know. This wasn''t Wei Jun''s first kill in this world. Had he killed the gangsters with the same dagger hence creating the same pattern, it would have been easier for the cops to link these crime scenes.


    Wei Jun was already caught on the motel camera. That pattern aside, Wei Jun could easily be linked to this scene as well given the traffic cameras. If the killing pattern would have been the same, then it would have been very easy to be linked to both murders.


    But now, although Wei Jun could be linked to both crime scenes, both murders were committed with different MOs making it harder for anyone to link it to Wei Jun.


    ''But, it''s not like they can''t.'' Wei Jun thought as he entered his office. Since Wei Jun could still be linked, evidence could somehow appear out of nowhere to frame him even if he had nothing to do with the murders. It was a simple tactic used to frame business rivals. Even the original owner of Wei Jun''s body had done it many times.


    ''The funds should be enough.'' He thought again as he called for Chen Xian. Chen Xian appeared and after a slight bow, he asked, "Is there anything I can do, Young Master Ruan?"


    "How is the arcade business running these days?" Wei Jun asked, instead of stating his real purpose.


    Chen Xian didn''t contemplate for long before he replied, "Since most of the games can now be easily played on phones, arcade businesses don''t do very well."


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Get me a list of games. Also, hire a few programmers to make games. I need them by tomorrow."


    Chen Xian nodded in acknowledgment and left after a slight bow. Wei Jun got back to work, worrying about a professional celebrity for the role. Many things had to be considered for the role. Although Song Li was a very experienced actress, she wasn''t cut for this role even after taking the Yongcheng pills.


    Age, appearance, and most importantly how an actor behaves in real life have a great impact on a role. Xia Lu was the only one perfect for this job in Wei Jun''s knowledge so far. He hadn''t come across any other actress for the role he had in mind.


    Just as he was contemplating hard, his phone rang. The caller ID was unknown so Wei Jun picked it up. He was somewhat surprised when the caller said, "I''m coming to your office."


    The caller was none other than Xia Lu and she didn''t sound so pleased about her purpose of calling. Wei Jun didn''t know what had happened and why was her mood like this, but he decided to bite for now.


    ''But if she wastes my time¡­'' Wei Jun left the thought incomplete because he himself didn''t know what he would do in that situation.


    It wasn''t long before someone barged into his office without the courtesy to knock. It was a black-haired beauty with an appearance to charm the monks and urge them to sin.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, was more stoic than monks. "You should knock." Wei Jun wasn''t pleased with this behavior but he let it slide for now.


    "Oh yeah?! You have the balls to point out my behavior when yours own is so full of cr*p." Upon hearing Xia Lu''s vulgar words which were terrible compared to Wei Jun, Wei Jun decided to lend her an ear because he was somewhat impressed.


    "What do you mean?" He genuinely asked, his eyebrow raised slightly. That only made Xia angrier than she already was.


    "Don''t play dumb!!" She yelled but Wei Jun remained calm. Since he had no idea of what was happening, there was no need to escalate this issue. It could all be a simple misunderstanding.


    But the fact that his time was being wasted, held the rational side back. Wei Jun, still calm and sound, his expression more serene than any spoke, "AND WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!!!!!"


    Of course, his words were anything but calm. The sudden increase in volume stunned Xia Lu who stopped, a little scared even to continue.


    ''As expected, violence is the best.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly, brimming with pride as he spoke, "If you have a problem, say it straight up. If you overwhelm someone like this when they don''t even know what they have done, this would be all you get."


    He didn''t yell this time, but his voice was sweet as honey as if tempting a child with candy. This hard and sweet approach confused Xia Lu along with a little fear and she forgot what she was really here for.


    "Good. Now sit down and tell me calmly what the matter is. If it isn''t time-wasting, maybe I can help you with it." Once again, with his sweet voice, he instructed Xia Lu. Subconsciously, Xia Lu heeded his order and sat down quietly in front of him. She seemed more like a meek cat now compared to before.


    "So? What is it that got you so angry at me?" Wei Jun asked but contrary to his tone and actions, he didn''t care in the least about it. But Xia Lu was a chance he couldn''t let go of. He hadn''t found anyone who could do the same job as her so he needed her for now hence his nice act.


    "Did you¡­ Did you tell my family about our meeting? Uncle is forcing me to work with you?" She said, her voice low and not complaining in the least.


    Wei Jun could more or less tell what the problem was. He didn''t beat around the bush and replied, "No I didn''t talk to your uncle. I don''t even know who he is."


    Wei Jun''s voice was clear and his words were precise. Even if he was lying, which he wasn''t, Xia Lu couldn''t tell whether it was true or not.


    "Whatever the case may be, I believe we can somehow work this out." Wei Jun spoke but at the same time, he wrote something on the paper and showed it to her.


    Wei Jun thought about it seriously. Wei Jun and Xia Lu''s conversation was very private and with Wei Jun''s senses, there was no way someone could have eavesdropped on their conversation unless it was technological.


    On the paper was written, ''Don''t speak about anything other than replying to my simple questions. Your phone is bugged.''


    Xia Lu read the paper and became anxious but she managed to keep her surprise in and replied, "How?" Her voice was without a hitch and it displayed dissatisfaction.


    ''She''s a born actress.'' Wei Jun admitted and replied while writing something else, "How about we talk about our deal? The one we made some time ago?"


    On the paper was written, ''Reply: But it''s my first time and I need to prepare myself.''


    Xia Lu became embarrassed when she read that line and her face took a shade of red. Still, she replied in her perfect voice and tone, without a hitch giving away any sort of clue.


    "But it''s my first time and I need to prepare myself." She said, word by word, not giving herself away.


    "The first time is always the hardest. You don''t have to worry. I''m willing to wait as long as I can. And as for your uncle, I will talk to him." Wei Jun said and wrote on the paper, ''Go now. And don''t speak of this. Don''t do anything about the phone either.


    Just refrain from engaging in important conversations. And don''t make it obvious.''


    Xia Lu nodded and replied, "I appreciate your concern, I won''t make you wait for long." She was properly in the role right now and didn''t need Wei Jun to write something else to follow the situation.


    Wei Jun also nodded and said, "And also come tomorrow for the contract. If we are working together, it would seem less suspicious."


    "All right." Xia Lu simply replied and left.


    Wei Jun didn''t do anything when she left but after a few minutes, he jumped and said, "That fu*ker uncle, BANZAI!!!" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because of that uncle, Wei Jun had gained Xia Lu''s cooperation. Now all he had to do was keep her thinking that he was on her side and everything would be smooth.


    Of course, he couldn''t let that uncle know of his plans too such as his movie and other projects he would be working on which would no doubt be revealed to Xia Lu if they worked together so he decided to do something about this matter with Xia Lu''s uncle as well.


    =====


    Do not forget to comment. Your opinion matters.

 Chapter 28: Investigation

    It was a good day for Detective Zhao Hui until his phone rang. Zhao Hui didn''t want to pick it up because it was work and he didn''t want to work when his shift was over.


    However, there was a saying in police. ''A homicide detective doesn''t have a shift because crimes and murder happen all the time.''


    Zhao Hui picked up the phone of his supervisor begrudgingly and said, "Chief, my shift is over." He was trying to dodge it but from the looks of it, he wouldn''t be able to as his chief said, "Get your butt to ''The Club''. A major crime has happened."


    Zhao Hui sighed and hung up the phone. He got into his car and drove to the crime scene. Upon reaching the driveway, he saw many ambulances and many policemen at work. A lot of the public tried to see what had happened while the media grilled the police officers for questions.


    Some reporters approached him as well and asked, "Detective Hui. What do you have to say about the crime scene?"


    Zhao Hui sighed as reporters swarmed him and once he was sure everyone was attentive, he replied, "I just got here. How would I know what happened over here without taking a look first?"


    Zhao Hui didn''t answer another question and entered the club. As soon as he did, a police officer pointed him towards the manager''s room. On the way to the manager''s room, he saw three corpses just outside the room, lying a little away from the door. Although there was no forensics to report, Zhao Hui could tell how they had died. One clean shot to the head and they were gone.


    He observed them for a little while before he asked the policeman near the bodies, "Where are the forensics? Why is no one taking care of this?"


    The policeman replied, "The forensics are inside."


    "Why?" Zhao Hui asked, completely confused. If the bodies were here, why were the forensics inside?


    "Because there are more inside." The policeman replied.


    Zhao Hui understood but asked himself inwardly, ''More? What does that mean?'' All his questions were answered as soon as he entered the manager''s room. Eight dead bodies lie on the carpet like a work of art. The cause of death, even from a glance he could tell. A straight clean shot to the head and they died where they stood or sat.


    "Report." Zhao Hui said to a forensic analyst who was examining the crime scene and securing evidence.


    "Report? Well, I don''t even know how to begin. The crime scene itself is very simple. Too simple even. But the crime itself is professional. Highly professional.


    To the point where I am forced to think that such a perfect crime has never existed before." The forensic analyst kept on rambling while Zhao Hui checked all of the corpses in order.


    "How did they die?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "If you want to know the cause of death, then that''s simple. A clean straight shot to the head before the human body could even process what was happening. But if you are asking about what killed them, then I have no answer." The forensic analyst replied.


    He then moved over to one corpse that had a gun in its hand. "You see, all of them died with this gun. All those in this room. The killer first knocked this man out with a clean strike on the neck that fractured the neck, knocking him out. Then he took his gun and in less than twelve seconds, shot six of the other guys. Then he killed that one on the chair after an interval of about five seconds.


    Then, he made this guy, whose gun it was, hold it and shot him with it, making it look like a suicide." The forensic analyst explained.


    "Not very good, is he? If we can tell that he tried to make it look like a crime scene." Zhao Hui replied. If they could tell at a glance that the killer was someone else, then why bother trying to frame someone else?


    "Only he didn''t." The forensic expert replied before he continued, "If he wanted to frame this man, he could have simply changed his angle a bit when shooting or knocked this man out some other way. The strike to his neck was delivered expertly which means the killer chose to knock him out like that. There were many other ways. My guess is that the killer is calculative.


    He created a shred of evidence that would be hard to create. I mean, can you imagine this all in less than thirty seconds? I believe there was no solid move behind framing this guy besides creating innocence for himself. No judge or jury would believe the facts we have gathered. It''s humanly impossible." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After listening to the explanation from the forensic expert, Zhao Hui expertly said, "Then maybe it wasn''t a normal human?"


    The forensic expert shook his head, "I know what you are thinking. However, there were no traces of Qi. Before calling you, the chief arrived at the same conclusion and asked the old man Wei to see this. He found no traces of Qi. It was done by a normal human."


    Now Zhao Hui was extremely confused. He couldn''t figure out the crime itself let alone the motive. Since the victims belonged to a gang, it could have been a simple assassination, but who would send such an expert who would no doubt be expensive to kill such small timers?


    The more Zhao Hui thought about it, the more he became confused. "What about the CCTV?" Zhao Hui asked, hoping to find something.


    "Well, that is where the crime becomes perfect. You see, after killing everyone, the killer accessed the computer. He already knew the code or he bypassed it so that could be a clue. After that, he entered the online server, erased all data from there, and downloaded it to the hard drive while replacing the online server with other data so the data was permanently erased from the online server.


    Then he took the hard drive. In my opinion, the killer was thorough through and through." The forensic expert explained that as well.


    "However, there are a few things that even he couldn''t account for." The forensic expert, for the first time, said something that could be a clue.


    "You see, after killing the last person with his own gun, he took the gun of another person and killed the three outside that I expect were the backup. After that, he took all the guns. Now it isn''t a big gang so they don''t have untraceable guns so if they are used somewhere, you could trace the guns." The forensic expert said.


    Then he moved on to another spot and pointed at some browning and yellowish spots on the carpet. "I believe we had a witness. Someone, who wasn''t killed here."


    "What do you mean?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "Whoever was here, wasn''t one of these guys. He was an amateur. When he saw the killings, he sh*t and piss himself. Now I can''t say anything for sure since a person''s data can''t be found from these things, but whoever this person was, he or she was a witness. A witness who didn''t die. So we could look into the gang history and try to figure out what took place here before the murder.


    That could be our solid lead." The forensic expert gave his own analysis from just that clue but Zhao Hui was willing to believe that as well.


    Zhao Hui turned to a police officer and said, "Figure out who was here at the time of the murder. Not everyone could have been killed. Ask them what transpired here before the murders. Someone must have seen something."


    "Also check the CCTV footage on the streets to see if you find anything strange." The police officer nodded and left.


    "Did you find anything else?" Zhao Hui asked the expert.


    "Yes. But I don''t think it would be of much help." The forensic expert replied.


    "What do you mean?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "After killing everyone here, the killer also robbed the place. He took gold, jewelry, and money but he left the deeds and property papers here." The expert informed Zhao Hui.


    "I get that the property papers can be traced but what about the money and jewelry? It can also be traced, right?" Zhao Hui said.


    "Not if one has all the right connections. Gold can simply be smelted to erase the trademark engraved on it and the same could be done with the jewelry by carving out the engravings.


    As for the money, if it is exchanged at ten thousand spots at different times at small transactions such as ten thousand yuan, it would be very difficult for even a computer to trace it." An expert replied from the back. It wasn''t the forensic expert but he was also at the crime scene.


    Zhao Hui nodded at the reasoning. Just as he thought everything was done, the police officer from before came back, "Sir, we didn''t find anything solid but one car was seen making its way here but then it was seen away from this place as well as if the car passed this place. Only the interval between both footages is fifteen minutes."


    Zhao Hui smirked as he said, "We found our first suspect then, check out who the car belongs to and move in fast."


    "Yes, sir." The police officer saluted and left.


    ====


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 Chapter 29: Investigation (1)

    Chen Xian entered Wei Jun''s office and reported, "Young master, the auction for tomorrow is set. However¡­" He hesitated at this point. He had noticed the lack of interest his master had shown in his fianc¨¦e over the last few days. He would even treat her like a nuisance.


    "What is it?" Wei Jun asked.


    "It is actually about the dinner tomorrow." Chen Xian replied.


    "I don''t have any plans tomorrow." Wei Jun said.


    "Actually it is a message from the family head. He says that tomorrow is the dinner with the Yu family and everybody is to be present." Chen Xian reported.


    Wei Jun''s mood instantly turned distasteful. He wanted to make money through tomorrow''s auction but a dinner wasn''t something money could be made through.


    "Tell the family head I apologize. I am busy these days with work. Besides, more important work starts Monday." Wei Jun instructed Chen Xian. Although usually, Chen Xian would have advised against it, his master wasn''t usual nowadays so he did as he was told. Chen Xian left and Wei Jun busied himself with work and planning.


    After a short while Chen Xian returned and said, "Young Master, there is a detective outside. He says he wishes to meet you regarding some case."


    Wei Jun didn''t worry about it and asked Chen Xian to let him in. The detective came in, dressed in jeans and an open shirt with a t-shirt underneath.


    "Good evening, Mister Ruan. I am Zhao Hui, a homicide detective. If Mister Ruan doesn''t mind, may I ask you a few questions regarding a case?" Zhao Hui introduced himself and asked politely.


    Zhao Hui was troubled. After a thorough checkup on Wei Jun, he had connected him with two murder crimes yet when he applied for a warrant for proper questioning, it was denied. After all, the evidence was circumstantial. And it wasn''t much to pin it on him in the first place.


    That left him no choice but to politely ask him questions and somehow using wordplay, make Wei Jun mess up which would allow him to apply for a warrant.


    He was confident he could make Wei Jun slip in his statements, after all, he was quite young. Zhao Hui could easily mold the questions and find a way to involve him somehow.


    "You have five minutes." Wei Jun curtly replied while still focused on the papers on his table. Zhao Hui was taken aback at this attitude. Usually, when a detective comes like that, the youngsters or the guilty would show some sort of nervousness yet Wei Jun was far from that. Let alone nervous, he wasn''t even taking this subject seriously.


    "I¡­ I see." Zhao Hui was speechless, so he got to it. He first began with the murder case a few days before where Wei Jun''s car had been spotted.


    "Are you familiar with a motel in the hills, Sundown Motel?" Zhao Hui took a seat and asked.


    "Yes. I was there on this Saturday." Wei Jun replied, still busy with the documents on the table. Once again, Zhao Hui was taken aback. Usually, a murderer would deny being there and Zhao Hui would have then shown him the pictures of the CCTV of the motel to trap Wei Jun but Wei Jun accepted he was there.


    "I see." Once again, Zhao Hui was speechless but not all was lost. "Do you know there was a case of murder when you were there?"


    "I don''t know. I didn''t stay there for long." Wei Jun replied.


    "How long were you there for?" Zhao Hui asked since the CCTV feed showed Wei Jun to be there for about twenty minutes.


    "I have no perfect recollection but it must have been about ten to twenty minutes." Wei Jun replied, exactly according to the camera feed.


    "What were you doing there?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "I felt like driving that day so I took my car to the hillside area. However, I got lost and my GPS wasn''t working so when I saw a motel, I stopped by to get directions." Wei Jun replied, still not properly paying attention to Zhao Hui.


    "Quite a long time to just ask for directions." Zhao Hui remarked, thinking he had trapped him.


    "That''s because there was no one at the reception. I had to wait quite a while because it was my only option." Wei Jun gave a plausible reason that even Zhao Hui couldn''t deny.


    "Can you describe the appearance of the man who gave you directions?" Zhao Hui asked, thinking he had lost this case.


    "Yes. It was a large bulky man. If I remember correctly, he had a scar beneath his left eye. It was quite striking. I could be wrong of course since I didn''t pay much attention and could be confusing him with someone else." Wei Jun gave true and false information at the same time but also explained his reason for the false information.


    Bulkiness was common but he could have seen the scar on someone else and was simply confusing it with the receptionist.


    Zhao Hui was now sure he had totally lost. There was nothing putting Wei Jun at the scene with his full cooperation and all his explanations were plausible. Not to mention, no killer would describe the details so honestly.


    "You have two minutes left." Wei Jun said while Zhao Hui was in inner turmoil. He snapped out of it and asked, "Do you happen to be familiar with the name ''The Club''?"


    "No, I don''t." Wei Jun replied.


    "It is a strip club." Zhao Hui said.


    "I see. I don''t go to strip clubs frequently and those I do go to; I don''t bother remembering their names. It''s not like I''m there for the names." Wei Jun replied.


    "Where were you yesterday, between 9:30 and 10:00?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "I was out. I had to pick up a prospect I''m trying to hire. He was supposed to be here at nine but I called him and found out that he was somewhere unknown because he was drinking last night. I don''t know how he ended there in the middle of nowhere but I had to go pick him up.


    Then I left him at a motel to ask him to clean up and meet me at the office by six." Wei Jun gave a very detailed explanation that he had coordinated with Xiao Heiling.


    "I see. Can I confirm that alibi?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "Of course. But only in the presence of a lawyer. I can''t risk you pinning something on an actor of mine. He has a questionable history." Wei Jun agreed and disagreed at the same time.


    "Then please send him to the police station." Zhao Hui said as he prepared to ask more questions only to be interrupted by Wei Jun.


    "I will. And your five minutes are up. If you have any further questions, please schedule an appointment for a meeting with me." Wei Jun kept his head down and kept on checking various documents while signing them.


    Zhao Hui had no choice so he nodded and left after a greeting. When Zhao Hui left, Wei Jun didn''t show any reaction and still kept himself busy.


    [I''m curious about something, host]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun replied while still busy with the documents.


    [You don''t go to strip clubs so why did you say you did]


    ''Let''s face it. I''m in the body of a spoiled waste. There''s no way he hadn''t been to a strip club. If I had said I wasn''t, the detective could have pinned lying on me. If I could lie about one thing, I could have lied about others. So it is safe to remain on the side that I have been to the strip clubs.'' Wei Jun explained his reasoning.


    [What if the previous owner had never been to a strip club?]


    ''In that case, the possibility that I had been there secretly couldn''t be denied. Besides, I have money. I can ask any strip club manager to say that I was a frequent visitor should the need ever arise.'' Wei Jun relayed the solution to that possibility as well.


    Regardless to say, Wei Jun was prepared through and through. As if he had done this thousands of times.


    After a few minutes, Xiao Chen entered, curious about all of this but Wei Jun didn''t say anything. Instead, he shoved the papers he had on his table in Xiao Chen''s hand and instructed, "Book these venues for the next month. The shooting begins next Thursday. As for the actors that I have selected, call them to the villa on Monday. Prepare a hearty meal for them. Also, schedule a meeting with Xia Lu.


    Ask her if she can come here. If she can''t, then set an appointment at a good restaurant." Wei Jun instructed.


    Xiao Chen nodded but he didn''t leave. He seemed to be hesitating to say something.


    "What is it?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I have relayed your message to the family head but he is insistent that your presence is a must tomorrow." Xiao Chen responded, a worried expression on his face.


    "Did you tell him I was busy?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes." Xiao Chen swiftly replied.


    "Then it can''t be helped. What are the timings of dinner and the auction?" Wei Jun asked. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The dinner is scheduled at 8 pm while the auction begins at 10 pm sharp." Xiao Chen replied.


    Wei Jun nodded and instructed Xiao Chen to leave while he dialed a number on his phone.

 Chapter 30: Hiring again

    "Yes, Hello. Correct me if I''m wrong but this is an auction for cultivators, correct?" Wei Jun asked on the phone.


    "Yes, it is, sir. But I would like you to know that unless you are a cultivator, you cannot join." The lady on the other end replied.


    "Yes, I know of that. I just want to tell you that I have a miraculous pill for cultivators. If you can, send someone to pick it up and you can test it yourself. I hope you will relay my message to your higher-ups. My name is Wei Jun Ruan." Wei Jun explained his purpose and introduced himself at the end so as to be taken seriously.


    The lady on the other end was surprised but before she could reply, Wei Jun spoke, "If you send someone, send them to the Rising Star Entertainment Agency by six pm. Good day." Wei Jun hung up the phone and got back to work.


    Chen Xian entered and informed Wei Jun, "Miss Xia Lu is on her way. She will be here in an hour."


    Wei Jun was a little displeased about the hour-long wait but he busied himself with other tasks.


    An hour passed by very fast and as promised, Xia Lu arrived and entered Wei Jun''s office without knocking. Wei Jun didn''t mind and pointed at the seat in front of him.


    "Have you thought about my proposal?" Wei Jun asked. Xia Lu didn''t reply. She pointed at her phone to which Wei Jun replied, "Don''t worry about it. I won''t force you." The second part was just a preventive measure.


    Xia Lu nodded and said, "Even if I want to, the agency I am contracted to won''t just let me take part in your movie."


    Wei Jun nodded and simply replied, "Then you can break the contract."


    "It''s not that simple. The contract termination is ten million yuan. Not to mention that I am currently playing part in two dramas." Xia Lu slightly scoffed and told Wei Jun of the circumstances.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "You don''t have to worry about that. You will have funds to terminate the contract by Sunday evening. And as for the dramas, I can contact the directors and producers and manage it somehow."


    After all, the Ruan name meant something in the city. Wei Jun was confident he could deal with that problem easily.


    Xia Lu nodded and then pointed at her phone. Wei Jun nodded and said, "Also, you told me you were having a problem with that stalker. I will deal with that problem of yours by Monday." It was a roundabout way of saying that Wei Jun would have it dealt with by Monday.


    Xia Lu nodded and displayed her acting skills once again, "Oh, you are so lovely. Let me know if you want another date. Muah¡­"


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, showed a little frown on his face because of Xia Lu''s overacting but he was an actor better than anyone as he replied, "Oh, my honey. You don''t have to worry about anything."


    It was Xia Lu''s turn to be creeped out and she forgot to say something in return. Wei Jun ignored her and pointed at the door, indicating her to leave quickly. She said a few more endearing words and left. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She left and Chen Xian entered, "A place for the arcade you mentioned has been selected. It wasn''t difficult as the building belonged to the Ruan family. Lady Lin sent the deed to the building along with a message that you can deal with it however you want."


    "Send a special thanks to sister. Also, did you compile the list I asked you to?" Wei Jun instructed and asked.


    "Yes. The game developers are ready in the meeting room and as for the other list, the basement of the arcade has been selected for that. The employers for that are retired and kicked out government intelligence data agents." Xiao Chen reported on both of the tasks that Wei Jun had asked.


    Wei Jun nodded and stood up to leave for the meeting room. He entered the room and the first words to a bunch of strangers were, "If you''re useless, get out. If you waste my time later on, it won''t end with just leaving."


    When instead of a welcome, the people in the room were met with a threat, they realized that they weren''t in a cozy place that wanted to enter the gaming industry.


    Seeing that no one was leaving, Wei Jun once again made a threat, "You all better be sure of your decision."


    He then checked everyone''s resumes and he was pleasantly satisfied. Each and every one in the room was either a professional or a bum with good skills. He nodded and said, "My butler will shortly hand you a file. The file contains the data of the games you have to design.


    For the games that require no special animations, you won''t need anything but for games that do require animations, I will record those moves for you on Sunday."


    The file was handed out and everyone read the ideas for the games. Needless to say, they were immensely surprised by the new innovative game ideas. Some even showed greed which Wei Jun didn''t fail to notice and said, "If any of this data gets out, I will know who did it. And the punishment won''t be pleasant in the least."


    Many in the room gulped at those words but Wei Jun could see that the greed was stronger than a baseless threat. He nodded and gave everyone a contract. The contracts were signed and everyone left to do their job. Wei Jun stood up and went to his office.


    He saw all of the developers leaving from his office window. "Were their phones bugged?" Wei Jun asked Chen Xian who had followed him.


    "Yes, Young Master." Chen Xian replied. Wei Jun had asked for the phones to be left at the reception because he couldn''t allow the details of the meeting to be leaked. The developers didn''t mind but little did they know that their phones were being bugged.


    Chen Xian handed over a Bluetooth to Wei Jun and he equipped it. He could hear who went straight home and began to work and who contacted a few big companies to make deals about selling the ideas.


    "If someone comes, tell them that I have an urgent work to take care of. Tell them I won''t be long." Wei Jun left and Chen Xian bowed.


    =====


    "I apologize. Something urgent came up." Wei Jun greeted an old man in a suit who had been waiting in Wei Jun''s office for ten minutes. The old man didn''t mind and replied, "Work can sometimes be unexpected. I completely understand."


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Let us head straight to business. I don''t want to waste any more of your time." Wei Jun walked and took his seat at the desk. The old man sat down as well.


    "What I intend to sell you is a miraculous pill that can age one back by ten years. The effects are temporary and the supply is limited. Do you think anything can be done about that on such short notice?" Wei Jun relayed the details of his product and demands


    The old man was taken aback by Wei Jun''s words but before he could ask to clarify, Wei Jun continued, "I know that my claim could very well be outlandish." Wei Pulled a vial with a single blue pill and said, "Please have it, take it back to your higher-ups and you can decide yourself."


    Wei Jun passed the pill to the old man and he took it without a word. He was at a loss for words and if, a very big if, Wei Jun''s words were true, he didn''t want to say anything that could jeopardize this miraculous deal.


    "You can let me know of your decision by ten pm tonight. If you didn''t contact me by tonight, I would understand the deal is off." The old man nodded and left after a few words and a greeting.


    Chen Xian once again entered and informed him, "The intelligence team is here." Wei Jun nodded and stood up. While on their way to the meeting room, Wei Jun asked, "Did you research them properly?"


    "Yes, Young Master. They all have troubles and records like you asked. Four of them have problems with gangs while the last one has a problem with the Quan family." Xiao Chen replied. Wei Jun smirked and entered the office. This time, instead of a threat, he had a warm welcome prepared, "Welcome, my friends. I hope you weren''t treated badly."


    Three men and two women were taken aback by Wei Jun''s enthusiastic welcome. Wei Jun sat on the chair and said, "It''s best if we become friends with each other. After all, we will be solving each other''s problems from now on."


    The people in the room weren''t sure what Wei Jun meant by that but for some reason, none of them said anything. None of them even thought about leaving.

 Chapter 31: Preparing countermeasures

    "And now you all know why you have been selected and why I need you. Are there any questions?" Wei Jun explained his purpose for calling them and his intentions to hire them.


    One of the women, a girl with hazelnut hair and dark brown eyes said, "If all you''re offering us is money, we can make it anywhere. What else can you offer us?"


    Wei Jun nodded and replied, "A valid question. I will help you with the problems that no one else can. The gangs. As for the Quan family," He turned to the black-haired girl while saying that, "For now I cannot do anything about them but when I expand into Shannau City, your problem will be my top priority."


    Realization dawned upon all five individuals in the room. They realized that Wei Jun had properly investigated them and realized their true worth. It also meant that the jobs he would have for them, wouldn''t be easy at all.


    "So, shall we discuss payments if you are all on board?" Wei Jun asked with a smile as he spread his hands. The five individuals looked at each other, figuring out each other''s intentions. In the end, each and every one of them complied and made a deal with Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun smiled and left the meeting room. His work was almost finished. He guided the intelligence team about what they needed to do and that they would have their first task by tomorrow.


    Wei Jun left the office and returned home. He freshened up while the dinner was prepared. He ate and was in the gym by nine. The bodyguard team became terrified when they saw Wei Jun enter but they could do nothing about the hellish training that was about to come.


    After an hour of training, they were saved by the call on Wei Jun''s phone that rang at exactly 10 pm. Wei Jun picked it up and was happy to know who it was.


    "We have checked your product. One of the directors, Director Wu would like to visit you tomorrow at the office. Can you tell us when we can meet you?" The other side informed Wei Jun and politely asked.


    Wei Jun was happy that they were following proper etiquette and weren''t being overbearing. He replied, "You can come to the office by ten am tomorrow. We can discuss the terms of the auctions and everything there."


    "Very well." The other side replied and the call ended. Wei Jun smiled and turned to the bodyguard team, "You can rest for now. We will train on Sunday now."


    =====


    Wei Jun woke up at dawn. Did his morning routing. Took a cold shower and then soaked in a warm bath. Had a hearty breakfast and left for the office. His company didn''t have a vacation on Saturday. In exchange for good pay, they were required to work on Saturdays as well.


    Wei Jun arrived at his office by nine and asked Chen Xian to prepare refreshments for the coming guests. Wei Jun immersed himself in work once again and an hour flew by in a flash. At exactly ten, there was a knock on his door. Wei Jun allowed entry and Chen Xian entered, followed by the old from yesterday and another old man in a suit who Wei Jun suspected to be Director Wu.


    "Welcome. I am Wei Jun Ruan." Wei Jun kept his introduction brief while pointing at the seats in front of him. Both of the old men sat down while introducing themselves, "I couldn''t introduce myself yesterday. My name is Dao Han."


    Wei Jun nodded and turned to the old man who introduced himself, "I would be Nan Wu. Please refer to me comfortably."


    "Welcome Mister Wu. I take it you tested my pill and are here to negotiate?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes." Nan Wu said but didn''t say anything further. If how his manager, Dao Han had described Wei Jun, then Wei Jun would first state his conditions.


    "Very well. Before we begin, I would like to state a few non-negotiable points. First of all, I can only sell you one pill for tomorrow''s auction. Whether I can obtain more or not depends on my master. It was intended as a gift but since I am quite young and in need of money, I decided to sell it and my master had no qualms with it.


    However, whether he has more to give me or not, I am currently unaware of that. In short, you will be only getting one pill. The second point, the origin of the pill would not be revealed at all costs. If anything happens, then Xiaohen auction house will be responsible for that.


    Aside from that, we can cover anything you have to say." Wei Jun stopped speaking at this point and waited for Nan Wu to speak.


    "Mister Ruan, the conditions you have stated are our main concern. However, if we cannot get more currently, we would like to request that if you do get more, you would first and foremost consider selling it to us." Wu Nan stated his condition.


    He wanted a monopoly over the product and wanted more but seeing that Wei Jun had denied any negotiation in that regard, his only choice was to make it so that Wei Jun was happy.


    "For that, we are willing to give you leniency on our commissions. Instead of the usual twenty-five, we would be consent with fifteen percent if Mister Ruan promises to keep us in mind for the future." Wu Nan stated his offer in exchange for being the first to sell the next item.


    "I understand and I am very happy with the conditions so far and if that is all, I believe we have a deal." Wei Jun said while Chen Xian brought different exquisite kinds of refreshments for the guests.


    While they ate, Wu Nan explained to Wei Jun the process of auction. Today was a special case but if he wanted to again leave his product, he would have to inform them a week ago so they could arrange more special invitations for the special individuals.


    Wei Jun nodded to that in consent. Then Wu Nan told him the amount he thought it would be sold at. The price of the pill would be quite low considering it offered only a temporary effect for six hours. Wei Jun understood that point and said nothing about it.


    After a little more discussion, the party left with the pill, and Wei Jun was left in his office, overseeing work and reports. He once again checked on the developers to see if there were no more mishaps and fortunately, there were none. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The arcade setup was going smoothly and the opening was assured by Friday. As for the intelligence team, it was already functioning and was waiting to carry out Wei Jun''s first order.


    Wei Jun dialed a number on his phone and the call was connected. On the other side was Li Wei, the girl with black hair on the intelligence team.


    "I need you to compile data and information on the officers and detectives of the Yuan Yin city. Check all police departments. I need the information by tomorrow morning. Mainly focus on who is corrupt and who isn''t." Wei Jun relayed his very first order.


    "Understood." Li Wei replied and Wei Jun ended the call.


    [Why the data on cops?]


    ''Because I would be killing a lot of people from now on. And police are the ones to get most in my way. Having information on the police would help greatly.'' Wei Jun replied to the system''s curiosity and got back to work again.


    Before he knew it, it was three in the afternoon. Xiao Chen came to his office to remind him of the dinner which he wasn''t very happy about but he still got ready to go home to dress up.


    While on the way, Xiao Chen informed him, "Young Master, the detective from the other day called once again. He asked to set up an appointment. As you instructed, I have given him time for Monday at 10 am."


    Wei Jun nodded but didn''t say anything. Xiao Chen continued, "Also, Lady Yu called again today, asking to set up a meeting for tomorrow. Once again, according to your instructions, I have told her you are busy but I don''t know if she would reproach the subject at tonight''s dinner."


    Wei Jun once again nodded along with a slight hum.


    "The last task regarding Yao Tian, I have compiled everything you need to know. As for the deeper information, the intelligence team has been instructed. They say they would work on it after the police task." Xiao Chen further reported.


    "Tell them to dig out anything regarding murders and such crimes. Also, find an actress and set up a meeting. Her name is Quan Li. She is a small-time actress and mostly plays side roles or object roles in stage dramas. She isn''t very popular so it might be a little bit difficult to find her.


    But find her and set up a meeting tomorrow." Wei Jun relayed his last introductions as the limousine entered the driveway of his Villa.

 Chapter 32: The disastrous dinner

    "It seems Xiao Wei is very late. Call him Lin." Sun Ruan said while both families, the Ruan and the Yu families, sat at the dining table, with a feast prepared before them. of course, it was a feast for normal people as Wei Jun would eat five times that just alone.


    "He would soon arrive, grandfather. He has been very busy these days so please do not hold it against him if he is late." Lin Ruan replied to her grandfather. Lin Ruan doesn''t normally defend her brother but with the reports of the last week alone, Lin Ruan''s image of Wei Jun had changed slightly.


    "Busy? What does he do these days?" Liu Yu, the fianc¨¦e of Wei Jun said as she sipped light wine from her glass.


    "He is busy with his entertainment agency." Lin Ruan replied, not wanting to engage in an elongated conversation with Liu Yu.


    "Is that so? Has he hired new beauties?" Liu Yu, remarked, pointing at Wei Jun''s tendency to employ only beautiful women and no one else. Although Liu Yu''s words made the atmosphere awkward, no one could refute these words since everyone knew of Wei Jun''s habits.


    "Yu!" Liu Yu''s father, Zen Lu admonished her slightly as he said with a smile, "Everyone has a habit or two when they are young. Nothing to judge about."


    It was a blatant attempt to bury this topic but who here didn''t know that Wei Jun was a waste? Even though the Ruan family knew that the Yu family was marrying their daughter to Wei Jun for a smooth push to up their family rank, they couldn''t help but be grateful to the Yu family for giving their daughter even for that purpose.


    It was because even with his status, Wei Jun didn''t deserve a woman like Liu Yu. As they began to talk about different things while the food slowly lost its steam, the door to the dining room opened and Wei Jun entered, dressed in a luxurious Italian suit with a long black overcoat.


    His appearance ceased the chatter in the room for two reasons. One was obviously the change in Wei Jun''s appearance. Not only did he seem even more handsome than before, but it seemed like his body had undergone a change as well. He was taller than before although very little but still noticeable by keen eyes and his body was also fuller than his scrawny appearance before.


    The second reason was obviously because he was about to be grilled for being late. "You''re late, Wei Jun." sun Ruan reprimanded Wei Jun, who didn''t mind as he took his seat next to Lin Ruan as he said, "I was busy. I believe I had sent the message regarding that before."


    From his attitude, Wei Jun didn''t seem to care about anyone''s opinion here as he set himself a plate of food while replying to Sun Ruan.


    "What were you doing that got you so busy?" It was Wei Jun''s mother, Pei Ruan asked to diffuse the situation as she could see her father wasn''t happy with Wei Jun''s behavior.


    "I had to fire all the staff and hire new ones so I am quite busy with management these days." Wei Jun simply replied, not worrying about anyone''s reaction at all.


    "Why did you fire them?" Pei Ruan asked, curious about it now. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They were useless." Wei Jun simply replied as he took a bit out of a chicken piece and said, "You guys don''t seem to be eating. Is the food not to your liking?"


    His question brought everyone out of their observant trance and Wai Ruan, Wei Jun''s father said, "Why don''t we begin as well."


    And the quiet but awkward dinner began where no one knew what to ask. Wei Jun had been quite rude and the Ruan family was embarrassed for that. He hadn''t even greeted the guests. And as for the Yu family, although they didn''t mind about this, they wanted to walk past this topic so they could discuss some issues but the quiet stance of the Ruan family was making it difficult for them to say anything.


    "So," It was Zen Lu who broke the silence as he turned to Wei Jun and asked, "Did you manage to contract some new actors as well?"


    "Yes, I did." Wei Jun simply replied, ending the subject here. Wai Ruan, seeing the awkwardness returning, chose to continue this topic, "Anyone good?"


    "Yes. I contracted a few small-time actors and a few aspiring prospects. And I also managed to hire Song Li, though she can''t join for a few more days until her contract ends." Wei Jun replied, keeping it simple and straight.


    But the people at the table were astonished. How did Wei Jun manage to hire such a well-known actress?


    "You must have offered her something very great." Pei Ruan said with a smile. "I made her an offer she couldn''t refuse." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "I heard you also have been in contact with Xia Lu. She was at your office today, wasn''t she?" Liu Yu, seeing that she couldn''t get through Wei Jun through others, tried to use his questionable methods against him.


    "You must like to keep an eye on me a lot seeing that you are aware of such small matters." Wei Jun replied that also implied Liu Yu''s monitoring of his business.


    "I just happened to have heard a few rumors." Liu Yu said with a smile, casting the issue away from her.


    "Yes. I managed to recruit her as well. Though she is currently in a contract and I need to have that terminated first." Wei Jun chose to divulge the information as everyone seemed curious about this feat of his.


    "Do you need help with that?" Lin Ruan asked.


    "No, I can manage." Wei Jun simply replied and returned to eating.


    "Tell us about you Liu, how is business these days?" Lin Ruan asked with a smile. Wei Jun wasn''t the only one with unquestionable habits here. Lin Ruan wanted to turn the tables on Liu Yu as well.


    "It''s going great. I have recently managed to acquire a few assets and will be beginning construction there soon." Liu Yu replied with a smile. She knew what Lin Ruan was trying to do but she couldn''t dodge this topic as well.


    "So I have heard. I also heard that you have recently expanded many fields with the Tian family." Lin Ruan said. Her words made the cutlery all over the table stop, except for one person who didn''t want to be there at all and kept eating.


    "It is just business after all. They and I have worked in the same field. Contact is inevitable." Liu Yu defended herself the best she could but even she knew that her network was nothing compared to Lin Ruan''s.


    "Of course, it isn''t. I have especially heard of your private meetings with the young master of the Tian family, Yao Tian." The awkwardness in the room increased.


    "Like I said. When two people work in close vicinity, contact is unavoidable. And I assure you, it is strictly business." Liu Yu replied with a smile even though her hand had tightened around the fork in her hand, conveying her anger.


    "What do you think, Wei Jun?" Liu Yu turned to Wei Jun and asked, knowing that he wouldn''t be able to contain his feelings over this considering his past with Yao Tian. He would surely make a scene that would help in her favor.


    "You''re right." Wei Jun simply replied and got back to eating. Everyone waited for a few more seconds for a more emotional response but there was none. Even an idiot could tell; Wei Jun simply didn''t care. And the worst part was, he wasn''t putting up an act.


    Wei Jun finished eating as he turned to Sun Ruan and said, "It is safe to say that the purpose of this dinner cannot be approached anymore given the circumstances. So, am I free to go? I have work to do."


    The blunt words from Wei Jun made the atmosphere even more awkward. Everyone there knew that but they didn''t have the gal to say it considering their relationship and modesty.


    "Ye¡­ Yes." Sun Ruan had no choice but to say this since even he knew this dinner was a wreck and couldn''t be salvaged. The best thing would be to end it before things got even more distasteful.


    He especially didn''t want Lin Ruan and Liu Yu to butt heads as they seemed ready to turn this dinner into a battlefield of superiority. Lin Ruan had a clear target known as Liu Yu relationships even though she was otherwise engaged and Liu Yu could easily point the gun in Wei Jun''s direction who wasn''t a saint, to say the least.


    The best thing for this Pandora''s box to remain close was to end things here before they got too out of hand. The awkward dinner continued in silence after Wei Jun left and soon came to an end. After a few awkward pleasantries, the Yu family left while the Ruan family could only rub their heads and sigh exaggeratingly.

 Chapter 33: Auction results

    "What a waste of time. If you want to play politics, play it after properly preparing yourself. Why do it so unprepared¡­" Wei Jun was quite pissed off as he exercised. For a man like Wei Jun, politics in the world of business was a norm. in fact, it was too normal as if a compulsory part of business. Wei Jun was pissed because they were too unprepared and did nothing but waste time.


    At most whatever Lin Ruan and Liu Yu had were circumstantial pieces of evidence. They had no definite proof of what they were doing. Liu Yu had no definite information about Wei Jun''s business. She could have simply monitored the building to observe the changes and noticed the presence of Xia Lu, making her own theories but nothing factual.


    As for Lin Ruan, she should have gathered what Liu Yu and Yao Tian''s topics of discussion were. For all she knew, they could be sharing recipes to a souffl¨¦. Going in hot without even checking the ammo was an amateur move.


    All in all, all it did was waste Wei Jun''s time. Wei Jun stopped thinking about it even though it was annoying and focused on what was in front of him.


    [Strength 11]


    [Stamina 14]


    [Agility 12]


    His stats weren''t going up. Given how busy he was for the last week; it was understandable but Wei Jun was convinced that at least one of them should have increased by one over the last three days when his last increase in stats happened.


    ''I need to up the intensity.'' Wei Jun thought. His workout was already too monstrous for a human being yet here he was, considering increasing the intensity of the workout.


    He left the gym and addressed Xiao Chen, handed him a piece of paper while he said, "Get me these things by tomorrow evening."


    "Understood, Young master." Chen Xian obediently replied and left. Wei Jun headed to his room and after a shower, went to sleep. He woke up, did his morning routine, and was at the office by eight. Today was Sunday so he was alone at the office. But he still had a few appointments waiting for him that day.


    And the first one arrived as soon as he called, "Your auction was successful. It even sold at a higher price than our highlight of the night. However¡­" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Director Nan didn''t continue from that point over as if troubled by something. "However, some powerful people are pressuring you into revealing the origin of the pill." Wei Jun graciously completed the sentence for Wu Nan as he added, "I expected this to happen. But that doesn''t matter, who bought it?"


    Wei Jun wasn''t worried about this matter in the first place. He had properly done his research. Although the auction house was prominent, when it came to strong cultivators, even they had to kneel sometimes. This was one of those times. There was no way a miraculous pill would be left alone.


    But what mattered to him the most was the person who bought it. Did the said individual buy it for business or personal business? Only in that case, would he figure out his next move.


    "It was a cultivator. He took it in front of everyone and it really worked. But it worked too well, it also took the symptoms of his disease." Wu Nan informed. Wei Jun couldn''t help but smile but it was more of a grin of someone who had trapped a helpless bird in his cage.


    ''He''s desperate.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly before he asked, "And what disease is he suffering from? Is it cancer or something?" The more dangerous the disease, Wei Jun was sure the higher the price would be.


    Wu Nan seemed to have hesitated as he replied, in a very awkward tone and low voice, "Erectile dysfunction."


    The grin on Wei Jun''s face froze as he heard those words. ''He''s really desperate, isn''t he?'' He remarked inwardly before he noticed something in Wu Nan''s explanation. "How did you come to know if it worked or not?"


    If it was something private, how did it get revealed? Wu Nan once again, very awkwardly and in an even lower voice replied, "He took off his pants on the stage to see the effects."


    Wei Jun was now speechless. ''He''s too desperate.'' He thought inwardly before he coughed to push away the awkwardness of the situation as he said, "I... I see. He must have been very happy."


    "He was." Wu Nan swiftly replied. "He knelt on the stage and began to thank the seven gods and he kept doing that for a while. The auction was delayed by a half hour because of that."


    Wei Jun chose to move on from this topic as he asked, "Ahem¡­ How much was it sold for?"


    "He didn''t bid with money but Qi crystals. Qi crystals of high quality. Five of them." Wu Nan replied. Wei Jun nodded because he knew after his research that cultivators could pay with Qi crystals but most wouldn''t do that. Qi crystals were a rare resource and cultivators would rather use money than such a precious resource so it was rarely used as a transaction means.


    "I see. So you will be keeping fifteen percent of that?" Wei Jun asked. Wu Nan nodded and said, "We will. Unless you want to compensate in monetary terms and keep all of the crystals for yourself."


    "No. I''m fine with however you do it. How much was it sold for though?" Wei Jun wasn''t interested in Qi crystals; he was interested in how much money he made.


    "Well, if we convert the Qi crystals into money, then we have approximately thirty-six million yuan on our hands. Of course, that is after taking our commission. Wei Jun was ecstatic over this news as he said, "Tell that man, if he wants those pills, he should attend the next auction."


    The conversation came to an end and Wu Nan left after leaving the Qi crystals. Wei Jun stored most of the amount in his inventory leaving only some and called Xiao Chen.


    "Yes, Young Master." Xiao Chen subserviently stood in front of Wei Jun. Wei Jun pointed at the Qi crystals that were still on the table as he said, "Auction it off. Get the highest amount you can."


    Qi crystals rarity had given him an idea. Why not sell them as well, higher than the market price? Of course, it wouldn''t be too much of an amount, it would still be something. "Get the money by the evening."


    Xiao Chen nodded and left after a brief bow. He returned after about an hour and said, "The crystals have been put up for the auction. We will know the results by afternoon."


    Wei Jun nodded and waved his hand, signaling him to leave but Chen Xian still had more to report, "Also, the girl you requested has been found and a lunch appointment has been set. It is scheduled at one pm."


    Wei Jun once again smiled brightly as he said, "Good work. Now leave."


    But Xiao Chen still had something left, "And the game developers have requested for more time. They say the programming is too complex to be done so soon."


    The smile on Wei Jun''s face froze. "What do they need more time for?" Wei Jun didn''t like wasting time and he was sure that such good developers could definitely design the games in a week.


    "It seems an accident has occurred. Many of the developers went missing so the workload on the rest has increased." Xiao Chen reported. Now Wei Jun understood as he had something to do with the current situation.


    "Very well. It''s not that important anyway since it is just a cover. Tell them they have till next Monday then. Not one day more." Wei Jun nodded and waved his hand.


    "Yes, Young Master." Xiao Chen nodded, bowed, and left.


    When Wei Jun was left alone, he contemplated his next move. Mainly regarding the secondary heroine, Quan Li. If he really wanted Run Long to fall into the pits of despair, he couldn''t just kill her. Something more needed to be done. Something that would be a hard blow on Run Long.


    Because she was the only person whom Run Long truly knew. She was from the same orphanage in the countryside as Run Long. The typical story of childhood sweethearts who promised to marry each other when they grew up.


    Wei Jun''s plan was a little sinister. Take away the girl of his childhood. Of course, he wasn''t going to do it himself. He will have someone else do it.


    [Why not just kill her?]


    ''Because I have been thinking, would it really feel that bad? The death of someone. All that would do about that was make Run Long come after me for revenge. However, true despair would come when she would willingly leave everything for someone else. Besides, it would help me anger him which would in turn help me destroy his image.'' Wei Jun was meticulous in his approach.


    He smiled as he imagined his plan being executed. He couldn''t wait for the lunch to come.

 Chapter 34: Hiring Quan Li

    Wei Jun got out of his car and headed to the restaurant. He wanted to deal with this as soon as possible, however, he was sure that Quan Li would accept his deal. After all, given her circumstances, she would grasp at any straw no matter what.


    Wei Jun was guided to his seat where he saw a girl of about twenty-three, sitting nervously. Her dress wasn''t extravagant to speak and nothing about her said that she could afford to dine in that restaurant. Given that the surrounding people were frowning about this and Wei Jun even heard one customer complaining to a waiter, he could deduce the cause of her nervousness.


    "Miss Li, I presume?" Wei Jun politely said as he took the seat in front of Quan Li. As soon as he sat down, all the whispers in the restaurant stopped. Wei Jun was well known for many reasons and this was one of them. Meeting beautiful women and hiring them.


    "Ye¡­ Yes." Quan Li replied. If one thing remained as it was, then it was Quan Li''s nervousness. She was already very nervous, sitting in a restaurant, obviously for the rich and rich only. And now a handsome, young, and most importantly, powerful man came and sat in front of her. What made her even more nervous were the rumors about Wei Jun.


    She couldn''t deny coming here because she was pressured to come by her agent, but she was on her guard and ready to say no if anything wrong was mentioned by Wei Jun.


    "Very well. Shall we begin right away, or would you like to eat something first?" Wei Jun politely, but straightforwardly asked. Quan Li wasn''t very experienced but even she knew that if a man wanted to impress a woman, he would always compliment her first. The lack of any sort of compliment itself was a sign.


    "We¡­ We can be- begin right away." She stuttered as she replied. Wei Jun nodded and placed the contract, the same one for all the other actors at his agency except for the ones for Song Li and Xia Lu.


    "I would like to hire you. I happened to see your performance the other day and I found great potential in you. I''m sure you will become a great actress and for that, not only am I willing to support you, but I am also offering you a chance to try it. I understand that you would be cautious of this direct approach so a six-month temporary contract is what I am proposing to you.


    After these six months, you can decide whether you want to stay or not." Wei Jun stopped at this point and signaled a waiter.


    Quan Li was skeptical and she was right to be. A person like Wei Jun didn''t go to an acting university or somewhere similar but came to watch her performance in an area where his car couldn''t even go. It all seemed too good to be true hence her skeptical expression.


    An order was placed and while they waited, Quan Li thoroughly read the contract, without missing any point. After she was done, she couldn''t help but ask, "There is no payment written here."


    Wei Jun nodded as he replied while cutting into his steak, "That is because that part is negotiable. Since you wouldn''t be a permanent contractor but a temporary one, I have no choice but to offer you less than other actors. However, I am willing to keep your circumstances under consideration too and we can discuss the payment part."


    Quan Li nodded as it sounded logical but the cautiousness was still there. She couldn''t help but consider one small thought about what would Wei Jun do to her.


    "What are you willing to offer?" But Wei Jun wasn''t shooting in the dark. He had done proper research so he knew that Quan Li was desperate enough for it. Of course, she wouldn''t sell her dignity over money but the fact still remained that she needed it and there was no harm in considering it.


    "50,000 yuan per month." Wei Jun simply replied as he finished his steak while Quan Li hadn''t even begun eating hers. When she heard the price, she froze. She was paid 5,000 yuan a month if things went well for the month, if not then even less yet Wei Jun was offering ten times more temporarily.


    "The rest of the conditions are written in the contract. Since you have read it, let us hear your answer. Or would you like to take some time to consider?" Wei Jun straightforwardly asked.


    Quan Li composed herself as she asked, "I have just one question."


    "Please ask." Wei Jun replied.


    "Am I in danger from you?" Quan Li asked, as straightforwardly as she could. She wasn''t leaving this to chance. If there was a danger to her, she wouldn''t be going with it no matter how much Wei Jun was offering.


    Wei Jun perfectly understood her worries and replied, "I would like to say that you are not but that wouldn''t be enough. So how about this, there are other female actresses at the agency as well. Whenever you come, stick with them. If you have other security reasons, they can be handled as well." Wei Jun was being straightforward.


    Telling her that he was a saint wasn''t going to work. The best thing to do was to let her experience it herself. "Also, you may have already read it but you can break the contract from your side so if I try to do anything against you, you can simply break the contract and I would have to pay you 300,000 yuan as per the contract agreement and compensation differently."


    Quan Li considered all the points laid by Wei Jun. She wasn''t going to hasten it because this was an important decision. For one, this would solve all her problems but on the other side, there was a danger to her dignity.


    In the end, the human nature prevailed and she decided to give this a chance. "Very well. I am willing to sign it."


    Wei Jun handed her a pen without saying anything and once she signed it, he signed the contract himself. Then he pulled another one and handed it to Quan Li. It was the same one as before. A copy. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After she gave it a thorough read, it was also signed by both parties. Wei Jun kept one while the other one was handed to Quan Li. Wei Jun stood up while saying, "Be here tomorrow by nine." He handed her the card to his agency and left after paying the bill.


    Wei Jun came and entered his car. After that, he drove to the slum side of the city. He didn''t go to his agency but instead, came to a gambling house. This gambling house was run by some small-time gang that Wei Jun didn''t really care about. After all, his real purpose was something else. The gambling house was just a front.


    Wei Jun headed in only to be stopped by a buff man, "What business do you have here?"


    "Fruit shopping." Wei Jun simply replied. It was a code word and the guard understood, moving aside, letting Wei Jun in. Wei Jun headed to the bar of the gambling house, ignoring the rowdy atmosphere.


    "What can I help you with?" The bartender asked.


    "I want a sweet and spicy, fruity drink." Once again, Wei Jun said the necessary code to which the bartender nodded and said while handing him a key, "You will find your drink in the utility closet."


    Wei Jun left the bar and went to the restroom area. He entered the utility closet next to the bathroom and once he was in using the key, he saw another door in the back wall. Wei Jun opened it without the key and entered to end up in a room full of guns, carefully showcased on the walls.


    A man stood behind a counter, checking a gun when he saw Wei Jun. He smiled and said, "Never seen you before."


    "First time." Wei Jun kept his answer brief.


    "There is a first time for everything. So, what are you looking for?" The man smiled and asked.


    "Untraceable." Wei Jun simply said one word which was enough for the man to understand everything.


    ====


    Zhao Hui was looking through some files when his phone rang. "Detective Zhao speaking."


    On the other end, a policeman spoke, "Sir. I am calling you to inform you about eight missing individuals."


    Zhao Hui was confused as he asked, "What do I have to do with it? It doesn''t seem like a case for me."


    The policeman replied, "It certainly isn''t, Sir. But you told us to inform you if anything connects to Wei Jun Ruan of the Ruan family."


    Now Zhao Hui was attentive as he asked, "Well, what about it?"


    "Actually the eight people who went missing on the same day were game developers and before they went missing, they had all signed a contract with Wei Jun Ruan who had recently bought an arcade building." The policeman gave an overview of the report.


    Zhao Hui smiled as he finally had something to keep bugging Wei Jun. Even if he had nothing to do with it, this would serve as an excuse to dig deeper into him. "Send me the full report. I will visit him tomorrow."


    =====


    Let me know your views through any means you can.

 Chapter 35: Movie Meeting

    "Young master, the things you ordered are prepared and ready to use in the gym." Xiao Chen reported when Wei Jun entered the villa. It was almost evening by the time he was done so he said, "Prepare dinner. I will be in the gym."


    Xiao Chen nodded and left. Wei Jun came to the gym, still in his suit which he took off, all of it except for his underwear underneath. He changed into a gym wear and began to inspect the stuff he had ordered.


    A few very heavy chains, each about twenty kg and five inches thick. A few metal bars, each ranging from ten to forty kilograms. A few more heavy tools that he could wrap around his wrist and ankles to increase the intensity of his training but they were at most five kilograms in weight.


    Done with inspecting everything, he wrapped what he could around his body. A few weights to his ankles and wrist. A belt of about ten kilograms to his waist and chest and two more straps around his thighs.


    First, he did his usual routine, without using any of the chins and weights. As expected, it proved to be difficult and by the time he was done, he was breathing for his dear life and he hadn''t even done his running yet.


    Still, the effectiveness had surely increased and he was sure that he would once again witness a rise in his stats. He decided to skip the running because he was sure he would harm himself with any more exercise. That also meant that the bodyguard team was spared today.


    =====


    Wei Jun finished his morning routine. Since a week had passed, he could take a stamina pill now which he did during and after his morning workout. He was refreshed by the time he reached his office. Since the meeting time was nine am, Wei Jun organized his schedule. He had a meeting with the cast at nine, and then a meeting with the detective at ten. After that, he had to book some venues and all.


    All in all, his day was quite busy but he was used to it so it wasn''t a big deal.


    The clock ticked and the first one to arrive was Xiao Heiling who had an instinctive bout of hiccups as soon as he saw Wei Jun. He quietly took a seat on one of the sofas. He flinched when Wei Jun suddenly asked, "Did you do what I asked you to?"


    "Ye... Yes¡­ I have be¡­ been doing everything you asked." Xiao Heiling stuttered greatly and replied. Wei Jun ignored it and continued to wait in silence. The next one to arrive was Quan Kui who seemed much more vibrant after living the perks of the job.


    "Good morning, director." She greeted Wei Jun as she took a seat next to Xiao Heiling. "Good morning. Did you like the apartment?" Wei Jun returned the greeting and asked. "Very much." Quan Kui replied with the brightest smile she could muster. She was truly happy because Wei Jun had lent her one of his apartments until she could pay and buy one of her own.


    Of course, that was only possible when her first pay would arrive.


    Wei Jun questioned her about the routine he had asked her to do and she replied to all of the questions, making Wei Jun very satisfied.


    The next to arrive was Quan Li, who seemed nervous but seeing the atmosphere inside, she couldn''t help but calm down a little. After all, Quan Kui didn''t seem like she was harassed or was overly trying to praise Wei Jun.


    The next to arrive was another young man, in his early twenties with light brown hair and the same eyes with only a deeper shade. He was another one of the prospects that Wei Jun had hired. He wasn''t good enough to be a main character yet so Wei Jun had settled the role of a secondary hero for him. His name was Zhan Yi. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He greeted everyone but his eyes particularly remained on Quan Li for a longer amount of time than on the rest.


    "Good morning, director." He greeted Wei Jun last and took a seat in front of Quan Li, although she was sitting next to Quan Kui, making him sit at the far end of the right side of the sofas.


    Wei Jun, as always, didn''t miss this detail. He smirked inwardly as he simply waited for the final person to arrive who was usually very punctual. There were still five minutes remaining before the meeting began when Xia Lu entered the room, instantly captivating everyone in the room, men and women alike except for one person who checked his watch and nodded in satisfaction.


    "It''s good to see you aren''t late." Wei Jun commented to which Xia Lu just snorted and took a seat on the left side, next to him.


    "For obvious reasons, I will have to ask you all to turn off your phones and give them to Xiao Chen. You will get them when this meeting is over." Wei Jun spoke once everyone was attentive.


    This move was unnecessary but Xia Lu knew what it was about so she was the first one to give her phone. Following her suit, everyone did the same as well. Once Xiao Chen left, Wei Jun clapped to get everyone''s attention.


    Once they were once again attentive, Wei Jun began, "Welcome. I have already told all of you that I intend to make a movie, and then a drama with all of you with minor differences. Since we would be doing the movie first, I will be beginning with the movie script."


    "Greet everyone as you are all the main cast. Xia Lu will be playing the main heroine and Xiao Heiling will be playing the main hero." Wei Jun began with this and both of the concerned parties nodded.


    "Up next we have the secondary heroine which would be Quan Li and the secondary hero which would be Zhan Yi. And then we finally have Quan Kui. Since she and Quan Li have the same first name, one of them is welcome to change it to an actor''s name. I will get to the actor''s name in a minute." Wei Jun once again paused for the information to sink in.


    He then continued, "Finally, Quan Kui would be playing the role of a detective. She would be a supporting cast that would play a major role in capturing the villain."


    Wei Jun ended the overview, to answer any questions from the audience if there were any. Xia Lu asked, "You said the villain. Who would the villain be?"


    "I would be playing that role." Wei Jun replied.


    "Hah. Suits you." Xia Lu replied with a laugh. Wei Jun chose to ignore that remark before he glanced at others. Since there were no more questions, Wei Jun continued, "Xia Lu would also be a detective while Xiao Heiling would be an actor. They would meet when a group of hooligans would attack him and Xiao Heiling, who is a black belt in the movie would easily deal with them.


    Xia Lu would show up, misunderstand the situation, and arrest him. That is how they would meet. Further details are in the script."


    Once again, he paused and after a nod from both parties, he addressed Quan Kui, "Quan Kui would also be a detective and she would be a close friend of Xia Lu. She would also be the one to discover that someone is having Xia Lu followed, someone powerful behind the scenes, and watch out for her. That is how she would get involved in the story. Further details are in the script."


    Quan Kui nodded and Wei Jun moved on to the next and final concerned parties. "Quan Li is the sister of the detective, Quan Kui. She is a university student, for who a rich, handsome university boy falls in love. That would be you, Zhan Yi. Your story is the typical university romance where a rich guy falls for a normal girl. Further details on that part can be found in the script.


    How will you two become involved in the story is simple. To deter Quan Kui, the villain abducts Quan Li, her sister. Zhan Yi would then come into action, playing an active part in finding her using your family''s resources and rescuing her. Further details can be found in the script."


    The explanation stopped and to be frank, everyone was impressed. The overview was expertly covered and they could imagine what their role would be. Also, the reason why no one had any questions.


    "Now, for further institutions, you would all be moving into my villa. You will all have a separate room for practice. You would also be practicing together and all that. Other than that, we will come to the office every day and you can use the basement studio for group practice. Also, we will be working out from now on.


    Some of you have already been doing it on a small scale for the past week, while the rest would now be exercising with me. I have one week to mold your bodies to optimal conditions so there can be no objections about it." Wei Jun ended the meeting at this point. Everyone was asked to move into the Ruan villa by the end of the afternoon.


    Everyone nodded and left leaving Wei Jun to prepare for his next appointment. An appointment he wasn''t very much looking forward to.

 Chapter 36: Under suspicion

    "Morning, Mister Ruan," Zhao Hui greeted as he entered the office at ten am exactly. He had arrived fifteen minutes ago when he saw some people leaving the office. He recognized only one and he was surprised to see her there given she and Wei Jun had a previous history that wasn''t so secretive.


    "Detective. We meet again." Wei Jun replied as he closed the files in front of him.


    "Not going to halfheartedly deal with me today?" Zhao Hui questioned since the last time they met, Wei Jun kept most of his focus on the paperwork.


    "You have a proper appointment this time." Wei Jun simply replied as he directed Xiao Chen to bring in some tea.


    "So detective, what brings you here today?" Wei Jun asked once Xiao Chen left.


    Zhao Hui took a moment to notice every detail about Wei Jun before he answered, "I met with your actor who also acted as your alibi. Everything checks out. Everything except for one thing."


    "And that would be?" Wei Jun asked.


    "He has a history with the gang that was murdered. Very long history." Zhao Hui spoke suggestively.


    Wei Jun chuckled as he replied, "I assure you he can''t even snatch a candy from a child let alone murder a room full of gangsters. And not to mention, he was with me."


    Zhao Hui raised his prepared point here, "And you are the only alibi he has. Just as you are his." Wei Jun and Xiao Heiling were each other''s alibi. There was no third party to corroborate. Awfully suspicious from a third point of view.


    "Unfortunately I cannot help you with that. You can figure that out on your own." Although Wei Jun had left a trail of paperwork corroborating his story, he was sure that if he was the one to point that out, it would seem even more suspicious. Better to let the detective figure that out on his own.


    "I see." Zhao Hui could do nothing about this aspect so he had no choice but to move on. He pulled out eight photographs from his pocket and placed them on the table one by one.


    "Do you recognize these people?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "Yes." Wei Jun swiftly replied before he added, "These are the game developers I hired this Saturday. However, I never heard from them again. Is everything alright?"


    Nothing about Wei Jun''s demeanor suggested that he was involved but Zhao Hui had a lot of experience backing him up. "They went missing. Just as they left your office, they were never heard from again. Their credit cards show a transaction for flights to different cities and countries but there is no record of any of them boarding any flight."


    "Swindlers have their ways." Wei Jun replied. Wei Jun was meticulous in his approach. As per the contract agreement, he had transferred 100,000 to each of the developer''s accounts. There was no fact tying him to the scene. This was a simple swindler''s case from every point of view.


    "They sure do." Even Zhao Hui was aware of this fact. There were many ways to leave undetected from one city to another. There were similar ways to get out of the country that wouldn''t leave any record.


    Seeing no other way, he had no choice but to be direct with Wei Jun. "However, isn''t it a coincidence that you were at the motel murder scene? Then your car was coincidently seen around the area of the club murder scene. And now this, eight people went missing after meeting you coincidentally. So many coincidences in one row."


    Wei Jun smiled, a smirk even as he replied, "I can''t help but think that your suggestion, detective, is quite direct."


    Then the smile disappeared as a serious expression appeared on his face as he asked again, "Tell me, detective, am I under arrest?"


    Zhao Hui was taken aback by the serious expression and even more at the direct question, "No, you are not." He had no choice but to reply so because there was nothing that could be done about this. He couldn''t ask questions directly because there was nothing but circumstantial about Wei Jun. Nothing evident.


    "Then I believe we are done here." Wei Jun replied, the seriousness still there.


    Zhao Hui couldn''t do anything about it and simply stood up to leave. As he was going out, Chen Xian entered with tea in hand. "Thanks for the tea." Zhao Hui said as he took a cup. Then he left and took the cup and saucer with him.


    "What''s the report from the intelligence team?" Wei Jun asked after a while Zhao Hui had left.


    "They have the data ready, Young Master." Chen Xian reported. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun smiled as he said, "Bring everything to my office. I want to know all of it before I am called for questioning again."


    "But the police have nothing on you." Chen Xian argued.


    "They don''t. But my lovely rivals don''t care about that. We are not the only ones who hold power in this city. There are three more and one of them is not on good terms with us." Wei Jun simply replied as he busied himself with work.


    The day passed by drowned in work as Wei Jun visited various venues and booked them. He also prepared all the necessary equipment. The money he obtained from the Qi crystals was eleven million out of which, ten million went into nullifying the contract of Xia Lu. Then he had to use some personal funds and some questionable funds for the rest of the work.


    The intelligence team helped to clean the money he obtained from the gang so money-wise, he wasn''t having much difficulties. Though he was running out of it and he knew he would soon run out of it. That was why he had decided on the movie before the serial.


    At eight, everyone was present in the gym. Not only the bodyguard team but the actors as well. They stood in a line like soldiers as Wei Jun walked in front of them like an instructor. "There is a saying, ''A healthy body is a healthy mind'' and a healthy mind is exactly what I need from all of you because one mistake, and we would have to do the scene again and we would be short on time."


    He first turned to the bodyguard team and then pointed to the wooden figurines in a corner that he had set up for the bodyguard team. "Bodyguard team. Over there."


    They didn''t hesitate and hurriedly made their way to the wooden figurines. Wei Jun turned to the actors and said, "Wait here."


    "Now, I am going to show you all a basic move. I need all of you to perfect it." Wei Jun said as he got into a proper stance. He slowly began, "First, the base of your right hand''s palm strikes the neck of your opponent like this. Then, the elbow of your left arm strikes the ribs.


    While the opponent is on that, the elbow of your right arm strikes the other side of the ribs, neck, or side chest, depending on the height or the urgency of the situation."


    He paused and then moved his left palm, "Then your left palm would strike the same place of your opponent, the ribs to maximize the damage. Then, you grab the opponent by the neck and ram your left knee in the abdomen, stomach, or chest, again depending on the height or the urgency. And finally, a spinning kick of your right leg, preferably to the neck, the broken ribs, or the hip."


    He ended his explanation here as one of the servants recorded the video so he didn''t have to explain again. "Now, here''s what it looks like in the fast motion." Wei Jun said as he struck the figure on the left side of the neck, then delivered an elbow strike to the right side, caving the wood slightly.


    He again struck the left side of the ribs using another elbow technique, breaking the wood slightly. He again delivered a palm strike to the exact same spot on the right ribs, breaking that part quite a bit now.


    While the rest stood surprised, Wei Jun grabbed the figure by the neck and delivered a knee strike next, breaking the middle part before he spun in the air and delivered a kick on the neck of the figure, breaking the head entirely. The entire audience stood shocked. Wei Jun had broken a wooden figure that was hard for a normal person to do in less than four seconds.


    His execution of the moves was flawless and fast and nobody in the hall couldn''t help but be surprised about it.


    "Master this move by the next week. Those who don''t, get to have extra lessons with me." Wei Jun said and the last part was especially said with a smile that sent shivers down the spine of the bodyguard team.


    He then moved on to the acting team who stood still astonished by Wei Jun''s martial arts. Wei Jun said, "Drop and give me fifty."


    "Pa¡­ Pardon?" Xia Lu asked, unsure of Wei Jun''s instructions.


    "I said drop to the ground and give me fifty pushups. And those who don''t do it, get to run three laps around the mansion." Wei Jun said as he smiled and left to do his own workout.

 Chapter 37: Coping

    "What a bunch of wimps." Wei Jun openly, or more like bluntly commented as he sat at the dinner table along with five more individuals who were slumped on the dining table like all air had been sucked out of them. The worst ones were Xiao Heiling and Quan Li, who had never exercised that much before.


    They were so tired that even though Wei Jun had openly insulted them, none of them said anything. Even Xia Lu laboriously focused on her own food. But she was more concerned about one more thing. The dinner consisted of nothing but meat. Beef at that, the heaviest of meats.


    "You¡­" She said in a tired and croaky voice, "Do you want me to get fat?" She was having trouble wording each word but she managed to get it out because getting fat was worse.


    "If you want to survive the routine I have set for all of you, you will need nutrients to survive. So shut it and eat." Wei Jun replied as he finished his food which was enough for easily twenty people and stood up.


    "After you''re done eating, sleep. You all have to wake up at dawn which is at 4 am, sharp." Wei Jun said and left but he didn''t leave for his room but in the direction of the gym.


    "What a monster." Xia Lu lightly commented. Everyone at the table heard that and they couldn''t help but agree. They had only done fifty pushups in the span of one hour yet Wei Jun had done so much more that they couldn''t even count, with additional weight at that. Needless to say, they were all witnessing that the rumors regarding Wei Jun were false to a great extent.


    =====


    "How pathetic." Wei Jun once again commented as he finished his after-dinner workout. He was alone in the gym and just like every day, the fact that he was in another body, plucked away from his usual life was crashing down on him.


    [Shouldn''t you get used to it by now, host?]


    "The more you say that, the angrier I become. How could anyone be comfortable with this? With this idea of weakness." Wei Jun calmly spoke, the anger he spoke of, nowhere to be found. But the system would rather have Wei Jun screaming than be so calm right now. His calmness was terrifying.


    "You know; I was always raised with the idea of being the best. I took control of my first company when I was just eleven. My father created a company for me and handed it to me. "Survive," he said. And I did. The hyenas who came for me, I plucked the life out of them and became the sole ruler of that company.


    And then another, then another." He paused as he walked over to the wooden targets and got into a stance.


    "But here, I have to work so much to keep one company afloat. I have to prove myself to others." He said as he delivered a kick to a wooden figure, shaking it entirely.


    "I have to worry about someone behind the scenes, wait and prepare for them to strike so I can counterattack." He once again delivered a devastating strike.


    "Here, I''m nothing but powerless. Bound by the view of others. It''s sickening. This feeling of helplessness, just waiting for things to happen instead of being able to do something about them on my own." A flurry of attacks landed on the target as his move became faster with each passing word.


    "So, no. I can''t get used to it. I will never get used to it. From the beginning, the problem wasn''t living another life, it was this weakness, this helplessness. THIS FEELING THAT MAKE ME WANT TO DESTROY EVERYTHING!!!" He finally delivered a blow that broke the wooden figure, splinters everywhere.


    [Strength 14]


    [Stamina 17]


    [Agility 16]


    The system didn''t say anything to all that. It remained quiet. It knew that it was Wei Jun''s way of dealing with the current circumstances.


    =====


    At dawn, the actors dragged their tired bodies to the gym. They didn''t want to wake up and do all this but Wei Jun had barged into their rooms and made a fuss that the entire house heard.


    "Take these pills." Wei Jun while handing the acting teams the stamina pills for each of them.


    "What are these?" Xia Lu suspiciously asked.


    "Just take them. Today you have to do more than yesterday." A shiver ran through everyone when they heard that but they didn''t have the energy to complain. That was until they took the pills though. A warm current passed through them as if they had all soaked in warm water and it was soothing to their senses.


    "Now that you''re all feeling better, drop and give me fifty. The last one to do it would get special personal training from me." Wei Jun didn''t wait for them to revel in the feeling and said, snapping them out of it and hearing the horrifying words he was saying. They were so terrified that they even forgot to ask about the magical pill which was not even at the disposal of cultivators.


    Of course, only Xia Lu knew that but she was too preoccupied with the thought of working out, and not in a good way.


    It wasn''t any better than yesterday, although they did complete the exercise, they were so tired by the end of it that they couldn''t even move. Wei Jun handed them another pill which they took graciously, and hurriedly.


    "Today you will all be working on the lines of your first scenes. The first scene would be Xia Lu solo capturing some criminals. Then the scene would shift to the police station where she and Quan Kui''s scene would be. The third and final scene of the day would be the police captain informing them of a case. For now, just focus on that." The actors nodded while they ate at the dining table.


    "Except for Xia Lu and Quan Kui who will both remain here today and practice their scenes, the rest will follow me to the office to practice and also do the office work. I will have some additional tasks for you as well." Wei Jun said while getting up from his seat. Concerned parties nodded and the breakfast was concluded.


    =====


    "What''s the report on the police?" Wei Jun asked the intelligence team leader, black haired woman, Li Wei.


    "According to your instructions, we have been keeping an eye on what data they hold about you. So far, they only hold circumstantial evidence against you even which is mostly made of hunches and nothing else. So far, they have nothing against you. Nothing concrete at least." She reported everything she knew, summarizing it in a simple report.


    "I see. And the data that I required?" Wei Jun asked.


    "The woman Chen Na, also known as the young lady of the Na family, a subsidiary of the Tian family, is indeed holding a party in a few weeks." Li Wei replied.


    "Hmm¡­ I don''t suppose I''m on the invitation list?" Wei Jun asked.


    "The invitation list hasn''t been finalized yet however, considering the relations the Ruan family have with the Tian family, makes it very difficult for any of the Ruan family members to be invited." She reported to which Wei Jun chuckled.


    "I see. Then I''m sure you know of a way to get me in. Even if for a few minutes." Wei Jun said.


    "Everything is online these days. People input data and then forget about it. They have to check it again to remember and sometimes, even if they read wrong, that information is indeed true." Li Wei said in a roundabout way.


    "Which means if my name miraculously appeared on the list, I would be invited even if the hosts themselves don''t know of it." Wei Jun replied.


    "I suppose." Li Wei replied with a smile. Wei Jun nodded with a smile which was her signal to put the plans in motion.


    "I''m sure you can get your hands on a fingerprint scanner." Wei Jun said, moving to the next agenda.


    "It isn''t difficult to get it but such an item is extremely expensive since it is strictly banned." Li Wei replied.


    "How much?" Wei Jun asked, somewhat dreading the answer given his diminishing funds. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "About five to six million." Li Wei replied.


    Wei Jun smiled in turn but inwardly, he was cursing very loudly, ''If only you had things I really needed in the shop.''


    [The system almost has everything]


    [Related to cultivation]


    ''What the fu*k would I do with this when I need that.''


    Wei Jun replied while pointing at a certain item that induced hormonal reactions in human bodies.


    [¡­]


    [I have nothing to say, host]


    [Sometimes, hosts can be quite perverted hence the stuff]


    ''Shut it useless.''


    [Yes host]


    "See if you can get it in a week or so." Wei Jun replied.


    "Okay. Oh, and did you find the stuff you needed?" Li Wei asked, remembering the favor Wei Jun had asked.


    "He will have the untraceable stuff in a few days." Wei Jun simply replied, keeping it vague.


    "I see. But you can trust him, he''s good. He can get you anything you need. Even custom stuff." Li Wei said while preparing to leave.


    "I see." Wei Jun made sure to keep this information in mind.

 Chapter 38: Shooting?

    "Freeze!" Ling Mei pointed her gun at a buff man who was running away from her. The man didn''t stop since he knew she wouldn''t shoot at him. As expected, Ling Mei couldn''t shoot at him so all she could do was run after him.


    She chased the goon for quite a while before the goon ran into an alley. The alley was a dead end so he had nowhere to run. "That''s enough. Surrender now or the charges against you would be much more severe."


    "Not if I can get away from you!" The goon shouted.


    "And how do you plan on doing that?" Ling Mei asked, amused by the answer of the goon.


    "Like this!" The goon yelled and jumped at Ling Mei, his fist ready, pointed at her face. Ling Mei remained calm in this situation and sidestepped to let the goon''s weight carry him, and once his back was turned to her, she delivered a kick to him right in the groin that induced a crunch voice.


    She smirked and pinned the goon, who had both of his hands on his crotch on the ground and cuffed him. Once restrained, she took him to her car and left for the police station.


    Ling Mei entered the police station and signaled a policeman. "Hey! You! Come here."


    The policeman came closer to her and greeted her, "Good day, Detective Ling. How may I help you?"


    "Ring up this perp. Charge him with illegal contraband, arrest resist and assault on a police officer." Ling Mei said while handing the goon to the policeman who was still in pain from the earlier hit.


    "She''s the one who assaulted me!" The goon protested to which he received another kick from Ling Mei, "Shut the f*ck up! Take him away."


    "Noted. Good work, Detective Ling." The policeman said and took the goon away.


    Ling Mei went to her desk and sat down. She sighed as if she was dead tired but in fact, she wasn''t. She was bored. There was no case she currently had. All the cases that were handed to her, she could solve them in a day or two at most making her schedule almost clear every day.


    "Where were you?" A woman asked in a skeptical tone. The one to as her was Xing Lian, her friend and also a fellow detective.


    "I was out, making rounds." Ling Mei replied, as if bored out of hell. Xiao Lian could only shake her head. "You do know that others would kill for some time off and when you even have one, all you do is more work."


    Ling Mei smiled and replied, "That''s because others don''t love their job. I do. And right now, there''s nothing. Come on, share your case with me. Let''s solve it together."


    "No way. If the captain found out, he would grill only me, not you. You''re the superstar of the force." Xiao Lian replied as she sat down at her own desk next to Ling Mei''s. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Although," Xiao Lian said once she settled down, "There is something you will surely look forward to."


    "What is it?" Ling Mei asked with twinkles in her eyes.


    "It''s not much but there is a case of suspicion. A young master of some family is suspected to be involved in some crimes but so far, there has been nothing but circumstantial evidence. However, word on the inside is that an investigation would soon begin on that because of the pressure from the rival families." Xiao Lian replied, summarizing the nature of the case.


    Ling Mei instantly deflated. "What''s so special about that?" If it was politics, she wanted no part of it.


    "Well, the young master is suspected of lots of heinous crimes such as drug and human trafficking. And there are many more suspicions as well. I heard that even the D.A. would be involved in this case." Xiao Lian further informed.


    Now Ling Mei was a little interested. She was about to ask for more when a police officer came to inform both of them, "The captain asks for everyone to gather in the conference room. A briefing of a case is about to begin in fifteen."


    Both girls exchanged looks and stood up to head over to the conference room. Shortly after their arrival, the conference began, "The target of investigation this time is Zhang Jie. A young master of the Zhang family. He is suspected to be involved in¡­..." The captain debriefed everyone and then came to the main point, "Ling Mei, I want you to be the lead in this investigation.


    Xiao Lian would be the co-lead. The D.A. would be providing you with ample resources and support. Also, create a task force because the fish is very big this time. Be careful. That''s it.


    Dismiss."


    The meeting ended and everyone made their way out of the room. "No fair." Xiao Lian whined as soon as they settled into their seats, "I already have so much work, why dump another case on me?"


    "But don''t you think this is a priority? This case would save so many lives." Ling Mei said. "I know but still¡­ Haa¡­ whatever. Let''s see what we''re dealing with then." Xiao Lian said while extending her hand for the file.


    "And CUT!" Wei Jun said as Xia Lu handed the file to Quan Kui. That was the end of the scene.


    "Good work Quan Kui. That was marvelous. You''re a born actor, like a natural." Wei Jun praised happily which was rare of him. Everyone on the set knew that.


    "Thank you very much, director." Quan Kui smiled as she replied in return.


    "Aren''t you going to praise me?" Xia Lu asked, somewhat offended that she wasn''t praised although she wasn''t that much looking forward to it.


    "Why would I praise you? I expect this much from you. You''re a professional." Wei Jun replied like it was a fact. Xia Lu was speechless and argued, "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "It means Quan Qui deserves praise because it was her first time on the camera yet we didn''t have to take even one scene extra. I expected this much from you but not from her so yes, she deserves the praise." Wei Jun explained.


    Xia Lu was taken aback. It was her first time hearing that it was Quan Kui''s first time on camera yet she had done so well. Even she wasn''t that good her first time. "Wow." She couldn''t help but praise Quan Kui herself.


    "You give me too much credit, director." Quan Kui bashfully replied.


    "You deserve it. I only scheduled three scenes today because I was sure you would have trouble adjusting. If I had known you would be so natural, I would have scheduled more scenes for today." Wei Jun once again praised and he didn''t hold back. He was truly satisfied.


    In just three hours, three scenes were shot to perfection. An entire day yet ahead of them. "Take today off now. Both of you. See you at the gym at seven." Wei Jun said with a smile but both of the girls froze. The word gym was traumatic to them now.


    "I¡­ I might not make it. I have two other shoots, remember." Xia Lu said, but even an idiot could tell that she was trying to weasel her way out of it. However, Wei Jun was something else as well, "Sure. But if you''re not at the gym by seven, you will have to complete your work through the night.


    Naturally, that means no sleep." Wei Jun replied with a smile that wasn''t much of a smile even with his otherworldly handsome face.


    "I¡­ I will be there." Xia Lu caved in as she replied. Wei Jun nodded and shouted another order, "That''s it. Wrap it up. The next scenes are in daylight as well so rest well tonight." The crew replied with a ''Yes, sir,'' and the set was wrapped up.


    Wei Jun left the set after the wrap-up was finished. He made his way straight to the gambling house which was a front for a gun dealer.


    He went through the same codes and ended up in the utility closet. Opening the door at the back of the utility closet, Wei Jun ended up in the luminous room from last time. The same man with auburn hair and black eyes was behind the counter, reading a book this time.


    "You''re back. I see you''re very punctual." He commented as he closed his book while Wei Jun approached the counter.


    "I assume you have everything I need?" Wei Jun said, hoping for the same diligence he had shown.


    "Of course." The man smiled as he began to fill up the counter with guns. He began with Glock guns, then an anaconda revolver, and a few desert series. Then he moved to the small but heavy stuff such as rapid fire SMG''s. They were in every variety from small and loud to big and silenced type. Then he moved on to rifles which filled most of the counter.


    From the AK series to the M series, he had almost everything.


    "Unfortunately, it will take some time to bring the heavy ones. The shotguns and the special ones you requested would still take some time. I hope you understand." The man said once he was done displaying everything. "Still, this much would be enough for a small-scale war."


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, had a broad smile on his face. "It''s perfect," Was all he said.


    =====


    Thank you so much for all the support you guys have shown.


    I wasn''t expecting my novel to be contracted so soon and it was only possible with your support.


    I hope you guys will keep enjoying reading it.


    Comment if you have any questions.

 Chapter 39: Acquiring gadgets

    A few suggestions have been made in the comment section and I am quite satisfied with them. I will make the appropriate changes where needed.


    More suggestions are welcome and if they are implementable, I will do so.


    That''s it. Enjoy!


    =====


    "That''s all nice and all, but I need something less lethal as well." Wei Jun said after the guns were packed in three bags making them very heavy.


    "Sure." The man replied as he procured a small case. He opened it to show a black gun inside with thirty-six cartridges. "Stun cartridges. One is enough to knock out a healthy man and keep them numb for days to come. Nonlethal mostly unless the target has some underlying conditions in which case, it could be quite lethal." The man explained. Wei Jun nodded and he picked up the case as well.


    "And about the last thing?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Sure. Here you go." The man said, handing him a piece of paper while he said, "The man who supplies these isn''t very trustworthy but he can get you the merchandise just fine."


    Wei Jun nodded and pocketed the note with a smile. Then he effortlessly picked up the bags and was about to leave when the man said, "If you leave with them from the front, suspicion would be raised. Use the exit in the back." Wei Jun nodded to his suggestion and did just that. He loaded everything in his car and then made his way to his office.


    He arrived at his office and was happy to see Li Wei already present. He had a meeting with her regarding some matters and was hoping she had everything he needed.


    "Do you have everything?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes, boss." Li Wei replied, opening up a lot of documents and blueprints on the table.


    "The building has three exits. One main exit, one authorized back exit, and one fire exit in case of emergencies. It also has¡­." Li Wei explained the layout of a building, its security details, and its weak points to Wei Jun in great detail.


    Once she was done with that, she moved on to the next agenda, "Now the digging that we have done revealed that the data is stored on a flash drive and the flash drive could be in one of these boxes." She showed five numbers of the five boxes.


    "What of the response time?" Wei Jun asked.


    "If you can get the jammers, the response can be dealt with. However, it can only be delayed by seven minutes. Which means you will have seven minutes to do the job. Also, you will need someone good with locks because I expect these boxes to be heavily locked." Li Wei replied while giving a suggestion of her own.


    "I got that covered." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "I see. Well, you have the manager''s details so I don''t need to tell you about that. As for the crew, I suspect you might need a crew of seven to eight people for this job. I can get you in touch with some good people." Li Wei once again informed and suggested.


    "I got that covered as well." Wei Jun simply replied and ended the meeting. "I will have everything by tomorrow. Be ready."


    "Yes, boss." Li Wei replied.


    =====


    Wei Jun stopped at the abandoned harbor of Yuan Yin City. He came out of the limo and told the driver to leave. The driver wasn''t sure but Wei Jun left without an explanation so all he could do was heed his orders.


    As he approached the fence, a buff bald man in a sleeveless shirt in an intimidating manner came close to him. He stared into Wei Jun''s eyes before he said, "Arms."


    Wei Jun didn''t flinch because he was sure he could kill this man easily but he wasn''t here to make a scene. Wei Jun quietly raised his arms and the man began to search him. After a thorough search when nothing was found on Wei Jun, the man nodded, permitting Wei Jun to enter.


    Wei Jun entered only to notice a few more men. There were four men standing while one was sitting on a recliner with an umbrella cocktail in his hand. He seemed to be enjoying himself under the moonlight.


    "Are you the one Huan sent?" The man sitting on the recliner asked, referring to the gun dealer. Wei Jun simply nodded. "Quiet type, eh? Well, whatever. As long as you can do business. But I don''t see any dough on you though."


    The man stated a point, after all, this was a business deal and it could only be concluded two ways. The man needed to be paid for his troubles.


    "You will have them when I have checked the goods." Wei Jun replied. The man wasn''t happy with the reply but he was sure he had the upper hand so he didn''t say anything about it.


    "Quite rude of you." He still made sure to point out.


    Wei Jun said nothing to that and simply stared him in the eyes. The man became unsettled with the cold gaze but he composed himself by convincing himself that he had the upper hand.


    "Whatever. Well, everything you need is here." The man stood up and signaled Wei Jun to follow him. Wei Jun followed the man while the goons followed Wei Jun, making sure he got no sudden ideas.


    They arrived at a warehouse and the man opened it up. Inside, there were a few things covered in black covers.


    The man went to the first one and removed the cloth to reveal a bike. A bike of pitch black color.


    "1200 cc, silent, and fits all the requirements you mentioned. It is unregistered and all the parts are custom. No way to trace it back to you. The number plates are also fake and can be changed.


    There are ten plates installed but if you want more, you will have quite a bit of trouble with that since each plate would cost you about 100,000 yuan not to mention the trouble to make them unregistered." The man gave an overview of the bike before he moved on to the next item.


    He uncovered a briefcase and opened it to reveal a dark blood red and black biker outfit. "Outward, simple biker outfit. But it is made of lightweight metal with infused Qi crystals to make it impervious to bullets. Of course, it won''t make you invulnerable so make sure to avoid straight and heavy shots.


    Of course, since it is made of metal, quite a bit heavy and the shots are also very painful." The man explained the biker outfit before he moved on to the helmet.


    "Also made from the same material only the metal used is two times more than the entire outfit. Obviously, very heavy and stuffy but you can be sure of not dying very easily wearing it." The man explained the specifications of the helmet before he moved on to the last time.


    "Signal jammers. Illegal, very. Expensive, very. Difficult to obtain, very. But you came to the right person. Four jammers set.


    One covers an area of 200 meters. After use, it explodes leaving no traces. Of course, you cannot salvage it and reuse it since it is designed that way." The man finished explaining finally and said, "And now that we are done with the presentation, let''s talk about how all of this will cost you."


    Wei Jun remained quiet. Sure, he could get all of this but he had no money. The amount that he did have wasn''t enough for all of this. So there was only one way out of this.


    "200 million yuan. A fair price I might say for everything." The man said, grinning. The untrustworthy part that the gun dealer spoke about was this. He was blatantly increasing the worth of these items.


    But Wei Jun wasn''t worried. After all, he wasn''t going to pay for it anyway. "And what would the price be after a discount?"


    "HAHAHAHA!!!!" The man boisterously began to laugh at this. He laughed and laughed for a few minutes before he said between small cackles, "You''re a good jokester. Fine, I will play along. Go ahead, how much discount do you think is appropriate."


    Wei Jun''s expression was still the same, emotionless, as he replied, "A hundred percent."


    The laughter stopped. The man''s expression turned threatening as he said, "Jokes can only be taken so far."


    Wei Jun didn''t back away. Something appeared in his hand as he replied, "But I wasn''t joking from the beginning," before he raised the gun in his hand and before the man could register what it was, he was shot in the head and killed.


    The other men came to realization but before they could react, swift five shots landed in each of their heads, killing them easily.


    Wei Jun then stored everything inside his inventory however, the bike couldn''t be stored for some reason. Wei Jun tried very much but it didn''t work so all he could do was let it go and use it to ride back home. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [I''m curious about something, host]


    ''What?''


    [You have prepared for everything]


    [But what will you do about the code tomorrow, host?]


    [Shouldn''t you look for a safecracker?]


    ''I don''t need to.''


    [Why?]


    ''Because your uselessness has been rubbing off of me.''


    [Pardon?]


    ''Oi. Open the safe tomorrow in under thirty seconds.''


    [But I cannot interfere, host]


    ''Did you say something, useless?''


    [No, host]


    ''And¡­?''


    [I will do as you say, host]


    ''Good boy.''

 Chapter 40: 2nd Shooting

    I keep forgetting these days so I will say it today before I forget about it again. A lot of thanks to ''DrowzyGoneWild'', ''carlos123995'', and ''germangamingyt'' for their support via golden tickets. I hope you enjoyed my novel and would consider showing your support again.


    =====


    A woman in red was running through an alleyway during the night in heavy rain. She wasn''t fully drenched yet which either implied she had something to cover her but not anymore, or she had purposefully entered the downpour, ignoring the fact that she was getting wet.


    Ignoring the rain and wetness, with a terrified expression she ran forward while occasionally glancing back in horror making sure her pursuer wasn''t behind her. She saw no one but she was sure she wasn''t far away from him so she kept running.


    As she was running, she bumped into someone while she was checking behind her. The collision sent both of the people stumbling on the ground.


    "What the¡­ Watch where you''re going!" The man who had fallen after the collision with the woman said in displeasure as he hurriedly picked up the umbrella to block the rain from drenching him as well.


    The woman saw the man and hurriedly stood up, she cautiously stared at him before coming to the conclusion that he wasn''t her pursuer. "What?! What are staring at? Shouldn''t you apologize after bumping into someone instead of staring at them dumbly?!"


    The man wasn''t happy as he displayed his displeasure to the woman without any disregard for her circumstances. The woman didn''t care as she yelled, "Please help! He''s after me." She latched onto the man who said, "Are you crazy?! This is an expensive suit!"


    The man was more worried about his suit getting wet that he couldn''t register what the woman was saying. "No please, you don''t understand! HE''S AFTER ME!!!"


    When the woman yelled the second time, the man finally paid attention to her state and after seeing the panic in her voice and the fear on her face, he sighed as he replied, "Look I don''t know what''s going on and I don''t want to get involved. I will just take you to the nearest police station and then be done with it. Understand?"


    The woman felt like she had found a ray of hope out of this situation as she replied, "Thank you! Thank you so much!!!!"


    "Sure, sure. Let''s go. My car is parked around the corner." The man said tiredly as he led her to his car. On the way, the girl remained latched to him, and seeing her like that, he curiously asked, "What''s the matter? Who is after you?"


    "I don''t know." The woman replied which dumbfounded the man. Before he could ask to elaborate, the woman continued, "I was just walking home when he appeared in front of me with a knife. I couldn''t see his face and he started saying that he likes my eyes so he would like to cut them out. I thought he was just a lunatic but he really did attack me. I barely managed to run away."


    The story of the woman ended at that point and the man could fill in the holes as he commented, "That''s crazy even for this town. Haa¡­ A man can''t even spend a night in peace."


    They arrived at a black sedan and the man said, "Get in but watch the cleats. Oh, and put a cloth before you sit, I don''t want you leaving a print on my seat. The cover is in the back." He said before opening the driver''s door. The woman nodded and opened the back door but instead of anything else, she froze. The terror slowly appeared on her face as she recognized the same knife her assailant had.


    She understood the situation and hurriedly backed away only to bump into someone for the second time.


    "I don''t get it." The man said, confusion in his voice. The woman slowly turned around, all hope was gone and terror taking its place.


    "I just want these beautiful eyes of yours. Why can''t you just let me have them?" He innocently asked like a child whose parents had forbidden him from candies.


    "Can I not have them?" He continued, with the same innocent confused expression, "But I really like them. You will give them to me, right?"


    "If I asked nicely, you will give them to me, right?" The man asked as he traced his finger on the woman''s face. The woman trembled in fear but no words left her mouth.


    "I see." The man replied, his expression full of pity, "So I can''t have them nicely." He sniffled as he backed away a bit. "Fine. I won''t take them." He said like an angry child.


    The woman found hope once again as she saw the man acting like a child. She thought she could use this against him and try to get away. She decided to say something but before she could, the man continued, "But if I can''t have your eyes," He said with a maniacal expression on his face, "Then I won''t let anyone have them."


    "Hahaha!!!" He began to laugh like a maniac as he procured two knives from his back. The woman lost hope once again and could only ask for mercy which wasn''t being registered under the maniacal laughter of the man.


    "HAHAHAHA!!!" "HA¡­HA¡­HA¡­" "Ha¡­Ha¡­Ha¡­" "Haaa¡­."


    "CUTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!" Wei Jun screamed turning his head to the crew who was stunned before but now shook like their souls had left their bodies by Wei Jun''s shout.


    "YOU F*****, CAN''T YOU F****** SEE THAT THE F***** SCENE HAD F***** ENDED? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU S***** DOING WHEN YOU HAVE ONLY ONE F******* JOB?!!!!" The anger of Wei Jun was increasing with each word and the ears of the entire team were bleeding more by every second.


    "YOU ***** HAVE ONE ***** JOB BUT YOU ***** CAN''T EVEN ***** MANAGE THAT?" The intensity of Wei Jun''s words only increased to the point that some became too much to even hear.


    The crew remained silent. They had learned the hard way that apologizing only makes things harder. Let their boss unload and after that, they would face the punishment of running around the set.


    After fifteen minutes of constant cursing, Wei Jun finally calmed down. The crew and everyone on the set couldn''t believe that it was the same person whose acting had captivated them so much that they even forgot to breathe.


    Even Xia Lu along with the rest of the acting team was stunned. She thought she was good at acting and she was but the acting done by Wei Jun was so real that she couldn''t believe that she wasn''t watching this in real life but only a pretend shooting.


    "Oi, editing team. Fix this. I don''t want to take the take again." Wei Jun said. The situation wasn''t so unsalvageable so he wasn''t that much angry compared to the other parts.


    The editing team nodded and after a few heavy sighs, Wei Jun shouted, "Do not make this mistake again! Prepare for the next scene." He couldn''t remain angry for long so he opted to move on to the next agenda.


    "Oi, Xiao Heiling." Wei Jun called Xiao Heiling who was getting ready for his next scene. Xiao Heiling flinched when he heard his name being called, "Ye¡­ Yes, boss?"


    "Reply without stuttering." Wei Jun said with a stern expression on his face. "Yes, boss." Xiao Heiling hurriedly replied.


    "Also," Wei Jun continued and Xiao Heiling had a bad premonition about what he was about to say next. With the same horrifying expression as when threatening someone, Wei Jun said, "Take more than two takes and I will take you to a place where you might never return from."


    GULP!!!


    Xiao Heiling was terrified out of his wits. Throughout the shooting, he was the only one who had the most retakes, and each time he did, Wei Jun would throw a fit.


    ''Fu*k. I don''t have time today and this happens.'' Wei Jun cursed inwardly. Wei Jun had a prior task to get to after the day''s shooting but due to unforeseen weather conditions, the shooting had to be delayed by two hours. If he wasted any more time because of Xiao Heiling''s retakes, he knew he would blow it.


    Fortunately, Xiao Heiling did not take more than two takes for each of his scenes but even still, shooting two scenes took three hours.


    "Who knew you would be so good at acting." Xia Lu commented while the crew was clearing the scene.


    "There''s nothing to be surprised about. I can''t run an acting agency if I don''t know a bit myself." Wei Jun replied, not really paying attention to her.


    "If that''s called a ''bit'' then I don''t know what my skills would be." Xia Lu said.


    "Like I said, there''s nothing surprising there. You do what''s expected of you and I do what''s expected of me. My expectations are just higher than yours." Wei Jun replied before he shouted, without waiting for a reply from Xia Lu, "Wrap it up and don''t forget. Tomorrow is the shooting at nighttime where the main characters meet. I want no mistakes¡­..." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After barking a lot of orders, Wei Jun left the set and made his way to his car. On the way, he dialed Li Wei''s number and said, "Prepare everything."


    "Are you sure, boss? We can do it tomorrow as well." Li Wei suggested but Wei Jun was adamant, "No, it has to be today."


    Wei Jun replied as he checked his account which showed a balance of 1,030,453 yuan. He was running short of money by a lot. He had to do it today to not run out.

 Chapter 41: The robbery

    Xiao Chen, the butler will be changed to Lao Chen


    =====


    Wei Jun, dressed in black clothes with a long overcoat with its collar raised to avoid being recognized, entered a hotel building and made his way to the room he had booked. Not under his name of course but he had used one of the identities of the people he had killed while acquiring the bike and other stuff from the other day.


    So far their bodies hadn''t been discovered so there was no harm in using their identities for stuff he didn''t want to be caught for. Wei Jun entered his room and set the briefcase he was carrying on the bed.


    {Cameras back online in thirty seconds boss}


    {Are you in the room?}


    "I am." Wei Jun replied in his earpiece before he unhooked the window sill and took off the entire window of the room. He then set up a wired rope and hooked it to the building across the road.


    He covered himself up and then glided across the buildings using the wire.


    ''Make sure she isn''t recording anything.''


    [I had already made sure of that, host]


    Although Li Wei was useful, Wei Jun didn''t trust her in the least so even though she knew what he was doing, there was no way she would be able to prove it. Not unless she wanted to stop living.


    He landed and rolled on the top of the three-story building. He opened an electrical panel on the roof and set up one of the jammers in it.


    {Done, boss}


    {But it will only last for seven minutes so you should hurry}


    Wei Jun nodded and entered the building from the stairs. He didn''t go for the ground floor but the first floor where the vault of the building was.


    "What the¡­ Hey! YOU CAN''T BE HERE!!" A guard standing in front of the metallic door yelled when he saw a masked man.


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but seethe at his stupidity. There was a masked man in the vault''s vicinity and he was telling him he couldn''t be there. Wei Jun couldn''t bear the stupidity and used the stun gun to neutralize both the guards before they could react.


    ''What an illogical world.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly as he entered the room and closed it using the guard''s key.


    [Please put your hand on the vault, host]


    Wei Jun put his hand on the vault''s door and in under thirteen seconds, he heard a click signifying it was opened.


    Wei Jun pulled, opened the vault door, and entered the room. Inside there were wads of cash but Wei Jun wasn''t there for them. He hurriedly placed small explosives on the five boxes that were suspected to have what he needed.


    After the explosions, Wei Jun pulled out the boxes. Three of them had some pieces of jewelry while the other two had a flash drive and a bunch of papers. He picked up the flash drive for which he was there but he also became curious about the papers in the other box. He checked the papers and under that mask, he couldn''t help but grin.


    "Jackpot." He said in a low voice before he turned to the stacks of fistfuls of cash. He checked each of them but all of them were marked so there was no use taking them.


    "Anything useful in here?" Wei Jun asked Li Wei over the comms.


    {Unfortunately, everything is marked, boss}


    {It would be a problem}


    Wei Jun nodded and left the vault. He came to the top of the building once again and severed the wire from his side. The roller on the other side collected the rope but Wei Jun left it there as evidence.


    Although he knew there was a chance this might not even make it to the news due to the nature of what he stole, if it did, he wanted to leave proper evidence to point away from him.


    He used the building''s fire escape to make it to the road. He stored everything he was wearing inside the inventory and equipped another suit. He avoided the camera and made it across a couple of buildings. A dentist building where he had an appointment.


    =====


    [Your teeth are quite healthy, host]


    ''Are you making fun of me?''


    [I would never dare]


    The system was making fun of Wei Jun. The dentist wasn''t very happy with Wei Jun wasting his time but since Wei Jun was who he was, the dentist said nothing but that didn''t stop him from unintentionally mishandling equipment such as the drill and sharp stuff.


    ''I should have kicked his ass when he tried to scare me with the drill.'' Wei Jun inwardly thought.


    [But it was fruitful today, isn''t it?]


    [Especially with what you found]


    ''Of course it was.'' Wei Jun smirked and laughed inwardly as he remembered what he had found.


    =====


    "So what can you tell us about the movie that you are currently filming, Miss Lu?" A PR team member recorded videos while another one asked questions from the actors who were at the set the next day. It was the third day of the shooting and the progress was insane under Wei Jun''s command. Any scene''s flaw was instantly noticed and fixed before too much time was wasted.


    "To be honest, I never thought that I could shoot a film so fast. I believe it is all due to our director whose commands are near perfect that we are able to make such fast progress." Xia Lu stated this fact as even though she didn''t have a good image of Wei Jun, over the past week living with him, she couldn''t help but acknowledge his skills.


    "The genres of the movie are romantic, action, and crime thriller. Personally, I like the story a lot and I am confident no such movie has been made before." Xia Lu then answered the question after a little praise for the publicity of the movie.


    "When do you think the movie will be completed?" The member once again asked.


    "Well, with how fast we are going, I suspect us to be done in two months and then maybe a month for editing and such. To be honest I''m not familiar with such things so I cannot answer perfectly about it." Xia Lu answered.


    "We have noticed that except for you, all other actors in the movie are beginners. How do you find yourself working with them and do you think it a correct move?" The member then asked. This was a question specifically designed by Wei Jun but unlike other questions, he hadn''t given an answer to that and had asked them to be honest.


    "To be honest, I was skeptical at first. Two actors with no experience at all, one small actor and another stage actress. There was no way they would be able to do much in the movie but if I have to be honest, I would say that all of the credit for that goes to our director. It was just guidance but also the method he adopted to make these new actors shine.


    So overall, I am finding it a lot of fun to work with these new people who have different perspectives of everything and aren''t as arrogant as other movie actors in the film industry." Xia Lu gave her reply, as honestly as she could.


    Done with the interview, the PR team moved on to the rest of the actors to get their views. The day was done and the first on-set interview of the film was launched on social platforms, gaining a lot of attention from Yuan Yin city overnight.


    "We have received a lot of requests and calls for investing in the movie overnight. These are the files with information about them." Lao Chen said and handed Wei Jun a few files. Wei Jun took the files and threw them away.


    "No need for them right now. Forget about the movie stuff and tell me about any news from the Tian family." Wei Jun asked, focusing on the more pressing matter.  S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Panic." Lao Chen began with one word that made Wei Jun happy which was a signal for Lao Chen to explain, "They have launched an intense internal investigation and have concealed the matter from the police. The patriarch of the family has further taken away all the privileges from Yao Tian"


    Wei Jun laughed as he said, "So he has nothing now. But that doesn''t solve anything, now does it? We need an ace in the hole and that would be the second incompetent one."


    Wei Jun stopped laughing as he said, "Set up a meeting with Noh Tian, the elder son of the Tian family."


    "He might not be as gullible as you expect, Young Master." Lao Chen suggested but Wei Jun simply waved his hand as he replied, "He may be smart and everything but in the end, he is overshadowed by his younger brother. He will jump however high I want if he gets a chance to get out of that shadow."


    Lao Chen nodded at Wei Jun''s insight as he replied, "I will have it done shortly, Young Master."


    =====


    To be honest I didn''t want to elongate the robbery so I opted for the fastest method there was.


    I don''t know if it sits well with you guys so let me know in the comments if you think otherwise and I will see what I can do about it.

 Chapter 42: An accident

    Two weeks after the shooting, the shooting was halfway done and the hype was created among the public quite a bit. Of course, with good marketing, came bad attention as well. Especially from the rivals of the Ruan family.


    "Zhan Yi, Quan Kui, and Quan Li have been hired for a few commercial products. The profit they are bringing is this." Wei Jun checked the profits obtained by all the marketing and ads as well. Wei Jun smiled as he checked the amount of money he had obtained and he couldn''t help but smirk.


    "However?" But Wei Jun''s focus wasn''t on that. his main focus was on maintaining the image of his actors.


    "However, there have been several cases of hate comments, Quan Kui and Quan Li have been targeted by many negative rumors mainly pointed at their characters. They have also received offers from some influential people for drinks." Lao Chen replied and after a brief pause continued, "They have not been in any trouble thanks to you but the targeting is very intense.


    Quan Li''s parents have been relocated because some people found out where her home was. We have acted according to your instructions but the situation isn''t calming down. Luckily, the public has been taken care of by the lawyers but the problem of some influential people still remains."


    "I see." Wei Jun nodded before he asked, "What about the rest?"


    "Zhan Yi has been receiving gifts from a very influential woman, Na Tong. She has been sending him shoes, cars, and many other things which he has been returning, however, this came in today." Lao Chen reported as he handed Wei Jun a letter.


    The contents of the letter reported that Zhan Yi, in the movie, should break up with Quan Li or she will hurt Quan Li.


    "She does know it''s a movie, right?" Wei Jun asked, finding it amusing.


    "Unfortunately, that woman is known for her obsessiveness. There have been many cases in which she became infatuated with young male actors and forced them to change their characters as if they were living a real life." Lao Chen replied. Wei Jun didn''t reply to that and simply discarded the letter.


    "What about Xiao Heiling?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Well, despite the rumors about him, he is still double-timing with two actresses." Lao Chen replied.


    "Haha! At least he is being true to himself." Wei Jun laughed.


    But Lao Chen remained awkward which Wei Jun noticed and asked about it, "Well, one of the actresses is Quan Kui."


    The smile on Wei Jun''s face froze. After a few seconds, he sighed and prepared his next set of orders with an increasing headache.


    "Prepare for tomorrow''s scene." Wei Jun ended the reporting session, dismissing Lao Chen.


    =====


    "I am happy to see that you are all eager to exercise now. Of course, you are after you have seen the benefits." Wei Jun rounded like a military officer while the five actors stood in a line.


    "However, today, before we begin, I would like to address an issue. Would Quan Kui and another bastard please step forward?" Wei Jun didn''t have to address Xiao Heiling by his name but he still obediently stepped forward.


    "Would the of you like to explain what is going on between you two?" Wei Jun asked with a smile that sent shivers through both concerned parties. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Qua¡­ Quan Kui and I are dating." Xiao Heiling took it upon himself to inform while Quan Kui blushed. The rest of the team seemed shocked by this revelation which proved they had no idea.


    "I just have one question for you, Quan Kui. Him? Seriously?" Wei Jun was sure that even though Quan Kui was innocent, she wasn''t gullible to the extent that she would fall for him.


    "He¡­ He has a certain charm, boss." Quan Kui replied with a heavy blush on her face and a beet-red face.


    Wei Jun inhaled strongly which seemed like a sign of anger for both of them but before they could begin to explain, Wei Jun said, "Oi, Xiao Heiling. Break it off with the other girl and if you don''t pursue this seriously, I will chop off your d*** and feed it to you."


    Xiao Heiling shivered as he hurriedly replied, "Yes boss! I have already broken it!" He was scared because he was sure that Wei Jun would do so if he did something wrong.


    "You do know there are women present, right?" Xia Lu pointed out Wei Jun''s word of choice.


    "To a man, there doesn''t exist a more dangerous threat and to make sure they understand, the exact words need to be said." Wei Jun replied before he moved backward and yelled, "NOW! GIVE ME FIFTY PUSHUPS AND THEN WE RUN THREE LAPS AROUND THE VILLA!!!"


    The crew was deflated upon hearing that but they had no choice but to do it. They would rather do that than have Wei Jun yell at them.


    Wei Jun observed them for a while before he moved to do his own exercise.


    [Strength 17]


    [Stamina 20]


    [Agility 19]


    [Your stamina has reached the limit of the mortal realm]


    [Please increase your level to ten to remove the limit on stamina]


    ''Would the other stats also stop at that?'' Wei Jun asked his system.


    [Yes, host]


    [I suggest you should focus on defense as well, host]


    ''I see.''


    Wei Jun had an idea about how to focus on the defense. If stamina was strengthening his outer body, then defense was most likely strengthening his inner body.


    He had consulted that issue with Lao Chen since he had no knowledge about Qi cultivation and he was pleased to know that to strengthen one''s inner and outer body, Qi cultivation was the best method. The only problem was that he couldn''t practice cultivation unless he reached level twenty.


    According to the system, it was a limit of some sort. Wei Jun understood it that well but he knew he couldn''t do anything about it for now so all he could do was focus on what he could.


    ''I will max my stats first and then focus on the MC. He should be arriving soon.'' Wei Jun inwardly decided before he began to do his own exercise.


    =====


    "Kiss scene? Are you sure?" Xia Lu asked, somewhat hesitant when she stared at Xiao Heiling, berating him with her eyes.


    "You don''t have to if you don''t want to. I can make it so." Wei Jun replied.


    "Then please do so. I don''t want my first kiss to be like that." Xia Lu replied which honestly baffled Wei Jun.


    "Then how did you get through all the dramas?" Wei Jun curiously asked.


    "Oh, they used a double." Xia Lu replied.


    "I see. Well, there are other ways and you don''t have to worry about that. What I want to know is about the situation in the industry. Quan Kui and Quan Li are being constantly harassed. Can you prepare them for it?" Wei Jun wanted to resolve this issue as peacefully as he could but he also didn''t want the things to be escalated.


    "That can be taken care of. I will see what I can do. Some of my friends have dirt against some powerful people in the city. I will see what I can do about it." Wei Jun nodded but that wasn''t what he was concerned about. He had more dirt on them thanks to his intelligence team in full swing.


    "But I would also appreciate it if you could console them." Wei Jun requested. Xia Lu nodded and addressed the next issue, "The junior actors also have a kiss scene. What will you do about that?"


    Her expression was mischievous which meant that she knew about Zhan Yi''s crush on Quan Li. "As much as I would like to indulge Zhan Yi''s crush, Quan Li is an innocent girl and I cannot scare her off. I will give them the same options and I''m sure Quan Li will lean more to that." Wei Jun replied.


    "I see. I will see what I can do to calm the girls. I will see you later." She stood up and left while Wei Jun busied himself with work.


    =====


    "In the end, she didn''t do it." Xia Lu laughed as she commented. She and Wei Jun were in his office discussing the next scene.


    "Of course, she didn''t. Girls put a really high value on it." Wei Jun replied.


    "But I feel a little bad for Zhan Yi. Did you see him deflated afterward?" Xia Lu asked with a mischievous smile.


    "Yeah, it was quite funny." Wei Jun didn''t deny and replied with a smile.


    "Haha! Yes, it was." Xia Lu replied with a peel of sweet and infectious laughter that would have charmed thousands of men. Alas, it did nothing for the stoic Wei Jun.


    As they were discussing everything, Lao Chen barged into the office with a panicked expression on his face as he yelled, "YOUNG MASTER! THERE HAS BEEN AN EMERGENCY!"


    "Calm down. What is it?" Wei Jun said in return but even he was alarmed seeing how panicked Lao Chen was.


    "Its¡­ It''s about Zhan Yi and Quan Li." He said after a brief inhale.


    "What happened?" Wei Jun and Xia Lu worriedly asked at the same time.

 Chapter 43: An accident (1)

    An extra chapter for the well received support from you guys. I hope you keep reading my novel.


    =====


    "The acid has seeped in quite deeply. Some tissues are permanently damaged so skin grafts aren''t an option, some vessels have also been permanently damaged by acid leaving Mister Yi without an arm.


    Miss Li''s left eye has also been permanently corroded and nothing can be done about that." The doctor explained the dire situation to Wei Jun as he himself examined the extent of damage to Zhan Yi and Quan Li.


    The burns were horrific and terrible and Wei Jun was sure that unless it was his brother, no other doctor in the world could do anything about it now. The anger emitting from him increased with each word of the doctor.


    "Leave us." Wei Jun interrupted the doctor mid-explanation because he was sure that if he heard any more of it, he would lose it. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xia Lu cried as she stood by Quan Li''s side who was unconscious but from her contorted expression, Wei Jun could tell that the pain was too much for her to handle that even the sedatives couldn''t suppress it.


    "How did this happen?" Wei Jun asked Lao Chen who was worriedly standing in a corner, worried about Wei Jun''s anger.


    "The set was being wrapped up and Quan Li and Zhan Yi were still there. A biker strolled past the set and threw something at Quan Li. Zhan Yi was standing closest to her and he tried to protect her, getting himself injured in the process." Lao Chen reported.


    "What of the biker?" Wei Jun asked, suppressing his anger.


    "I managed to apprehend him and he is still in our custody but the police are asking for him to be handed over." Lao Chen replied.


    Wei Jun ignored the last part and only focused on the part where they still possessed the biker. "Get me forty million Yuan in ten minutes." Wei Jun ordered. Lao Chen was taken aback by the order but he didn''t question it and simply left to get it.


    Xia Lu was still sniffling but Wei Jun let her be. He took a seat on the sofa and thought of nothing. He knew the more he thought, the angrier he would become and the consequences of his anger were severe.


    He waited for just seven minutes, and Lao Chen returned with two briefcases. "Leave, both of you." Wei Jun said once he had the money.


    "But--" Xia Lu began to argue but Wei Jun interrupted her, "Just leave. I won''t repeat myself." There was something in Wei Jun''s voice that compelled Xia Lu to heed his order. She realized what it was. Fear, her body had instinctively obeyed his command out of fear.


    Wei Jun opened the briefcases once both of them left and converted the money to shop coins. Once he had done so, he purchased two phoenix tears. Once they were purchased, he fed both of the vials to Quan Li and Zhan Yi respectively.


    Instantly, their expressions began to soothe and the pain began to disappear from their faces. The wounds also began to regenerate and while Wei Jun couldn''t see what had become of Quan Li''s eye under the bandage, he was sure it would heal as well.


    They weren''t up yet but according to the system, they would be in a few seconds. Wei Jun left the room and addressed Xia Lu outside, "Look after them. The experience could be traumatic so help them through it."


    Wei Jun didn''t explain any further as he knew that Xia Lu would witness everything herself shortly and as for the questions, he wasn''t in a mood to answer any. "Take me to the biker." Wei Jun commanded Lao Chen.


    ======


    Wei Jun entered an empty warehouse where a man was bound to a chair. He didn''t look worried at all, instead, he was nonchalant as if he were in his own home.


    "Oh? What is this? Has the big boss come for me himself? Are you here to torture me? Sorry to spoil your fun but I won''t break no matter what." The man began to ramble even before Wei Jun fully entered.


    "So, you''re a professional, huh?" Wei Jun remarked.


    "Best in the field." The man bragged.


    "Not so much if you got caught." Wei Jun once again remarked.


    "Ah, that? That was just unlucky. Who knew you had a cultivator on your side." The man said while glancing at Lao Chen.


    "Yeah. Who knew?" Wei Jun said as he took a seat opposite the man.


    "Well, not that it matters anyway. The police know I''m here. Sooner or later, you will have to hand me to them." The man explained the reason why he wasn''t so worried.


    "Oh?" Wei Jun acted surprised and added, "Didn''t you know?"


    "Know what?" The man asked, amused at whatever Wei Jun could throw at him.


    "You hurt your head pretty bad when you fell. Apparently, you sustained an internal injury and bled out while we were dealing with the victims of the accident." Wei Jun replied.


    "What?" The man asked as if he had heard a load of nonsense just now.


    Wei Jun didn''t bother explaining and stood up. He took off his jacket and handed it to Lao Chen while asking him to leave. Lao Chen did just that. Wei Jun bought an apron from the shop along with another item. Wei Jun wore the apron while he said, "You know, from one professional to another, I hope you understand that this is nothing personal."


    Wei Jun said as a vial appeared in his hand. The man was a little unsettled but kept himself composed because he knew that if he showed signs of fear, he would lose.


    Wei Jun smiled as he titled the vial in his hand and let just one drop land on the man''s thigh.


    Lao Chen on the outside, heard the most painful shriek he had ever witnessed or heard in his life. And it wasn''t the only one. They kept on coming and coming for an hour straight.


    After an hour, the door opened from where a bloodied Wei Jun emerged. The apron was fully covered in blood and there were spots of blood on his suit and face.


    "Hand him over to the police. They can do whatever they want now." Wei Jun nonchalantly ordered Lao Chen while making his way to his car.


    Lao Chen entered the warehouse and even with his years of experience, he was horrified by what he found. A mangled man with burn spots all over his body from where flesh and bones were peeking through. Half of the head of the man was shaved and the skin underneath was peeled off. Half of his face was in the same condition.


    Some of his fingers were missing while some seemed like they were ripped off instead of cut by a blade. And the absence of a tongue was as clear as day since he could see it on the ground.


    The man himself was barely breathing and didn''t seem like he would survive the night. Lao Chen braced himself as he called a guard to let the police in but also called for an ambulance with everything and contacted a few of the family lawyers.


    =====


    [Hydra''s saliva (diluted)


    Tier: E


    Description: The diluted saliva of the mythical seven-headed creature, the hydra, which can melt through stones and metals of unparalleled hardness.


    Additional information: It does not have any poisonous effects.]


    Although Wei Jun tortured the man in many other ways, the most reaction he obtained was when he would drop just one drop of this special saliva on his skin. The saliva was so acidic that it even melted through the skin, flesh and vessels, making the bone become visible through it.


    Wei Jun didn''t want to stop but he didn''t want heat on himself so he stopped before the man died. Of course, he only stopped at the point where the man was already ninety percent dead and was just barely alive to not count as dead.


    Wei Jun entered his car and dialed Li Wei''s number. The call was picked up in two seconds. "Yes, boss?"


    "I need the whereabouts of someone. Wherever they are." Wei Jun relayed his order.


    "Who, boss?" Li Wei asked on the other end.


    "A woman by the name Na Tong." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "Just a minute, boss." Li Wei replied from the other side. In about two minutes, Li Wei replied, "One Na Tong, age forty-eight has been seen in Chow''s Palace. She has a reservation for the seventh table alone."


    Wei Jun nodded and asked, "How long ago?"


    "Just been about ten minutes, boss. The cameras in the restaurant show that her meal hasn''t been prepared yet." Li Wei replied.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "What''s the security detail on her?"


    "Just one guard. Armed." Li Wei replied.


    "Good work." Wei Jun praised and ended the call. He entered the location of the hotel in his car''s GPS and drove off to the place where the woman was.


    He arrived at the high-end luxurious restaurant in ten minutes and parked his car. He entered the restaurant and even though he didn''t have a reservation, he was granted access because of who he was.


    He swiftly recognized the woman in skin-colored clothes, sitting on a table and enjoying her meal while a bodyguard stood by her.

 Chapter 44: An accident (2)

    And another one.


    =====


    "Is it done?" A voice on the other end of the phone asked.


    "Mister Tian~ Do you not have faith in me?" Na Tong asked, acting playfully. Yao Tian on the other side ignored this and further added, "Okay. Don''t do anything further. We don''t want any trouble for now."


    "Of course, Young Master Tian." Na Tong replied before Yao Tian hung up the phone.


    "Oh~ It''s here. I have been waiting so long for this." Na Tong commented as a waiter brought her order.


    Just as she cut into her steak, a young otherworldly handsome man suddenly sat in the chair across from her.


    "The steak here isn''t the specialty it seems." Wei Jun commented as he noticed that almost no one in the restaurant was eating the steak.


    The bodyguard of Na Tong was about to move when she raised her hand to stop her. "That''s because it is so expensive that no one can afford it." Na Tong said in a fairly loud voice that was enough for everyone to hear. Just as she expected, everyone turned their head in displeasure and noticed Wei Jun with Na Tong.


    "Now that you have made sure to attract witnesses to create a testimony if I attack you, why don''t you answer one question of mine?" Wei Jun asked as he leaned over the table.


    "And what would that be?" Na Tong nonchalantly asked, not interested in it one bit.


    "Why did you do it?" Wei Jun asked with genuine curiosity on his face.


    "Did what?" Na Tong asked acting innocently. Wei Jun in turn remained quiet and said nothing. He just kept staring her in the eyes which was a little unsettling for Na Tong but she knew she was the dominant party here.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about. Accidents happen. I can''t be held responsible for those." Na Tong once again innocently replied.


    "You think you''re safe under Yao Tian''s mantle?" Wei Jun asked with cold eyes.


    Na Tong didn''t reply to that and after staring into Wei Jun''s eyes for a few seconds, she replied, "As much as I would like to dine with a handsome young man like you, I think we are done here, Young Master Ruan."


    Wei Jun nodded as he stood up and just as he was about to leave, he turned to look at her once more. After that, he simply left the restaurant and made his way to his car.


    He got into his car and drove his car to a location in the downtown area of the city. The downtown was crowded at this time of the night but some places were deserted at this time of the night such as some back alleys or containment facilities.


    One such facility belonged to the Ruan family and Wei Jun had sole management of them. They were under his name but completely off the paper grid so no one would find anything about the property through his documents.


    Wei Jun parked his car in one garage and made his way to another one.


    =====


    "Don''t worry about it, it''s just an empty threat." Yao Tian said when Na Tong contacted him to tell him about her encounter with Wei Jun. She was currently in the car going back to her house when she decided to call Yao Tian to tell him about it since she had been feeling unsettled since earlier.


    She wanted to argue that it didn''t feel like an empty threat but the logical side couldn''t agree with her gut feeling either. She and Yao Tian both knew that Wei Jun Ruan was all bark and no bite. There was no way he had the guts nor connections to do what she had done.


    "You''re right, Young Master Tian. Maybe I''m just worrying too much." She replied seeing no other way to reply.


    "Very well. Remember to lay low and don''t get yourself involved with the Ruan family for some time. They won''t come after you for some small-time actress and as for the police, it''s already been taken care of." Yao Tian hung up the phone and just as he did, he received another call.


    The ID on the call said the police chief so he picked up the call thinking he had called about the hired criminal. "Chief Tao," he greeted with a smile before he said, "I assume you are calling about the unfortunate incident this afternoon?"


    Chief Tao on the other side remained quiet. After a few moments when Yao Tian thought that maybe he couldn''t hear him, he was about to speak again when Chief Tao''s voice came from the other end, "You¡­ Young master Tian¡­" The voice was filled with fear as he continued, "I think¡­ I think we messed with the wrong person."


    Yao Tian was taken aback by those words as he couldn''t understand what Chief Tao was trying to say, "What do you mean by tha--" but he was interrupted mid-sentence when Chief Tao on the other side continued, "The hired criminal, he¡­ you should have seen him, young master. I have never¡­ never in my life¡­ seen something so horrific."


    Chief Tao''s voice was quaking as he struggled to finish the sentence. "He¡­ He did that. Wei Jun Ruan¡­ He did that." Chief Tao hung up the phone when he relayed the message while promising himself that he would never cross Wei Jun Ruan ever again.


    Yao Tian was confused as he couldn''t understand what was going on. "Crazy old man¡­" He mumbled and got back to work.


    =====


    On the other side, Na Tong had just gotten off the phone with Yao Tian when her driver stopped the car at a red signal. At this time of the night, there were seldom any cars on the road. While they were waiting for the green light, a bike stopped just next to them.


    Neither of them paid it any attention and once the light was green, Na Tong''s guard slash driver drove off.


    What they failed to notice was that the biker was also going in the same direction as them. After a few turns, the guard noticed that something was wrong.


    "Miss Tong, that biker has been following us for some time now." He informed Na Tong while he prepared his own gun in case something unforeseen happened.


    Na Tong panicked when she saw a biker because it matched the description of how she had hired a biker to do the same to Quan Kui that afternoon. At that moment, she remembered Wei Jun''s words, ''You think you are safe under Yao Tian''s mantle?''


    She just realized that she wasn''t. If the biker did something, she knew she wouldn''t be able to do anything. Yao Tian won''t be able to protect her from this.


    Just as she was on the verge of panicking and the guard was about to use his gun, the biker accelerated and drove off in the distance. They both heaved a sigh of relief when they saw nothing wrong.


    "Haha¡­ HAHAHA!!!" Na Tong laughed hysterically when she thought about how paranoid she was being.


    However, just before they could celebrate, they saw the biker coming at them from the opposite direction at full speed. The guard was the first one to notice and he pulled his gun and aimed at the biker through the windshield but before he could, a series of gunshots landed on the windshield.


    The driver lost control of the car and he had to let go of the gun to maintain the car. The biker passed them while shooting at them with an automatic gun, landing more shots on the car. The guard tried very hard to control the car but he couldn''t and he had no choice but to stop the car.


    The car stopped and there was nothing but silence. The guard turned around to look at the biker but there was no one there.


    "Stay here, Madam. I will go out and check." The guard said. Although Na Tong was hesitant, she knew nothing would come out of panicking so she nodded while also calling the police.


    The guard slowly stepped outside, looking in the direction where the biker had disappeared. He kept his eyes there because he couldn''t see anyone for a good distance ahead when suddenly, someone grabbed him by his collar from behind and dragged him on the road, throwing him away from the car.


    The gun in the guard''s hand slipped away when he was pushed on the road. After he composed himself and stood up since he was injured, he saw a gun aimed at him and a biker with a black helmet.


    He raised his hand as he said, "Please don''t hurt me. I have children."


    The biker tilted his head as if saying, ''Seriously?''


    Still, the biker shot at the feet of the guard which was his signal to run away, and run away he did. He left behind his employer and ran away to save his own skin.


    Na Tong was still in the car, unaware of this happening when the door next to her suddenly opened and someone grabbed her by her hair and pulled her out of the car. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 45: An accident (3)

    And the last one for today. Hope you guys leave a review and comments about your views on this episode.


    =====


    A hand grabbed Na Tong by her hair and pulled her out of the backseat of her car.


    "NO! LET ME GO!!!" She screamed and struggled but to no avail, her assailant simply dragged her to the sidewalk of the road and let go of her there. She tried to crawl away but her assailant shot the place she was trying to away to, halting her attempt.


    She shook and slowly turned to look at her assailant but all she could see was a black helmet and a black and red biker outfit. Nothing was visible through that outfit.


    Once the biker was sure that Na Tong wasn''t going anywhere, he pointed his gun at the car aimed at the fuel tank. A few shots later the car blew up which only terrified Na Tong more.


    "Please! Let me go! I don''t even know you!" She pleaded however she could. Her assailant turned to her and a monotonous voice fell in her ear, "You don''t need to know me. This is an accident after all."


    Na Tong realized what was happening but before she could further say something, the biker grabbed her by her hair again and pulled her to the car.


    She struggled while also pleading for mercy, threats, and many more but her assailant didn''t stop and soon, she could feel the heat of the flames on her skin. She had a bad premonition but whatever she thought, her assailant had a lot more terrifying plan. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He stopped near the burning car and Na Tong thought that that was it. He was just trying to scare her off but she was proven wrong the moment her left side of the face was plastered against a broken but hot metal.


    A scream spread throughout the area. Screams that sounded like they came straight from someone''s soul. The biker kept her head pressed against the metal as she struggled for a while, until she could but then all struggle stopped. Her body fell limp as the smell of charred flesh spread to the surroundings.


    After a few more seconds when the biker was sure that significant damage had been dealt, he pulled Na Tong away from the metal. Some of her skin and flesh were still stuck to the metal piece. He threw her away and checked her condition. She was unconscious but still alive. Her face was half gone. Entirely gone.


    The skin was no longer there and her flesh was almost gone too.


    Her teeth were visible and her eyeball was now fully visible. The biker nodded and stood up. He heard the sounds of sirens in the distance and turned to his bike. He got onto his bike and drove off. Unfortunately, a police car noticed him and began to chase him while another one along with an ambulance stopped at the site.


    "I''m in pursuit of the suspect." A policeman spoke on the radio.


    "Color and description of the vehicle?" Another voice from the other end asked.


    "Black bike, unrecognized, custom maybe. The number plate is XXXXX. The suspect is dressed in a black and deep red biker outfit and the helmet is preventing me from seeing his face." The policeman in pursuit gave a detailed description of the biker on his radio.


    "Confirm the direction of the suspect." The voice then asked.


    "The suspect is heading east on the highway K-1." The policeman replied while the one on the other side acknowledged. Soon, many more cars joined the fray and began to roadblock the highway to block the biker.


    The biker saw it and a gun appeared in his hand and he shot at the police cars. The policemen ducked to take cover and the biker passed them with little to no difficulty.


    Because of the roadblock, the chasing cars couldn''t follow suit and in such a situation, the policemen behind the roadblock could only shoot at the biker but from the looks of it, even though a few shots landed, there was no effect. The biker drove off in the distance and the police could only watch.


    ======


    Yao Tian was reported of the incident and he rushed to the hospital to see the damage with his own eyes.


    "The severe burns have permanently damaged the skin tissues. Luckily there was minimal damage to the eye and the nostril tunnel so their repair is possible however, even modern skin grafts might not be able to return her face to its former state. We can only try." A doctor reported to Yao Tian since Na Tong had no family. Tao Tian wasn''t interested in the well-being of Na Tong.


    He just wanted to get a grasp of what he was dealing with and the image was horrifying.


    Yao Tian remembered the chief of police''s words and couldn''t help but shiver when he saw the state Na Tong was in. Her state was anything but optimistic and even the doctors didn''t sound too sure of the situation.


    "What of the assailant?" Yao Tian asked the butler Sa who replied, "No sign of him, Young Master. The police lost him."


    "Useless." Yao Tian mumbled as he left the hospital. Na Tong wasn''t useful anymore so there was no reason to stay.


    "If we can''t use the underhanded approach, then go with the public approach. His movie won''t be successful if his stars are going around forcing themselves on women." Yao Tian to which butler Sa simply nodded. Butler Sa was a little worried but he was sure that no harm would come to them because they weren''t Na Tong.


    =====


    Xia Lu hurriedly walked through the corridors of the Ruan Villa, making her way to the master bedroom. Quan Li and Zhan Yi had not only awoken, they had also awakened something else and she was sure Wei Jun had something to with it.


    Without knocking, she entered Wei Jun''s room only to freeze at her spot. Wei Jun stood in the front of the mirror without a shirt but her gaze didn''t go on his well-defined abs and perfectly chiseled muscles. Her gaze went to the numerous bruises on his body, mostly on his back.


    "What¡­" She mumbled as she saw the horrifying bruises. Wei Jun noticed her presence as well but he ignored her and calmly put his shirt on.


    "Knock before you enter." Wei Jun curtly said as he buttoned his shirt, snapping the stunned Xia Lu out of her trance.


    "You¡­ what¡­ what happened to you?" Xia Lu was having a hard time putting her words into a proper sentence.


    "Nothing you need to worry about. But I need you to do something for me." Wei Jun replied and then asked.


    "What?" Xia Lu asked, still not being able to get the image of bruises out of her head.


    "If anyone asks, I was with you the entire evening, consoling you after you saw the state of your colleague." Wei Jun said, keeping it short and simple.


    "What? Why?" Xia Lu was confused and asked. She couldn''t understand what was going through Wei Jun''s head.


    "Just do what I have told you to. The less you know, the better." Wei Jun said, once again keeping his words short and to the fact.


    "Why were you here anyway?" He asked.


    "Oh¡­" Xia Lu remembered her real reason for coming here as she replied, "It''s Quan Li and Zhan Yi, they have awakened."


    "Awakened? Awakened what?" Wei Jun confusedly asked.


    "Qi! They have manifested Qi!" Xia Lu exclaimed which widened Wei Jun''s eyes.


    =====


    In the more dilapidated part of the Yuan Yin city where the challenged people by reality lived. The living conditions of this area were not good in the least. In other words, it was the last hope for those who wanted to live in this city otherwise, they would have to migrate to a lower-level city if not here.


    In an ordinary apartment building, in front of a green door that read 307, a handsome young man stood and knocked relentlessly on the door.


    "Weird¡­ Are they out?" The young said while knocking even fiercely.


    "Who is making such a ruckus in the morning?!!!" someone yelled and the young man turned to find an old man who seemed to be from the neighbor''s apartment.


    "Ah, hello" The young man greeted before he said, "I''m sorry for the ruckus. I''m just looking for the family that lives here."


    The old man measured the young man from head to toe before he replied, "No one lives here."


    "What? No, that''s not right. Doesn''t the Li family live here?" The young man asked, confused and a little surprised.


    "They moved out some days ago." The old man simply replied.


    "Moved out?" The young man was truly surprised this time. "Did they move to another city?"


    "Why would they move to another city? They don''t need to anymore." The old man replied.


    "What do you mean?" The young man was seriously confused now. If they didn''t move to another city if they moved out of here, then where could they go?


    "Now that their daughter has struck big, they left this shabby place for a better one." The old man replied.


    "Struck big? Quan Li? What do you mean?" The young man asked, not understanding the matter at hand.


    "She struck big. What is there to explain? Don''t you watch TV? She''s on it constantly nowadays." The young man was surprised and said, "Thanks for the information. I will find them on my own somehow then."


    The young man turned to leave when the old man stopped him, "Wait? What do you have to do with them? do you know them?"


    "Yes. I know them." The young man replied.


    "Is that so? Then what is your name? if they ever came back for their things I will tell them about you." The old man suggested.


    The young man nodded and replied with a bright smile "Oh, thanks. My name is Long. Run Long."

 Chapter 46: The counterattack

    Wei Jun opened the door to the room where Zhan Yi and Quan Li were. Outward, they didn''t look like people who were burned with acid but Wei Jun''s experienced eyes could tell, they were afraid. They were very afraid even though Quan Li was smiling and talking to Quan Kui and Xia Lu. As for Zhan Yi, his smile was fully forced and Wei Jun could tell he blamed himself for what happened.


    They saw Wei Jun enter and they greeted him, "Boss!" All five of them collectively spoke. Wei Jun said nothing as he entered further in and said, "You two seem to be doing a lot better. I guess I need to give these doctors a special something."


    "What are you saying, boss?" Zhan Yi spoke as he continued, "Sister Lu told us it was all thanks to you and the miracle you performed. I don''t know what you did but you have my heartfelt gratitude."


    "Hmm¡­" Wei Jun just hummed. Quan Li also picked up the courage to thank him, "I owe it all to you, boss. Thank you very much."


    "I wasn''t the one who protected you and took half of the acid." Wei Jun expressionlessly said. Quan Li understood what he meant and she cast a sideway glance at Zhan Yi. Zhan Yi picked up this small signal and both of them blushed a bit.


    However, the pain was still there. Wei Jun knew these flimsy things wouldn''t help them forget about it.


    "You have tonight to rest. Tomorrow the shooting continues." Wei Jun ordered before he turned to the rest of the trio, "Stay with them tonight. I will arrange beds for you and a separate room for them."


    Wei Jun left the hospital after preparing a separate room for the boys and making arrangements for them for the night. Quan Li''s family hadn''t been informed of this incident and she said not to let them know and Wei Jun was more than okay with that.


    Wei Jun left the hospital and went to his car. After that, he drove to his office to prepare the scenes for tomorrow. He didn''t really care about the events that happened and his anger was only because his possessions were harmed. Now that they were alright, he was fine with it.


    ''But that doesn''t mean I won''t bite back.'' Wei Jun said inwardly as he changed his destination from his office to the downtown area.


    =====


    At nighttime, a guard was making rounds of a huge corridor of a tall building. He left the corridors and entered the hallway. He checked all the doors and after making sure they were locked, he entered the security camera room and sat in the chair as he began to inspect the security cameras.


    He was checking the footage when he noticed that the one in the bottom corner had stopped working and the screen was static now. He was about to press restart when all the screens began to show the same thing, a static screen.


    He figured something was wrong so he hurriedly pulled out his radio to alert the rest of the security team only to find out that the frequency of his radio wasn''t working, allowing him to connect with the other security guards.


    As he was still pondering his next move, he felt something cold against his neck. He froze and didn''t dare to move when he heard a calm but low voice, "Move and I will slice your neck."


    The guard did nothing in response which was an amicable response for the intruder. "Now, which button controls the electricity, and water lines?"


    The intruder asked. The guard, still unmoving just raised his hand and pointed at the buttons and levers that did so. The intruder said nothing and while the guard felt fear, the next moment a shock passed through him and he lost consciousness.


    The intruder then picked up the guard and took him to the front of the building where there was a small truck already parked. The intruder threw the security guard in and many more people dressed in security uniforms were unconscious.


    Then the intruder took out a few cans from the front of the truck and entered the building again. After turning off the water from the security room, he opened the valve from one of the pipelines and poured the contents of the cans into the pipes. He then turned on the water supply which carried the substance to the main tanker of the facility.


    He then turned off all electricity in the facility and cut a wire from the main connection. Since there was no power, there was no danger to the intruder. He then climbed to the top of the taker with the wire in his hand and opened the taker from the top. He threw the wire inside the tanker from the top and climbed down after closing the lid.


    He returned to the security room and opened the window on the side, directly above the place where he had parked the truck.


    He turned the electricity and as soon as he did, he jumped out of the window and entered the truck. He started it and began to drive away in urgency. He wasn''t very far when an explosion, originating from the tanker shook the surroundings. The force from the explosion pushed the truck as well but the intruder managed to contain it and kept driving.


    After a few minutes, he came to a stop and examined the damage he had done.


    The explosion had destroyed almost half of the compound and the fire from the explosion was catching up and the rest of the compound was being engulfed in fire. The damage was catastrophic with nothing left behind.


    ''Except for witnesses.'' The intruder thought inwardly as he glanced at the truck full of security guards. He sighed and simply drove away after getting in the truck. He stopped the truck a few miles away from the compound and came out. The security guards were still out and the intruder left them as they were.


    He moved a few bushes to reveal a black bike. Suddenly, a biker suit and a helmet appeared on the intruder''s already-covered face. He got onto the bike and drove away into the distance. On the way, on the other side of the highway, he could see a lot of cars with sirens traveling in the direction of the place he had just burned.


    He paid them no heed and even though there was a policeman who noticed him, his focus was more on the factory as he drove to his original destination, ignoring the biker. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    =====


    "Last night, a fire broke out in the compound factory of the Tian family. Miraculously, there were no life casualties but the fire was so dense and strong, that nothing survived in that fire and the fire had yet to be controlled by the fire extinguishing squads even after twelve hours of effort.


    The Tian family has released no official statement about it but sources say that the cause of the fire is still unknown and cannot be detected until the fire is put out." A TV reporter relayed the news on the news channel.


    Yao Tian, who heard this news at about ten channels was holding his head in anger while his other hand held a strong drink.


    The factory that burned down wasn''t just one factory but it was a group of factories where different products were processed and made. And it didn''t only belong to the Tian family as well but also to many other affiliated families. The damage was catastrophic and what to do about it was yet to be decided.


    The situation was dire and it was even more dire for Yao Tian because the compound was under his watch. It was his responsibility, one of the few he had left after his blunders.


    "Has it been found?" Yao Tian asked. sure, Yao Tian was devastated by the fact that they lost millions of merchandise in the fire but what he was truly worried about was something else.


    "The fire in that sector wasn''t strong so as soon as it was out, I personally entered to examine the vault but there was nothing there." Butler Sa reported.


    "Fu*k! How did someone even come to know of that place?!" Yao Tian couldn''t understand because the vault that was robbed was off the grid. It was one of the personal stashes of the Tian family. The illegal money they earned from drugs and other stuff. Since the money was unmarked, it was mostly used for bribes for the city officials.


    The Tian family had about ten stashes but each one held about 200 to 300 million Yuan. Moreover, since the money was unmarked, there was no way of tracing it. Which means the Tian family incurred a heavy loss overnight.


    The question that remained was, how did someone come to know of the vaults when only the inner family members knew?


    "I have a guess, young master." Butler Sa spoke.


    "Well, then don''t keep me in suspense!" Yao Tian yelled, annoyed and angry.


    "The flash drive that we held as leverage against Young Master Noh and the other families." Butler Sa only needed to say this and everything became clear.


    ''Fu*k. This is all my fault then.'' Yao Tian realized another problem after that revelation and he hurriedly said, "Make sure to keep this to yourself. No such flash drive exists."


    "Understood, Young Master." Butler Sa replied.

 Chapter 47: Reports of the aftermath

    "You''re not right either." Quan Li said but her voice went up a few hitches. That was her thirteenth mistake today and Zhan Yi was also going hard in the competition.


    "Cut!" Wei Jun spoke in a microphone but didn''t get angry. He knew what was plaguing them and understood what they were going through. However, he wasn''t going to let them get over it with time. He needed to teach them how to get over it.


    "Wrap up the set. We will continue tomorrow." Wei Jun delivered an order that was swiftly put in motion.


    "I¡­ I can do it, boss." Quan Li urged, knowing she was the one making mistakes.


    "Wrap up the set." Wei Jun repeated to assert his order before he added, "Be in the gym at seven." Wei Jun said before he left. Xia Lu and Quan Kui went to console her while Xiao Heiling also talked with Zhan Yi.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, made his way to the gun dealer in his car. Upon arriving, he went through the same secret procedure to get into the shop. The man, Zi Huan, who was busy with setting a gun, stopped doing that and turned to him upon hearing someone enter.


    "Welcome. Wasn''t expecting you so soon." He said before he asked, "Did the Acetone acid help?"


    "It worked like a charm and blew up like a mind on adrenaline." Wei Jun replied with a straight face.


    "A strange example but I guess it fits." Zi Huan said before he asked, "So, what brings you here today?" Wei Jun was a very generous buyer and he left no traces as well. Zi Huan wanted to be a good seller to a good customer.


    "Last time you said that the heavy stuff¡­" Wei Jun didn''t complete his sentence to let the man cover it for him, "Well, the heavy still isn''t here but a sniper range did arrive. Would you like to see it?"


    "Sure." Wei Jun replied.


    Zi Huan showed Wei Jun some snipers but Wei Jun wasn''t impressed with their functions. Some were too high in intensity but low in efficiency. Some didn''t give the same power output he desired and some had their alignment all strange.


    Wei Jun didn''t have to worry about the guns being traced to him so he wanted to buy a good one, unlike a hitman who would only use a gun once because they would have to discard it later.


    "What''s that?" Wei Jun asked, pointing at a gun in the back.


    "That? That''s a rip-off is what it is." Zi Huan said in anger before he took the gun and placed it on the counter. Immediately, Wei Jun noticed the lack of a scope.


    "Military made, with Qi strands infusion. This baby would shoot through the metals of all kinds and give the frikcing concrete a run for its money." Zi Huan stopped at this point and made sure Wei Jun was all caught up who was looking straight back at him. Zi Huan exhaled and said, "But there''s a catch."


    "No scope." Wei Jun figured.


    "No scope." Zi Huan replied, confirming Wei Jun''s answer. "In the first place, this gun was made for cultivator soldiers and they could for sure take the recoil, however¡­"


    "The recoil to the gun itself is equally strong." Wei Jun once again completed the sentence.


    "Exactly. The recoil to the gun before it is passed to the shooter is enormous but since it is made of Qi crystals, the body can take it, but the scope cannot be made from Qi crystals or at least the glass cannot be so it shatters every time a shot is taken." Zi Huan explained.


    Wei Jun nodded and took the gun from the counter. It was very heavy even with his strength stat almost maxed out but he could at least pick it up. This also made him realize that Zi Huan wasn''t ordinary if he could pick up that gun easily.


    Wei Jun did a few tries, checked the chamber and trigger, and after a few tests, he was very satisfied with it. He put the gun back on the counter and said, "I like it." Before he raised his head to look at Zi Huan and added, "Why don''t you tell me the rest of the information you are itching to?"


    Zi Huan chuckled and replied, "And here I thought I could get it past you. You really are sharp," Zi Huan said before he procured a box from underneath the counter. Inside the box were thirteen bullets, "The gun is military-made so I''m sure you have already figured out that it isn''t untraceable.


    The military serial number cannot be removed no matter what and the untraceable counterfeit made like this aren''t even worth shit compared to this beauty."


    "That''s why it''s a rip-off." Wei Jun commented.


    "Exactly. I mean, I can''t sell a gun when it can be traced back to me but I couldn''t resist buying it because of its rarity." Zi Huan said before he picked one bullet from the box and said, "Another bad point of this gun is the limitation of bullets. The bullets aren''t infinite and hella expensive since only the military can make them, not to mention the number of Qi crystals used for them."


    Wei Jun nodded at all the aspects and asked, "So if I want to buy it, for how much will you give it to me?"


    "Weren''t you listening when I said this gun can be traced back to me?" Zi Huan quipped.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I won''t use it in a place where it can be traced." Wei Jun replied.


    Zi Huan was still skeptical so he said, "I will think about it."


    Wei Jun didn''t pursue the matter and said, "Since the things I needed haven''t arrived yet, I will take this one for now and visit you some other day." Wei Jun pointed at a sniper rifle that was better than all the others after the monstrous one he had seen.


    "Sure. Visit me in three days, I will have everything you need." Zi Huan said while preparing the gun Wei Jun had asked for.


    Wei Jun left the place and headed to his office where he did nothing but work.


    "Report." Wei Jun said to Li Wei after he was done with the official business.


    "Na Tong hasn''t regained consciousness yet but there are eyewitnesses putting you and her in the restaurant. The police would confirm that lead once she woke up and for now, they are considering you the prime suspect." Li Wei reported about the Na Tong incident.


    "And?" Wei Jun didn''t care and asked to move on.


    "The hired biker that was handed to the police after severe injuries from his fall has not given any testimony so far and the chief of police is also not pursuing this matter very seriously." She reported on the next agenda.


    "Of course, he wouldn''t." Wei Jun remarked. The chief of police was involved in this incident. Had he pursued this issue with Wei Jun, he would have received the same treatment.


    Also, Wei Jun wasn''t worried about him because the flash drive he obtained from Yao Tian''s vault had evidence against almost every official of the city from the mayor to some judges, layers, and detectives as well. If that compromising evidence were to be leaked, Half of the city officials would lose their everything and even face jail time. Just that was reassuring enough.


    "Move on." Wei Jun said.


    "As you expected, the Tian family is moving all their reserves from all the locations to one secure location. Unfortunately, that place is guarded by cultivators so it would be very difficult to do anything about it." Li Wei next reported.


    Wei Jun nodded. He understood the matter at hand. There was no way that after their reserve had been targeted, they would leave the spots as they were. If someone knew of one spot, there was a probability they knew of all the other locations. Moving it from those points to one secure location that would be easy to guard was a good decision. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Wei Jun had already expected it but he was going to leave it alone for now until he could arrange a distraction and it had to be a big one. Luckily, Wei Jun already planned one but it would take some time so he was putting this issue aside.


    "Keep an eye on everything and let me know the progress, especially from the police since I would need to prepare. That''s it. You can go." Wei Jun said.


    But Li Wei had another thing to report so she stopped, "There''s another thing, boss."


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    "The party by the Na family is scheduled for this weekend. As you instructed, your name has been put on the list." Li Wei reported.


    Wei Jun nodded and asked her to leave. Once she was gone, Wei Jun said out loud, "So he''s here, huh?"


    [Seems that way, host]


    ''Good. Let''s wreak some havoc in his life then.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly with a sinister smile.

 Chapter 48: Fear

    "You three," Wei Jun said while pointing at Xia Lu, Quan Kui, and Xiao Heiling, "Step back. You''re not doing anything today but watch." He ordered them before he turned to Quan Li and Zhan Yi, "You two, step forward."


    Zhan Yi and Quan Li did just that. They knew that it was time for a lesson because they had made too many mistakes today on the set. Although the issue was resolved and it wasn''t even leaked, they were scared of the movie set and that was hindering their progress.


    "I heard you two manifested Qi. I''m impressed." But contrary to their expectation, instead of a scolding, praise left Wei Jun''s mouth.


    "Show me." Wei Jun said while Zhan Yi and Quan Li were both getting over his earlier praise.


    "Pardon?" Zhan Yi asked.


    "I said show me. Hit me. Land a strike on me." Wei Jun said. He took a step forward and got into striking range for both of them, putting him in the same position as well.


    "But boss¡­" Zhan Yi began to argue but he was interrupted by Wei Jun, "I guess you both need a little incentive."


    Before they could process those words, a punch landed in Zhan Yi''s abdomen making him fall to his knees because of the intensity of the punch.


    "Now, hit me." Wei Jun said while turning to Quan Li. "Because if you don''t, I will hurt him."


    Quan Li was taken aback and in shock at the turn of events. She opened her mouth to say something when Wei Jun kicked Zhan Yi with even more strength on his arm, flinging him across the room.


    "If you don''t hit me, he gets hurt. Isn''t that how it happened? He got hurt because of you and he is now getting hurt because of you. Aren''t you the reason behind all of this?" Wei Jun shot after shot, striking Quan Li''s consciousness, rendering her frozen at her spot.


    Wei Jun was about to say more when someone grappled him or at least attempted to grapple him since he didn''t even flinch from his spot and stared down at his assailant. Zhan Yi was pushing him with all his might but Wei Jun wasn''t even budging one bit.


    "And you¡­" Wei Jun said while hitting Zhan Yi on the back that was presented to him, making him fall once again, "Why did you try to be a hero with just this?"


    Wei Jun picked him up and threw him across the room while also running in his direction and just as he fell, Wei Jun picked him up and punched him in the face, uniting him with the ground once again.


    "Or are you an idiot? Only an idiot would jump in front of a danger like that for no reason at all. OR did you have a reason? What was it?" Wei Jun picked him up once again and pushed him into the wall. Zhan Yi struggled but he couldn''t even put up a proper struggle against Wei Jun.


    "Was it a sense of heroism or idiocy? Do you know what I think? It was none. You''re just a coward. Too afraid of everything. You held yourself back all your life and even when she was about to get hurt, you were too much of a coward to push through." Wei Jun punched him once more.


    Wei Jun''s senses tingled the next moment and he dodged a strike aimed at his head. The air around him whooshed when he saw the fist of his assailant pass through the place he was just at.


    "Stop saying that!" Quan Li yelled and began to punch him again, aimlessly delivering a lot of punches.


    "Why shouldn''t I?" Wei Jun spoke while effortlessly dodging the hits, "It''s true isn''t it? You know it too deep down hence your anger."


    Wei Jun delivered a punch to Quan Li, making her fall down too while clutching her stomach. "Then why did he do it? If not for cowardice, then what was it? Why would he do it when he didn''t have the strength to do so?"


    Wei Jun shot after shot without concern for their states. "Or is it you? You have spent all your life hiding like a rabbit, too afraid to stand up for yourself. You were afraid this time too, weren''t you? That''s why you needed someone to defend you."


    Just as he finished, he sidestepped and planted his fist in the stomach of Zhan Yi who attacked him without any regard.


    "Weak. Incredibly and utterly weak. You hold yourselves back just as you have done all your lives. And now, now that you have an opportunity to fight back, you are too weak. If not me, then it will be someone else. You will be hunted down if you don''t have the strength to fight back.


    That is what you should fear. Anyone jumping in and finishing your life while you can''t even put up a fight. That is what you should be afraid of, not of an acid that at best leaves scars." Wei Jun lectured while both of them writhed in pain on the ground.


    "As of right now, you''re useless. You can do nothing but hold each other back and in doing so, hold everyone around you back. I have no need for useless people. Leave if you want to otherwise be here at dawn if you want to stop being useless." Wei Jun turned and left, leaving two people in pain and anguish while the other three were shocked and troubled.


    Xia Lu left the gym while instructing Xiao Heiling and Quan Kui to check up on the injured and followed Wei Jun.


    "Was that necessary?" She caught up with him and asked.


    "It was." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "There were many other ways." She argued.


    "I used to be afraid of knives and blades." Wei Jun, instead of replying to her argument, replied with something else entirely, "You want to know what I did to remove that fear? I stabbed myself with a knife. I realized that I bled but I didn''t die. Whatever doesn''t kill you, is not something to fear." Wei Jun left a shocked Xia Lu and entered his room, slamming the door behind him.


    ======


    [Quite savage of you, host]


    ''If you''re gonna give me sh*t about it, then save it.''


    [I am not]


    [But you didn''t tell her everything]


    ''What do you mean?''


    [The knife wound wouldn''t have killed you anyway]


    ''But the fact that I was scared of them still remains.''


    ''The only part I lied about was stabbing myself.''


    [The who did?] S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''My brother.''


    [Quite savage of him then]


    ''Not quite. He is the reason I don''t fear anything or anyone anymore.''


    [He must have taught you well, then]


    ''Well, he practically raised me. He was the one who taught me to flirt or gave me my first R-rated film to watch. Of course, none of it interested me.''


    [Do you think they would get over it?]


    The system asked, moving on from Wei Jun''s past.


    ''If they don''t, then I will cut them loose. Like I said, I don''t need weaklings who hold me back.'' Wei Jun replied, his voice laced with mercilessness. Whatever it was, he was serious about it.


    Wei Jun didn''t eat that night and simply slept the night away. He woke up an hour before dawn and did his own exercise for an hour.


    [Strength 19]


    [Stamina 20]


    [Agility 20]


    For the mortal realm, his strength was the only stat still not at limit while he had no idea how to raise the rest of his stats yet. But he was sure that by tomorrow, Wei Jun would be the optimal mortal human by tomorrow.


    Just as he was about to finish his exercise, the door to the gym opened and Xia Lu entered in her gym clothes, her hair tied in a ponytail. She halted to admire Wei Jun''s shirtless body which seemed like it was carefully sculpted.


    "You''re early." Wei Jun said, snapping Xia Lu out of her daze. She coughed to hide her embarrassment and replied, "I couldn''t sleep last night. I kept on thinking about what you said to Quan Li and Zhan Yi.


    She came close to Wei Jun and said while staring him deep in his eyes, "The power to change one''s destiny, I want it too."


    Wei Jun chuckled as he replied, "That power is not for everyone. Only those who have the will to do it. I wonder," He dropped the equipment and turned to her while he stood up, "Do you have that willpower as well or not?"


    Xia Lu didn''t back off but instead, took a step forward, getting dangerously close to Wei Jun, "Do you think I don''t?"


    Wei Jun didn''t reply but kept his eyes locked with hers. They both didn''t say anything before he finally blinked and replied, "Who knows? I won''t know until you''re broken, would I?"


    Wei Jun backed off just at the right moment when the door opened and Quan Li and Zhan Yi, along with the other couple emerged. Just as they did, a notification appeared in Wei Jun''s view.


    [You have changed the destiny of Quan Li]


    [Her connection with Run Long has significantly weakened]


    [You have leveled up by 4]


    [You are now level 11]


    [Stats limit has been increased by 20]


    [You can now cultivate]


    [Please manifest Qi to activate Qi stat]

 Chapter 49: Unable to cultivate

    "I see you two have made your choice. I''m proud of that." Wei Jun praised both Quan Li and Zhan Yi who seemed more determined from their expression now and they weren''t faking it this time.


    "Unfortunately, I have no experience when it comes to cultivation so you two will be trained by Lao Chen for an hour after our exercise." Wei Jun further said that surprised everyone. Wei Jun wasn''t a cultivator yet he was still a monster.


    "Yes, boss." Zhan Yi and Quan Yi replied at the same time.


    They began their exercise and today, the training was a bit hard and even though Zhan Yi and Quan Li were now at the first stage of cultivation, they weren''t faring any better.


    After the training, the three unconcerned parties were dismissed while Zhan Yi, Quan Li, and Wei Jun remained for Lao Chen''s training.


    Lao Chen stepped forward and introduced himself, "Good morning, young master Zhan and young lady Quan. From today onwards, you two will be doing Qi training with me. I will teach you all about Qi cultivation and the first step to that is Qi breathing." Lao Chen began and the training began. First, he tended to Zhan Yi and then Quan Li. After a few minutes and some more pointers, it was Wei Jun''s turn.


    "I want to manifest Qi. Teach me how to do that." Wei Jun straightforwardly said and simply waited for Lao Chen to begin.


    However, Lao Chen seemed a little troubled by that and replied, "Young master, I don''t know how to do that."


    "What do you mean?" Wei Jun asked with a quirked eyebrow, "You do know what cultivation is, right? Just teach me how to manifest Qi."


    "It''s not that, young master. Actually, one cannot manifest Qi, it is manifested on its own through enlightenment or some other miraculous phenomenon. One cannot awaken Qi by themselves." Lao Chen explained as simply as he could.


    "I see. I wasn''t aware of that." Wei Jun replied and simply stood up and left. From his reaction, he didn''t seem disheartened at all so the trio in the room sighed in relief.


    =====


    ''So?'' Wei Jun asked as soon as he entered the shower room. He couldn''t manifest Qi but he knew someone who would have that answer. ''How do I awaken Qi as the system message said?''


    [The procedure to that is quite simple, host]


    [Use the Qi crystals]


    [Use them to feel Qi and try to attract it to your body]


    [The system will take care of the rest]


    ''That''s good.'' Wei Jun replied, satisfied with the answer. Once he was done with the shower, he took the bath as usual but this time, instead of getting ready, he sat on his bed and began to take out the few crystals he still had.


    He touched them and tried to do what the system had told him to, feel the energy within the crystal. Ten minutes, nothing. One line on the forehead. Twenty minutes, nothing. Two lines on the forehead. Thirty minutes, nothing.


    Four lines on the forehead. One hour, and there is no room for another line.


    "Oi." Wei Jun aggressed the system as quietly as he could with his teeth gritting against each other. "What is this?" Each word spoken by him was contained by an incredible willpower, otherwise, the entire villa would have heard him.


    [That¡­]


    [Let--- Let me check what it is]


    The system nervously replied and after a few minutes, it came back with a reply, only its nervousness was increased by tenfold.


    [So¡­ Host]


    [I need¡­ need you to listen¡­ with a calm mind]


    "Speak." Wei Jun said, his eyes overflowing with anger and it seemed like, someone would be dying today if he didn''t calm down.


    [That¡­ Your vessel, the current one you are in]


    [Haha]


    The system nervously chuckled and continued.


    [So, it seems that it has no talent for it]


    "What?" Wei Jun calmly asked which terrified the system as it nervously, and extremely terrified, replied.


    [Wei Jun Ruan''s vessel cannot perceive Qi] sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    =====


    ''Marvelous.'' Lao Chen said inwardly while he was helping Zhan Yi and Quan Li with their Qi circulation. Both of his hands were on their backs and he was helping them circulate Qi throughout their entire body.


    He couldn''t help but praise them when he saw how well they were doing in their Qi circulation. ''They are natural talents.'' He once again praised them but kept most of his focus on them. A small mistake at this stage, and they might fall into Qi deviation. Worse, the Qi in their body could just jump out of its pathways and penetrate their organs.


    He couldn''t let that happen for the sake of these future prospects. Not for his own sake because he was afraid of his master.


    =====


    "Stop~ Someone might see us." Quan Kui protested Xiao Heiling''s attempts for a kiss in the middle of a corridor that led to their room. Quan Kui was nervous because she was afraid that a servant might see them.


    However, her playful protests were just another sign for Xiao Heiling to continue who replied, "I know but isn''t it exciting? Doing it here? The thrill of being caught?"


    "Stop~~~" Quan Kui blushed but didn''t push him away. Xiao Heiling smiled and leaned in to kiss her.


    =====


    Xia Lu was soaking herself in a warm bath after an exercise that almost broke her body. Still, she could feel that she had gotten used to it and didn''t complain as much about it as she used to in the beginning.


    "Haa¡­ How life changes." She sighed and remarked. Just a month ago, she wouldn''t even have dreamed of associating herself with Wei Jun Ruan, the man who had tried to force himself on her yet here she was, living with him under the same roof and spending almost all of the day with him.


    "I wonder what changed¡­" She mused as she couldn''t come up with a logical explanation for such a drastic change. Wei Jun had completely cut off all his connections to the younger generation of the families. No parties, no attending banquets, not going to clubs, or bringing women home.


    "As if he''s another person altogether." She said to herself. She couldn''t forget her earlier conversation with Wei Jun. The way he looked at her, she could see she didn''t hold much importance in his eyes. She could feel it, she was replaceable for now and that made her angrier. She was replaceable all her life; she didn''t want to be that anymore.


    That was why she had decided on something, something that only Wei Jun could give her. Affirming her decision, she stood up to leave the bathtub.


    =====


    Madam Lim was carefully cooking a special stew for his young master today. Wei Jun had been increasingly praising her food every day and not only that, her and the kitchen staff''s salaries had been increased by a lot. She was so happy about it that she cooked his food with extra fervor every day.


    "Watch the steak. Make sure it doesn''t burn too much from the side. Young master like it charred not burnt." She ordered one chef who was cooking the steaks for the breakfast party.


    "Make sure you don''t spill the juices of that brisket. They are needed for garnishing and for the sauce." She ordered another chef. The chef nodded and followed her instructions.


    Satisfied, she turned her attention back to the stew and tasted its seasoning. Sensing that the salt was a little bit less, she picked up the salt bottle and carefully began to season it.


    =====


    Xu Kang was having the time of her life. Why? Because her young master had completely changed overnight. She didn''t care though. At first, she was worried that it might be a demonic cultivator who had possessed his body but after a few days, when the changes in her young master became permanent, she couldn''t be happier.


    He would go to the office at a set time, he would eat dinner at a set time. He wouldn''t go to parties anymore or bring cheap women home for the night. Of course, he was extra strict about work now but he wouldn''t scold them over it anymore.


    If there was one problem, that was his anger. Sometimes he would get so angry that he would yell nonstop for a few minutes and vulgar words that left his mouth would make her ears bleed. But that was all it was. No one was in danger from him anymore and she knew that this was way better than the Wei Jun from before.


    "FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUCCCCCC*****KKKKKKKK!!!!!!!" A scream that spread throughout the villa. Maybe even the people on the outside heard it.


    The scream almost caused Lao Chen to lose focus which almost caused Zhan Yi and Quan Li to fall into Qi deviation.


    Xiao Heiling, who was so close to having his kiss heard the scream and hurriedly covered his head while Quan Kui did the same and they both yelled at the same time, "WE''RE SORRY BOSS!!!"


    Xia Lu who was getting out of the bathtub slipped and fell back into the bathtub. She frantically raised herself to watch for any signs of fire but there were none.


    "What was that?" She mumbled to herself.


    Madam Lim who was carefully seasoning the stew heard the scream and panicked, causing the bottle of salt to fall into the stew.


    Xu Kang who was overseeing the other servants doing their word, heard the scream but she didn''t panic. Calmly she spoke, "Mothertucker. Again?" She had picked up some dangerous words from Wei Jun.

 Chapter 50: Prime suspect

    "FFFUUUCCC***KKK!!!" Wei Jun screamed when the system informed him of the news that his body was incapable of cultivating and manifesting Qi.


    [Host please calm down]


    "SHUT THE FU*** UP!!!" Wei Jun shouted in reply.


    [Host please don''t be so aggressive]


    "Aggressive!!!??? AGGRESSIVE!!!??? IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT FOR THIS. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF YOU!!!!! YOU PUT ME IN A USELESS F****** BODY. THEN YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!!!!!


    DON''T BE AGGRESSIVE, YOU SAY!!! I''M NOT DESTROYING EVERYTHING IN SIGHT!!! THIS IS ME BEING NOT AGGRESSIVE!!!" Wei Jun shouted and shouted to the point he didn''t know what he was even saying.


    [We can still salvage the situation, host]


    [You have the shop]


    [Many things are available in their]


    The system''s reasoning placated Wei Jun a bit and suppressing his anger with great effort, he simply opened the shop and used twenty million yuan to exchange them for 200,000 coins. He then purchased a phoenix tear and consumed it in one go. If it worked for Sun Ruan, Zhan Yi, and Quan Li, then it would surely work for him as well.


    Five minutes, nothing. Ten minutes, nothing.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    One hour later, the entire villa heard another shout that shook their souls and made their ears bleed with the vulgar words they were hearing originating from the owner of the villa.


    "FUU**** HELL OF MO*** FOR ALL THAT IS HE******* AND ***** AND THEIR DISTANT RELATIVES ALSO GO ***** AND **** SO THEIR ***** BLEED TO THE POINT OF *****************" Wei Jun screamed to the point of end of the world. His screams and shouts were shaking the foundation of the building.


    [Host¡­ Please¡­]


    The system couldn''t go forward from this point. It couldn''t say anything to defend itself.


    The even worse news was this.


    [You have consumed phoenix tear]


    [Your body feels reinvigorated]


    [You are already in a prime condition]


    [No further effect will take place]


    In other words, Wei Jun had just wasted twenty million yuan and that was equally worse than not awakening Qi.


    Another hour later, when Wei Jun finally dimmed down in his curses and shouts, the system suggested meekly.


    [There is another way, host]


    "What?" Wei Jun asked threateningly.


    [Qi awakening elixir]


    [Tier: SSS]


    [Description: The world you live in is defined by the strong where the weak has no value. If you wish to be strong yourself but for some reason can''t, then fear not as the hope hasn''t ended yet.


    A magical elixir created by a Qi master at the Qi spiritualization realm who sacrificed his life force to make this elixir to grant an opportunity for the younger generation to not be deprived of the opportunity to become strong.


    Effects: Qi manifestation in any kind of body]


    [Cost: 10,000,000 coins]


    A simple math. Wei Jun required a billion yuan to awaken Qi. "Hahaha¡­ HAHAHA¡­. HA! HA! HA!


    HA!" Wei Jun began to laugh which manifested an ominous feeling in the system. And just like that, another line of curses began.


    ======


    Today, at the set, everyone was on edge. Even Xia Lu, who wasn''t afraid of Wei Jun, also didn''t dare to make a mistake in the shooting. The rest were terrified too but none of them dared to make a mistake. And just like that, the shooting ended without a hitch.


    Just as the shooting ended, Zhao Hui, the detective who had questioned Wei Jun many, many times came forward and greeted Wei Jun, "Good morning, Mister Ruan."


    "It''s afternoon." Wei Jun curtly replied and added, "And you are here without an appointment. Piss off."


    Zhao Hui was so taken aback by the blatant disrespect from Wei Jun that he forgot to say what he was actually there for. He shook his head to ignore that and hurriedly said, "I don''t need an appointment today. You are to come to the police station for questioning." The news was heard by everyone on the set and everyone stopped to listen to what was happening.


    "What for?" Wei Jun asked, keeping his curt tone consistent.


    "For attacking and disfiguring Miss Na Tong." Zhao Hui said.


    "Who''s that?" Wei Jun asked with annoyance on his face and from his expression and tone, he genuinely didn''t seem to know about her.


    "That will be explained at the police station." Zhao Hui replied.


    "Am I under arrest?" Wei Jun asked.


    "No, you are not." Zhao Hui replied.


    "Then piss off." Wei Jun replied and began to walk away.


    "Please understand, Mister Ruan. You are the lead suspect in this case. If you don''t come with me, I will come with a warrant and arrest you." Zhao Hui urged and advised in his own strange way. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun didn''t care and kept walking to his car. He wasn''t in the mood to play for this today. Zhao Hui sighed and said nothing. Instead, he walked over to Quan Li and Zhan Yi and introduced himself, "Hello. I am Zhao Hui, a detective. Would you spare some time and answer a few questions of mine? I have questions regarding an incident that happened to both of you a few days ago."


    Zhan Yi and Quan Li were a little troubled because they didn''t know how to deal with it but they also didn''t want any trouble and Quan Li especially didn''t want to recount that incident.


    "I¡­ I¡­" Quan Li didn''t know how to reply but before she could continue any further, Xia Lu spoke from behind Zhao Hui, "You cannot question her without a proper precedence. Please leave and come back with a logical reason for questioning."


    Zhao Hui chuckled at her amateur attempt and remarked, "Ah no. I''m just curious how such a major incident wasn''t reported and how someone involved had an accident happen to them on the same day."


    "Nature always gets its back." Xia Lu said in return. There was no proof of anything and even she knew that She was almost sure who it was that got revenge but even she couldn''t prove that. Knowing and proof were two different things.


    "If nature is going to solve everything, then what''s our use?" Zhao Hui argued with a smile.


    "Exactly. Where were you until now? Even now, you don''t care what happened to them because they are alright now. You are only questioning them because of Na Tong. Have you questioned her for what she did?" Xia Lu also argued, striking at the point that was technically true.


    Zhao Hui had no answer for that and simply replied, "I will return with a warrant." He then left the set.


    Xia Lu came closer to Quan Li and sternly said, "Don''t even get nervous in front of people like them. The boss will protect us as long as we don''t create problems ourselves. Understood? Both of you?"


    Quan Li nodded and so did Zhan Yi. Xia Lu nodded in return and she also left. She got into her car and her bodyguard inquired about her destination, "Wei Jun Ruan''s villa."


    The car left the lot and Xia Lu closed her eyes in the back. She questioned herself not about the various things that were happening but her own words she had just said a few moments ago, "Why did I say that?"


    Where did the faith she just displayed come from? It''s not like she agreed with what Wei Jun had done but for some reason, her inner self agreed with what he had done and she was sure, as long as she was under him, she would be safe.


    "I wonder if I''m going mad." She wondered to herself with a chuckle and closed her eyes to rest a little before the gym session at seven.


    =====


    "Haa¡­ Fu*k. I let her live and she creates more problems for me? I guess I was being too kind-hearted." Wei Jun said out loud while driving his car. He didn''t have a set destination in mind since he was free for the day before the gym session at seven. He decided to go to the Elegant¨¨ to make a tuxedo for tomorrow''s banquet at the Na family.


    "Welcome, Mister Ruan." Tian Long welcomed Wei Jun who simply nodded and said, "I want a Tuxedo ready by tomorrow morning. Pay special attention to it. Don''t worry about the cost." Wei Jun''s requirements were simple and Tian Long simply nodded with a smile as he replied, "Worry not, Young Master Ruan. You know that our service has been satisfactory."


    Wei Jun nodded and replied, "That I cannot deny. You are the best shop in the city." Wei Jun didn''t hold back on his praise as his eyes fell on a black dress.


    The dress was extremely beautiful, with two shoulder straps, and shining embroidery on it to accentuate its dark color. The dress flowed to the feet of the mannequin. He couldn''t help but admire the craftsmanship and the detail paid to the dress. He wondered who made it.


    "Who has made that dress?" Wei Jun turned and asked Tian Long who was instructing an employee to take Wei Jun''s improvements.


    "Oh that¡­ Well¡­"


    =====


    With this, the trial chapters have been delivered. I will be applying for the premium from the next chapter onwards and I hope you guys will continue reading my novel even then.

 Chapter 51: Details

    "How do you like the dress?" An old man asked a young girl who was examining the suit in front of him. She scrutinized the dress closely. Although the dress was black, the embroidery of the Qi crystals on it gave it an amazing look.


    "It''s fantastic, Grandpa." The girl replied. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hahaha. Anything for my Xiao Chen." The old man laughed boisterously before he added, "Be happy my granddaughter. There are only two of these dresses and you have one of them." The old man bragged but he wasn''t really bragging. He was appealing to his granddaughter about the suitable match he had chosen for her.


    "I see." Chen Na was definitely happy to know that. she was beautiful and by no means just beautiful, she was an absolute beauty but even she paled in comparison when it came to women like Xia Lu, Liu Yu, and Lin Ruan. So having something unique and beautiful was amazing for her.


    "Who has the other one, Grandpa?" Chen Na questioned her grandfather, Ouyang Na. Ouyang Na chuckled and replied, "That boy didn''t want my favor when I told him I would support him with money. He decided to sell the other one to make a fortune. He has a pride to keep after all.


    That''s how a man should be." Not only did he make sure to tell her about the marriage prospect for her, but he excessively praised him as well. Well, not that he lied or anything. All that he said was true.


    "Well, I''m thankful for the dress, Grandpa, but I don''t think I''m ready to feel anything for him yet. You will have to give me some time." Chen Na made sure to get her meaning across so as to not leave her grandfather with any sort of hope that she was happy with that decision of his.


    "You can take all the time you need but be quick, such great men are taken very fast." Ouyang Na replied with a smile.


    "Thank you, Grandpa." Chen Na replied for Ouyang Na''s understanding.


    =====


    [You bought the dress]


    ''Putting the fact aside that I have to kill its maker, I couldn''t help but buy it because it seemed amazing. Also, it would be amazing for the scene I have planned for Xia Lu''s date in the movie.'' Wei Jun replied as he headed back home. His mood had improved by a lot now and his worries about the one billion had diminished quite a bit. He knew where to get that money. All he had to do was wait a bit.


    And it wasn''t like he couldn''t raise his stats naturally anyway.


    ''So Run Long has started to work. If I remember correctly, his first goal would be to earn money and search for Quan Li. He will find her sooner or later so let''s work on her first and then disrupt his attempts at becoming famous.'' Wei Jun planned in his head.


    [His first project would be the beauty cream]


    [You should beat him to it]


    ''Not possible. I''m not well versed in medicine and I doubt the cosmetics I can procure would work given that his one enhances beauty.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [Why not use the shop?]


    ''You have such an item in the shop?''


    [I wouldn''t know]


    [Maybe if you search]


    [Or you could always get the recipe from him]


    ''Getting the recipe is a good idea but that''s for later. By the time I became capable of doing so, he would have already launched his product.'' Wei Jun argued his point.


    [Then what will you do?]


    ''Simple. Sabotaging.''


    [Ahh¡­ I get it]


    Wei Jun arrived at his villa and headed straight to the gym. It was still five and there were two hours before the training time with the group. Wei Jun wanted to get the most out of it before that.


    He began with strength training since he was still one stat point short of his strength limit in the mortal realm. He was frantically lifting weight and the amount of weight he was lifting would leave bodybuilders in shame.


    Finally, after two hours of hard work and three stamina pills later, his strength stat finally reached twenty but Wei Jun wasn''t happy with that progress. Increasing the weight didn''t seem efficient if he had to increase the weight every time to train.


    ''How do cultivators solve that problem?'' Wei Jun asked the system.


    [To be accurate, cultivators don''t train their outer body much but their inner body]


    [To increase their strength, they simply use the Qi armament]


    ''So they cover themselves in Qi to temporarily raise their stats?''


    [Yes]


    [However, the host is different from them]


    [Host has the option of stat points that you can obtain from quests]


    ''And how do I obtain them?''


    ''So far, I have only obtained one and even that is the main quest. There is nothing from the side quest section.''


    [As you involve yourself in the life of protagonists, you will receive side quests]


    [Something that they were supposed to do, you would be the one to do them]


    ''So if Run Long was to save a life, I could also save them before him?''


    [Precisely]


    ''Isn''t that just opportunity grabbing?''


    [Negative]


    [Not everything Run Long does is an opportunity]


    [Only the things that raise his power are opportunities]


    [Something that raises his influence isn''t an opportunity]


    ''Wait a minute, so you''re telling me that if I were to weaken the connection between him and Liu Yu, I would get nothing?''


    [Exactly]


    [Only the heroines that increase his power are an opportunity]


    [And there are only two such heroines]


    ''Quan Li and Lin Ruan.''


    [Yes]


    [The rest just increase his influential status]


    [You gain nothing from ruining his influential status]


    ''That makes sense.'' Wei Jun replied and analyzed this whole situation. Now the targets he had to keep an eye on were clear and the people that weren''t necessary were useless to him.


    ''So I won''t get anything from the other heroines?''


    [Not nothing]


    [A side quest might initiate bearing some gifts that could sometimes be in the form of stat points]


    [After all, you are changing the world''s destiny]


    [Your enemy, in the end, is the world not the protagonists]


    [They are just stepping stones you have to squash to get to the final boss just like you are a stepping stone to the protagonists]


    ''I see.'' Now that he had a clear target, many of Wei Jun''s plans began to change in his mind regarding the heroines. There were four secondary and three main heroines. Wei Jun knew of two secondary so far and all three main ones. Out of the main ones, he needed only one. The other one was his money-making ticket so he couldn''t do anything against her either.


    That only left him with the last main heroine, Liu Yu. However, Wei Jun had nothing against them. He wasn''t a monster who killed for no reason otherwise he wouldn''t have let those security guards live even though letting them live erased the accident scenario from the factory incident.


    If he wanted to make it look like an accident, he would have let the security guards burn in the fire but he didn''t which clearly signified someone''s involvement.


    The same was the case here. He wouldn''t kill the heroines for no reason at all. of course, unless they brought him some sort of trouble or danger, then it would be an entirely different story.


    ''So tell me, what makes these two heroines so important in raising his strength?'' Wei Jun asked so he would know what he needed to do. He had a hint from Quan Li''s connection weakening with Run Long but he wasn''t sure about Xia Lu. What was her involvement with Run Long? He didn''t know since he hadn''t read the second volume yet and she was a heroine who appeared in the second volume.


    [I cannot divulge that information, host]


    [You will have to unlock the next volume for that]


    Wei Jun couldn''t pursue the issue because his level wasn''t twelve yet. He was still one level short. Just as he was pondering over it, he decided to think of ways to further weaken Quan Li''s connection with Run Long and so far, only one came to mind.


    And just as he had thought about that, both of the parties involved in his plan, his level-increasing pigeon and the parrot that would help make that pigeon his, entered the gym together.


    Wei Jun smiled for the first time that day when he saw Quan Li and Zhan Yi together. When both of them saw Wei Jun smiling, they halted in their steps as an ominous feeling took them. However, they were immensely surprised by the next words that left Wei Jun''s mouth, "You two look good together." He spoke that, instead of making them bashful, only worried them even more.


    Soon, the rest of the team joined him in the gym. Wei Jun decided to change the plan for today a bit.


    "Today, we will be doing yoga along with our exercise because some stunts in the movie require you to be flexible." Wei Jun calmly said with a smile that would charm the devil but the five individuals in front of him felt nothing but dread.


    "Of course, it''s a two-man yoga so split into teams of two. One man and a woman preferably." Wei Jun emphasized the team composition.

 Chapter 52: The matters of love?

    "Today, we will be doing a couple''s yoga." Wei Jun said with a smile. One team was obviously Xiao Heiling and Quan Kui since they were already a couple. The other team that was made was Quan Li and Zhan Yi.


    As for Xia Lu, "So I''m with you then?" She asked.


    "You don''t need yoga." Wei Jun straightforwardly replied while pointing at the dumbbells and said, "You need muscles. Start lifting them and give me twenty reps for now." Wei Jun didn''t need her to do yoga. He didn''t need anyone to do yoga but he wanted Quan Li and Zhan Yi to become together and for that, physical contact was necessary or so was said by his brother.


    He had no experience in love himself and all he had was the knowledge provided by his brother and he was going to apply that here.


    "Now, sit on the floor cross-legged and take a deep breath." Wei Jun began while Xia Lu went to do her reps with a pouty face. Wei Jun didn''t care and focused on the yoga couples.


    Soon, many couple poses were formed that brought blushes to Quan Li and Quan Kui''s faces. Zhan Yi was also a little bashful about them but Xiao Heiling welcomed them with great fervor and his moves were sometimes borderline molestation which Wei Jun was willing to overlook since Quan Kui herself was allowing it.


    Besides, they weren''t his attention anyway. His focus was straight on Quan Li and Zhan Yi. Zhan Yi showed conservation in his moves and kept his body away from her as much as he could and Wei Jun could see that that was what Quan Li appreciated more.


    ''Seems like brother was right.'' Wei Jun thought internally. He had learned from his brother that girls didn''t like forceful and rough men but gentle and understanding men and Zhan Yi was being just that right now. Wei Jun also made sure not to push them too close so as to not force any decisions onto them. He wanted to plant the idea in their minds and didn''t want it to look like it was done by him.


    Another thing his brother had taught him about psychology.


    After about thirty minutes of yoga, he stopped with that part and then the physical training began. He didn''t oversee them this time but focused on his own training. It was getting increasingly harder for him to increase even one of his stats and he wanted to invest any spare time he could into improving them and he couldn''t do that if he was so focused on their progress.


    The gym session today was extra intense, for Xia Lu increasingly so since she also had to focus on muscle development, it was fruitful for everyone so no one complained.


    ======


    "Where were you on the night of the seventh, Mister Zhang?" Ling Mei questioned an extremely handsome man, Zhang Jie who was sitting in his chair and appreciating the otherworldly beauty in front of him.


    "Let us not bore ourselves with such pointless questions, Miss Mei." Zhang Jie said.


    "Oh? Then what should we talk about?" Ling Meri asked, deciding to play along.


    "I think we should begin with knowing each other." Zhang Jie boldly suggested.


    "I''m afraid to tell you but you are not my type, Mister Zhang." Ling Mei straightforwardly said.


    "Mindsets can be changed." Zhang Jie argued.


    "Not mine. Not very easily." Ling Mei maintained her fa?ade as she replied. She was playing along but internally, she couldn''t help but be disgusted with the man before her. She was afraid she would lose it so she was trying to keep it as short as possible.


    "Now, would you please answer my question?" She insisted. Zhang Jie had no choice but to answer since he didn''t want to anger Ling Mei. If it was any other woman, he would have treated her like a plaything but for some reason, Ling Mei was having a strange impact on him.


    Something he had never felt before hence why he was willing to indulge her even though she had no legal precedent while questioning him.


    "I was at a bar in Qingming." Zhang Jie replied, referring to the area where the bar was.


    "Quite far, don''t you think?" Ling Mei asked.


    "I like going there because it''s quiet and their liquor is top-class." Zhang Jie replied.


    "I see." Ling Mei simply replied when she didn''t pick up any sign hinting suspicion from Zhang Jie so she moved on to the next question, "Do you know a woman went missing in the same area?"


    "No, I don''t." Zhang Jie simply replied, not overselling his explanation at all making it difficult for Mei Ling to pick up any signs.


    Ling Mei procured a picture from her pocket and showed it to Zhang Jie while saying, "Have you seen this woman?"


    "No, I haven''t. Is she the one who went missing?" Zhang Jie replied and asked with curiosity all over his face.


    "I will be the one asking questions." Ling Mei replied with a smile to which Zhang Jie simply raised his hands in defeat.


    "Anything you need, Miss Ling." Zhang Jie replied with a smile.


    "I want you to come to the station and answer everything under a polygraph, would you be willing to fulfill this need of mine?" Ling Mei questioned with a fake smile.


    Zhang Jie chuckled and replied, "As long as you are willing to fulfill my needs afterward."


    "And what would those needs be?" Ling Mei asked.


    "A dinner for starters. A coffee then maybe and maybe a date, just you and me." Zhang Jie said with a smile that would make any girl addicted to him.


    Alas, it didn''t have the same effect on Ling Mei who simply smiled and replied, "I think we are done here, Mister Zhang."


    "AND CUT!" This time the crew didn''t make a mistake and said cut on time unless they ended up incurring another wrathful session of curses from Wei Jun.


    "Good work." Wei Jun said while getting up, his earlier infatuated expression changed to his professional expression.


    "Wouldn''t kill you to smile, you know." Xia Lu remarked, the earlier disgust was nowhere to be seen on her face either.


    "Smiles can reveal one''s intentions so one should always contain them and keep them hidden." Wei Jun said while ordering the setup of the next scene.


    Xia Lu simply shook her head but said nothing. The next scene was Xiao Heiling and Quan Kui''s where the hero, Han Shun asks Ling Mei''s friend about her favorite things. Her friend, Xiao Lian who in real life was the hero''s girlfriend so the conundrum was quite confusing.


    But that was not the problem they were facing. The current problem they were facing was this. "You don''t have to." Xiao Heiling said but his expression didn''t seem remotely like someone talking to his girlfriend''s friend. The same was the case for Quan Kui. She was having trouble containing her smile whenever Xiao Heiling would make a sweet mistake.


    They were flirting. They were openly flirting on the set and when the fourth take was also destroyed by their flirting, the entire staff was tensed like a pole because a red aura seemed to be emitting from Wei Jun.


    Suddenly, their sweet flirting was not so sweet anymore to the staff.


    And the inevitable happened. The fifth take was ruined as well. And, that was the last straw.


    "FUUUCCC***KKKK" Wei Jun shouted which shook everyone on the set but it did most for the two parties it was pointed at.


    "Oi, you two. Flirt again on the set and I will round and ground both of you. Literally." Wei Jun said.


    "Eh? Us?" Since Xiao Heiling was unaware of why Wei Jun was angry, he ended up asking innocently which only had an adverse effect on their situation right now.


    Wei Jun crushed the cup in his hand as he replied, "YES YOU!!! YOU AND YOU AND BOTH OF YOU!!!!!"


    He contained himself as he said with a threatening expression, "Find an empty dressing room, make-up room, container, or even a secluded corner and get that heat out of you. If you flirt on my set one more time, both of you would literally be the first couple to endure everything together. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even hell." The last two words of Wei Jun added another feeling to his earlier statement, taking his threat to another level that caused a shiver to run through both of the concerned parties.


    "Take five!" Wei Jun said out loud and everyone was dismissed for five minutes.


    "Wow. You handled that pretty well. Here I thought you would tear them apart." Xia Lu teased as Wei Jun prepared himself another cup of tea.


    "I am not a tyrant if that''s what I seem to you." Wei Jun replied in his defense.


    "Ahan." Xia Lu replied before she added, "I''ll admit it, it was their mistake this time. Also, it was making me mad for some reason."


    "Don''t tell me you have fallen for that idiot too? I won''t be able to bear another problem like that." Wei Jun said.


    "God no. It''s just how openly they were flirting like they didn''t care for anything else. Made me want to experience something like that myself." Xia Lu said.


    "Then no one''s stopping you. Just make sure it doesn''t get public. That would be a breach of the contract." Wei Jun focused on an entirely different thing.


    "You are an idiot." Xia Lu mumbled which Wei Jun heard loud and clear but chose to ignore it.

 Chapter 53: The meeting

    Hello guys!


    I honestly don''t know how to thank you for your support except for the extra chapters. Unfortunately, it is still my exam period and it will last till next Monday so I can''t upload anything before then.


    But after that, I will try to upload five extra chapters and then implement the system of bonus chapters as well.


    That''s it. Enjoy!


    =====


    [You have earned yourself a crush it seems]


    ''Superficial feelings. They would go away if I ignored them enough.''


    Wei Jun replied to the system and ended the topic right there. Wei Jun was inexperienced in the matters of love but he had received thousands of confessions in his previous life. He wasn''t so dense to not know when a girl was hinting something affectionate with him.


    It was obvious to even a blind person what was going on in Xia Lu''s mind but to dodge the problems that would follow if a relationship between them came to be, Wei Jun decided to act dense to not even let her in.


    But there was something that his brother once said that made him hesitant about this but he decided to ignore it for now. For now, he just categorized Xia Lu''s feelings as superficial to keep everything simple.


    For her and himself as well.


    ''So I can only gain experience from Lin Ruan and Quan Li?''


    Wei Jun''s obvious attempt to change the topic was even clear to the system who chose to go along with Wei Jun''s wishes as it replied to his question.


    [Yes]


    [For now, those are the only two people you can obtain experience from]


    [There are also opportunities that can help him grow]


    ''But I need the second volume for that and I can''t do that for now.''


    [That is one problem you face]


    [But Quan Li is changing every day]


    [It won''t be long before a drastic change occurs]


    ''And I can''t work on Lin Ruan because I don''t know how she and Run Long got involved in the first place.''


    [It seems so]


    ''So all I can do for now is focus on Quan Li.''


    [Looks like it]


    ''So I''m stuck.''


    [Exactly]


    Currently, Wei Jun was sitting in the restaurant where he usually had his meetings with the people to make deals. Only this time, he wasn''t recruiting someone. Well, he was but not for a movie or anything.


    "You''re a busy man to get a hold of, Mister Tian." Wei Jun said when a man in his late twenties, a few years older than Wei Jun took the seat opposite to Wei Jun.


    "I have been busy." The man, the elder son of the Tian family, Noh Tian replied.


    "Well, considering we have been trying to get a hold of you for two weeks, it makes me wonder if you''re not serious about what I have to say." Wei Jun remarked that didn''t go unnoticed because of how blatant it was.


    "I wasn''t trying to dodge you. You should understand the repercussions if we were to be seen together." Noh Tian replied which was actually true. If word got out that Noh Tian and Wei Jun Ruan were meeting, Noh Tian''s position in the family would weaken further than it already was because his father, Bei Tian hated the Ruan family and anyone associated with them.


    "Well, I didn''t know we were serious enough to worry about that." Wei Jun jokingly remarked which Noh Tian chose to ignore and got straight to the point, "You said you can help me with the succession issue. What do you want in return?"


    "Let''s not talk about what you can give me in return, because, let''s face it, you have nothing to offer." Wei Jun was very straightforward.


    "Then what is the meaning of this meeting?" Noh Tian wasn''t offended because he knew those words were the truth. If it was a few years back, he would have exploded but he had now matured through a reality wake-up call when he saw how insignificant he was compared to his brother. His pride had dimmed down by a lot.


    "Because you have one thing your brother doesn''t, the need to be the head of the family. All Yao Tian wants is to be number one but you know where to raise your head and where to kneel. I like that about you because I know, there is no one more loyal than a person who knows his limits." Wei Jun said which made a lot of sense. Noh Tian knew his limits but Yao Tian didn''t.


    Even after seeing what Wei Jun had done to the involved parties in the Quan Li incident, he was still scheming against Wei Jun which would cost him his life. However, Noh Tian would never do that which made him a zero threat.


    "I see. I''m favorable because I''m controllable." Noh Tian simplified Wei Jun''s words.


    "Exactly." Wei Jun shamelessly replied, not even sugarcoating his words to coax the other party.


    "And in turn, you can take care of my brother for me?" Noh Tian asked. "Of course I can." Wei Jun confidently replied with a smile before he added, "But for that, I would need some things from you."


    "What?" Noh Tian asked.


    "Simple. Sprinkle this dust on anything Noh Tian frequently holds. Then bring that object to me. A wine glass is preferable and don''t worry, there won''t be a trace left so you don''t have to worry about getting caught." Wei Jun instructed while handing Noh Tian a vial full of dark sandy particles.


    Noh Tian considered for a while before he nodded and replied, "Okay." He then took the vial and stored it in his pocket before getting up and turning to leave. As soon as Wei Jun was left alone, his expression changed to a chilling cold one as he muttered, "What a disappointment to brothers. That''s not what brothers are."


    [What are brothers then?]


    "Elder brothers happily sacrifice their things for their younger brothers. And younger brothers in return respect them over anyone else." Wei Jun muttered before he added, "That''s what a bond between brothers is."


    A few memories flashed before his eyes and he sighed, remaining in his seat for a few more minutes as he reminisced before he abruptly opened his eyes and stood up to leave. He pushed everything back to the back of his head and focused on the goal ahead. He had a banquet to attend.


    =====


    Today was a happy day for the Na family. Na family was one of the prestigious families in the Yuan Yin city. They were a subsidiary group under the Tian family but they were influential enough to not be called the servants of the Tian family but somewhat along the partners of the Tian family.


    The reason they were happy today was simple, the old master of the Na family, Ouyang Na had finally recovered from the injuries he sustained in the war of the nations.


    All doctors all over the world had declared him a dead man when fifteen years ago a man appeared and stopped his injuries from affecting him so much. Although the man couldn''t heal him fully, he said that one day, his disciple would be able to do that for Ouyang Na. In return, the man asked for a simple favor, when my disciple comes to the city, support him however you can.


    Ouyang Na not only promised to do that but even suggested the engagement of his beloved granddaughter with the disciple of the man which the man happily accepted.


    And now, the disciple of the man came after fifteen years and healed Ouyang Na in one day. It was a miraculous feat and many doctors, not only from Yuan Yin city but also from many big cities were surprised and were in awe of such a miracle.


    Some, however, in their pride didn''t believe in such a miracle and doubted the authenticity of the treatment. Although this banquet was held to celebrate Ouyang Na''s recovery, it was also held to prove the young man''s skills to the world.


    That was why many influential people from the city were here and many of them were there to see whether the rumors were true or not because if they were, then they had a miraculous doctor amongst them and many of the people present were in need of such a healer.


    Ouyang Na entered with his entire family. His son, his daughter-in-law, his grandson who didn''t seem very happy from the looks of it, and his granddaughter, a breathtaking beauty in a dress so beautiful that many guests present in the banquet hall forgot what they were there for.


    Even the women present couldn''t help but feel jealous of how beautiful Chen Na looked right now. The men with their partners present, each felt an elbow rammed into their ribs to snap them out of their reverie.


    However, soon the turn of the men came when they had to deliver an elbow to their female partners to snap them out of their daze. The reason they were in a daze was simple. A handsome man in a suit that didn''t look anything special but on his handsome face coupled with a well-chiseled body, the quality of the suit didn''t matter.


    When he entered, he took everyone''s hearts, and some of the males, who weren''t jealous even felt attracted to him. That''s how beautiful and handsome he was. The protagonist of this world, Run Long had entered the stage and instantly captivated everyone.


    Little did he or everyone else know, this distraction let another man in unnoticed by everyone.


    "Your name, sir?" The man at the entrance asked.


    "Wei Jun Ruan." Wei Jun replied as he was let in after the list check.


    sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 54: The Demonstration

    "Wow. This dress is just amazing." A girl in a blue dress said to Chen Na who was surrounded by a few girls of her age, "You look amazing and that dress, covers you perfectly as if it was made for you." The girl continued her praise and it didn''t seem like she was just saying it. She seemed to be genuinely praising Chen Na and she wasn''t alone, all the girls couldn''t stop singing those praises.


    "You have to tell me Chen Na, where did you get this beautiful dress?" The same girl asked, obviously fallen for the dress. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Umm¡­" Chen Na didn''t know how to reply. She couldn''t just say that this was given to her by her fianc¨¦e who she had never seen before until a week ago. Just as she was in a dilemma, the handsome man from earlier who had caused quite a rest in the banquet approached the group and said politely, "Excuse me, ladies, but could I borrow Miss Na for a moment? I won''t take much time, I promise."


    His smile was killer and the girls in the group couldn''t help but stutter in reply while some were outright out of it. "Su¡­Sure." One of the girls replied while the rest just simply nodded. The man was quite happy with the attention but he kept that to himself.


    If there was one girl who was the least influenced by Run Long, it was none other than Chen Na who didn''t like him approaching her like that. She was afraid some strange rumors would begin because of him and she didn''t want that.


    "What do you want?" Chen Na asked, her tone wasn''t curt but the displeasure in her tone was evident.


    "I just wanted to ask you about the dress. Did you like it?" Run Long asked with a smile, ignoring the displeasure in her tone.


    "It''s good. I like it. However, I will be honest. I won''t have you mistaken that I have fallen for you over a dress." She replied and said before she turned around and left.


    Run Long wanted to talk more with her but he knew that now wasn''t the time. He needed to first prove himself, not only to his fianc¨¦e but this new world he had stepped into as well.


    Just as the thought crossed his mind, Ouyang Na, the head of the Na family approached him and said, "Young Run, it is time."


    Run Long nodded and followed Ouyang Na to the gathering of the families. Although the entire banquet hall could see that, the performance of Run Long''s skills was only reserved for the upper class right now.


    "This is the head of the esteemed Tian family, Bei Tian." Ouyang Na first and foremost introduced Run Long to the Tian family head.


    "Greetings." Run Long bowed a little and greeted Bei Tian. Bei Tian nodded and said, "It is nice to meet a young man with such manners these days. I have heard a lot about you from Sir Ouyang, young man. I truly hope that all the rumors about you are true. If they are, the future will be limitless."


    Run Long smiled but said nothing in return except for a bow. Ouyang Na took the cue to introduce the next influential party, the current acting head of the Lu family, Zhen Lu. "This is the esteemed head of the Lu family, Mister Zhen Lu."


    "Hahaha. You flatter me, master Ouyang. I''m only the acting head of the family. Sooner or later I will have to hand it over to my niece." Zhen Lu boisterously laughed and said. Bei Tian smiled as he said, "I think the Lu family would flourish more under your leadership."


    Most of the people in the crowd agreed with Bei Tian''s words. Zhen Lu''s business and leadership skills couldn''t be denied and as for the future head, Xia Lu, she was nothing but a child who rebelled against her uncle and refused to pay any attention to her family.


    "Speaking of your niece, where is she? I thought I had invited her as well." Ouyang Na asked, steering the conversation away from that topic. Although he couldn''t deny Zhen Lu''s skills, he wasn''t also willing to acknowledge his wrongdoings being the just person that he was.


    "Oh, she is currently staying at that damned brat Ruan''s house." Zhen Lu said with distaste overflowing in his words. Just now he was praising his niece and now he didn''t even hesitate to throw mud at her reputation.


    "Why would she stay there? Are the current rumors about her being in a relationship with Wei Jun Ruan true?" Bei Tian asked, curious about this development.


    "I don''t know but from the looks of it, it seems so. Otherwise, why would she accept his condition even though he had tried to force himself on her? I believe there is something else going on behind the curtain." Zhen Lu replied, giving his own analysis of the situation.


    "If I''m not mistaken, your niece is that superstar who often appears in dramas, right?" Run Long asked as even he, who had secluded himself from the world had heard the name enough in the past month since his descent so many times that he couldn''t help but ask.


    "Yes. That is her precisely. Haa¡­ sometimes I wonder what she is doing with her future. I''m not against her being with a man but I would have been happy if she was with a sensible man. Being with a womanizer hardly suits her." Zhen Lu besmirched even more of Xia Lu''s reputation under the guise of worry about her.


    Run Long easily understood the underlying meaning but he kept his mouth shut because he didn''t want to get involved with this man yet. Regardless, he wasn''t planning on being a subordinate of any of these men. He was raised to rule and rule he will even if he had to play the meek young man for now.


    "Maybe we should now move to the presentation." Ouyang Na said, trying to move on from the topic. Bei Tian who was also aware of the Zhen Lu''s hypocrisy nodded in assent and said, "Of course, of course."


    The introduction continued and many influential figures of the Yuan Yin city were introduced. The mayor, heads of the medium-grade families, and politicians of different posts. After the introduction, it was time for the presentation.


    An old man stepped forward and said, "I am a sixty-eight-year-old war veteran. I spent a lot of my life on a battlefield and sustained an injury that prevented me from having children and I desired children all my life. But even after so many treatments, I couldn''t cure my illness.


    If you can somehow cure me, I will remember this favor of yours for life." The old man was an official in the city and even the families had to respect him so when he volunteered for his problem and consulted with Run Long, Run Long agreed to cure the old man under the condition that he be allowed to run his cosmetics business without a license.


    The old man agreed and promised to look the other way when qualification concerns were raised about Run Long''s business.


    Run Long smiled and said, "It is never too late to live to your heart''s content. I will cure you and you will be like a young man in just an hour." Run Long assured the old man and asked him to lie flat on his stomach on the table prepared.


    Next, he procured a set of acupuncture needles and exposed the old man''s spine. He began to inject those needles in systematic ways and once he was done injecting about ten needles along the spine, he took out a big one and injected this one just before the hip of the old man and spun it slightly.


    Then he took out another of the same size and did the same to the old man only on the opposite side of the hip.


    Then, bluish energy began to leave his hands which caused the needles to resonate and vibrate slightly. The bluish energy then entered the old man''s spine and after a few more waves that entered his body, Run Long began to retract the needles. After a few more seconds, he said, "You can now stand up, good sir. You have been free of your curse."


    The old man stood up, feeling no different but when he touched his crotch, tears began to form in his eyes. He hurriedly grabbed Run Long''s hands and said, "Thank you, thank you." He kept thanking Run Long for some time which only made Run Long smile in contentment. The others around the table were also surprised and left in awe by Run Long''s skills.


    His display was amazing and they knew that this wasn''t a staged show.


    Bei Tian exchanged glances with his younger son, beckoning him to come there and approach Run Long.


    Far away from all of this drama, at a stool of the bar sat a handsome young man undetected by everyone. He had blended with everything so naturally that even the person sitting next to him didn''t know of his presence.


    Wei Jun observed everything from the beginning to the end but his focus wasn''t on the miracle being performed. His eyes were set on the whisky glass in Run Long''s hand and the box in which he kept his acupuncture needles.

 Chapter 55: The first interaction

    "Give me wine in a wine glass and whisky in that glass." Wei Jun specifically ordered the drinks in specific glasses. Once he had his order, he did nothing but wait. The performance of Run Long was still ongoing and he didn''t want to miss this opportunity so he waited.


    Soon, Run Long left the group with a whisky glass in hand. Wei Jun smiled as he also left the bar and made his way toward the earlier groups of influential people. On the way, unintentionally, he bumped into someone and dropped both of the glasses in his hand but he was quick enough to snatch two of the things he required and stored them in the inventory with just a touch.


    "Oh my god! I''m so sorry." Wei Jun frantically backed away and pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. He began to clean the whisky on Run Long''s clothes to remove any traces of tampering.


    "What the¡­ What the hell are you doing?! Are you blind?!" Run Long wasn''t happy. His suit was completely ruined and Wei Jun was at fault so his outburst was totally justified.


    Wei Jun completely agreed and took all the blame as he said, "I''m very sorry. I was too focused on making my way over there that I didn''t notice you."


    Wei Jun pointed at the gathering of the elite members of the Yuan Yin city. Run Long, on the other hand, wasn''t interested in that, "I don''t care where you were going. All I know is that you ruined my suit and you''re going to pay for it."


    "Sure, sure." Wei Jun readily agreed before he pulled out his wallet and asked, "How much is your suit? I will pay for it and also compensation for it." Wei Jun said, raising his head with an inquisitive gaze.


    "This is a whole 10,000-yuan suit. Pay up." Run Long curtly said, completely oblivious of the fact about the class he was present in. For the people present, their cheapest suits began from 50,000 yet here he was, calling a 10,000-yuan suit expensive.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, was happy to play along. "Oh, such an expensive suit, what have I done? Please, let me know how much I need to pay for it?" Wei Jun said as if he was truly sorry for his sin.


    "Whatever is in your wallet. Hand it over." Run Long said whatever the first thing that came to his mind.


    Wei Jun smiled and pulled everything out of his wallet, handing it to him. It was about 100,000 yuan but Run Long didn''t bother counting it and simply left with a few curses leaving his mouth.


    Wei Jun on the other hand, just saw him go with a smile on his face His objective was complete but there was still one thing to do. Rattle the cages.


    While Run Long and Wei Jun''s exchange was going on, a lot of attention converged on them. One such spectator was Chen Na who couldn''t believe that Run Long was making such a fuss over a suit as cheap as that. She was embarrassed because Run Long was the Na family''s chief guest and almost everyone at the banquet thought the same thing, ''Do the Na family associate itself with such cheapskates?''


    Needless to say, Run Long''s image in her mind had fallen even more than before.


    "What is the Ruan boy doing here?" Bei Tian asked with displeasure as he heard the exchange between Wei Jun and Run Long.


    "I¡­ don''t know. I will check it out." Ouyang Na replied and instructed a servant to check the list.


    "Whatever it is, it doesn''t look well for you, elder Na. I think you should intervene." Yao Tian said, worried about the image of the Na family. After all, they were the ones who were associating themselves with the Na family. It was also their reputation at the stake.


    "I will." Ouyang Na was also aware of the issue with the whispers he picked up but before he could act, Wei Jun had already paid Run Long and turned his attention to them.


    He approached them with steady steps and greeted the host of the banquet with a smile, "Greeting, Elder Na. Congratulations on your recovery. This is a small gift from me." Wei Jun was extremely sincere or at least that was how he came off as and as a gift, handed him a vial with a dark blue round pill inside.


    Ouyang Na had no choice but to accept the gift since there were a lot of eyes on them and greeted back, "I express my gratitude for coming here and thank you for the gift." Ouyang Na kept it short and to the point which was enough for all to understand that he was trying to end the conversation with Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "Well, it is a festive occasion. I was quite surprised to receive an invitation from the Na family. But since you invited me with such a big heart, it would have been rude of me to come here without a gift. I hope you like it."


    Wei Jun was acting very friendly and respectful and with each passing second, the expression on Bei Tian was changing for the worse.


    "Also, I wanted to apologize for the incident earlier. I really wasn''t focusing on anything other than giving you the gift." Wei Jun sincerely apologized, changing the topic to accidents which he knew these influential people wouldn''t be able to resist.


    "It''s no problem, accidents happen." Ouyang Na tried to downplay the situation. Wei Jun decided to continue as he said, "Quite often so. This city had truly gone crazy. I mean, people get robbed and stuff every day, and sometimes, things don''t end at just that. I wonder what the mayor is going to do about it." Wei Jun said before he suddenly realized that the mayor was there.


    "Oh, hello Mister Mayor. Fancy seeing you here." Wei Jun said to which the mayor could only smile because he knew that with his authority, he couldn''t talk back to the Ruan family. Especially now that Sun Ruan was a Qi Master.


    However, Yao Tian didn''t hold the same fear nor did he have the same virtue as Ouyang Na to end the situation as he said, "Yes, accidents do happen. Weren''t your actors also involved in an accident the other day?" S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh yes, that. An unfortunate accident but now they have fully recovered." Wei Jun replied with a sad tone before he added, "And it is also unfortunate that the culprit was involved in an accident before justice could be delivered." Wei Jun said, referring to Na Tong''s ''accident''.


    "It was truly horrific what happened to her." Wei Jun commented before he turned to Yao Tian and asked, "How is she by the way?"


    "I don''t understand why you would ask me that, young master Ruan?" Yao Tian said with a smile that was as fake as hell.


    "Well, I assumed it was because of the rumors going around about you and her being very, very close." Wei Jun replied with a genuine smile, emphasizing the word ''very'' a bit too strongly.


    "I didn''t know a man of your status would believe in some rumors." Yao Tian remarked, maintaining his smile.


    "Oh well, I thought with how much rumors were being gossiped in this group, I would have believed you believed in rumors a lot." Wei Jun said with a smile, referring to the earlier rumor discussion regarding Xia Lu before he added while turning to Zhan Lu, "But then again, we''re all hypocrites every now and then."


    The blatant meaning hidden in Wei Jun''s words was visible for everyone to see. Zhen Lu was called a hypocrite on his face and in such a way that he couldn''t even deny it.


    Wei Jun turned to Ouyang Na when he had successfully ruined the mood of everyone present and said, "Once again congratulations on your recovery. I do advise you to use the gift carefully."


    He turned and left, leaving the atmosphere so awkward that even Ouyang Na didn''t know how to salvage the situation.


    On the way out, Wei Jun once again came across Run Long once again and said, "Once again, sorry about your suit."


    "Hmph." Run Long wasn''t interested and left without a word. Wei Jun simply replied and left.


    Run Long approached the earlier group dressed in a different suit but before he could say something about the rude person from before, his eyes fell on the vial in Ouyang Na''s hands. "Elder Na! Where did you get this!?"


    Run Long''s loud voice was enough to snap everyone out of that awkward atmosphere. Ouyang Na was about to speak when Yao Tian said, "Elder Na, I don''t think you should hold onto it too long. It would be poisonous considering where it came from."


    Ouyang Na nodded but Run Long shouted, "Are you crazy!? How could you tell him to throw such a treasure away?"


    Yao Tian along with almost everyone was taken aback by Run Long''s outburst. "What do you mean by treasure, young man?" Bei Tian asked with a cool head.


    "I don''t what to call it other than a treasure. Just know this, even my master cannot make something like this. He was awarded one by his master but he himself has never been able to make it. Even Qi grandmasters would kill for this." Run Long rambled quite a bit about the treasure but didn''t state its purpose.


    "What does it do?" Bei Tian asked once again.


    "Ha! It replenishes the Qi of a cultivator completely regardless of the volume of Qi. This means it is a treasure to even a Qi master of spiritualization rank. Truly a treasure. You should hold onto it and thank whoever gave it to you greatly."


    Run Long was unaware of the unrest his last statement had caused because Ouyang Na was now truly nervous. This incident screamed that there was something going on between the Na and Ruan families.

 Chapter 56: Encounter with a cultivator

    [You sure gave him a lot of money, host]


    ''Money he won''t be able to use.'' Wei Jun replied. The compensation money Wei Jun had given him came from the gang he murdered saving Xiao Heiling. If Run Long used that money, the heat of the police would be on him.


    ''But given how broken, unreasonable, and illogical his luck was in the novel, I doubt it would have any effect on him.'' Wei Jun inwardly thought as he sighed. And the dread that he had just read the first volume consisting of about only a hundred chapters and he didn''t want to read the next volumes if his level up didn''t depend on them.


    ''But although ridiculous, his skills were good.'' Even Wei Jun admitted that because he had witnessed firsthand the skills displayed by Run Long. After all, not everyone can cure erectile dysfunction like that.


    [It wasn''t erectile dysfunction]


    ''It wasn''t?'' Wei Jun asked, quite very surprised because that was what it looked like.


    [It wasn''t]


    [The Qi was blocking the blood vessels of the old man]


    [In fact, he didn''t even have to make such a big show, and a Qi circulation to unblock that Qi would have been enough]


    Wei Jun was aghast by how even he had been fooled by Run Long. It was justifiable in his case because he didn''t have any knowledge about Qi but still, the fact that Run Long had managed to deceive a lot of people like that made Wei Jun rethink Run Long''s values.


    ''By the way, you seem to know a lot about Qi.'' Wei Jun commented after picking on a point that many might have missed. The way the system explained the procedure was as if coming from someone very experienced.


    [I am the overseer of this world hence why I know a lot]


    ''Has there been a case like me then? A case where one cannot possess Qi?'' Wei Jun curiously asked, seeing the system in a new light.


    [Only one since the birth of Qi]


    ''The birth of Qi? What do you mean by that?'' Wei Jun asked, confused by the fact stated by the system because Wei Jun was under the assumption that Qi always existed in this world.


    [That information is unavailable at the current level of host]


    ''What''s that supposed to me---'' Wei Jun was in the middle of asking when he noticed a truck coming at him full power from the other intersection. If Wei Jun and the truck went at the same pace, they would collide. Wei Jun reduced the speed of his car and let the truck pass only to be surprised to see an SUV heading straight in his direction.


    Even Wei Jun couldn''t prevent a collision this close and they both rammed into each other, well, the SUV did while Wei Jun could only buckle himself properly by putting pressure on the steering wheel.


    ''It''s a good thing I always wear seatbelts.'' Wei Jun inwardly thought just before his car collided with the SUV. Wei Jun''s light car was easily lifted off the road and rolled and tumbled to the side of the road, coming to a halt after coming in contact with the roadside barriers.


    The man in the truck came out and three men came out of the SUV. The men in the SUV were carrying guns but the man from the truck, with an almost six feet height and a beef bus appearance, was empty-handed and simply walked over to the wrecked car.


    "He must have died, right? I mean, no one could survive that." One of the men whose face was unimportant said. The buff man simply replied, "Only one way to find out. Drag his body out of the car."


    Two of the men stepped forward and pulled the already destroyed door of the driver''s side of Wei Jun''s car. They found a handsome bloodied young man whose fate remained to be seen yet. Whether he was dead or just passed out remained to be uncertain.


    One of the men unbuckled the seat belt and the other dragged the body out. They dragged the body over to the buff man who said, "Well, look at that, still alive."


    The man hadn''t checked Wei Jun''s pulse to be certain but from his words, it seemed like he had another way of examining Wei Jun. "But that''s for the better. I was asked to give him a painful death anyway."


    The rest of the men snickered when they knew the meaning of the buff man''s words. He was especially known for his love of torturing handsome men in various unquestionable ways.


    While they were all snickering, a voice fell into their ears. "By who, I wonder?" The body in their feet spoke and before the man could react, he was grabbed by his foot and pulled, making him fall while a series of silenced gunshots rang out, instantly killing the three men with guns.


    Wei Jun instantly rolled on the ground to get away from the man and stood up like he wasn''t in a grave accident just a few moments ago. He hadn''t saved on bullets so the magazine of his SMG was already half gone and all for three men at that.


    He shook his head as he checked the usual messages of receiving no stats because his targets didn''t possess any Qi. There was also another set of notifications.


    [You have consumed a healing pill]


    [HP has been fully restored]


    [You cannot consume another pill for ten minutes] S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun wasn''t concerned about this fact but he wanted a few insurances in case he couldn''t just do with a healing pill. Wei Jun turned to look at the buff man slowly getting up and pointed his gun at him.


    However, unlike how Wei Jun had expected the beef man to cower, he simply began to make his way to Wei Jun while saying, "I like boys who resist."


    Wei Jun chose to ignore that remark and shot at the feet of the beef man. The beef man stopped for a second while the system called Wei Jun.


    [Uhh¡­ Host]


    ''Not now!'' Wei Jun dismissed the system and pointed the gun at the man again.


    [But host¡­]


    ''I said not now!'' Wei Jun dismissed the system once again as the man raised his head to look at Wei Jun with a questioning expression with one of his eyebrows raised as he began to walk forward.


    Wei Jun didn''t want to kill this man because he was the only source of information about who had called the hit on Wei Jun but seeing that the man wasn''t stopping, Wei Jun shot at the man''s left leg only to see the bullet bounce off after colliding with something invisible on the man''s leg, maybe over his whole body.


    ''I take it you were trying to tell me he was a cultivator.'' Wei Jun said inwardly as he now understood what the system was trying to tell him earlier.


    [Qi gathering realm]


    [Strength 54]


    [Stamina 49]


    [Agility 47]


    [Qi 48]


    Overall stat composition including the most unfamiliar stat that was Qi, the beef man had stat almost three times that of Wei Jun. Wei Jun didn''t think for another moment and began to shoot at the man. The magazine was emptied in two seconds but the man wasn''t scratched even a bit.


    The beef man resumed his advance toward Wei Jun who stored the gun back in inventory and pulled out an automatic rifle this time. The man stopped in his path when he saw the unusual ability of Wei Jun but before he could process any further, Wei Jun opened fire on the man which didn''t change the earlier result.


    Instead, the beef man began to run towards Wei Jun, and by the time the bullets ran out, he was already upon Wei Jun and slapped him, flinging him across the road.


    [HP 17\\21]


    Wei Jun instantly composed himself ignoring the pain but that was enough time for the man with almost two and a half times of agility of Wei Jun to be already beside him by the time he stood up.


    Wei Jun knew he couldn''t dodge this one as well so all he could do was brace himself for the impact. He crossed his arm in front of his stomach because that was where the fist of the man was headed. The fist collided with Wei Jun''s forearms and Wei Jun''s body was raised off the ground by almost six feet and he was thrown across the road by the distance of almost ten meters.


    He rolled on the road as multiple scratches appeared on him from the roll and his tuxedo was destroyed in a hundred different places.


    [HP 12\\21]


    [Warning]


    [Your left arm has been broken]


    [No Qi to initiate healing]


    [Healing cannot be done]


    From the notifications that flashed past his vision, Wei Jun at least figured out that Qi could heal his injuries or at least his critical injuries.


    Wei Jun''s right forearm was numb and he couldn''t outright feel the right one. His left arm was out of commission and the monster guy wasn''t showing any signs of stopping.


    Wei Jun was brainstorming for ideas when a new set of notifications appeared before him.


    [Qi gathering realm]


    [Strength 18]


    [Stamina 15]


    [Agility 13]


    [Qi 48]


    ''What the¡­''

 Chapter 57: Encounter with a cultivator (1)

    ''What the¡­ Why did his stats reduce?'' Wei Jun asked as he took a breather because the beef man wasn''t as fast as before.


    [His Qi must have not been enough to provide Qi armament]


    [So he should be replenishing it right now to use it again]


    The explanation reminded Wei Jun about his discussion with the system about how cultivators didn''t train their outer bodies but focused on inner cultivation instead and whenever needed, they would use Qi to temporarily increase their stats.


    Wei Jun didn''t think for another second and jumped at the beef man at full speed. The beef man was taken aback by Wei Jun''s speed which was almost two times higher than his but he was sure he couldn''t feel any Qi armament Wei Jun. The beef man didn''t think for another second and dodged only to be deceived by Wei Jun with a kick in the stomach.


    The strike delivered by Wei Jun was strong but not as strong when Wei Jun was hit so the beef man didn''t fly through the air but it was still very painful.


    Wei Jun only had one functioning arm and even that was slightly damaged but Wei Jun made full use of it delivering a jab to the beef man''s chin. The man once again tried to dodge but Wei Jun''s speed was greater than the man and he was hit right in the chin by Wei Jun.


    His vision became cloudy by the strong hit and his impaired vision couldn''t see where Wei Jun''s next hit was headed. The beef man was kicked straight in the groin by Wei Jun and he knelt on the ground while his hands clutched his groin. Wei Jun didn''t have an HP meter for the man so he couldn''t tell how injured he was but he was sure the damage wasn''t that much.


    "Who sent you?" Wei Jun asked while he pulled another gun out of the inventor and shot the beef man in the foot.


    "Ahhh!!!" The beef man screamed in pain out loud but Wei Jun had no mercy for him as he shot him once again and asked while he screamed again, "WHO SENT YOU?!!!"


    Wei Jun''s voice was loud and full of authority but it wasn''t like he could get an answer right at the moment amidst the man''s screams. He had no choice but to wait and when he felt that the pain had subsided a bit after a few seconds, he raised the beef man''s head roughly and asked while pointing the gun at his eye, "I will ask you nicely one last time, who sent you?"


    The man blinked, there were still traces of pain all over his face as he gritted his teeth and replied with great difficulty, "Fu¡­ FU*K YOU!"


    Wei Jun didn''t like the answer and pointed the gun at the man''s ear and said, "I did tell you I was asking nicely the last time." Wei Jun shot the man in the ear and tore it clean off. The man screamed once again with tame curses that didn''t even come close to Wei Jun''s curses.


    Wei Jun didn''t care even a bit and shot the man in the leg a few times. "Who sent you?" Wei Jun asked while the man writhed in pain from different parts of the body and his hands proved to be insufficient to clutch them all.


    Wei Jun asked again but the man didn''t reply. Wei Jun was fed up and was about to ask one last time when he heard a snicker from the man. Soon, the man began to chuckle and those small chuckles turned into a burst of full-blown laughter.


    Wei Jun saw that there was no use in interrogating him under the current circumstances and since the man wasn''t afraid for his life, he saw no use in prolonging this any further. He raised his gun, aimed at the head of the beef man, and shot him. The only difference. The strike didn''t connect this time.


    [Qi gathering realm]


    [Strength 51] S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Stamina 42]


    [Agility 31]


    [Qi 48]


    The Qi armament was back up although the stats were lowered than before. Wei Jun didn''t hold back and kept pressing the trigger of his gun to shoot the man but he was unaffected by the bullets as they kept bouncing off of him. Wei Jun stored the gun back in and turned around to run away.


    Wei Jun was in the middle of his run when he was hit by something from the back and he skidded across the road once again, slamming into the SUV of his assailants.


    [HP 4\\21]


    Wei Jun was incredibly low on HP and he was sure that one more strike would warrant death. Wei Jun turned around and saw the man huffing and panting on the ground with one hand on the road as support to sit.


    Wei Jun saw the debris of his car that was slammed into him. Wei Jun didn''t have a good feeling when he noticed that his spine was damaged and he couldn''t move his lower body anymore.


    ''Fuck.'' He internally said before he saw the man stand up with great difficulty. The beef man raised his head to look at him. From the looks of it, one of his legs that Wei Jun had repeatedly shot was useless but still, he stood on one leg and stared at him.


    Suddenly, a burst of something intangible emitted from him that struck Wei Jun. Wei Jun''s health didn''t decrease but it did make him experience what Qi was.


    "I WILL KILL YOU!!! YOU LITTLE SH*T!!!!" Just as the man shouted, he launched himself at Wei Jun. Time seemed to slow down for Wei Jun as first of all, he gave up on getting information from the beef man. Second, he analyzed his condition. His condition was far from good and it seemed like he was still losing health just not enough to amount to one point.


    Anything below the waist was useless and above the waist, one of the arms was broken only left one functioning but still a little damaged arm. All of this analysis left him with only one option.


    A very expensive and painful option.


    He pulled a little something out of his inventory while the beef man was halfway through. Well, a little something was the wrong description because it was hella long. About four feet. A gun heavy and long. Wei Jun pointed the sniper without the scope at the beef man charging at him who also noticed the gun but it was too late. His momentum couldn''t be broken.


    Wei Jun didn''t think about anything else and just pulled the trigger with his right hand and was pushed back instantly. The recoil from the gun shattered his arm completely while pushing him in the car, even raising and moving the car a bit. As for the beef man, well, there wasn''t much left of him anymore.


    The bullet from the sniper struck him right in the face, exploding it into flesh and bits, ignoring his Qi armament and continued its journey through his body all the way out of his groin, leaving only two legs that were barely recognizable because the force had skinned them as well, leaving most of the bone only.


    As for Wei Jun, well, his only functioning limb was now shattered and mangled beyond recognition and the pain he was in was otherworldly.


    [HP 1\\21]


    [Warning]


    [HP below 10%]


    [Preparing countermeasures]


    [Shutting all systems to prevent further loss of life force]


    Wei Jun couldn''t register most of it but he understood that he was in a very dire condition. Wei Jun couldn''t see properly so he was lucky that the notifications from the system weren''t only visual but also audible as well and sent directly to his brain because the next notification he heard was a life blessing, literally.


    [Ten minutes are up]


    [The user can now use healing pills]


    With his fading consciousness because of many reasons, he was able to command the system with great will.


    ''Con¡­sume¡­ a¡­ hea¡­ling¡­ pi¡­ll'' Wei Jun lost consciousness at that point when suddenly a warm current passed through him and he felt reinvigorated. His wounds began to heal and his shattered bones began to mend and repair themselves. The process itself was accompanied by pain. His bones crackled and his muscles tightened and the warm current didn''t help in the least to lessen that pain.


    The most pain he felt was when his spine was being repaired and he could feel his legs once again.


    His right arm which was turned and broken at unimaginable angles finally healed accompanied with pain as well.


    "Haa!!! Ha!!!" Wei Jun inhaled and exhaled in a loud voice as the pain finally ended. To be honest, his earlier pain had numbed due to his broken bones but when they were mended and repaired, he felt them thoroughly, making the pain something else.


    When his HP was full, it was almost as if it was magical. The pain was gone with every other feeling. He didn''t know how to explain this feeling. He realized that the healing pill was more than just healing minor injuries. It could bring someone back from death just like it fixed him.


    While he was still marveling at this fact, suddenly he felt empowerment rise from within his abdomen as a bunch of notifications appeared in his view.


    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been obtained]


    [¡­..]


    [¡­]


    [.]

 Chapter 58: The gains

    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been obtained]


    [No Qi element detected]


    [Stats would be randomly distributed]


    [Strength +7]


    [Agility +5]


    [Stamina +5]


    [Defense +11]


    [Qi +30]


    [Error]


    [Qi cannot be infused]


    [Converting Qi stat to other stats]


    [Stats would be randomly increased from 11~20]


    [Strength +2]


    [Agility +4]


    [Stamina +1]


    [Defense +7]


    [Charm +1]


    [Luck +4]


    Wei Jun felt empowerment beyond his expectations. He felt energized as the energy settled in his body. The feeling welled from his abdomen but it did nothing to his abdomen. Instead, he could feel the energy infusing with his body and after a few minutes, it was as if it disappeared.


    Wei Jun was about to move on after being energized, thinking that it was over from the system when another set of notifications appeared before him.


    [You have destroyed an opportunity of Run Long]


    [Your level has increased by 4]


    [You are now level 15]


    Wei Jun was confused as he didn''t know what he had done to receive the level-ups instead of killing the beef man because killing the rest didn''t get him anything.


    [The answer might lie in the next volumes]


    Wei Jun''s conclusion was also the same. Wei Jun''s cultivation level was the peak of the second stage of Qi cultivation, the Qi gathering realm. The beef man was also at the same stage so maybe both of them had a feud in the future and Run Long ended up benefitting from it.


    It was still in theory and Wei Jun wasn''t sure about it before reading the next volume which he now could. Wei Jun decided to check his status before he finished this.


    [Strength: 27]


    [Stamina: 29]


    [Agility: 26]


    [Defense: 23]


    [Qi: 0]


    [Charm: 28]


    [Luck: 5]


    Wei Jun''s defense had taken a giant leap and it was now almost the same as his other physical stats. Wei Jun didn''t feel any sturdier though but he was guessing that the defense stat would reduce the damage received. He didn''t know how that worked or if it even worked like that because for now, everything he had was just theoretical.


    Finished, Wei Jun turned to examine the scene. He checked the time and it was almost twelve minutes before the start of this incident but not a single car had been seen on the highway. It could only mean that someone influential or in this field was blocking the traffic.


    His best guess was it was someone in the government field. But the problem was that even that could only be done to an extent. Even the mayor could only block traffic for a short amount of time so he knew that soon, the traffic would resume and someone would report this. Before that happened, he needed to destroy every evidence of his involvement.


    Hurriedly Wei Jun went over to his car or what was left of it. Wei Jun took off the damaged plates and opened the car door. Wei Jun struck a C-4 explosive inside before doing the same to the outside. He then did the same to the truck and the SUV but only from the outside because there were no fingerprints of his on them.


    He was worried that if the police somehow managed to procure his fingerprints from the car, they would be able to trace this incident back to him.


    He was only doing this as a preventive measure because he didn''t know if his fingerprints had been registered in the police database or not. Given the habits of the previous Wei Jun, it would be surprising if he hadn''t been arrested before.


    Wei Jun planted the explosive and then distanced himself from the site before he detonated the bombs.


    BOOOMMM!!!


    A resounding voice spread in the surroundings which Wei Jun was sure the entire city heard. Even if someone was blocking the traffic before, they won''t be able to now. Wei Jun got off the highway and entered the woods to avoid being captured on the highway.


    ======


    By the time Wei Jun arrived at his home, it was already almost dawn. Wei Jun snuck inside his own villa so that even the guard at the gate couldn''t spot him. Once he was inside, he recalled the battle he had just before while he showered. He almost died but the gains of just this one battle were more than his efforts over the last month in the gym.


    Another thing he realized was the importance of Qi. The man who was lower than him in stats could throw him like a ragdoll was an astonishment in itself. Wei Jun knew there was no winning in that fight had it not been for the sniper which almost snapped his arm off.


    Another thing he realized was his mistake. Had he taken care of the man when there wasn''t a pesky Qi barrier protecting him, Wei Jun wouldn''t have gotten to the near-death point.


    Once he was done analyzing the battle, he finally focused on the last and the most important part. The second volume of the novel. Wei Jun wanted to level up and he could only do so by hindering Run Long''s growth and to do so, he needed to take things away that would make Run Long strong.


    Also, he needed to know how to start on Lin Ruan because no other opportunity had represented itself in Quan Li''s case for now.


    "Okay, now send the second volume of this illogical sh*t to my mind to rot." Wei Jun said with clear distaste in his voice.


    [Understood, host] S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Brace yourself or I should be saying that to myself]


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Wei Jun asked and instead of a reply, he had a lot of information flooded into his head.


    After the information transfer was finished, Wei Jun just stood still. He didn''t comment about anything he read in the novel because just saying it sounded like reliving it. He was already hesitant to even remember it for the sake of sanity so he decided to recall only information useful to him and decided to ignore all the unreasonable cr*p in the novel.


    "So we have only one physical opportunity while the main plot of Lin Ruan begins in this volume." Wei Jun concluded as he came out of the shower and dried himself.


    [What will you do about Lin Ruan, host?]


    [Killing her doesn''t seem to benefit you in any way]


    ''What kind of a person do you think I am? I don''t kill indiscriminately without a reason.'' Wei Jun replied in his head this time because he wasn''t in the confines of his shower. The last thing he wanted was to be known as someone who talks to himself.


    [Then what will you do after you suck her dry?]


    ''¡­''


    [Of experience]


    Wei Jun ignored the sarcastic wordplay and replied, "Lin Ruan seems to be a girl with a good head on her shoulder. As a business partner, she would be of great help."


    Wei Jun made many plans regarding Lin Ruan in an instant and the first and foremost of them was to prevent the contact of Lin Ruan and Run Long. But that wasn''t going to come anytime soon so he decided to ignore that. For now, it was time to hit the gym.


    ======


    The gym session at dawn began and everyone witnessed agape at what Wei Jun was doing. The acting team''s jaws were on the floor because of a shirtless individual who was lifting weights that even ten well-built men might not be able to lift.


    Even Lao Chen was astonished because even a cultivator at the Qi Gathering realm wouldn''t be able to easily lift that amount of weight.


    As for Wei Jun, ''Fu*k. It''s difficult.''


    He thought that now that his stats were increased by a lot, listing 200 kilograms wouldn''t be a problem but just two reps and he was done. His muscles were aching and he knew he wouldn''t be able to achieve much with this weight so he decided to lower it by fifty kilograms before he continued his exercise.


    He didn''t gain anything but he could feel his muscles burning so he was sure he would achieve something in a few days at least.


    When he finished his exercise of weightlifting, he noticed no one else was doing anything. He was about to yell when he remembered his conversation with Xia Lu yesterday. He felt a little uncomfortable yelling at her for a reason unknown.


    "Get back to your work." Wei Jun simply said before he moved on to the other stuff because the run had to be done with everyone. Of course, where everyone ran three laps, Wei Jun could do almost thirty times that in the same timeframe.


    "All right! Listen up!" Wei Jun addressed the sprawled-out people on the ground, huffing and breathing for their dear lives.


    "Today is the scene with the villain and the heroine and that''s where the main focus would be. You are all to come to the set and observe the shooting with us. Understood?" Wei Jun explained and when he asked, all he received were heavy breaths so he opted to take that as a yes.

 Chapter 59: Another move

    "Keep moving!"


    "Take the next turn!"


    "You cannot enter unless you have permission!"


    Yang Gu was having a hard day. Since his senior was busy chasing after a young master of some family, he was the one who had to deal with all the other cases dumped on their unit. Small cases were fine but such a big case and the head of the homicide department wasn''t here, his bad luck was increasing by every second.


    "What''s the analysis?" Yang Gu asked.


    "How do I explain this¡­ Well, you see, for the starters, it''s quite a simple ambush and an assassination but it''s hard to tell who those legs belong to. To the victim or the assailant. As for those three, from their matching clothes and choice of weapons, I would say they were also assailants." The forensic expert explained the scene the best he could after an hour of examination.


    "And? That''s it?" Yang Gu asked.


    "Further analysis of the debris is needed. And as for the body parts found, I will let you know after some checking." The forensic expert replied and added, "In the meanwhile, you could have someone check the number plates to see if they can be salvaged. They could be helpful."


    Yang Gu nodded and replied, "I will see to that."


    Yang Gu then formed his own theory but even he was stumped at the point whether the body with only legs left was the victim or the assailant. He decided to hold that thought and informed his chief.


    "And that''s all we know for now, senior." Yang Gu reported Zhao Hui who was just pulling in a studio at the moment as he replied, "Got it. Keep me updated."


    Zhao Hui got out of the car and made his way to the studio where the preparations for the movie that day were being made. He entered the set to see Wei Jun busy barking orders and some actors in the corner talking to each other.


    He smirked as he entered the set after displaying his badge to a guard. He made his way to Wei Jun who also noticed him with displeasure as he said, "You are here again without an appointment. Do I need to spell it for you or will you leave on your own?"


    "Didn''t I say last time I won''t be needing an appointment?" He said as he displayed a paper to Wei Jun and added, "Quan Li and Zhan Yi are to follow me to the police station for questioning."


    Wei Jun gave him a stink eye as Zhao Hui reveled in triumph. Wei Jun read the whole page and said, "It says they are to answer your questions. It doesn''t say which questions. You get one hour in the presence of an attorney." Wei Jun was smart enough to know the laws that were intentionally omitted from the warrant.


    Zhao Hui''s expression was pure annoyance once his loophole had been found. A normal citizen wouldn''t know about this and once a warrant was displayed, which citizen would be able to keep their calm and even before that, the police would rush which was why Zhao Hui hadn''t given the paper in the beginning.


    But now that his ruse was discovered, Wei Jun simply said, "They go with you and they answer what they think should be answered. If you are not happy with their answers, then bring an attorney or the people''s representative to continue this.


    However, if you take them this time, you will lose your free questioning chance and I will sue the police for harassment for baseless questioning based on circumstantial evidence." Wei Jun recited laws that even Zhao Hui wasn''t aware of.


    Zhao Hui could only bite the bullet and go with a much more secure option of appointing a D.A. prosecutor for questioning because he knew that with a lawyer present to defend Quan Li and Zhan Yi, he wouldn''t be able to get all the answers he needed.


    "Then I will arrange a prosecutor in an hour." Zhao Hui said reluctantly before he turned to leave. But not before watching the same triumphant grin on Wei Jun''s face that Zhao Hui had a while ago.


    "You''re very petty." Xia Lu didn''t fail to mention this part. The shooting began and since it was mostly Wei Jun and Xia Lu''s scenes, the rest just spectated. Like two experts, they shot five scenes in just two hours and Zhao Hui, who came with a lawyer had to wait an hour because there was no fixed time for questioning either which was another police technique that was now biting themselves back.


    "Please state your name and affiliation with Wei Jun Ruan." Zhao Hui began.


    "I don''t think that this questioning has anything to do with Mister Ruan. He wasn''t involved in the accident." The attorney hired by Wei Jun hurriedly interjected.


    "Well, I want to know why they were there." Zhao Hui said.


    "They were there because it''s their job and also, this questioning is about the incident that happened to them and once again, Mister Ruan was not involved so his mention in this questioning does not make sense." The attorney countered.


    Zhao Hui turned to confirm with the lawyer of his own who unfortunately nodded so Zhao Hui had to move from it.


    "Please state your names." He rephrased his question which wasn''t interjected so both Quan Li and Zhan Yi answered one by one.


    "Were you involved in an accident on the 15th of May, this week?" Zhao Hui asked next. The attorney was about to interject when he stopped and nodded to both Quan Li and Zhan Yi to answer.


    "It wasn''t an accident, we were attacked." Zhan Yi, taking Xia Lu''s advice, curtly replied.


    "Ahem." Zhao Hui coughed as he rephrased, "Did you know your attacker?"


    "No." Zhan Yi simply replied.


    "How do you know Miss Na Tong?" Zhao Hui asked next.


    "I don''t. She''s just some woman who sent me gifts." Zhan Yi replied.


    "So one could say you allowed her contact?" Zhao Hui asked, acting as if it was mostly his fault. Had he not allowed Na Tong any interaction, she wouldn''t have been involved with them.


    "I didn''t accept them. I returned them to which she replied with a threat." Zhan Yi replied.


    "And what was that threat? Was it on a phone call or what?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "It was in a red letter." Zhan Yi replied.


    "Do you have that with you?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "No. the letters to my name arrive at the agency. They are agency property before I am allowed to read them." Zhan Yi replied.


    "So your boss has them?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "Yes." Zhan Yi answered.


    "So one could say he was aware of this issue?" Zhao Hui had finally found a way to get Wei Jun involved which was actually very ingenious. The excuse that Wei Jun wasn''t involved couldn''t be used anymore.


    Zhan Yi was left speechless by how he was riled up by Zhao Hui. On the other hand, Zhao Hui thought, ''This is the normal reaction.'' He recalled all the interrogations he had with Wei Jun. He couldn''t even get the guy flustered. Zhan Yi''s reaction was completely normal for his age; Wei Jun was an abnormality.


    Zhan Yi turned to the attorney who nodded after a few seconds of staring. Zhan Yi nodded back and replied, "Yes, he was aware of it."


    "Did he confront Miss Tong about it?" Zhao Hui asked which Zhan Yi didn''t know so he shook his head saying, "I don''t know."


    "Has he not mentioned anything about it to you?" Zhao Hui asked to which he received the answer, "No, he didn''t." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see. Let''s move on to how you were treated." Zhao Hui said before he asked, "Can you tell me how you were healed of such severe injuries?"


    "No, they cannot because it has nothing to do with Miss Tong." The attorney spoke up.


    "They are not here because of Miss Na Tong. We are simply following up on their situation." The D.A. lawyer argued.


    "Then my clients refuse to answer this question." The attorney simply said to which the other party couldn''t say anything about.


    "Then you can at least tell me where Mister Ruan, your boss, was during your time at the hospital?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "He was with sister Xia." Quan Li was the one to answer this one. "Sister Quan said that she was devastated after witnessing my condition and the boss had to console her." Quan Li recounted the story that they were told by Xia Lu which to them was true.


    "They must have a very special relationship then," Zhao Hui commented to which the attorney swiftly said, "Are you insinuating something, Detective? Should I write it down for future issues?"


    The D.A. lawyer held Zhao Hui''s hand and shook his head to which Zhao Hui nodded and apologized, "My apologies, I said it without thinking."


    "Good. But I will still hold your remark against you should that ever become necessary." The attorney spoke before he added, "And from the looks of it, we are done here. Have a nice day." The attorney signaled both Quan Li and Zhan Yi to leave.


    Wei Jun, who was sitting comfortably in his office and listening to the conversation through a microphone with the attorney and delivering instructions through an earpiece, simply smirked.


    [He sure knows how to spin tales]


    ''Never interrupt a wise man when he is making a fool out of himself. Why would I worry about him when he is making everything easier for me?''


    [By heading in the completely wrong direction?]


    ''Exactly.''

 Chapter 60: Plans

    Wei Jun was worried that Zhao Hui would recognize his car but as it seemed, Zhao Hui was focused on something else entirely which gave Wei Jun enough time to make a paper trail of selling his car overseas.


    Right now, Wei Jun faced many difficulties and one of such difficulties was the person behind his assault last night. He wanted to dig deeper but he knew he couldn''t be too provocative. His biggest headache was the situation with Lin Ruan.


    Upon reading the ridiculous novel last night, Wei Jun filtered the necessary information and the information regarding Lin Ruan was very simple.


    The matter of inheritance. In the novel, the original Wei Jun was an inferiority complex scumbag who when noticed that his rightful inheritance was being given to Lin Ruan, an adopted child, Wei Jun ordered an assassination of her.


    Of course, the hero somehow just happened to be there and saved her. To express her gratitude, Lin Ruan introduced Run Long to the right people which began their relationship from business to finally lovers when they both figured out who had instigated the attack on Lin Ruan.


    Then they would plan revenge and finally, during their revenge, Run Long would end up discovering that Lin Ruan was more than just an ordinary cultivator, and then their spicy adventure would begin.


    ''I kind of understand why you have those unethical things in the system shop.'' Wei Jun commented.


    [See?]


    [It''s the host that is wired]


    ''I just don''t logically see how sleeping with a girl can raise one''s power.'' Wei Jun argued.


    [Dual cultivation is an entire plot and the backbone of cultivation in the Wuxia novels, host]


    ''I don''t know what this ''Wuxia'' is and I won''t even begin to make an effort to understand.'' Wei Jun dismissed the issue once he knew the root of the cause. All he needed to do was to not order an attack on Lin Ruan and to break the connection between Lin Ruan and Run Long, all he needed to do was to pit them against each other.


    If in the novel, Lin Ruan was the one who helped Run Long start the business, then in this reality, she would be against him.


    When he was planning everything, his cellphone rang and he checked who it was and the caller ID read, "Liu Yu."


    "Oh, there''s her too." Wei Jun now finally understood what kind of role Liu Yu had in the novel after reading the second volume where Run Long becomes influential; enough to get in contact with Liu Yu.


    Wei Jun declined the call as he formulated a plan for her as well. So far she had only proven herself to be a headache but not enough for her to die. Still, Wei Jun had a suspicion about her, there was a chance she was the one to hire his assailants from last night. After all, the Yu family had a good standing in the government sector instead of the business area.


    "You called for me, young master?" Lao Chen entered and asked.


    "Ready papers for my favorite car to be sold." Wei Jun simply instructed.


    "Pardon? I don''t understand." Lao Chen expressed his confusion.


    "I didn''t like it so I sold it but I didn''t sell it legally so I need papers for that when the government demands a report for my income for everything." Wei Jun explained his instructions. Lao Chen was taken aback by the ridiculous excuse but he didn''t follow up on that.


    "Understood, young master." Saying so Lao Chen left the room. Wei Jun called Li Wei Who answered and said, "Boss! I was just about to call you. There''s a problem."


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    "The police have applied for a warrant and the D.A. has approved it." Li Wei replied.


    "Why?" Wei Jun asked.


    "That''s because someone from the high seat interfered and impacted the decision." Li Wei replied.


    "Who?" Wei Jun asked.


    "The Tian family, the mayor and¡­" She hesitated on the last name because she was unsure of the assumption that it could make her boss angry.


    "What is it?" Wei Jun asked, indicating her to continue.


    "¡­ Your fianc¨¦e. Liu Yu of the Yu family asked her uncle to push forward with the warrant." Li Wei answered finally expecting a shocked statement from her boss but she was shocked herself when she heard a nonchalant, "That''s it?"


    "Eh¡­" For a moment she was taken aback and didn''t know how to reply to that other than, "¡­Yes. That''s it."


    "Good." Wei Jun replied before he added his instructions, "You know what to do with the police. You have their data. As for the D.A., well, if there''s nothing, we can simply create it but try to dig because I''m sure there is something we can pin the D.A. with. Focus on the one representing against me." Wei Jun instructed which was noticed by Li Wei who replied with a "Yes, boss."


    The call ended and Wei Jun leaned back in his chair. Given that the warrant was just approved by the D.A., a judge also needed to approve it and a judge couldn''t do so after five so they would need to do so until the next day after all, Wei Jun wasn''t a criminal yet, only under suspicion.


    "Enough time to prepare." Wei Jun mumbled and just at the time, the door opened and Lao Chen entered, "Your instructions have been carried out, young master."


    Wei Jun nodded and slumped back in his chair while he instructed, "Cancel tomorrow''s shooting. Give the actors a day off for outings or whatever they want. Try to stay with them."


    "But what about you, young master?" Lao Chen asked. Lao Chen''s main task was to be the bodyguard of Wei Jun. He didn''t really care about the others. Wei Jun smiled and said, "I will be spending tonight outside."


    Saying so, Wei Jun took out his phone and called Li Wei once again, "Geo locate the phones of the following people."


    =====


    "Hahaha! You don''t have to worry about anything, young master Tian. I have everything ready. I will sign the papers tomorrow and he will be arrested." A man with a pot belly said while laughing with a whisky glass in his hand.


    Yao Tian nodded with a smile and replied, "I don''t doubt your wisdom and judgment, Judge Yong."


    "Hahaha! Of course. A cruel man like Wei Jun Ruan should be behind bars and paying for his crimes." Judge Yong said, agreeing with Yao Tian.


    "And how is the evidence coming along, Chief Tao?" Yao Tian asked another man in the room.


    "It was difficult because the detective who examined the crime scenes was very involved but do not worry, proper evidence has been planted, and even the god won''t be able to change the outcome of this case." Chief Tao replied with a smile on his face. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Due to Zhao Hui''s involvement, planting evidence was very difficult but it was solved once he was taken off the case.


    "That''s good. I can trust you, Chief Tao. And remember, the mayor specifically asked for a life sentence so try to get multiple of them. Charge Wei Jun Ruan with whatever you can, even cases that have been closed because of no evidence. Try and plant his involvement in them and make it so that not even the emperor himself can save him." Yao Tian said with a subtle anger in his eyes.


    He had lost too much because of Wei Jun but luckily for him, Wei Jun showed up at the party of the Na family, not only offending the Tian family patriarch but many other families along with many officials including the mayor.


    Now that Yao Tian had the full support of his father and many resources at his disposal, he was sure there was no way Wei Jun was getting out of this easily even with his status.


    "And what about the Yu family? Have their patriarch also agreed?" Chief Tao asked.


    "No, the patriarch dismissed the idea because he''s a coward. He''s worried about Sun Ruan but at least that bi*ch, Liu Yu has some sense and convinced her uncle to help us." Yao Tian replied.


    "Hahaha! That arrogant little lass does need to be reminded of her place." Judge Yong said with a strong laugh.


    "She does but right now, we need her. One we won''t, then we can have our fun with her." Yao Tian agreed with the fat man and replied.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, young master Tian, have you also prepared a contingency for Sun Ruan?" Chief Tao asked reluctantly. Although they had just called the patriarch of the Yu family a coward for being afraid of Sun Ruan, it was an underlying fact that Sun Ruan was the strongest cultivator in Yuan Yin City.


    "Haha¡­ don''t you worry, Chief Tao. I have made a new friend whose master is at the peak of {Qi Master}. Sun Ruan won''t be able to do anything when we also have a strong person on our side." Yao Tian culled Chief Tao''s worries with a smile.

 Chapter 61: Arrested

    Wei Jun yawned as he checked his watch to check the time. It was 9:30 in the morning and since he hadn''t slept for the last two days, he was somewhat sleepy now but he was saving sleep time for the jail cell where he was sure he would be spending the night.


    "You look tired." Xia Lu commented when she entered the room during Wei Jun''s yawn. Wei Jun replied, "I haven''t slept for the last two days."


    He then raised his head and curiously asked, "Why are you here anyway? I told you, you have a free day today." Xia Lu took the seat opposite Wei Jun and nonchalantly said, "I was getting bored at home so I decided to come here. Also, I needed to practice a few scenes in the studio."


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "That''s good. When I get back we will be shooting non-stop so make sure you''re well-rested and your schedule is open."


    "Get back? Are you going somewhere?" Xia Lu curiously asked. Wei Jun smiled at her question and answered, "You will know in a few minutes." His answer was vague and only left Xia Lu even more.


    As she was mulling over it, the door to the office opened and Lao Chen entered a little panicked as he said, "Young master, the police are here to arrest you." Xia Lu was astonished by the news and didn''t know what to say but before she could, Wei Jun interrupted her.


    "I know." Wei Jun simply replied as he closed the file in front of him.


    "You know?!" She asked, even more, confused by the lack of panic on Wei Jun''s face. He was acting as if he was going to have dinner any moment. The absence of panic or fear left both Xia Lu and Lao Chen shocked.


    "Practice your scenes." Wei Jun simply said while getting up and then addressed Lao Chen, "Don''t deploy any lawyers until tomorrow no matter what. Tell that to the family head. Tell him it is a must request from me." Wei Jun didn''t wait for the reply from either and walked out of the office leaving two still very shocked people.


    When outside, Wei Jun saw a platoon of cops in navy blue shirts and dark pants along with two men in casual wear.


    When they saw him, the bodyguards moved out of the way and one of the detectives spoke, "Wei Jun Ruan, we have a warrant for your arrest. If you resist, we are allowed to use extensive measures."


    "Sure." Wei Jun nonchalantly replied while extending both of his hands forward fists closed and said, "Just cuff me and get it over with."


    Wei Jun''s behavior left everyone in shock just like the two shocked people inside his office. Even the detective was greatly taken aback. Still, he cuffed Wei Jun after a few seconds and said, "You have to right to an¡­"


    "I know my rights." Wei Jun interrupted the detective and began to walk out of the building on his own. The policemen looked at the detectives for directions who were at a loss for what to do themselves.


    Wei Jun stopped because he didn''t want it to look like an arrest resist to let the police guide him to the car which they soon did after getting over how strange it was for someone to be so eager to be arrested.


    Wei Jun was arrested and taken to the police station where his fingerprints were taken which was a bad thing for Wei Jun but he had a plan for that as well. Once it was done, he was frisked to search for any kind of weapons and once that was done, he was brought to the interrogation room where a detective was waiting for him already.


    "Let me begin by stating the charges against you. You are under arrest for fourteen first-degree murder charges out of which three happened at the Sundown motel where three males were murdered. As for the rest found at ''The Club'' were eleven males murdered with two different guns.


    I want you to know that you have a right to an attorney and we can begin as soon as you can arrange for one otherwise, we would have to begin." The detective said all of it in one breath and then waited for Wei Jun to speak.


    However, no response came. Even after a minute, Wei Jun uttered no response. The detective repeated the question, "Mister Ruan, would you like to ask for an attorney or should we begin?"


    Again, no response came. Wei Jun just kept staring straight at the wall with an occasional blink only. His face was expressionless, not even cold.


    "Mister Ruan, if you do not answer, your right to an attorney will be revoked." The detective spoke once again, a little sternly but still, Wei Jun''s response remained the same, nothing. For several more minutes, they tried every warning to get Wei Jun to talk but he never did. He just kept staring at the wall silently with slight blinks every now and then.


    "Mister Ruan, where were you on the morning of the 15th of last month?" One of the detectives asked. The other one stood behind him with his back against the wall. They had been going at it for hours now but there was no response from Wei Jun and they were the third pair to question him. The other two left in anger because they were afraid they might do something regretful.


    "Mister Ruan, you know that if you do not answer, we will have to take this matter to the court." The detective leaning against the wall spoke. She stepped forward and said, "I''m sure the public would like that very much. You will be famous even before the release of your film."


    Wei Jun didn''t reply and simply turned his head slightly to look at her. He smiled a bit which relieved the other detective thinking he was about to speak but the words that left his mouth were of no help to them, "A movie would soon be released. I wonder how famous the people in it would be then?"


    "Pardon?" The female detective asked with her eyebrow quirked. Wei Jun turned his head back straight and went back to his earlier state, the state of silence.


    "Haaa¡­ We''re obviously not going anywhere with this. We should take the night off. We will continue tomorrow." The male detective said.


    "Mhm." The female detective nodded in consent before she turned to Wei Jun and said with a smile, "Enjoy your stay here, Mister Ruan."


    =====


    A girl was sitting in front of her laptop. She was eating from a bag of chips and taking slow slurps of a soda with it. On her laptop, a program was being loaded and was currently at 99%. Just as the program was completed, the girl sighed and said to no one but herself, "Hope you know what you are doing, boss."


    She then took out her phone and called someone. "Hello. Who is this?" the voice on the other side asked.


    "Is this Lao Chen? I am Li Wei. I have instructions for you from the boss." Li Wei said. Lao Chen hurriedly asked, "What? What are they?"


    "Boss told me he wants you to send his attorney to the Yuan Yin General Hospital." Li Wei replied.


    "What? Why the hospital?" Lao Chen asked, flabbergasted and confused.


    "I have no idea. It''s just what he said." Li Wei replied.


    "Haaa¡­ Very well. I will see to it." Lao Chen replied and hung up the call. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    =====


    It was nighttime in the police station and aside from a few operators and constables, no one was there. One of the constables sat outside the holding cell, keeping an eye on Wei Jun. He was still in remand and couldn''t be transferred anywhere until this case was still under investigation.


    Wei Jun sat straight in the cell with no movements. He hadn''t even budged that had lowered the guard of the constable who busied himself with a model magazine. Wei Jun observed him for a while before he turned his head to the CCTV camera in his direction. When he saw the blinking light on the camera go off, he smiled.


    He turned to the constable and said, "I''m hungry."


    "What?" The guard asked, a little irked for being disturbed.


    "I said I''m hungry. I have been in detention the entire day. I require food." Wei Jun explained himself nicely.


    "Haa¡­. Sure. Wait a few minutes. I will see what I can get for you." The constable sighed, stood up, and left the area. Wei Jun didn''t wait for even a second after the constable moved out of the hall and stood up with his elbow pointing at his face.


    His hands were cuffed so the only weapon he could use was an elbow but the elbow was the perfect tool in his current situation after all, the hands don''t mimic the given injury. If he wanted to imitate an injury given by someone else, he needed to use a limb that didn''t leave a direction imprint.


    He swung his arm and his elbow struck him straight in the face and blood flew out of his mouth. He didn''t stop and did the same again to his abdomen. Then he struck one of his ribs as a breathless gasp left his mouth.


    [Your lung has been pierced]


    [Using emergency aid]


    [Further damage would be blocked]


    Wei Jun smiled and continued to harm himself. He did it again and again until he was bruised from head to thighs where his elbows could barely reach. He then did the last one because the pain from his lung was becoming dangerous at the moment. The system was holding it from worsening but that only prolonged his suffering. His last move was to hit the bars of the cell with his left elbow.


    He hit it so hard that his bone fractured.


    Wei Jun stopped at this point and simply fell to the floor.


    "Hey! What the¡­" The constable returned only to find Wei Jun unconscious and hurriedly shouted. "HELP!!! CALL AN AMBULANCE!!!"

 Chapter 62: Blame

    "What happened?" The chief detective, Kai Bo asked.


    "No idea. The constable says he found him like this. He asked for food and when the constable left to get it, he injured himself to this extent." A detective explained.


    "What for?" Kai Bo curiously asked, hoping to understand the cause of such a move.


    "No idea. However, the situation isn''t looking good. The injuries are critical. The doctors say they are trying their best and since he is physically fit, he will push through." The detective explained.


    "I see." Kai Bo said before he asked, "Have you reported this?"


    "No. For now, it seems like a move to make an insanity plea eligible. It would be better if we kept this under wraps." Another detective advised. Kai Bo nodded in consent and then they just waited for the report.


    About an hour later a doctor came out and reported, "Good news. He pushed through. All injuries have been taken care of. Whoever inflicted them was careful about only inflicting surface wounds. The only noticeable injuries were the lung and elbow injury but we managed to take care of them."


    Listening to the report, the detectives were taken aback a bit. If they weren''t mistaken, the doctor just said that the injuries were inflicted by someone. "What do you mean whoever? He did that to himself."


    The doctor was a bit surprised now as he replied, "That''s not possible. The pattern of the injuries doesn''t match self-infliction. I know an out-of-hand beating when I see one. He was definitely assaulted by someone else."


    Before the detectives could understand what was happening, another doctor came out of the room and said, "The patient has regained consciousness."


    "Move him to a ward and then check his vitals." The doctor rushed back in and began to tend to Wei Jun. As for the detectives, they looked at each other as they could tell that this was a bad sign. If what the doctor said was true, they had a lot of trouble ahead.


    "I want you to go back to the station and check the CCTV to find out what happened?" Kai Bo ordered.


    "That''s not possible, chief. The CCTV was turned off when this happened." The detective from earlier replied.


    "What?! HOW?!" Kai Bo asked because the situation had gotten a lot worse. If the CCTV was disabled, then surely it could be an inside job and the odds weren''t looking so good.


    "We have no idea, chief. The staff says the cameras just turned off for five minutes. How? They have no idea." The detective replied.


    Kai Bo rubbed his forehead as he felt a strong headache coming. After a few moments, he raised his head and said, "Get a confession out of him. Make sure the doctor''s reports don''t get out. Try to pin it on him as much as you can. We have nothing to do with this. It was the convict''s attempt to get an insanity plea."


    In such a situation where they clearly looked guilty, all they could do was put it all on the victim or in this case, the suspect of fourteen murders who had substantial evidence against him to get the title of a convict easily even though he wasn''t sentenced yet.


    "Yes, boss." One of the detectives replied and they moved to the room in which Wei Jun was. As they entered, they saw Wei Jun staring straight at the wall, a machine beeping, displaying his vitals while he was on an IV drip of some kind.


    "Why did you do that to yourself?" Kai Bo asked, getting straight to the point.


    There was no reply. Kai Bo was familiar with Wei Jun''s attempt to remain quiet during the day''s investigation. He slammed at the bedhead to get a reaction out of him as he yelled, "WHY DID YOU DO IT?!!"


    "Hey! You cannot do this here." The doctor said in displeasure.


    "You don''t understand. This man is a criminal and a murderer. We don''t know what he can do." The other detective tried to reason with the doctor but the doctor wasn''t listening as he said, "I don''t care! It''s a hospital, not your interrogation room and the patient is still in a bad condition."


    Kai Bo and the rest had no choice but to back off for now but just as they did, they heard a commotion from outside the room. As they came out, they saw two people, a man with a briefcase and a late middle-aged man, trying to get past the detectives.


    "I am the attorney of Wei Jun Ruan. You have no right to stop me. I will report you if you don''t let me enter right now." The attorney of Wei Jun, Xiang Fan shouted in anger.


    The man next to him, Lao Chen, the personal bodyguard and also the butler of Wei Jun also said, "If you do not let us enter right now, I will report this to the family head."


    When Kai Bo saw these people and the threats they were making, the headache he was feeling turned into a strong migraine.


    "Chief," the detective at his side said, "We have no choice but to let them through." Kai Bo sighed and said, "Watch them." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    =====


    Xiang Fan and Lao Chen entered the room to see Wei Jun lying on the bed. His left eye was blackened, there were multiple lacerations on his body, his left elbow was dressed in a cast and his breathing was a little difficult.


    "Young master¡­" Lao Chen was speechless when he saw Wei Jun''s appearance.


    "Mister Ruan, who did this to you." Xiang Fan asked.


    "The¡­ The detectives did this." Wei Jun replied with a lot of difficulty. The detective that had entered the room with them went wide-eyed by this fact.


    "What?! Who were they?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "They¡­ They were Lei Mu, Shu¡­. Cheng, Ke Tao, and¡­ Shin Han." Wei Jun again, with great difficulty answered the answer and named the four detectives who had interrogated him before the last pair of detectives.


    "WHAT?! NO?! HE''S LYING!!!" The detective yelled and came forward only to be stopped by Lao Chen who was fuming with anger himself. "Take one more step, and you won''t live to tell the tale." As Qi emanated from him, the detective couldn''t help but feel a threat to his life.


    "Mister Chen, stop. We cannot cause a commotion here." Xiang Fan hurriedly interjected and stopped him. Lao Chen turned to look at Wei Jun who also subtly nodded. Lao Chen backed off and Xiang Fan said, "Leave now if you do not want to be implicated."


    The detective had no choice but to turn around to leave. Just as he did, Wei Jun spoke, "Call the media. Secure the doctor''s testimony. Make it public. Roll the police''s name through the mud and then do it even worse. Make it so that the public throws stones at them whenever they see them.


    Pay for the stones as well." The earlier difficulty in speech was nowhere to be seen. Lao Chen only saw the usually composed master he had always seen.


    "We don''t have time. Before they try to suppress the matter, we should do it hurriedly." Xiang Fan said and he left to make the arrangements.


    "Lao Chen," once Xiang Fan was gone, Wei Jun called him.


    "Yes, young master?" Lao Chen hurriedly said.


    "Li Wei has the movie. Release it when ordered." Wei Jun simply said before he closed his eyes. Lao Chen wasn''t aware of this new plan so he wasn''t sure what it entailed as well. However, it didn''t matter to him. All he had to do was follow.


    "Yes, young master." He replied before he went silent to let his master rest.


    =====


    "Last night, Wei Jun Ruan, the sole son of the Ruan family was assaulted in the police station by four detectives. The doctor''s testimony has backed up this fact and according to the doctors, Wei Jun has suffered multiple lacerations, multiple fractures, and one punctured lung caused by a broken rib.


    So far, the police deny all the claims because there has been no such proof because the CCTV cameras of the police station were under maintenance last night."


    "However, this claim of the police was denied, and proven that the cameras were turned off from the police station instead of them being faulty. This has raised even more questions about what the police were trying to do. The police have reported that Wei Jun Ruan is under multiple counts of arrest and that they possess proof.


    This case has now been made public and the court has decided to deal with this case."


    The reporter reported all of this in the news as Yao Tian clutched the glass in his hands as tightly as he could. He could have had Wei Jun out of the way by now but another complication arose due to the stupidity of the police.


    "Don''t worry." A feminine voice entered his ear as he turned around to see Liu Yu sipping wine from her glass as her butler stood behind her. "The evidence is all against him. As long as the murders against him are proven, he will be sentenced and all this won''t matter."


    Yao Tian had to admit this was the most plausible move right now. Do nothing. "Besides, even if the police are blamed, what does it do to us?" Once again, Yao Tian couldn''t help but feel a little afraid. Although he didn''t like this woman, so far, her plans had been perfect and cruel. She was the one who elevated his position in his family so much that he was now more regarded than his elder brother.


    "Let''s hope you''re right." Yao Tian replied.


    "I''m always right." Liu Yu expressionlessly as she sipped her wine slowly while inwardly she thought, ''Just a little more.''

 Chapter 63: Opportunity

    "What should we do now, chief? We managed to get custody but the case is very serious. If anything happened, we won''t be able to bear the aftermath." A detective said to Kai Bo. Kai Bo also didn''t know what to say in reply because the situation was indeed out of control.


    In just two days, the crime rate had gone up by twenty percent throughout Yuan Yin City because the police had to withdraw from several areas due to the public.


    Not only that, but four detectives were suspended indefinitely which was a nice phrase to use for fired from their jobs. The situation wasn''t looking good for them either. They had only one judge on their side. Even the Tian family couldn''t help in this situation. Although they refused to admit it, they had been abandoned by the Tian family.


    Kai Bo had only one choice left, make Wei Jun Ruan confess to his wrong statements but he knew he wouldn''t be able to do that because the aggressive move that the Ruan family made in anger dropped the city''s budget by 15%, forcing many policemen to either transfer or outright quit, leaving a heavy dent on their force.


    Not to mention, Kai Bo had already asked some of the detectives to take a few days off because of the case.


    Even a blind man knew that this case was tempered and not every cop was on their side because of this, he had to relieve them of their duties for some time. And now that he was at the risk of reliving himself, he had no choice but to bring back the honest cops.


    "Bring Zhao Hui and his team back. We have no other choice but to cut a deal with Wei Jun Ruan. Zhao Hui is our best bet for that." Kai Bo instructed to which the detective nodded and left.


    ======


    "Why aren''t we doing anything, Grandfather?" Lin Ruan yelled when she found out that Sun Ruan had forbidden all family members to intervene. Pei Ruan was upset but she listened to her father and as for Wai Ruan, he was worried about the business implications and the strategies his father-in-law had asked him to take care of.


    "We are doing something. We are weakening this city and strengthening our roots in its infrastructure. Soon, this city won''t even function properly without us." The answer given by Sun Ruan was far from satisfactory for Lin Ruan even though Wei Jun would have given him a thumbs-up for this decision if he had been there.


    "How does that help Xiao Wei?" Lin Ruan asked, very annoyed but she kept her manners in check. It''s not that she wasn''t business-minded but she cared about Wei Jun greatly so she wasn''t going to make a profit from such a situation.


    "You know how aggressive the rest of the families are at the moment. They are trying to cancel their connections to the law enforcement of the city due to implications. That is what we will target. Make the law of this city ours and then even if the charges against Xiao Wei are proved, no one would be able to do anything." Sun Ruan explained his reason which was coldblooded and well thought out.


    Lin Ruan had to admit that it was the correct decision but she couldn''t help but worry about Wei Jun. For her, although not blood-related, Wei Jun was a younger brother who always depended on her. Although he had changed in recent years, it wasn''t to the extent that she would cut off all relations with her like her family.


    She had protested vehemently when Wei Jun was practically kicked out of the family after his atrocities and no matter how hard she tried, the family head wouldn''t take back his decision.


    "I''m going to see him." Lin Ruan didn''t want to talk anymore and left the house along with a platoon of bodyguards and cultivators. "Head straight to the hospital where Xiao Wei is admitted."


    "Yes, ma''am." The driver replied. The female cultivator sitting next to her said, "Are you sure it is a good idea?"


    "I don''t care if it is or isn''t. I need to see him once." Lin Ruan curtly replied before she closed her eyes for a brief rest.


    ====


    "You have a visitor." One of the detectives entered Wei Jun''s room and curtly informed. Wei Jun turned to look at him and said, "Are you going to let my guest see me in cuffs?"


    "After your last stunt? Yes." The detective rudely replied before he turned to leave and briefly after, Lin Ruan entered the room along with a few of her bodyguards. As soon as she entered, she, first of all, saw the state Wei Jun was in and even though he had gotten a lot better in the last two days, he was still injured greatly which struck Lin Ruan straight in her heart.


    "Don''t worry about it." Wei Jun said when he saw the feelings she was going through when she saw him injured.


    "How can I not?" Lin Ruan replied as she came closer to him and held his hand gently. Wei Jun didn''t mind and said, "You shouldn''t be here."


    "Then where should I be?" She asked, her face showing full annoyance but she managed to contain her voice full of anger.


    "You should be out there, using this opportunity." Wei Jun replied.


    "Ha!" Lin Ruan scoffed and said, "Grandfather said the same. That we should use this opportunity."


    "The old man has sense then. I might have underestimated him a lot." Wei Jun praised before he turned to look Lin Ruan in the eyes and said, "But that doesn''t change the fact that I don''t trust him. I don''t trust the old man to think best for my benefit."


    Lin Ruan didn''t mind the wording Wei Jun had chosen to address Sun Ruan because Sun Ruan was a cruel man and that was known to everyone, even his family. Before she could mull over it anymore, Wei Jun continued, "But I do trust you, or at least I am willing to trust you. The only question I ask is this, are you willing to put your faith in me as well or not?"


    Lin Ruan couldn''t explain what she was seeing in Wei Jun''s eyes. All she knew was that Wei Jun was being sincere right now. He was depending on her and she was content with that. "I am," was her simple reply as she asked, "What do I need to do?"


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "Attack, attack, and attack. Leave no one in power unattended. Strike the law enforcement and diplomats of this city through some hidden means with so much power that they are brought to their knees. And when they are down, extend a hand of benevolence. Make yourself an angel in their eyes. And in that moment of vulnerability, take the one thing that matters the most."


    "What?" Lin Ruan curiously asked. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun said with a smile, "Their free will. Take it and make it your own. Make it look like they are making your decisions on their own like it''s their choice."


    "Do you think that would work? Do you think the other families would just sit by as I pierce the government of this city?" She asked, a little worried about Wei Jun''s aggressive plan.


    "Haha." Wei Jun chuckled and said, "The families won''t matter soon enough. On that note, push forward this case, make it so the judge initiates the trial as soon as possible."


    Lin Ruan didn''t ask any questions regarding that and simply nodded. "I will do whatever you say but you have to promise me this won''t happen again."


    "I don''t make promises, sister. Promises are vulnerable." Wei Jun simply replied. Lin Ruan didn''t know what to say to that because she wasn''t expecting such an answer. Wei Jun smiled and added, "But I will say this, since you have put your faith in me, I don''t have a reason to not trust you either. And believe just one more thing, I won''t die."


    The expression on Wei Jun''s face was difficult to discern for a woman as experienced as Lin Ruan. Despite her young age, she had faced many people who were foxes and hyenas, eyeing her and the opportunities her status brought so she was very good at discerning faces but right now, she was drawing nothing but blank.


    "I guess I have no choice but to believe you." She said with a charming smile. They talked for a while before she stood up to leave. Once Wei Jun was left alone, he smiled as a set of notifications appeared in his vision.


    [The connection between Lin Ruan and Run Long has slightly weakened]


    [Your level has increased by four]


    Wei Jun''s smile increased when she saw the difference. When he had weakened Quan Li and Run Long''s connection significantly, he had received four levels yet here he was, just a slight change had brought him four levels.


    "I guess that''s the difference between primary and secondary heroines." Wei Jun said with a smile.


    "You seem to be very happy after all the trouble you have caused." While Wei Jun was smiling, he heard a voice from the side, a familiar one which made him retain his smile.


    "And here I thought I wouldn''t see you, detective. But I am glad to see you haven''t forgotten about me yet." Wei Jun said to his new guest.

 Chapter 64: Face to face

    "You seem very happy for someone who has caused such a stir." Zhao Hui said as he closed the door and made his way to Wei Jun, taking the seat where Lin Ruan was sitting a while ago.


    "It seems the police are very desperate for them to reinstate you." Wei Jun commented with a smile that didn''t look like that of an injured man who was assaulted so severely.


    "Seems so." Zhao Hui said as he un-cuffed Wei Jun and said, "Get up. We are leaving for the police station."


    "In my condition?" Wei Jun questioned. Although he knew that he would eventually be taken back to the police station, he knew it wouldn''t be this soon.


    "The court approved it. We can wait for your lawyer or he can come to the police station and you can hear from him there." Zhao Hui nonchalantly said.


    Wei Jun nodded and stood up without Zhao Hui''s help. He flexed his neck and an audible crack emitted from him. Wei Jun then flexed his muscles, producing the same kind of noises. Once he was done, he said, "I wonder what the police would offer me. Would, for their sake, the government grant me immunity or not? Or maybe millions of yuan.


    I can''t decide."


    "That will be discussed at the station." Zhao Hui replied. He knew what Wei Jun''s words meant. Wei Jun knew why he was being taken back to the station and he was letting Zhao Hui know that he was going to take full advantage of it.


    "Of course it will." Wei Jun said before he pointed at the door. Zhao Hui knew what it meant and nodded after which he left. Wei Jun changed, albeit very difficult with one fractured arm and his lung injury but he was holding off healing them. He needed to bear the pain to take full advantage of it.


    =====


    "The court did order your return to the police station and I received no support from your family so I couldn''t let them change the decision." Xiang Fan said while he sat next to Wei Jun in the interrogation room. Wei Jun scoffed slightly and replied, "I have to applaud the old man for his choice. He is indeed ruthless."


    Wei Jun was referring to Sun Ruan who was an opportunist. He didn''t care for his grandson in jail and simply benefited from the opportunity. Wei Jun knew it was the best course of action and had he been in his shoes, he would have done the same if Sun Ruan had been arrested. Of course, he wouldn''t do the same to his grandson but for Sun Ruan, he had no familial feelings.


    "What should we do now? Given the police''s previous actions, the court had no choice but to allow me to be here but I cannot interfere with the investigation." Xiang Fan said.


    "Don''t worry. There will be no investigation." Wei Jun said in return. Xiang Fan was confused by this statement and was just about to ask why when the door opened and Zhao Hui entered.


    "Relieve your lawyer. Let''s talk, you and me only." Zhao Hui spoke as he took the seat.


    "What?! This is outrageous. I can be here as granted by the court." Xiang Fan protested.


    "Don''t worry. Everything will be recorded and you will receive one copy if you want to use it in court." Zhao Hui explained that wasn''t enough for Xiang Fan because a lawyer''s presence was required to prevent speculative statements. What Wei Jun could answer and he shouldn''t answer to avoid implication.


    However, once again Xiang Fan was interrupted, only this time by Wei Jun, "Leave us."


    "Yes, Mister Ruan. I will be in the monitor room." Xiang Fan said as he left the room. Wei Jun turned his attention to the mirror before he smiled and said, "Go ahead."


    "Why did you do it?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "Why did I do that?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Why did you frame the police?" Zhao Hui elaborated.


    "You have to be more specific. How did I frame the police?" Wei Jun once again argued, intent on not following Zhao Hui''s rhythm.


    "Why did you inure yourself and blame it on the police?" Zhao Hui had no choice but to be straight. Wei Jun wasn''t following the roundabout way which made accusations harder.


    "What are you talking about?" Wei Jun asked innocently before he added, "It was your people who attacked me. I was just silently cooperating with the police in the boundaries of my limits." Wei Jun said with an innocent smile which would make someone oblivious believe him. However, it didn''t work on Zhao Hui or on the other detectives because they knew he was lying.


    They just had no way to prove that. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We know you did it. Sooner or later it would be proved so why don''t you make things easier for us?" Zhao Hui once again had to be straightforward.


    "Now you''re just throwing around accusations. Don''t you know how it works?" Wei Jun asked with a sly smile. "And for the record, knowing and having proof are two different things. If you have proof to prove what you say is true and what I say is false, then feel free to point it out." Wei Jun argued using words.


    "What do you want?" Zhao Hui asked, seeing there was no other option around it.


    "What do I want?" Wei Jun repeated before he asked, "The question here is detective; what do you want?"


    "I want you to come clean so innocent people can have their jobs back." Zhao Hui said.


    Wei Jun laughed before he said, "No, that''s not what you want." Wei Jun then turned to look at the mirror before he continued, "Look at them. Rotten to the core." He then turned to Zhao Hui and said, "And you''re a good one. One of the few but veerrryyy few."


    He turned back to the mirror and said, "Alone between them. You know your chief is corrupted yet you have no choice but to listen to him. You know your juniors aren''t really your subordinates, they are corrupted yet you cannot do anything about it." He turned to Zhao Hui and said at least, "All~ Alone~"


    Zhao Hui continued to look at Wei Jun for a while before he said, "I know you''re not innocent. I know you are involved in everything. I know it but I just cannot prove it. And I admit that you were wrongfully arrested using a wrong method but that doesn''t change what you did. You are as guilty as they are." Zhao Hui ended and waited for a reply.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "That''s why you''re still at the bottom. Even though you are better than everyone at this station, they still choose to limit you because they know that if they let you be, you would kick each and every one of them out. Look at them," Wei Jun turned to the mirror once again and said, "Look past the mirror.


    You will see the grand dream of being a good detective, a deliverer of justice, is just a sham. Your dream broke the day you discovered the world you admired was riddled with greed."


    Wei Jun then turned to Zhao Hui and said, "You were too weak to stand up to that but unfortunately for you, I am not. They shouldn''t have made an enemy out of me. You will see how I bring them to their knees and there will be nothing they will be able to do anything about it."


    "What do you want?" Zhao Hui had enough of gibberish which he knew was the truth but he had no other choice but to convince himself otherwise.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "I want the chief of the police, Chief Tao, was it? Yes, him. I want him to stand up to the nation and confess that he planted evidence against me. And then, then we can see how we will take it."


    An ambiguous answer, that was all Zhao Hui got and he knew he wasn''t getting anything more out of Wei Jun. The interrogation had ended with a condition that Zhao Hui knew would never be fulfilled.


    The chief of police would never confess to evidence tempering because even if he did, and the claim of assault on Wei Jun was proved to be a lie, the police would take the same if not an even heavier blow in the public opinion.


    "You know that is impossible, right?" Zhao Hui asked, just to be certain although he was already very certain. Wei Jun smiled and simply replied, "I will be waiting for it."


    =====


    Xiang Fan on the other side received a phone call. It was from the judicial services. He picked up the call and said, "Xiang Fan peaking."


    The voice on the other side informed him of something which slowly brought a smile to his face. He ended the call and waited for Zhao Hui to leave so he could deliver the good news to Wei Jun. He was sure Wei Jun would be happy after all, he was vehemently pushing for the trial which just got confirmed. The trial to prove Wei Jun''s innocence or guilt would begin in three days.

 Chapter 65: The trial begins

    "Mister Ruan, what do you have to say about the charges against you!?" A reporter asked when Wei Jun was brought out of the police car on the court''s stairs.


    "Is it true that you murdered fourteen people?!" Another one asked.


    "There are also allegations of you attacking and disfiguring Miss Na Tong, is that true?!" Another one in the crowd asked.


    Wei Jun just kept his gaze straight with his face still injured slightly and his arm still in a cast. Wei Jun remained quiet for the last three days even though many interrogations were held using many insinuations but he simply remained quiet.


    He knew what the result of his demand was and he was offered many more things but none of them appealed to him. Even the mayor himself gave him a deal of immunity and a reduced sentence but Wei Jun didn''t bat an eye, quite literally.


    And now, the fateful day had arrived. The police had given up on cutting a deal with Wei Jun and Chief Tao had already held a conference presenting solid evidence of Wei Jun''s murders and calmed the public by saying that it was another plot of the criminal. If only he knew he dug an even deeper pit for himself.


    "Are you sure this will work?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "Nope. That''s why you need to be at your best." Wei Jun replied, increasing the pressure on Xiang Fan than it already was.


    "I can only try." Xiang Fan replied. Wei Jun and the company were then brought for inspection after which, they were taken to the courtroom. The judge, someone Wei Jun was familiar with, Judge Li Yong.


    "All rise!" The concierge announced the entrance of the judge and everyone stood up. Wei Jun followed through but he also noticed the small smile on the judge''s face. Wei Jun smiled when he noticed the smile of triumph but he simply let the man have the final days of glory. After all, a lot of suffering was ahead of the fat man and Wei Jun wasn''t cruel enough to not take a little mercy on the man.


    Soon afterward, the jurors were brought in who were selected two days prior. Wei Jun had no involvement with it but he knew who did and they were going down too because if he were to tamper with the jury, his case would come back invalid.


    "Begin your cases. Represent your opening statements." Judge Yong said. The D.A. attorney extended his hand gesturing Xiang Fan to go first who simply said, "Please, ladies first." Although the man wasn''t a lady, he still took the insult and stood up with a scoff.


    He made his way to the front of the jurors and began, "Murder. A crime that even god doesn''t forgive yet here is a man who is trying to deny the inevitable. Going against god and claiming to be innocent.


    I am confident that this case won''t go any further than today and that by the end of the day, I will present you a guilty man worthy of the punishment, set by the god and our just legal system." Ho Son, the D.A. attorney spoke a few more things that didn''t matter because the jury was already bought so it didn''t matter what he said.


    The same was the case for Xiang Fan who glanced at Wei Jun for one last assurance who simply nodded and Xiang Fan just stood up after a lengthy sigh. He made his way to the jury stand and began, "Quite a compelling speech, our dear people''s representative has delivered.


    But worry not, an innocent man is innocent and even god cannot change that outcome let alone a washed-up prosecutor and the so-called legal system."


    When Xiang Fan said legal system, he glanced at Judge Yong which made the man a little uncomfortable after all, he had involvement with the case and with his experience, he knew what that gesture could mean.


    Still, Judge Yong chose to ignore that and commented with a laugh, "Quite a compelling argument yourself, Mister Fan." After all, Xiang Fan hadn''t just mentioned the D.A. prosecutor or just one or two laws but the entire D.A. and the entire legal system. There was bound to be a blowback.


    "I stand by my words, your honor." Xiang Fan said before he returned to his seat.


    "I see. Very well, call your witness, Mister Son." Judge Yong began with the people''s representative because he knew that although the jury was bought, the people on the outside watching through the camera weren''t. Although it was forbidden to bring media into the courtroom, it was allowed during special cases.


    In this case, they had done that themselves because they wanted Wei Jun''s public opinion to plummet. And for that, the earlier they represent all the evidence, the better.


    "The People would like to call Detective Bong Len to the stand." Ho Son began with his first witness.


    "I would have liked to begin with name and credentials but that won''t be necessary so let me begin with the most basic question, do you think that the defendant is involved in fourteen murders of two different sites, or not?" Ho Son threw it big by asking that question and it wasn''t even about convincing the jury.


    "As I have stated in my report, the earlier detective on this case was lenient or bought off, no one can say for sure but he missed the obvious evidence on the crime scene. Many of the defendant''s prints were found at the scene and even the murder weapon that matched the bullet description was found a few blocks away from the crime scene." Bong Len began with the most obvious evidence.


    "Your honor, the evidence present in the discovery can corroborate the witness''s testimony." Ho Son said before he turned to Bong Len and asked, "Now, the defendant claims that he is being framed. What is your expert opinion on that?"


    "In my opinion, the defendant can only be lying. There is irrefutable evidence of his involvement and that is all the truth the people need." Bong Len stated.


    "Obj--" Xiang Fan was about to object to speculation but Wei Jun slightly coughed which was his cue to stand down.


    "Is there a problem, Mister Fan?" Judge Yong asked to which Xiang Fan could only reply while shaking his head, "No, your honor. There''s none."


    "Very well. Are you done, Mister Son?" Judge Yong asked Ho Son who nodded and said, "Yes, I am your honor."


    Judge Yong nodded, turned to Xiang Fan, and said, "You may follow up, Mister Fan."


    "I have no questions for this witness, your honor" Judge Yong was a little taken aback and the ominous feeling from before welled up again but he suppressed it and replied, "Very well. Call your next witness then, Mister Son."


    "The People would like to call the lead forensics of this case, Ren Mu, to the stand." Ho Son called for the next witness.


    "Can you tell me your area of expertise?" Ho Son said to the forensic scientist who replied, "I work for the Yuan Yin police force. I''ve been a lab assistant for five years now and my area of expertise is gunpowder residue and criminal evidence."


    "Very well, can you tell me that aside from fingerprints, how was the defendant''s involvement found?" Ho Son asked.


    "When we tested him for GSR, his test results came positive and the results matched with the weapons used for murder." Ren Mu testified.


    "GSR?" Ho Son repeated for the elaboration of this term.


    "It stands for Gun Shot Residue found on someone''s hand after they use it. Every gun leaves it on the victim and since every trace of the gunpowder is different, it is possible to find out the culprit as long as the gun is registered." Ren Mu explained.


    "I see. That''s it, your honor." Ho Song said to Judge Yong who turned to Xiang Fan for a follow-up but he again shook his head and said, "I have no questions for this witness, your honor."


    Ho Son smiled and said, "It seems you have given up already. I expected a little fight at least."


    Many in the courtroom shared the same view except for one person. Judge Yong''s feeling on this was increasing by the second. He knew there was something but he couldn''t tell what but what he did know was that one single mistake and it was done so he determined himself to be extra attentive to any evidence provided by the defense.


    "Then it is your turn to call a witness, Mister Fan." Judge Yong said.


    Xiang Fan turned to look at Wei Jun who nodded and with no other choice, Xiang Fan couldn''t help but call his next witness. Although the list of the witnesses was in the judge''s possession, he wasn''t worried about that. He was worried about the question he would have to ask his next few witnesses.


    "The defense would like to call Detective Zhao Hui to the stand." Xiang Fan stood up and announced which induced a chuckle from his rival, Ho Son because it was already announced that Zhao Hui had missed the evidence yet the defense was still calling him. This case was as good as lost for the defense.


    S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 66: Choice

    Zhao Hui made his way to the stand but his head wasn''t there. He was still thinking of his conversation from three days ago with Wei Jun. The one in which he realized what side he stood on. On one side was there was a multiple murder suspect with no evidence and on the other side was the place where he had vowed to do things the right way yet the very place was making wrong decisions.


    He was torn between what to choose. Defending Wei Jun would be letting a potential murderer go scot-free and if he sticks to his morals, the police''s reputation would hit rock bottom than it already was.


    "Please state your name and credentials for the jury." Xiang Fan said.


    "I am Detective Zhao Hui. I am currently under suspicion for not following my superior''s orders. I am the captain of the homicide team of the Yuan Yin police force." Zhao Hui explained his suspension before his rank.


    "Do you think you are wrongfully suspended, Detective?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "Objection. Irrelevant." Ho Son hurriedly interjected. "Sustained." Judge Yong agreed and deemed Xiang Fan''s question irrelevant.


    "Do you think that my client is the murderer?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "Based on the evidence I found, no." Zhao Hui replied.


    "Objection. The People have already established that the witness was either lazy in his conduct or he was bought by the defendant." Ho Son once again objected which put a smile on Wei Jun''s face.


    "Sustained." Once again, Judge Yong agreed in the D.A.''s favor making this question invalid as well.


    "Have you? Have you received anything from my client?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "No, I haven''t." Zhao Hui replied to which, Ho Son once again objected and said, "We have the account transfer which shows that a million yuan was transferred from the defendant to the witness''s proxy account under the name of his wife." He even pulled out the statements and presented them to the court which Judge Yong examined and nodded as he said, "It is true."


    Wei Jun''s smile became even bigger at this point because, with this, he was sure that Zhao Hui had chosen. He had chosen who to side with. The place he had devoted his life and beliefs to had betrayed him. He turned to look at the chief of the police station who diverted his eyes from Zhao Hui. That was all the confirmation Zhao Hui needed to make the decision.


    "So if you are a corrupt cop, can you tell me why your chief decided to bring you to the police station three days ago to interrogate the very person you are accused of being in contact with and have taken a bribe from." Xiang Fan asked.


    "I don''t know. You will have to ask him." Zhao Hui simply said to which Xiang Fan smiled and said, "That''s it from the defense."


    "We have no questions for this witness, your honor." Ho Son said with a smile because there was no need to. Zhao Hui was already incriminated so there was no need to worry about whatever else he had to say.


    "Call your next witness, Mister Fan." Judge Yong said.


    "I would like to call Kai Bo to the stand." Xiang Fan selected his next witness.


    "Since I know your views about my client, I simply wish to know why you called Detective Zhao Hui for the interrogation of the defendant?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "Because he is the best we have and we didn''t know of his bribery." Kai Bo replied.


    "But isn''t the date of this document that shows Detective Zhao Hui''s accusation from four days ago?" Xiang Fan pointed out the date on the document.


    Ho Son shook his head because it was indeed a point he had forgotten to brief the police on. Kai Bo glanced at Ho Son who subtly nodded and Kai Bo replied, "I still didn''t know. I was focused on the investigation."


    Xiang Fan smiled and said, "Of course you were."


    He then paced a little before he asked Kai Bo, "Are you aware that my client was assaulted by four of your detectives a few days ago?"


    "Yes. But I assure you, it is a lie." Kai Bo replied before giving his own opinion.


    "I didn''t ask for your opinion. All I want to know is whether you were aware of this or not?" Xiang Fan elaborated.


    "Of course not. I always go by the book. You can be assured I never gave such an order." Kai Bo protested as if he felt insulted. Xiang Fan smiled and asked, "Are you sure about that?"


    "Yes, I am sure." Kai Bo replied.


    Xiang Fan smiled and turned to Wei Jun who smiled and nodded in return.


    ==== sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What kind of evidence it is that doesn''t need to be turned in discovery?" Wei Jun asked Xiang Fan as they were sitting in the interrogation room to discuss the case. Lao Chen was also present and he had covered both of them in his Qi so their conversation wouldn''t be picked up if any bugs were implanted.


    Xiang Fan thought for a few moments but he couldn''t come to an answer. Wei Jun scoffed slightly and said, "If I have to tell you that then you are making me consider whether or not I should put my faith in you."


    Xiang Fan had no answer to that so all he could do was remain silent. Wei Jun sighed and said, "Impeachment evidence. You don''t need to turn impeachment evidence into discovery."


    Realization dawned upon Xiang Fan but even then, he wasn''t overly impressed. It wasn''t easy to present impeachment evidence. The credibility of the evidence was still needed and they also needed to bait the witness into confessing it.


    "It''s exactly as you''re thinking. Impeachment evidence carried high risk. So that is why it depends on the lawyer''s ability to carry the witness in a direction where he wouldn''t notice the pit that was dug for him. Lead the witnesses around and then we present their evidence of lying."


    "There is no ace in a court unless for this one so I need you to carry it by doing so. That will be our trump card. Impeachment. We will win this case like this." Wei Jun ended the conversation and Xiang Fan couldn''t help but admire the insight Wei Jun had presented.


    ======


    Wei Jun smiled because Xiang Fan had successfully used wordplay to trap Kai Bo into making a statement. All that was left was to prove he was lying.


    "Your honor, the defense wishes to proceed and represent defense exhibit E." Xiang Fan said as he procured a file and a USB from his briefcase.


    "Objection. There is no such evidence in discovery." Ho Son objected to which Xiang Fan countered by saying, "It is impeachment evidence."


    Judge Yong looked at the cameras in the courtroom. If it was just the people that mattered, he wouldn''t have allowed such a piece of evidence but since he was also in front of the media and if he didn''t allow it, people would know there was something wrong with the sentence so he had no choice but to allow it.


    "This is an audio file and a lab certificate proving that the voices in the audio do indeed belong to the concerned parties." Xiang Fan presented the file and the USB was plugged in.


    The audio began and the voice in the audio belonged to none other than Kai Bo, {No need for that. just make him confess. Rough him up a little. He is a spoiled brat so he should be an easy scare. Make sure you don''t do any permanent damage.}


    Kai Bo''s eyes widened to the limit. And he wasn''t alone, almost everyone in the room couldn''t help but whisper among themselves.


    "That''s fake!" Kai Bo hurriedly protested but that only worsened his case as the audio continued.


    {I''m sorry chief. Things got a little out of hand}


    Another voice came from the audio which was tested to belong to one of the detectives in question. Kai Bo''s voice followed.


    {Shut up, you idiot. It doesn''t matter. He did that to himself and that''s it. We will try to strike a deal but even if it doesn''t work, he is still a murder victim and once he goes to jail, none of what we did would matter. Now I want you to remember this, we did not assault Wei Jun Ruan, he did it to himself, understood?}


    {Yes, chief}


    Kai Bo slumped in his seat because he didn''t know how to react to that. Ho Son couldn''t help but tut because he knew that there was no credibility left for Kai Bo''s statements so all the questions he had for him were now invalid. Ho Son had just lost a prime witness. He was still optimistic though because he still had the jury on his side.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, smiled. And that sweet but ominous smile of his was noticed by Judge Yong and the terrible feeling in his gut returned amplified by ten.

 Chapter 67: Ambush

    There are some readers with quite quick judgments that have brought my novel rating to 3. I would appreciate it if you guys would at least read the free chapters before coming to a decision.


    That''s it. Enjoy this chapter and the five extra chapters that I have promised.


    =====


    "This court is adjourned until tomorrow." Judge Yong announced after their plan went downhill. It didn''t make sense and the decision seemed nonsensical to adjourn the court but from the looks of it, they had no other choice but to do this because they were unaware of what other evidence Wei Jun might have.


    Wei Jun smiled even more broadly and stood up. A police officer escorted him out of the court under the care of Xiang Fan. Wei Jun simply let them and when they arrived at the van, Xiang Fan was asked to ride in a different car. No other reason was given but Wei Jun was perfectly aware of their reason so he did nothing about it and said to Xiang Fan, "Do it."


    Xiang Fan nodded and left in his own car to somewhere else along with Lao Chen. Wei Jun noticed the drivers in the car and pointed at them which Lao Chen noticed before they both drove away. Wei Jun also boarded the police transfer van along with three more policemen. An officer was also present making the back of the van quite crowded.


    Then there were two patrol jeeps, one at the front and one at the back.


    All the reporters were stopped at the back so although many questions were raised regarding today''s events, there was nothing they could do but just raise them because no one was willing to answer. Chief Tao had left without a word to the media.


    The van left under the escort of two more cars and as they left, Yao Tian, who was also at the court said on the phone, "Make sure there is no mistake."


    =====


    "How is it?" Wei Jun spoke as the van was slowly going to its destination.


    "What?" The officer rudely spoke.


    "I asked how is it? The plan, I mean. You know you might also die, right?" Wei Jun once again asked which made the officer realize something.


    "You''re not as stupid as I thought." The officer remarked.


    "You will all die too. Or at least you won''t get out of this scot-free. Are you sure you want to do this?" Wei Jun asked again. "I''m sure." The officer replied to which Wei Jun nodded and said, "Of course, you are sure. Now that I know you are willing to pay the price, killing you would be very easy."


    "What?" The officer asked confused before his gaze went to Wei Jun''s hands. He saw gloves on his hand that he hadn''t seen before. Soon, something else began to appear in his hand, and by the time he noticed it and pulled out his gun, he had already been shot three times and died on the spot. The other policemen also became aware of the situation but Wei Jun killed them hurriedly as well.


    Since the SMG was silenced, the driver section wasn''t aware of this. Wei put strength into his hands and pushed them apart to snap the cuffs. He stood up, placed his hands on the door of the van, and pushed with all his might. The door budged but it didn''t open. He tried again but it didn''t work.


    He couldn''t risk shooting at the locks to alert the car behind him and because the keys were with the driver, there was no other way out.


    Seeing no other choice, he remembered something. The venom with which he had tortured the biker who had attacked Quan Li and Zhan Yi. Smiling, he opened the shop to buy it. since he had untraceable money from the Tian family reserves, he had a lot of money to exchange in his inventory.


    [Hydra''s saliva (diluted)


    Tier: E


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    Wei Jun pulled it out of the inventory and slowly dipped a drop of it into the lock. It melted but not that much but that was enough. He dropped two more drops and the venom seeped in quite a bit. The smell of melted and rusted metal spread in the van but Wei Jun kept going until after using half of the vial, the lock was thoroughly melted.


    Wei Jun stepped back and pulled out a rifle from his inventory. He prepared himself and once he was ready, he kicked the door that swung open and Wei Jun saw the car behind the van. The policemen in the car noticed him too but before they could do anything, Wei Jun opened fire on them and riddled them with bullets using half of the magazine in the rifle.


    The policemen in the front of the van suddenly panicked when they heard the gunshot and turned to look at Wei Jun jumping from the moving van. They pushed the brakes and the van began to slow down at a fast pace. The officers in the front also noticed that turned the car around only to look at a guy with a rifle pointed at them.


    Wei Jun opened fire at the fuel tank of the jeep in front and it exploded. The last of the two came out with shotguns in their hands but Wei Jun shot one in the leg and stopped the last one with the gun before he could even aim at Wei Jun.


    "Now, I don''t need to tell you what you need to do, right?" Wei Jun said nonchalantly to which both of the policemen dropped their weapons.


    "Now, I need to kill you since you are shot and will only be a liability." Wei Jun pointed at the wounded policeman and shot him a couple of times, only not in the head.


    "Please! Please don''t kill me!" The other one begged for his life on his knees to which Wei Jun smiled and said, "Get up. I got something for you." He then pulled out the phone from the policeman''s pocket and dialed his wife. He gave the phone to the man and said, "Talk to your wife."


    The man did as he was told and after a brief exchange, he said with tears in his eyes, "I will do whatever you say."


    "Good because if you want your family to live, you will do exactly so." Wei Jun said before he pushed him to the front and said, "Go and get the phone of the detective. Don''t forget to unlock using his fingers."


    The policeman nodded and went into the van to do just that. Wei Jun waited for him and once he was out, he said, "I know you know the person waiting for us up ahead. Call him and give me the phone."


    The policeman quietly did as he was told, dialed a number, and gave it to Wei Jun. Wei Jun took the phone and pointed the gun at the man with the other hand.


    "What? Why are you not here yet?" The voice on the other end asked.


    "There was a complication from the Ruan family." Wei Jun replied only his voice wasn''t his own his voice had changed to the voice of the earlier officer whom he had killed the first.


    "So?" The man on the other end asked.


    "We have stopped a little behind under the pretense of engine failure. Come from the other side but be careful not to hit any of my men." Wei Jun instructed.


    "Are you sure? I wasn''t informed of this." The man on the other side hesitated because such a big change in plan wasn''t for no reason.


    "Look, I don''t know what you do. If you want to confirm then confirm but we will be leaving here in three minutes and then everything would go to waste. We won''t be able to execute him at the planned place because the Ruan family is aware of it now." Wei Jun chose a passive-aggressive approach and planted the idea inside the man''s head as if the choice was up to him. Only that it wasn''t.


    "Very well. We will be there in two minutes. Try to stall if it takes longer but we will be there soon." The man from the other side said and hung up the phone. Wei Jun threw the phone on the ground and turned to the astonished policeman.


    "What? How do you think I obtained the testimony of your boss''s boss?" Wei Jun said before he added, "Take a few of the guns and sprinkle these on the hands of everyone. Hurry!"


    The policeman carried the orders at the gunpoint and in just a minute, the task was done. Wei Jun stored his gun back in and took one of the rifles of the police. If he wanted this to look like an ambush, he needed to plant this much at least. As for the untraceable bullets with which he had shot all the people, they wouldn''t be found anyway if the bodies were exploded to smithereens.


    "Come on, into the woods." Wei Jun pointed at the woods on the side of the road because he could see a caravan of three jeeps heading in their direction.

 Chapter 68: Another cultivator

    Extra chapter 1


    =====


    "What¡­ happened here?" One of the mercenaries in black said. He was covered from head to toe in black tight clothes, with a black mask covering his face only revealing his eyes. A simple balaclava. There were thirteen others in similar attires but there was one in different uniform. His face was uncovered and he wore a long black overcoat.


    The man in the overcoat was also confused. He had received a phone call from one of their contacts telling him to move the location of the ambush by a few kilometers. It wasn''t anything out of the ordinary since such plans needed to be changed depending on the situation of the job.


    So that wasn''t what confused him. What confused him was the fact that the scale of destruction was in just two minutes. Unless it was a cultivator and even that of a higher rank, such a thing was impossible and when he talked on the phone two minutes ago, everything sounded normal so the current scene didn''t make any sense.


    Even if it was done by a high-rank cultivator, there would have been signs of destruction like high pitch sounds of explosions and Qi signatures but there was nothing. As if everything just happened before the others could react.


    "Search the bodies for the target, if he is among them, then our work is done." The mercenary leader ordered and everyone got to work. They scoured the bodies but they didn''t find their target.


    "Sir, a driver along with the target is missing. We don''t see any signs in the surroundings of anyone going anywhere. Should we search the woods?" One of the mercenaries returned and reported and asked for instructions on their next move.


    The mercenary leader couldn''t understand what to do. Even his gut feeling was silent so he didn''t even have a hunch of what to do next. His plans were blank at the moment and he didn''t even know whether entering the woods would be a smart move or not. The only thing he knew would be best at the moment would be to report the incident so it didn''t end up being his mistake.


    He took out the phone and dialed a phone number and the caller ID read ''Client 3''.


    "What?" The voice from the other end asked.


    "The operation has no target." The mercenary simply replied.


    "What?! What''s that supposed to mean?" The voice once again asked, a little confused and flabbergasted.


    "It means that someone already attacked the envoy and retrieved the target. The target is not here." The mercenary elaborated the situation which caused the person on the other end to remain silent. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a little while, a curse from the end followed, "FUUCC**KK!!" The mercenary remained quiet because he knew how many resources the person on the other had used for this operation but it ended up in failure from the looks of it.


    "Whatever. Just abort and be on your way." The person said tiredly and ended the call. The mercenary also put his phone back and said, "All right. Move it, the operation has been aborted."


    The other mercenaries heeded the others and headed back to their cars. As they were going to their cars, they felt something clink at their feet. The mercenary was the first one to look down and what he saw made him curse.


    "Fuck." He calmly said before the belt of grenades on his feet exploded and a loud and deafening explosion followed. The other mercenaries were all blown away and the smokescreen covered the area of the explosion. The dust settled and the head mercenary was revealed, unscathed completely.


    He calmly turned around to see a young handsome man with a rifle pointed at him. He looked around and found that all of his men were dead and their cars were also destroyed due to the massive explosion.


    The man returned his attention back to the young man to gauge him only to be surprised that the young man had no Qi. If he didn''t, then there might be someone else in the surroundings but even then he found no one with any Qi nor were there any Qi signatures. He now regretted not using his Qi to scan the area for life signals because the young man wouldn''t have been hiding that far.


    "I take it you are my target." The man calmly said before he stepped forward. Wei Jun didn''t reply and began to shoot at the man but unfortunately, the Qi around the man protected him from the bullets.


    "That won''t help you." The man said. Wei Jun still didn''t reply and continued shooting until his magazine was empty. He reloaded in less than four seconds and continued.


    "Ho. The way you handle a weapon resembles that of a veteran soldier. Definitely not what I expected from the waste of the Ruan family." The man kept going forward while Wei Jun kept moving backward.


    He soon ran out of ammo from the police automatic rifles but that still left him with shotguns. He threw the gun on the road, pulled out the shotgun from his inventory, and began to shoot again at the man. The police-issued shotgun was not as efficient as the guns he had in his inventory but he couldn''t use them if he didn''t want to leave a trace of a third party.


    The man was astonished at the ability the young man had just shown. "So you seem to have an artifact on you. It would be a good reward." But his rationality convinced him to think that Wei Jun had used some sort of treasure artifact to pull the trick he pulled earlier.


    Meanwhile, Wei Jun checked the status of the man in front of him to make sure he wouldn''t be dying today, not that he had any intention to but he was sure that gauging the opponent would be a good safety step to plan the fight ahead.


    [Qi gathering realm]


    [Strength 61]


    [Stamina 72]


    [Agility 67]


    [Qi 79]


    [He seems to be at the final stage of Qi gathering realm host]


    [He is also agility based and from the looks of it, he can use the Qi enhancement more efficiently given that his stats pass that of the Qi gathering realm]


    The system was a big help in explaining the situation of his opponent to Wei Jun which only worried him more. The stats of his opponent were almost three times more than his and that was not all, he was agility-based which made him a tricky opponent to deal with. Strength-based fighters mostly fight head on but speed-based fighters have different maneuvers to make up for their lack of strength.


    Not that his opponent lacked the strength to fight him anyway.


    But that wasn''t Wei Jun''s goal. From his previous encounter, he figured that although Qi armament and enhancement take a set amount of Qi but that was not all. The Qi would reduce if the user received damage and it was blocked by the user. So if Wei Jun kept shooting at the man, he was sure that the man''s Qi would be used to stop the damage from the bullets.


    [Although you are correct in this approach]


    [Please know that your opponent has a greater amount of Qi from the previous one and his seems stable which means he would use less Qi for everything]


    ''Thanks for the input.'' Wei Jun replied as he had finally backed into the police van and came to a halt. The man smirked and shot at him. In time Wei Jun moved out of the way along with dropping a grenade. Just as the man punched the van, his fist passing through the bulletproof and even explosion-proof metal, he noticed another grenade at his feet.


    He stepped back but not in time and another explosion engulfed him.


    The man stopped and turned to look at his opponent who was already prepared with another gun. Then he checked his surroundings and he noticed that the cars were currently surrounding him, limiting his movements. He realized that his opponent, Wei Jun wasn''t as simple as he seemed.


    He had sufficient knowledge of guerilla warfare given that he had trapped a speed-based cultivator like him and limited his movements by a lot.


    "You sure know how to move and survive like a rodent." The man commented.


    "Well, the characteristics that you just mentioned match more of that of a roach." Wei Jun corrected him.


    "And now you talk." The man said and then added, "Go ahead. Say what you have to say."


    Wei Jun nodded as he replied, "It''s fortunate to come across a smart man." Wei Jun praised him a little to make a good impression before he got to the point, "I want you to abandon your current job. I will pay you three times of whatever Yao Tian is paying you."


    The man flinched as he once again analyzed the situation. He now saw Wei Jun in a different light because he was sure that he didn''t have any spies on his team and the fact that Wei Jun was aware of his employer meant he had more than enough intellect to deduce the current state of events. "Very well, let''s talk then."

 Chapter 69: Another Empowerment

    Extra chapter 2


    =====


    [He is doing it]


    ''As expected.'' Wei Jun replied to the analysis of the system and made a purchase from the shop worth a thousand coins. He then assumed a posture of ease as if he wasn''t in danger anymore. The mercenary thought that Wei Jun had let his guard down but he did nothing.


    He was dangerously low on Qi so he needed to replenish some of it to keep his strength strong otherwise he wouldn''t be able to use Qi armament and Qi enhancement anymore.


    That was why he had agreed to engage in a conversation with Wei Jun and now that Wei Jun had let his guard down, he was internally happy that his job became a lot easier than before.


    "So, what do you propose?" The mercenary asked.


    "Simply a cooperation. I want you to abandon this job and walk away. I will give you three times of what Yao Tian paid you." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "In my profession, my word is my bond. If I cannot deliver, no one will hire me anymore." The mercenary raised a point.


    "No offense but if you were so honorable, you wouldn''t be in this profession, now would you?" Wei Jun countered which made the man chuckle and said, "Touch¨¦."


    "Very well," The mercenary said before he added, "What do you have to offer?"


    "Thirty million yuan." Wei Jun made an offer.


    "Not enough. I would be risking my reputation. And not only that, you have killed a lot of my men." The man outright refused and stated his worries.


    "Fine, sixty million." Wei Jun made another offer.


    "A good offer but still not enough." The mercenary once again rejected the offer.


    At the same time, Wei Jun received a notification from the system.


    [Qi gathering realm]


    [Strength 23]


    [Stamina 28]


    [Agility 26]


    [Qi 79]


    Wei Jun smiled and looked at the man.


    "Very well, then, a hundred million." Wei Jun said. He waited for a few seconds but the man''s stats didn''t increase. He was still replenishing his Qi.


    "Sorry. Not interested." The man outright refused as his stats once again increased. Wei Jun sighed and said, "Then I''m sorry too."


    "For what?" The mercenary asked curiously.


    "For having this." Wei Jun said as a transparent bubble appeared around him.


    [Protection of Agies]


    [Tier: C+]


    [Cost: 1000 coins]


    [One-time consumable]


    Just at that moment, the mercenary heard the sound of a click and noticed something. Wasn''t the setup of the cars a little too convenient for them to have crashed like that?


    "QI A---" He shouted but he was interrupted at that moment.


    BOOM!!!


    A loud explosion engulfed the area for about two meters, blowing everything in the radius and even on the side of the road. The woods were also caught in the fire. Every dead body in the radius was either blown to pieces or there weren''t any pieces left. One thing was for sure, the forensics and the police had a lot of work up ahead.


    Even the mercenary cars were caught up in the massive explosion which destroyed the cars than they already were.


    As for the two living beings that were caught up in it.


    Cough! The mercenary coughed as he grabbed a burning-hot piece of metal and tried to get away from the area. One of his arms was gone and there were massive injuries all over his body including the disfigurement of his face and his leg being badly damaged. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He coughed up blood as he tried to move as far away as he could but he couldn''t get far when he felt steps behind him. He didn''t dare to turn around to see the pursuer and simply kept holding on to his dear life. Finally, as he made it out of the fire hell hole, he dropped to the road and coughed badly while pain assaulted him.


    He could still hear the steps behind him and soon, those steps came to a halt and he felt something on the back of his head. "Wai¡­Wait." He hurriedly said but his voice wasn''t loud enough to sound vibrant at all.


    "Why?" Wei Jun spoke with amusement overflowing in his voice that even the badly injured mercenary who wasn''t even looking at Wei Jun recognized it.


    "I¡­ I can give you¡­ any¡­ anything you wa¡­want." The difficulty he had while speaking along with the continuous assault of pain, it was a feat that he still completed his sentence but given that he was speaking for his life, he found willpower for that.


    "Oh really? How much?" Wei Jun played with the mercenary that even the man in question could tell he was being toyed with. Still, he had to fight for his life so he picked up courage and summoned all the willpower he could.


    "100¡­100 million." The mercenary replied with great difficulty that made Wei Jun smile from ear to ear.


    "Mmm¡­ Nice offer. Fine." Wei Jun said and removed the gun pointed at the mercenary. The mercenary was happy because he could feel Wei Jun walking away. He wanted to thank the god who although had made Wei Jun smart, he didn''t let him have enough life experience given that he tried to make a deal with someone after his life earlier.


    "Rea¡­Really?" He couldn''t help but mutter even though Wei Jun was some feet away from him. He turned to look at him as if waiting for a reply for which he received a scoff and simple words, "Not really."


    He saw Wei Jun with a shotgun and before he could do anything, he was shot straight in the face, blowing off his already disfigured face.


    Just as the man died, Wei Jun felt a similar empowerment from his abdomen.


    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been obtained]


    [No Qi element detected]


    [Stats would be randomly distributed]


    [Strength +2]


    [Agility +11]


    [Stamina +13]


    [Defense +9]


    [Qi +38]


    [Error]


    [Qi cannot be infused]


    [Converting Qi stat to other stats]


    [Stats would be randomly increased from 15~25]


    [Strength +7]


    [Agility +8]


    [Stamina +4]


    [Defense +1]


    [Charm +2]


    [Luck +2]


    Wei Jun pushed off checking his status after the feeling passed away because he was on a strict time frame. He had already played with the mercenary and wasted a few minutes doing that when he could have just simply killed him when he survived the blast.


    Wei Jun checked the weapons of the mercenaries that were still intact and was happy to know that their bullets were not registered as well. He didn''t have to go through the trouble of creating traces of the bullets he shot the police officers with.


    Wei Jun left everything and made his way to the woods where the police driver was waiting for him. Although it was a good chance for the policeman to run away, with his family in Wei Jun''s hands, he had no other choice but to do what Wei Jun said quietly. Because that was the only way he was going to live, or at least there was a chance to.


    "Now what you and I are going to do is travel back to the city by hitching a ride and you would be the one to hitch it. And second, we will be rehearsing a story on the way back which you are going to convince yourself is true because you are going to tell it for a long time." Such a gentle demeanor from Wei Jun scared the policeman somewhat but all he could do was nod.


    And like that, they both made their way through the woods to the other side of it where another road was connected.


    =====


    "Do you think it makes sense, my lady?" The butler of Liu Yu asked as they both watched the news. Liu Yu calmly sipped wine from her glass as she watched the news. The news depicted the state of events that occurred on a highway today during the transfer of a criminal.


    The caravan was ambushed and everyone in it was killed except for a policeman and the criminal, Wei Jun Ruan. The police had risked their lives and fought off the mercenaries and when they saw they couldn''t win, they pulled a suicidal move and blasted everyone with explosives including themselves.


    Odd questions such as why was the police envoy taking the highway to the police station when the drive through the city would have been safer. However, for now, nothing was happening regarding that. Wei Jun was back in police custody and the police were being applauded for their heroic actions.


    "It''s all bullsh*t. Leeches feeding on our money suddenly happened to have developed patriotism now? There is something else." Liu Yu said in scorn and thought of the reasons this massive change in police behavior could have occurred.


    Suddenly something clicked in her head and she turned to her butler, "Find out about that policeman''s family."


    The butler didn''t question her decision and simply left after a slight nod. Liu Yu got back to drinking her wine and focused back on the news where a question was being raised, {Ambush? Is there truth to Wei Jun Ruan''s words?}


    She clicked her tongue, turned off the TV, and reveled in darkness as she enjoyed her wine.

 Chapter 70: The 2nd day of the trial

    Extra chapter 3


    =====


    "So you say that Officer Nan told you to take the convict and run away?" A detective investigated the driver policeman, Zhigang Shau, who vehemently nodded and agreed with the statement.


    "Care to tell me why you didn''t call for backup?" The detective asked next to which Zhigang replied, "For some reason, the communications weren''t working. No radio signal, no cell signal, nothing."


    The detective sighed because he couldn''t mention the truth that he knew Zhigang was lying and there was no way that was the case because he was aware of the truth. However, with the conversation being observed by internal affairs, there was no way he was going to mention his misdeeds. He had no choice but to record this statement and end the issue with it.


    As for Wei Jun, he had refrained from giving any statement at all. The media was already going wild that the accusations against Wei Jun might not be true after all since he was attacked, someone must be covering up the story, right? So the police couldn''t press on Wei Jun anymore.


    The police didn''t even want to press on him anymore. With what happened to Kai Bo, no cop was willing to continue this scheme any more. If Kai Bo could go so easily, the rest of them were easy prey.


    Wei Jun was sitting in his cell under the care of Xiang Fan and Lao Chen when someone very influential visited him. Chief Tao entered the cell unceremoniously and said, "We need to talk."


    Wei Jun looked at the bespectacled man in a suit and chuckled, "Now you want to talk?"


    "Skip the games. Just take the deal and all of our lives get easier." Chief Tao said curtly. Xiang Fan was about to interject but Wei Jun raised his hand to stop him. Wei Jun then turned to Chief Tao and said, "I have already given you the deal. Whether you take it or not is up to you."


    "You know as well as I do that that deal cannot be processed. I go out there and speak what you want me to, I would be losing a hell of a lot more than my job." Chief Tao said.


    Wei Jun chuckled and said, "My father used to say something. Never come to a compromise. Compromise is an illusion. You either win or you lose so make sure that you are the one to win. I take your deal, I lose and you win. There is no benefit there for me.


    The same is the case in vice versa if you were to take my deal. One of us has to lose. I will make sure it''s you." Wei Jun ended the conversation and it was clear he wasn''t going to talk about it any further.


    "Your right to investigation has been revoked since the beginning of the trial. You have to right to engage with my client." Xiang Fan interjected this time and Chief Tao had no choice but to listen.


    "You will regret your choice." Chief Tao left before saying the villainous words of every third-grade villain. Wei Jun smiled and closed his eyes to rest a little. Although he felt full of energy after his stats grew, his mind was a little fatigued after not sleeping for the last four days.


    He couldn''t sleep knowing there was danger to his life in the police station so all he could do was take brief breaks and rest his eyes every now and then. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, the trial wasn''t pushed forward. Normally it should have been to further investigate into the issue of whether he was really being framed or not but it seemed his enemies weren''t going to give him that chance which he was totally fine with because he had already wasted too much time on this charade.


    "Call our dear chief Tao as a witness tomorrow. It''s time to end this." Wei Jun said to Xiang Fan with his eyes closed. Xiang Fan nodded and left to proceed with it. When he was left alone with Lao Chen, Wei Jun said, "Release the movie tomorrow. Let''s earn some fame for our friends. Also, watch out for any interference.


    There must be something that could become a variable."


    Lao Chen nodded and couldn''t help but look at his master who had thought so many steps ahead that even he was confused. All he could do for now was to put his faith in his master and simply do as he was told because so far things had turned out to be well just by doing so.


    =====


    "Your hunch was right. The family of the policeman disappeared in the middle of the day. There is no trace of them anywhere." Liu Yu''s butler informed her of his findings. As for Liu Yu, as she expected this much, her focus wasn''t currently on this.


    She was thinking, long and hard. Today, it would be decided whether or not Wei Jun was guilty. She didn''t want any mishaps to happen so she racked her brain as much as she could to not miss any variables. Even with so much effort, she couldn''t just arrive at a conclusion when suddenly she remembered the fiasco Wei Jun had pulled into the court.


    What if he had a bigger move than that and on a bigger scale?


    "Use every connection that we have with the media and watch out for anything out of the norm. If something pops up, suppress it at the spot." Liu Yu was sure that Wei Jun had something else up his sleeve. If it was before, she wouldn''t have expected Wei Jun to pull such smart moves but with everything he had shown, she had stopped underestimating him.


    Now wasn''t the time to think that Wei Jun was beneath him. She needed to be prepared for anything and everything.


    "Understood, my lady." Her butler replied and left with a slight bow. Liu Yu returned her attention to the TV once she was left alone where a handsome boy in cuffs could be seen trekking the stairs of the court building.


    In a few moments, he returned with a concerned frown on his face. Liu Yu recognized that expression as bad news and asked, "What?"


    "My lady, I don''t know if it is relevant or not, but a call was made from Judge Yong''s office today." The butler informed.


    "Why? What does that fat creep want?" Liu Yu asked with disgust on her face.


    "That¡­ He made a call to the media early morning to let them cover the case." The butler replied with hesitance.


    Liu Yu sighed as she realized she had failed another card already. There was no use in watching the media now that the media was already involved.


    =====


    Judge Yong was having a bad feeling about today''s trial. He was sure their plans were flawless yet the variables that appeared again and again, destroyed everything they had built. The resources they had used were massive. The witness tampering, evidence tampering, jury tampering, and some dangerous people they had hired.


    Still, their target was alive and well, and not only that, but he was even sending letters to Judge Yong. The contents of the letter were very simple. Judge Yong was to admit to his wrongdoings and everything would be resolved. Even if he was fired, he could consider himself under the protection of the Ruan family but Judge Yong knew it wasn''t that simple.


    Once he admits to the list of crimes up ahead, some dangerous government officials would get involved and even the Ruan family won''t be able to go against them. So the only option left right now was to push through and he would try his best to not allow any questions and evidence like the last time.


    Or so he thought when he entered the panel only to see a massive amount of media channels. ''What the¡­?'' His brain stopped functioning. He was sure that he had denied the media coverage today so who could have called them?


    At that moment his cell phone rang which he wasn''t allowed to bring in there but being a judge had its perks. He answered the phone whose caller ID read Yao Tian, "Are you out of your mind?! Why have you allowed for media coverage?!"


    Yao Tian on the other end sounded very much angry but that only left Judge Yong confused. What did he mean by he allowed the coverage? "There¡­ there must be some misunderstanding, young master Tian," Judge Yong replied in a hushed voice as he added, "I specifically ordered them not to come."


    "Is that so?! Then why did the call for the coverage come from your office?!" Yao Tian yelled once again.


    Instead of making him more confused, instinctively, Judge Yong''s eyes fell on Wei Jun at the defendant''s table and all he saw on that face was the same ominous smile he had seen yesterday. He couldn''t focus on anything anymore and just sat there questioning his choices as the trial resumed officially.

 Chapter 71: Revelation

    Extra chapter 4


    =====


    The trial began with an absentminded judge who couldn''t do anything but space out every now and then. Wei Jun couldn''t stop smiling seeing the fat man in despair, knowing he had been caught in a net like a fat slimy creature and all he could do was nothing because his physique didn''t allow any resistance.


    The same was the case for Judge Yong, only instead of his physique, it was his deeds keeping him trapped. There was no ray of hope left. It was the cliff and well situation and even then, the well had spikes laid at its bottom that were submerged in boiling magma.


    "The defense calls out the next witness, Chief Tao of the police to the stand." Xiang Fan announced but he received no response from Judge Yong. "Ahem! Judge." Xiang Fan called him out which made Judge Yong snap out of it and the first word he said was, "Sustained!"


    Wei Jun had to suppress his laughter at the odd sound made by Judge Yong while the rest of the courtroom was stunned and not sure how to react to that. They certainly couldn''t make fun of the judge so all they could was just sit there awkwardly.


    As for Judge Yong, he realized his mistake and his face went red from embarrassment which was more on the creepy side than funny which made many people''s stomach churn at the sight.


    "Call¡­ Call your witness." Judge Yong said with embarrassment which still wasn''t funny. Xiang Fan didn''t let go of this opportunity and called for the witness once again. Chief Tao made his way to the stand and took the seat while he gave Wei Jun a nasty stare that was only returned with a smile.


    "Please state your name and credentials for the jury." Xiang Fan began professionally so Chief Tao had no choice but to remain professional. "My name is Zhuang Tao. I am the chief superintendent of Yuan Yin police department."


    "I see. Would you mind repeating to the court the charges against my client?" Xiang Fan asked.


    Chief Tao nodded and began, "The defendant is charged with fourteen first and third-degree murders. There is concrete evidence tying the defendant to the scene."


    Xiang Fan nodded and asked, "When was the first murder committed?"


    "On the fifteenth of last month." Chief Tao replied.


    "And the others?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "A few days after that, on the afternoon of the nineteenth." Chief Tao once again replied.


    "So the first murder occurred about three weeks ago. Mind telling us why the arrest was made so much later if the police had concrete evidence?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "It''s because one of the detectives went astray and received bribes from the defendant and tampered with the evidence." Chief Tao explained.


    "I see." Xiang Fan then went and picked up a paper sheet, presented it to the D.A. and the judge, and said, "This is the statistics of the current detective on the case. Are you aware that the said detective has been investigated for bribery and evidence tampering on fifteen different occasions? Why was his testimony so much valued than a detective who is under the suspicion of bribery?"


    Chief Tao couldn''t deny the irrefutable evidence in front of him because he had allowed the investigations of the internal affairs himself. Still, he couldn''t admit that he assigned a corrupt cop on the case and replied, "None of these allegations were proved."


    "Oh, but they were proved." Xiang Fan replied and procured another stack of papers. One went to the D.A., one to the judge, and the last one to Chief Tao.


    "Please read the statement on the papers that follows the judgment of the internal affairs." Xiang Fan requested.


    "Objection! Irrelevant! The defense should have raised such question to the detective on the case." Ho Son objected to which Xiang Fan simply argued, "Well, he wasn''t the one to assign himself, was he? I am simply asking the chief of police, why was a corrupt cop under fifteen allegations proved was assigned to the case?"


    The move of the People was to use the fact that Zhao Hui accepted bribes to handle the case. If the fact was raised that the detective they assigned was also under investigation for corruption and some cases already proven, they would lose footing in that department.


    "Uh¡­ That¡­ I wasn''t aware of this fact." Chief Tao replied.


    Xiang fan smiled and asked, "And now that you are aware of the situation, would you admit that you find this investigation doubtful?" Xiang Fan could have easily pointed out that it was Chief Tao who approved the investigation in the first place so there was no way he could have been unaware of this fact but that was not the direction Wei Jun wanted to go so Xiang Fan kept the direction according to Wei Jun''s wishes.


    "This still does not deny the irrefutable evidence against your client." Chief Tao argued.


    "And you don''t think that the evidence could have been planted by the lead detective as he had done many times before like my client claims?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "That''s not possible." Chief Tao replied.


    "Why not?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "Because I personally verified the evidence and there were no signs of tampering." Chief Tao explained.


    "I''m not saying the evidence was tampered with, I''m saying it was planted." Xiang Fan corrected the misunderstanding. Ho Son kept objecting in the background but Xiang Fan wasn''t giving him a chance to give any logical reason for his objection.


    "No. There were no signs of plantation. I am sure of that." Chief Tao verified.


    "Wouldn''t that mean that you are clearly involved in this case?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "I am the chief of police." Chief Tao argued.


    Xiang Fan smiled and said, "Then you must be an awfully biased one because, in the last two years, you haven''t been involved in a single case."


    "Objection! Badgering!" Ho Son objected for the umpteenth time but the judge was barely responsive to anything that was happening.


    "I see no agreement from the judge in your case so I will be presenting my next set of evidence." Xiang Fan said.


    He then moved to his desk, procured a few documents, and gave them to the D.A. and the judge as well. He gave one copy to Chief Tao and said, "Mind telling the jury your annual income?"


    Before anyone could check the documents, Xiang Fan''s question was suddenly presented so Chief Tao chose to reply first, "About 382,000 yuan."


    "And now please look at the document I have given you. It states that your wife received a million yuan ten times making it ten million yuan in the last three weeks. Am I the only one who sees a pattern here?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "OBJECTION! IRRELEVANCE!" Ho Son was practically yelling at the top of his lungs now but he received no reply from the judge who seemed to have been lost in a world of his own.


    "I will take that as overruled. Please answer the question, Chief Tao." Xiang Fan pushed harder because he was very close.


    Chief Tao had an answer prepared to that so he replied, "She received an inheritance from her father." Since it was reported in such a way on bank statements, it was the truth.


    Xiang Fan smiled and said, "Then your wife must be related to the Tian family because that''s where the trail of money leads to."


    "Pardon?" Chief Tao couldn''t help but ask.


    "If you would please check the next pages of the bank statements, you would understand that the money was transferred through thirteen different accounts, which by the way is impossible in the case of an inheritance, and all of the accounts lead back to the account of a one Yao Tian.


    I have the bank''s affidavit to corroborate with my statement." Xiang Fan elaborated, leaving everyone on the other side speechless.


    "I¡­ this¡­ maybe¡­" Chief Tao couldn''t answer. He knew he was trapped but he saw no way out of it. Even Ho Son couldn''t do anything now that such extensive research was shown.


    "Chief Tao, I will ask you again, despite all of the signs showing your involvement, did you or did you not have anything to do with the evidence implantation against my client?" Xiang Fan asked once Chief Tao was thoroughly backed into a corner.


    Ho Son objected once again only to receive an ''Overruled'' from the Judge who was still high on the clouds and discovering the mistakes of his life.


    "No. I am not involved." Chief Tao said with determination.


    "I see. Please just to be sure, are you absolutely certain?" Xiang Fan once again asked just to be sure of the statement given by Chief Tao.


    "Yes. I am sure." Chief Tao replied with determination. That was the only option he currently had. He knew the defense had no evidence of his involvement because all of the planning was made with personal meetings and it was made sure there were no leaks of the conversations.


    "I see." Xiang Fan replied before he moved to obtain a USB once again that replayed the bad memories from yesterday in the concerned parties'' minds. "Your honor, the defense would like to submit defense exhibit E."


    "There is no such evidence in discovery and the people deny the submission of any undiscovered evidence." Ho Son vehemently disagreed with the evidence but the cameras in the court began flashing nonstop because all of the reporters seemed to have received something just then. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter if we show it here or not." Xiang Fan said but plugged the USB himself. Ho Son once again argued but Xiang Fan didn''t listen. As the video began to play, three people in the video were shown to be chatting and laughing over drinks.


    The people in question were none other than Judge Yon, Chief Tao who slumped in his seat when he saw the video, and the last but not least, Yao Tian.

 Chapter 72: Freedom

    And this marks the end of the extra chapters to show my appreciation for all the support you guys have given me. I hope you guys enjoy it.


    That''s it. Don''t forget to comment and drop reviews, positive if possible. Enjoy!


    =====


    The night before Wei Jun''s arrest, Wei Jun asked Li Wei to locate Yao Tian''s cell phone which she was able to locate in a hillside cabin. Wei Jun went to the downtown parking lot from where the man in a helmet on a bike left for the hillside area of the city.


    He arrived at the hillside after a few minutes but unfortunately, the area was heavily guarded. He had to atop a mile away from the spot and then continued on foot stealthily which wasn''t much of a problem for him. He soon arrived by the cabin and checked for security and blind spots.


    There was minimal security on the roof of the cabin and since it was a moonless night, the risk of being spotted was very low.


    He made his way to the top of the cabin. Luckily, it was just a one-story cabin so he could see whoever was down there, having a pleasant conversation. He brought out a high-definition camera which was used to record movies from his inventory and began to record the conversation underneath.


    {Has that fat pig not arrived yet?} Yao Tian asked with a chuckle.


    {That fatso will slow us down} Chief Tao replied.


    {Have you made sure of the precautions?} Yao Tian asked next.


    {Yes. I have placed signal jammers around the area. Phones or bugs won''t work anymore} Chief Tao replied.


    Only now did the helmet man on the roof realize how thorough they were. But unfortunately, signal jammers don''t block signals above a certain height so his camera was still working. It was a defect in the signal jammers that most didn''t know.


    The helmet man continued to film the conversation underneath and soon a fat man with a pot belly, Judge Yong arrived with a merry laugh as well. The conversation between them continued about the plan regarding Wei Jun''s framing.


    The plan was simple, Chief Tao would be the one to plant the evidence and Judge Yong would be the one to make it difficult for the defense to present any meaningful evidence to the court.


    They also had the D.A. in on it who was none other than Liu Yu''s uncle. There was no mention of Liu Yu''s involvement so far but even that was soon mentioned and some disgusting plans about her beauty were mentioned too. The helmet man kept recording everything when he felt a drop of liquid on the camera. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He raised his head to see clouds covering the area and rain was soon to come. He knew it would be difficult to leave without leaving any traces in the rain so he felt that he had enough and stopped recording.


    Just in time too because as soon as he left, Yao Tian raised his head to see the window open. He felt something strange and hurriedly sent someone to check it out but when he found no one there, he felt assured.


    Unfortunately, at the present time, watching that video on the TV and every news channel, he realized that he should have done some extensive research that night. Because of the angle from where that video was shot, it was the same place where he had a suspicion but he chalked it up to a coincidence.


    "Young master¡­" Butler Sa didn''t know how to call his master who was just sitting there on the sofa, stunned and without a word.


    =====


    On the other side, a few minutes before the launch of the video, Liu Yu received a text on her phone. She checked the name to be none other than her fianc¨¦. She felt a little strange to receive a text from him since he was in the court.


    The contents of the message were simple.


    {A special privilege for my lovely fianc¨¦e. You get to watch my movie before anyone else. Muwah.}


    The message ended with a lip mark that looked like a kiss that only made her feel even stranger than before.


    {P.S. Can''t blame them for talking about you. You do have a killer body.}


    Not understanding what this meant, she opened the video attached to the message and watched the video. As the video ended, her butler standing behind her couldn''t help but feel ominous about what was to come next.


    "Hahaha!" Liu Yu began to laugh frantically from a small chuckle to full-blown laughter and just at the same time, "AHHHHHH!!!!" A shriek left her lips that resonated throughout the mansion of the Yu family.


    =====


    "Mister Ruan, what would you like to say about the current state of events?" A reporter asked during a press conference. The judicial office had no choice but to drop all charges on Wei Jun Ruan and declare him an innocent man. There were talks of internal affairs getting involved to investigate all the detectives in this case.


    Wei Jun simply smiled and replied, "Actually, thanks to Detective Zhao Hui and his dedication to doing things by the book, he provided me with most of the evidence which if I had provided, I could have been declared an innocent man from the beginning but I wanted to see who else was involved in all of this. What I didn''t expect was that almost half of the police department was involved.


    Not to mention the D.A. and the judiciary as well."


    "Are you saying that you and Detective Zhao Hui worked together?" Another reporter asked.


    "Oh no. He still doubts me of those murders but he claims that I was arrested the wrong way and that he will prove it was me the right way." Wei Jun replied.


    "So there is no relation between you and Detective Zhao Hui?" Another reporter asked.


    "Only one of suspicion." Wei Jun replied with a chuckle.


    "What would be your move now?" Another reporter asked. That was quite a vague question and it could also be interpreted as, ''Would you pursue the involved parties or would you let this matter go?''


    Wei Jun smiled and replied, "My first move would be to finish my movie which had to be set back by a week because of all of this."


    Seeing that there was no choice but to be direct, the reporter finally asked about his involvement with the involved people, "Would you be actively participating in the investigations of corruption against the involved parties?"


    Wei Jun smiled but he didn''t reply at the moment. He let the hype be created for a while and finally said, "I have decided to not involve myself in this matter any further. I am now a free man and I would like to keep it that way. I would rather not involve myself in anything more."


    Wei Jun clearly declared his involvement publicly or at least the lack of it. Wei Jun was sure that Lin Ruan would have done what he had asked her to do along with the old man Sun Ruan, he wouldn''t have to worry about the legal systems of the Yuan Yin city anymore. But a public image was necessary, a good one was essential at that.


    "So you have decided to forgive the involved parties?" Another reporter asked.


    "Vengeance is an inherent quality of a man. Forgiveness is a gift that he has developed himself over the centuries. Vengeance is easy but forgiving is hard and after being through such hardships, I have decided to do one last hard deed. I just hope it doesn''t make those who were after me think that I am an easy target.


    Another move like this, and I won''t be so happy with everything." Wei Jun was being benevolent and threatening at the same time in the sweetest and wisest way possible.


    The press conference came to an end for Wei Jun. Xiang Fan still had many questions to answer such as how he obtained all the evidence. Wei Jun left the thought the back only to bump into a familiar figure. He stopped and smiled, "Quite generous of you to provide with all the evidence against the detective and the chief."


    "Just don''t make me regret it." Zhao Hui curtly replied before he added, "Don''t think that this gets you off the hook. If I find anything against you, I will be coming for you."


    "And I have just announced publicly that I would be fair when it came to that." Wei Jun replied before he asked, "But how about you do me one last favor?"


    "What?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "For that, you would have to follow me to a bar." Wei Jun said. Zhao Hui thought it was strange but he was willing to entertain Wei Jun for one last time.


    Wei Jun nodded, passed Zhao Hui, and made his way over to his limo. The gentle smile on Wei Jun''s face disappeared as soon as he entered the limo and called Li Wei. As soon as the call was picked up, he asked, "Where is he?"


    "Good to hear from you, boss. And the target is at the ''Crow'' bar." Li Wei greeted Wei Jun and replied to his question. Wei Jun smiled once again and ended the call. He turned to look at the back mirror only to smile even more when he saw Zhao Hui following him.


    Wei Jun smiled and told the driver, "Let''s go to the ''Crow'' bar. We should celebrate our freedom." The driver nodded and changed the destination from Wei Jun''s villa to the ''Crow'' bar.

 Chapter 73: Welcome back

    "Leave." Bei Tian, the patriarch of the Tian family had no choice but to expel his younger son from the family. With the insinuations going around, the elders of the family demanded the exile of Yao Tian from the Tian family.


    As for Yao Tian, he couldn''t help but boil in anger over and over again. Everything was lost, everything he had was taken away. His title of family head which seemed in reach because of his incompetent brother was no longer within his grasp. He truly had nothing now.


    And all of its credit went to no one but the infamous Wei Jun Ruan. The one who had constantly destroyed his everything. Yao Tian had nowhere to go now. Of course, he had funds as an emergency but given the luxuries he had, he wouldn''t be able to have them anymore. But none of them mattered before the fact that he was exiled from his own family.


    Butler Sa had chosen to follow him or he was actually ordered by the family head to watch over his son. After all, he did care about him so there was a possibility he would have left plenty in Yao Tian''s name. Still, the fact that Yao Tian was no longer a member of his own family was his greatest sorrow and he chose to drown that sorrow in alcohol.


    Little did he know, he wouldn''t be able to even drink in peace because the place where he was drinking as he lost everything, someone had chosen the same exact place to celebrate his freedom.


    "Well, well, well, if it isn''t young master Yao Tian." Wei Jun said with amusement in his voice, visible to even the passersby but Wei Jun didn''t care. He wanted to get a reaction out of the drunk Yao Tian and he wouldn''t have to do much.


    "I think it would be best if you left us alone." Of course, the protector of Yao Tian, butler Sa stepped forward. Wei Jun made a confused expression and asked, "Why? Is this bar under the Tian name?"


    It clearly meant that Wei Jun could sit wherever he wanted. Butler Sa also had to back off because of Lao Chen''s presence. Wei Jun took the seat next to Yao Tian who still had his head down, staring at his drink.


    "What would you like, sir?" The bartender asked Wei Jun to which he simply replied, "Water."


    "Pardon?" The waiter was a bit taken aback so Wei Jun had to say it again, "I want water. Simple, plain water. Do you have that or not?"


    "Uhh¡­ Yes, sir." The bartender left to get water which was brought in a whisky glass. Wei Jun took the glass and said, "You just couldn''t stop, could you? So many chances to stop but you didn''t. First Quan Li and Zhan Yi, then the attack of the gangster, and now this. You should have realized you would fail the first two times. Why did you have to dig your own pit deeper, huh?"


    Wei Jun kept taking small sips of the water and kept talking. Yao Tian wasn''t in the mood to listen to all of his failures but he wanted to somehow irritate Wei Jun as well so he replied, "None of it was my idea. It was all your precious fianc¨¦e''s doing."


    Yao Tian had expected Wei Jun to be annoyed but he simply said, "Figures. The plans were smart, very smart. Something I wouldn''t expect from you."


    Wei Jun was making fun of Yao Tian and he was losing it every second. Wei Jun could see that and said, "What? Are you angry? What is it that makes you angry? The fact that you''re so stupid that a girl used you like a toy or that you knew about it and just let her?"


    Yao Tian grunted and pushed Wei Jun who wasn''t even pushed a little so he had to act a bit. Wei Jun let himself fall to the ground. Yao Tian mounted Wei Jun and began to punch Wei Jun in the face. Butler Sa didn''t know how to stop him and Lao Chen was under strict orders to not interfere.


    Yao Tian kept punching Wei Jun in the face before he stood up straight, picked up the glass with which he was drinking, and bashed it into Wei Jun''s head. Wei Jun began to bleed but the smile on his face didn''t go away. The smile that caused Yao Tian to keep hitting him even though shards of glass were entering his own hand.


    "That''s enough." Zhao Hui thought now would be a good time to interfere. Butler Sa was about to interfere when Zhao Hui said, "If you try anything, I would have the cultivator special forces here. Then we can see it goes."


    Butler Sa had no choice but to step back and Zhao Hui grabbed Yao Tian who struggled greatly but Zhao Hui''s grasp was firm. He pulled Yao Tian away and cuffed his hands behind him. "Yao Tian, you are under arrest for assault."


    "And attempted murder." Wei Jun interjected with a smile as he stood up, his head still bleeding but the smile on his face remained consistent.


    "For assault." Zhao Hui emphasized before he read Yao Tian his rights who kept screaming, "Wei Jun Ruan. I will kill you! I will kill everyone you love! Just wait! You haven''t seen the last of me!!! I will take everything away from you like you took everything from me!!!" Yao Tian kept yelling as he was dragged out of the bar by Zhao Hui.


    Wei Jun laughed at the threats as if he found them funny. Wei Jun took out a thousand-yuan bill and gave it to the bartender and said, "Keep the change."


    Wei Jun left the bar. His suit was ruined by blood but he didn''t care much. He had already spent five days in this suit. He won''t be wearing it anytime soon. Right now, all that mattered was going home. He boarded the limo and Lao Chen entered the driver''s section.


    The car left for the villa. While on the way, just as he was about to reach the villa, he received a phone call from Li Wei, "Congrats on your freedom, boss."


    "Thanks. You got something for me?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Of course. I won''t congratulate you without a gift." Li Wei said in a spoiled tone before she added, "You would be very happy to know that we now have the fingerprints of a Yao Tian on the police database."


    As he heard the news, Wei Jun laughed merrily as he replied, "That is a great gift indeed. But do you know what would make me even happier?"


    "A super busty stripper?" Li Wei joked.


    "Close. A paper company under Yao Tian''s name. One that would be difficult to find but not so deep that our incompetent police is not able to find." Wei Jun replied.


    "Got it, boss. Leave everything to me." Li Wei replied.


    "Of course. I know how reliable you are." Wei Jun said.


    "Are we doing it, boss?" Li Wei asked. It sounded like she was referring to something already discussed. Wei Jun smirked and said, "Of course."


    "Got it, boss. I will make the preparations." Li Wei replied before she hung up the phone. Wei Jun''s smile disappeared once he was close to the villa. Lao Chen opened the door for him and he got out of the limousine. He had taken a health pill so his injuries were gone.


    The blood on his clothes was still there but it wasn''t anything to worry about. At least now he didn''t have cuts everywhere on his face and hands.


    As he entered the door, he was met with a surprising sight. All of the servants of the villa were gathered in the lobby and there was a board with big words "Welcome back" written on it. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The acting team was also present along with all the staff of his office.


    "WELCOME BACK!!!" Everyone uttered the same words as written on the billboard. There were drinks prepared and to eat, there was a lot of beef prepared. Wei Jun saw all the smiles on the faces of everyone and didn''t know how to react. He wasn''t touched at all but he won''t be a good boss if he pointed that out.


    "It is a surprise to come back to but I would appreciate it really much if you let me change first." Wei Jun pointed at his clothes.


    Xu Kang, the head maid, stepped forward and said, "Of course, young master. A fresh suit has been prepared for you in your room."


    Wei Jun nodded and left the lobby awkwardly. He made his way to his room. He freshened up with a shower and wore the suit. He examined the changes in himself that weren''t that much given that he had gone through a massive stat change. He still hadn''t checked his status but he decided to check it after the party. For now, he had to go and be a good boss.


    =====


    One thing I would like to share, I want everyone to come up with two genres for the novel.


    By the end of this week, the two most commented genres would be up on my novel. One extra chapter for each genre at the end of the week.


    Please, just leave a comment on this paragraph to make it easier for me. That''s it. Enjoy!

 Chapter 74: Smile

    "You still can''t smile, can''t you?" Xia Lu asked. Wei Jun had come down and mingled with almost everyone. The only thing was, he didn''t smile the entire time.


    "You know what I say about smiles, smiles¡­" Wei Jun began but was interrupted midway through by Xia Lu, "¡­are the key to happiness but happiness is contagious and might kill me so I always act like a stuck-up middle-aged man whose wife left him on the second day of marriage. Yeah, I know."


    "That''s not what I said." Wei Jun as he saw the people around him laughing at Xia Lu''s joke.


    "Really? I thought you meant something along the lines." Xia Lu replied.


    "I really did not." Wei Jun replied, still no signs of a smile on his face. Xia Lu shook her head and picked up another glass of champagne. "Should you be drinking that much?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Wow. Either I''m already drunk or you sound like you''re worried." Xia Lu sarcastically remarked before she added, "I''m powerless, have a terrible boss and my uncle eats up my mother''s hard work while all I can do is watch. I should be doing nothing but drinking." Xia Lu replied with a sour mood which dispersed the people around her because Wei Jun glared at them.


    Xia Lu was already pretty drunk so Wei Jun pointed out, "Still, that''s no excuse to drink. Drinking can be dangerous to health."


    "You''d know that wouldn''t you? You don''t even drink gin and soda." Xia Lu pointed out the fact that she had never seen Wei Jun drink. Even now when everyone around him was drinking, he was sticking to water.


    "I don''t drink. Mostly it comes from my father. He says a man makes questionable decisions when he''s drunk." Wei Jun replied.


    "Really? I thought your father was a heavy drinker." Xia Lu replied, referring to the current father of Wei Jun. Wei Jun didn''t bother correcting her, not that he could, so all he could do was nod and say, "I think you''ve had enough for the night." He moved ahead to take the glass but Xia Lu stepped back. She stumbled and almost fell when Wei Jun hurriedly caught her by her arm.


    He pulled her up and said, "That''s enough."


    "Why!? The contract doesn''t say anything about drinking!" Xia Lu said in a little loud voice and the people around them turned to look at them.


    "This isn''t about the contract. This is about your health and well-being." Wei Jun replied while he still held her by her arm.


    "Why?! Isn''t that all you care about?! The contract! When have I ever mattered to you?! HUH?!" Xia Lu pulled her arm to free herself but in doing so, she once again stumbled backward but before she could again fall, Wei Jun once again caught her.


    Despite the awkward stares from around, a slight smile couldn''t help but crawl its way to Wei Jun''s face which would have been amazing usually but in this situation, it wasn''t so much.


    "What?! Now you''re smiling! To make fun of me!" Still in a 135-degree position, held by Wei Jun, Xia Lu didn''t take kindly to the smile on his face. Before Wei Jun could explain himself, she began to struggle vehemently and her heels slipped, sliding her on the floor and she almost met the floor had it not been for Wei Jun holding her.


    He shook his head when Xia Lu began to throw a tantrum, "LET ME GO! GO! GO! GO! YOU MEAN BASTRAD FU*KER!"


    It was safe to say she had learned some bad words from Wei Jun as well but Wei Jun only smiled as he couldn''t help but find the scene adoring. He shook his head again and pulled her up but instead of letting her stand, he perched on top of his shoulder and said, "I think it''s best if I retire from the party tonight.


    Thanks for the warm welcome." The people in the lobby couldn''t help but be stunned by the charming smile on Wei Jun''s face. They didn''t even notice the background tantrum of Xia Lu and the flailing of her arms and legs.


    Wei Jun''s smile extended even further as his pearly white teeth came into view, it was a short chuckle, something no one had seen before, and those who were behind him, could never understand why the people in front of Wei Jun were stunned with their mouths hanging open.


    Wei Jun didn''t wait for a bit and left along with Xia Lu on her shoulder. He left under the stunned gazes of everyone and made his way to her room. He soon arrived at her room under her constant flailing and resistance. Wei Jun opened her door and was happy to know that it was unlocked. He entered the room and lowered Xia Lu on her bed. When she was in bed, she stared at him before she yelled, "Lecher!


    Fu*ker! Mean bastard! As*hole!"


    And many more profanities left her mouth along with her hand with which she picked up the pillows and threw them at Wei Jun. When she ran out of pillows, she tried to pull the blanket but since she was sitting on it, she pulled too hard and fell off the bed when the blanket slid from underneath her.


    Wei Jun''s smile remained constant but he stepped forward to help her up because she wasn''t moving anymore. She was just sitting there with small sobs leaving her lips. "I just¡­ I don''t know¡­ what to do¡­" Wei Jun shook his head, picked her up again, and lowered her in her bed.


    She stopped sobbing as she saw Wei Jun caring for her and when they were in close proximity, she leaned forward with her lips puckered into a kiss but Wei Jun blocked her with his finger. She stared at him as her lips met his finger. Wei Jun smiled and said, "You might not remember any of this in the morning but, let''s not make any mistakes tonight."


    He stood up and grabbed her by her shoulder, pushed her into the bed, and laid her down. Then he said, "Go to sleep. I won''t say all your problems would be solved by the morning but many of them would be."


    Drowsiness took hold of her and she slowly closed her eyes. Wei Jun smiled and left the room. He made his way to his own room and opened the window to the balcony. He jumped from the balcony and landed on the ground effortlessly. He made his way to the villa wall in the back and climbed them up. There were security measures on the wall such as electric barbed wire but Wei Jun how to deal with them.


    He landed on the road and his outfit changed via the inventory. Still, he was miles away from downtown and he couldn''t hitch a ride so he began to run to the warehouse where his bike was. He wanted to test his new physical limits anyway.


    [Status]


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 19


    HP: 28\\28


    Cultivation realm: Mortal]


    [Strength: 36]


    [Stamina: 46]


    [Agility: 45]


    [Defense: 33]


    [Qi: 0]


    [Charm: 30] S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Luck: 7]


    "Not bad." Wei Jun murmured as he ran across town.


    [These aren''t your full stats showing]


    ''What do you mean?'' Wei Jun curiously asked. He felt strong enough so if the system was saying he wasn''t at full power, what did that mean?


    [Your stats cannot go above forty at your current level]


    [So although your stamina and agility are showing above forty, in reality, they are stuck at forty]


    [You will have to level up to level twenty to fully unlock them]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun nodded inwardly. It was true that his stat limit was forty once he reached level ten. So if he wanted to go above forty, he would have to reach level twenty to remove the block on his stats. He had to admit that so far, the system was very thorough in everything. Everything was logical and to the point.


    ''Tell me, if I were to kill a cultivator, would I still gain stats even if they were locked?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [No idea]


    [As I said, the system to absorb stats isn''t a function of the system so I cannot give you any output on that]


    [Usually, if you reach your stat limit, no matter what you do, you won''t be able to increase them anymore]


    [But I cannot say anything about the unique stat absorption]


    [It could be possible seeing that you already have two stats above forty]


    [But it could also not work]


    [Like I said, no idea]


    "I see." Wei Jun replied.


    He then began to contemplate various things and kept asking system questions too but they weren''t related to the system but more to the cultivation. Most of which were not answered since Wei Jun''s authority wasn''t high enough.


    Just like that, in an hour he finally arrived at downtown where his garage was. He was a little fatigued but not so tired as someone who had run across town, almost twenty-two miles away in an hour at full speed in a tight partial metal suit and stuffy metal helmet.


    Still, he took a stamina pill because he needed to be in optimal condition for what he was about to do next.

 Chapter 75: Smile (1)

    "Congratulations, Chairman Lu." A man greeted Zhen Lu, the acting head of the Lu family and the uncle of Xia Lu from her mother''s side.


    Zhen Lu was the son of the previous family head of the Lu family but due to some of his wrongdoings, he was vanquished of his right to become the family head and instead, her younger sister, the only child left of the previous family head, became the head of the Lu and all the companies and businesses along with it.


    But it wasn''t the end for Zhen Lu as he was kept in the family even though he was practically banished. It was just that he couldn''t become the head. As luck had it for him, his sister fell ill and fell into a coma. The doctors couldn''t determine when she would wake up so the leadership of the family had to be decided.


    At first, Zhen Lu didn''t want to become the family head but temporarily took the seat because things were becoming grim for the family.


    He had every intention of returning the seat to Xia Lu once she grew up or to his sister. However, something happened in his life that made him change his mind and think of the future. He became a father. As a vanquished member, he couldn''t become the head and obviously, his children wouldn''t receive anything as well. He couldn''t have that so he decided to take some of it for himself.


    However, once he got the power to take it, he couldn''t just stop. Soon enough, he wanted everything. His niece was useless and he was sure she would just drown the companies.


    He wasn''t technically wrong because Xia Lu was incompetent in this aspect of life. She wasn''t a leader and the entire family, even the elders who threw Zhen Lu out, had to admit that Xia Lu wouldn''t be able to lead the family. So Zhen Lu decided to take matters into his own hands and for the sake of his children, he began to drive Xia Lu away.


    At first, it was just her incompetence in the business world, but then he even began to portray her as useless in all other fields. Made various scandals about her, made various rumors, and almost plummeted her reputation until she had no choice but to leave.


    When she left, everything was finally in his grasp. Well, almost everything because there were still a few stubborn elders who believed that Zhen Lu shouldn''t be the family head and that although he should run the company, the leader and head in the name should be Xia Lu.


    So, to deal with those stubborn geezers, Zhen Lu began to make some serious moves. He brought the ones he could to his side and those that he couldn''t, he had to dispose of them and let someone else, who was in his favor, take their place.


    And today, finally he had the support of all the elder positions. With the last person to sign the petition in his favor, he had now officially become the family head. He no longer needed anyone else. He no longer had to live with the fact that his reputation was temporary.


    Now, he was the sole ruler of the Lu family. He smirked and replied, "It''s all thanks to you Mister Zao."


    "Haha." Zao laughed and said, "No need to thank me, Chairman Lu. You deserve this position." Zao replied before he slapped his forehead and said, "Oh! Silly me. Not the chairman but the head, family head Lu." His flattery was visible to anyone and Zen Lu wasn''t oblivious of it. Still, he felt good for being called the family head of the Lu family.


    "Haha. Thank you, thank you." Zhen Lu smiled and said. They talked for a few more minutes and then Zao left. As for Zhen Lu, the smile on his face disappeared as he called for his attendant.


    "Yes, master?" The attendant said as he entered.


    "Butler Dong, I think something terrible is about to happen to my niece. Make sure to watch it out." Zhen Lu replied, care flowing in his words. Butler Dong bowed and replied, "I will see to it myself, master."


    Zhen Lu nodded and said, "Good. You may go now but send some celebrations in. It''s a night to celebrate."


    "As you wish, master." Butler Dong before he turned to leave but halted. He felt something move at the corner of his eye. When he turned his attention over there, he found nothing. There was nothing and his instincts were telling him that he was simply mistaken. He was the type to trust his instincts so he brushed it over.


    "What is it?" Zhen Lu asked as Butler Dong had suddenly halted and was staring at a corner. "Nothing, master. Must have been my imagination."


    "I see. Close the door on your way out then." Zhen Lu said. Butler Dong nodded and left with a reply, "I will see to it that your company is soon to arrive."


    "Mhm." Zhen Lu simply replied with a hum and Butler Dong left. Once he was alone, he sighed as he looked out of the window, down on the night time of the Yuan Yin city. He scoffed and turned to make himself another drink. He drank it slowly and kept admiring the view that felt different now that he was an all-powerful man.


    Suddenly, he began to feel heavy in the chest. He couldn''t tell what it was but soon, it was like his whole body was heavy. He felt an ominous feeling wash over him and he tried to call for someone but his mouth felt heavy. His lips wouldn''t open under that weight. And while he was feeling all of that, he heard steps close to him.


    He thought it was someone to help but he couldn''t raise his eyes because they felt heavy as well.


    However, just as he thinking of how to give a signal, he was pulled up and came face to face with a black helmet. His eyes were still heavy so they couldn''t go wide but fear struck him on the inside.


    ''NO! NOT NOW! NOT ON THIS DAY'' He screamed internally but it was no use. His lips wouldn''t just part. The man in the helmet gently placed him on the couch before he said, "I know how you''re feeling right now. Just imagine what your sister would have felt when you poisoned her."


    Zhen Lu''s eyes once again went wide but only internally, outwardly, he couldn''t widen his eyes nor close them. It was like they were stuck in a place, heavy to close and heavy to widen.


    The helmet man began to take off the helmet and the face that was revealed underneath was someone Zhen Lu was very familiar with. It was the same boy he had seen at the Na family banquet.


    "Hi." Wei Jun said with a smile before he added, "I don''t usually smile like this. Mostly it''s fake but for some reason, I can''t stop smiling tonight even when I''m working." It was an entirely irrelevant topic but Wei Jun was dying to share it with someone. And who better than the man to whom he was about to do something? Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You know, that day when I figured out that Xia Lu''s phone was tapped, I looked into you. Turned out, you had a dealing with a very famous doctor cultivator. Someone whose disciple you just met a few days ago. He gave you a special poison that you used on your sister.


    There aren''t any sales records of it so no evidence but flight records, footage, and receipt records were there so it wasn''t hard to deduce." Wei Jun lied through the teeth. In reality, it was revealed in the second volume of the novel when Run Long would get acquainted with Zhen Lu.


    Still, the lie was only a lie until it couldn''t be proven otherwise. Although what he was saying was bullsh*t, as long it was logical bullsh*t, who cared if it was true or not?


    "But you didn''t expect her to be a cultivator, although a very minor. Something strange took place and instead of dying, she fell into a coma. And you," Wei Jun pointed at Zhen Lu and continued, "You came under the radar of the elders so you couldn''t pull any more moves but when you were assured she wouldn''t wake up even after two years, you stopped caring."


    "Logical. I mean, why would you live under the looming threat of your sister waking up anytime when you can remove that threat but get rid of all the hindrances." Wei Jun said, referring to the elders who were suspicious about Zhen Lu''s wrongdoings but now that there were none left and all were on his side, he could finally finish the job.


    He was going to tomorrow, kill both mother and daughter at the same time while celebrating his becoming the head.


    Wei Jun smiled again, "I don''t know what''s happening to me but for some reason, I just can''t stop it. I can''t stop smiling."

 Chapter 76: Smile (2)

    "Look," Wei Jun continued, "I know it isn''t fair to you. You worked so hard, hurt, wronged, and killed so many people just to reach this spot, and now that you had everything in your grasp, everything gets taken away."


    Wei Jun stood up and picked up the empty whisky glass that Zhen Lu had used and stored it in his inventory. He did the same to the whisky bottle he had laced and said, "I know it isn''t fair but is life fair anyway? No, it isn''t."


    Wei Jun then came to sit in front of him once again as he stored both of the things in his inventory and said, "I will be honest with you. You and I, we have no enmity. I don''t care what you do but the problem begins when someone working for me is affected by you. It still isn''t anything personal, you know. This isn''t personal.


    Just like you had to do everything to get to this position, I unfortunately, have to do this to you to achieve an even greater height so when I say this is nothing personal, please believe me."


    Wei Jun stood up and said, "Now, you will spend the rest of your life like that. You won''t be able to talk, you won''t be able to express, nothing. Just like in a coma like your sister but the only difference is that she might wake up someday. You won''t. Not even the miracle doctor can save you now."


    With these words, Wei Jun turned to the window and opened it up. Outside, was a cleaner lift which he boarded but before doing so, he said, "Don''t worry. This is not us seeing each other last. I will visit you with Xia Lu to offer my condolences. That is if he wanted to come."


    Saying so, Wei Jun closed the window and the lift began to go downwards where he exited it and disappeared into the night after boarding his bike.


    [Curse of hopelessness]


    [Tier: B]


    [Effect: Severs all systems in the body inducing reaction of a human body]


    [The effects are irreversible unless the sole antidote for this is used]


    [Cost: 10,000 coins]


    ====== S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ahh¡­. F*ck. I''m never drinking again." Xia Lu said in the lowest voice she could mutter and entered the gym to be greeted by familiar faces who were looking at her weirdly.


    She noticed their expressions and asked, "What? Is there something on my face?" The others didn''t know how to reply so they made awkward noises and said different things about training.


    "Oi, Quan Kui, what''s going on? Why are you all acting so strange?" Xia Lu asked with her face a little dangerous. Quan Kui felt suffocated under such pressure and replied, "No¡­Nothing senior. It''s just¡­. are you all right?"


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Xia Lu asked as she couldn''t understand the meaning.


    "I mean, after what happened last night, are you feeling all right?" Quan Kui once again asked.


    "What do you mean after last night? What happened last night?" Xia Lu asked before she remembered how drunk she had gotten and she had no memories of the night after several champagnes. "Did I¡­ Did I puke in front of everyone? Or did I¡­" She couldn''t find the right words to say something but had no choice but to say it so she said it in a low voice, "¡­strip?"


    Everyone in the room was stunned by her words. Quan Kui couldn''t help but ask, "Senior, have you stripped before when you were drunk?"


    "Shh!¡­ Not so loudly!" Xia Lu admonished her before she glared at the boys. They hurriedly turned their heads away but her piercing gaze didn''t leave them which they could feel well enough so they had no choice but to move away. Xia Lu turned back to the girls and said, "Once when I was eighteen. I began to strip in front of everyone. It was a good thing it was winter so I had many layers of clothes.


    My servants had to knock me out and take me away. I never drank in public after that night."


    Xia Lu recounted her story before she worriedly asked, "Did I¡­" She was afraid to complete the sentence. Unlike last time, this time all she was wearing was a one-piece strapless dress. It was very easy to take off from the top.


    "No senior. You didn''t strip." Quan Kui said and quelled her worries. Xia Lu sighed in relief and just as she thought she was safe, Quan Kui dropped an abrupt bomb on her, "You did curse the boss a lot."


    As Xia Lu froze, Quan Li, who had been quiet since earlier, chimed in and said, "And I think probably everyone knows you have feelings for the boss."


    Xia Lu''s entire being froze. She couldn''t believe what she was hearing. She wanted to believe it was all a lie but the one to deliver the last statement was Quan Li. The last person she thought would lie to her or make fun of her using such a major thing.


    "Ha¡­" She let out a sound that resembled laughter and confused the other girls. But they weren''t confused for long as Xia Lu began to laugh fully. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"


    Her laughter rang throughout the gym but it wasn''t the laughter of a happy person. It was the laughter of the person who was ready to leave the world. And that was what she had decided to do, "Quan Kui, Quan Li, goodbye. It was good working with you all. Send my regard to the other two as well."


    "Eh? Sister, where are you going?" Quan Li worriedly asked.


    "Haha¡­ To die." Xia said with lifeless eyes before she turned around only to bump into what she felt was a wall of concrete. "If you''re in such a hurry to die, I will make sure to increase your regimen."


    Xia Lu heard a familiar voice and raised her head to look at what she thought was the most handsome man in the world smiling at her. It wasn''t just a handsome smile today, it was practically glowing, and that struck her even more badly.


    "Ehh¡­ What¡­ no¡­ Armageddon¡­" She forgot for a few seconds what was going on. For a few seconds, she had gone to another world. However, soon she snapped out of it and jumped back like a cat and stuttered, "Youu¡­yu¡­you¡­ What¡­. a..are you..ddoo..doing?"


    Wei Jun chuckled at her behavior and said, "You''re the one who bumped into me." Xia Lu, along with the other two girls were stunned frozen by that sweet chuckle. The boys a little far away saw their girls stunned by Wei Jun and hurriedly ran over to them to snap them out of it.


    As for Xia Lu, she snapped out of it herself and shook her head vigorously. She exhaled and inhaled a few times before she said, "I''m¡­ I''m not exercising today."


    She began to leave by circling around Wei Jun cautiously. Wei Jun didn''t stop her and addressed the other four individuals who were also on guard from him and said, "We will be doing couple''s yoga today. Since I don''t have a partner, I will call someone for company."


    "What?! Why are you joining them today?!" Xia Lu, who was a little far away yelled at the unexpected announcement.


    "Oh, actually I had planned to do it with you but since you are leaving, I can call for someone else. No worries." Wei Jun nonchalantly said and turned to the rest of the group.


    "WHAT!? NO! WHO SAID THAT I''M LEAVING?" Xia Lu paraded back to the group and yelled along the way. Wei Jun chuckled once again that charmed Quan Li and Quan Kui and their boyfriends had to step in front of them to shield them from that enchanting smile, taking its burnt themselves.


    "Ahh¡­ I see." Wei Jun replied and said, "Then get into groups. Everyone, do it like I taught you to." Wei Jun said and then turned to Xia Lu and said, "I guess we will be doing it together then."


    Wei Jun started with a few simple steps and poses. Beginning with warrior friends, he then shifted to the sailboat. He then switched to double dancer and finally, he came to the pose, twin dragons. All of the moves were done with professionalism and Xia Lu''s personal space wasn''t invaded. He kept his body as far away as he could.


    Not because he wanted to show her how gentle of a guy he was, he was just not trying anything.


    Teasing her was another thing but he wasn''t going to make things awkward between them. He was still her boss and she was her employee. Anything could happen and if that anything was bad, everything would be destroyed.


    However, when it came to the final pose, the twin dragons. Their faces came in front of each other. Although they kept their distance, Xia Lu''s memory jogged from last night when she remembered those lips. She wasn''t surrounded by people but she figured the place to be her room. She remembered getting closer to those lips. She didn''t know what happened after that but she didn''t need to.


    "Ah!!!" She screamed and hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand that was resting against Wei Jun''s hand due to the pose. She stood up, and frantically turned her left and right before she turned around and ran out of the room with her hand still on her mouth, leaving everyone else stunned.


    The others stared at Wei Jun judgmentally as if he had done something wrong. Wei Jun didn''t bother correcting them and simply said, "Since Xia Lu won''t be joining us today, you all will be exercising her share as well."


    Wei Jun left to do his own training leaving four frozen people behind for an entirely different reason.

 Chapter 77: The heavy ones

    The set of the movie Wei Jun was making was very busy today. Since they hadn''t worked for five days, they were very behind schedule. So, Wei Jun promised everyone a bonus and everyone worked with a renewed vigor to work on the movie. The movie was very much completed but the major scenes were yet to be shot.


    The scenes were shot in a straight manner but the scenes involving romance were sorted out first. Then were the scenes containing the villain and then the final scenes where the fight with the villain happens. Today was the last scene of the second phase.


    Currently, Zhang Jie, the role Wei Jun was playing was trying to flirt with the heroine of the movie, Ling Meri, who was played by none other than Xia Lu.


    Usually, there was no problem with the shooting because it was just a one-sided argument from Zhang Jie and Ling Mei would just have to ignore his words. However, today, Zhang Jie was trying to flirt a bit too much, going as far as going in for a kiss. Ling Mei, according to the script was supposed to feel disgusted and slap Zhang Jie.


    However, "Scene 37, take ten." It was the tenth time the scene was being recorded because when Wei Jun got close enough. Instead of feeling disgusted, Xia Lu would instinctively blush. The scene had to be taken nine times and during all those times, Wei Jun was very cooperative, not minding it in the least. However, even he was feeling a little tired now.


    Not in the sense of being worn out, but tried by Xia Lu''s behavior. She had zero control over her feelings and that made Wei Jun a little bit angry but he made sure to hold it in because although his work was being held back, he just couldn''t stop smiling when he would see Xia Lu all flustered.


    "I think you need to focus more," Wei Jun said with a straight face, trying his best to suppress his smile and act like a boss, "What kind of a heroine blushes at the face of a villain? You need to show disgusted expressions. Where did you learn to act?"


    It sounded like Wei Jun was admonishing Xia Lu however, the rest of the staff and actors couldn''t help but unanimously say inwardly, ''How do you expect her not to when you shove such a handsome face in her own?''


    Ever since his charm increased, his beauty had enhanced by a lot. Still, when he talked like that to Xia Lu, she couldn''t help but feel angry about it.


    Especially when he was the reason she was going through that. "Shut up!" She erupted which surprised Wei Jun but that wasn''t the end of it.


    "You think I''m doing this because I want to!?"


    "Have you even asked why I''m doing this!?"


    "Do you even care?!"


    "NO! Don''t answer! I know you don''t!"


    "All you care about is your work, work and work, you bastard!"


    She yelled and yelled but that wasn''t enough, she kicked Wei Jun in the leg but that only backfired because compared to her, Wei Jun was like a metal wall.


    He chuckled as Xia Lu winced in pain and jumped around, "Are you all right?" It would have sounded properly concerning but Wei Jun''s chuckle only made her angrier. She yelled once again.


    "Go to hell!"


    "Die by a heart attack!"


    "Fu*k off!"


    She said all of that in one breath and then turned and left with heavy steps. Wei Jun smiled even more brightly at her actions and couldn''t help but fan the flames by asking, "Where are you going?"


    "TO JUMP OFF THE BUILDING FOR ALL YOU CARE, YOU BASTARD!!!" Xia Lu yelled at the top of her lungs and left. Wei Jun''s smile didn''t leave his face and the bright smile on his face was even more dangerous. The people around them were stunned because they didn''t know whether to be stunned by what had just happened or by that otherworldly smile.


    Wei Jun shook his head and said, "All right, everybody listen up! Tomorrow let''s shoot the scenes involving everyone except for Xia Lu. Let''s give her a break."


    "Yes, boss!" Everyone unanimously replied and Wei Jun nodded in return. He then left the set and made his way to his car. As much as he liked to have fun with Xia Lu, work was still a necessity and given that his main objective was still going on, he couldn''t afford to just let it be like that.


    Wei Jun seriously contemplated his two encounters with the cultivators. The first one where he was unprepared almost killed him and the second one took the explosives to blow up a building and he still managed to survive. The military sniper that he had obtained from Zi Huan had only one bullet which he ended up using on the first cultivator.


    As for the explosives, most of them came from Zi Huan and some were in the police envoy, still, the number of explosives he had to use was too much for one person. Of course, his gains were significant as well as his stats increased by a great margin but the same tactic might not work next time so he needed something stronger, with better piercing qualities.


    He stopped in front of the gambling house and went through the usual procedure to end up in Zi Huan''s shop. Zi Huan wasn''t alone this time though, there was a man there as well, someone Wei Jun had seen before.


    The old man from the Na family banquet who had an erectile dysfunction-like problem and Run Long had healed him. He was purchasing a gun. Wei Jun noticed the man properly and noticed the man''s behavior. There was no nervousness in any of his movements.


    His hands didn''t tremble suggesting he had experience with the guns and the atmosphere around him was something Wei Jun was familiar with; the old man was going to kill someone.


    Wei Jun didn''t care anything about that. it was none of his business but there was something that he needed from the old man. Run Long''s cosmetic company had started and thanks to the old man, the fact that Run Long didn''t have a license to generate and deal with pharmaceutical products was being ignored.


    So Wei Jun had plans regarding the old man, and it seemed now was the better time to do it than any when Run Long was about to launch his first product soon.


    The old man noticed the presence of Wei Jun but he ignored it and left the shop with a purchased gun in a briefcase. Wei Jun stepped forward but didn''t ask anything about the old man after all, he was Zi Huan''s customer and given his profession, there was no way Zi Huan would disclose anything about his clients.


    "Welcome, mister celebrity. I was wondering when a star like you would humble my shop with your presence." Zi Huan jokingly remarked, referring to Wei Jun''s trial incident.


    "You know, the police and the D.A. are not very happy with you. They seem to be trying everything in their power to dig up anything on you." Zi Huan informed Wei Jun. Wei Jun smiled and replied, "You''re very well-informed."


    "Comes with the job." Zi Huan replied before he moved on from the topic and began to pull out guns from underneath the counter without a word. Shotguns, machineguns, jack series shotguns, and finally, a rocket launcher. Wei Jun was very surprised with all of that but that wasn''t the end of the surprise.


    Zi Huan finally pulled something else from underneath, something that even Wei Jun couldn''t help but marvel at, "Now you''re just bragging." Wei Jun said with a smile.


    "Haha. I take pride in doing that." Zi Huan said before he began to explain, "Very hard to get but the efficiency is monstrous. Five hundred round magazine and it takes about a minute and ten seconds to empty it fully. Of course, when it comes to destructiveness, no other gun, even this launcher beats it."


    "Now I don''t need to remind you that even though this beauty is untraceable, I''m well known among the dark circles so if the people you use it on are aware of me, they would be able to trace it back to me." Zi Huan warned.


    However, Wei Jun only smiled and said, "And there''s no way you would want that, now would you?"


    "You''re a sharp one." Zi Huan said with a smile before he pulled out one bullet and threw it at Wei Jun. Wei Jun checked the register number on the shell and couldn''t help but smile, "Someone doesn''t like the military it seems."


    Wei Jun''s comment induced a chuckle from Zi Huan who simply said, "Let''s keep some secrets between us." Wei Jun nodded and returned the bullet after which he pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the counter.


    "I understand you do custom jobs as well." Wei Jun asked.


    "Of course." Zi Huan replied and picked up the clump of metal only to be surprised by its weight. "What is this?" He asked curiously to which Wei Jun replied with a smile, "Adamantium." With the reply, Wei Jun pulled out a piece of paper as well and opened it. On the paper were the blueprint and details of the gun Wei Jun wanted.


    The details of the gun caught Zi Huan by surprise because it was something very beautiful to an arms dealer like him.


    "I take it you''re interested?" Wei Jun asked with a smile.


    "Haha¡­Hahaha¡­Very! I''m very interested." Zi Huan replied between strong laughs. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 78: Just a job (Bonus)

    This a bonus chapter to thank you all for your Power Stone support. Next bonus chapter at 300 stones.


    Wei Jun took a few trips to store all the bags of weapons in his car because he couldn''t just use inventory in front of Zi Huan. Once he was done, he paid a fortune to Zi Huan and entered his car. Once he was inside, he stored all of the weapons in the inventory by touching the bags. He decided to organize them once he was done with the current affairs.


    He drove to the downtown where he had made his arcade. He didn''t enter from the front door but from the backdoor and made his way to the basement where Li Wei could be seen sitting on her desk with a lollipop in her mouth and she was typing something very fast on the computer. The other four were also busy with compiling reports and such.


    Wei Jun straight away went to Li Wei and coughed. She was so immersed in her work that she didn''t notice Wei Jun''s arrival.


    The rest were also busy with their work and since Wei Jun''s steps were instinctively silent, they couldn''t be blamed for not noticing him. Wei Jun extended his hand forward and turned the laptop''s screen away from Li Wei which finally woke her up.


    "Hey, what the big de¡­ BOSS?!" Li Wei was about to erupt when she saw who had done it. "Yes, me." The rest also finally noticed Wei Jun at Li Wei''s shout.


    Wei Jun simply nodded to them and signaled them to go back to work. As for Li Wei, he asked, "Do you have everything I asked for?"


    "I¡­ I do but you didn''t have to come here. I could have briefed you on the phone." Li Wei replied as she pulled out a stack of papers from underneath her desk.


    "I''d rather not use a phone, especially when a government official is concerned." Wei Jun replied.


    "Oh yeah, about that," Li Wei said before she pulled out another stack of papers and said, "Since you only sent a picture and you didn''t give me a lot of time, this was all I could find out. Of course, following your advice, I didn''t focus on the job perspective but the shadow dealings of his."


    Wei Jun nodded and replied, "Good thinking. So what did you find?"


    "Unfortunately, not much. All I could find was a few warehouses under his name that are off the grid, like yours." Li Wei replied and referred to Wei Jun''s own garage where he stored his bike.


    "People only have such things for nefarious purposes, right? NO offense intended." Li Wei thoughtlessly spoke before she realized that Wei Jun had one as well.


    Wei Jun smiled and gave the information a read. He didn''t know much about the old man whom Run Long had cured, but what he knew was enough. He would just have to do the rest the traditional way.


    "And what about the last thing? The most important one?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Right, the most important one." Li Wei replied and pulled out two small briefcases from underneath the desk and said, "The one that we obtained from the police database is of course complete however, the other one that you brought me on the glass was a little difficult to gather. From glass, I could only scrape off two full, one partial, and the rest damaged, but they might do the job."


    Wei Jun opened the briefcases and once he saw the contents, he smiled. "These are more than enough." He replied and turned to the stunned Li Wei whose mouth was wide open and her lollipop was eating dust on the floor.


    "Close your mouth before a fly enters it." Wei Jun said which snapped Li Wei out of her trance. She realized her mouth was hanging open and she hurriedly closed it with a furious blush as she said, "I know this is an embarrassing moment but boss, you cannot blame me for this. You''re ridiculously handsome."


    Li Wei''s bluntness was something Wei Jun had witnessed before. Straightforward girls who did not hesitate to speak their minds. Wei Jun didn''t dislike them but he never liked them either. Of course, he didn''t like anyone before. There was no place for romance in his life so he made sure to have the same view for every woman.


    However, ever since Xia Lu, he had been polite to women so when before he would have curtly dismissed Li Wei''s comment, this time he simply smiled and said, "I know."


    Wei Jun''s smile once again charmed Li Wei so he only shook his head, picked up the stuff he was there for, and left the room, leaving an agape Li Wei. While on the stairs, he sneakily stored everything in his inventory and came out of the arcade using the backdoor. He made his way to his black sedan which he had chosen to blend in.


    His earlier car garnered too much attention in public so he couldn''t just go everywhere. Now he could go almost everywhere and not stand out that much.


    He boarded his car and left for his house. It was about five in the afternoon and soon, evening would come. He had plans after the gym session so he wanted to get the daylight work out of the way before he turned his attention to the more conspicuous part of his work.


    =====


    "How much for the night?" Hen Zu, the former and retired chief administrator of the health and safety department, currently seventy-four was picking up a prostitute in a black sedan. The prostitute saw the age of the man and couldn''t help but show scorn in her eyes. Still, to her, a customer of this age meant more money and less work. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "5000 yuan. Extra service and home service charge extra." The prostitute replied. Hen Zu nodded and let her in his car. The car left the dark street and made its way to the highway.


    "Well, what are you into?" The woman asked.


    "You will know when we get there. I have a room full of my taste." The Hen Zu replied.


    "Sure, but let me warn you, if it''s anything extreme, I will be leaving. Also, multiple men are not allowed, and nor is an audience." The woman stated her conditions.


    Hen Zu smiled and replied, "Don''t worry, no one will be watching what we will be doing." The old man said.


    The woman felt disgusted at the smile of the old man but she held it in. She was sure it wouldn''t be a long night so she just decided to hold it in.


    They both arrived at a villa which was quite secluded from the looks of it. The woman didn''t mind though because, for one, many rich people would bring her to such places to avoid scandals, and also, what could an old man do to her?


    They both entered the villa and Hen Zu offered, "Would you like to drink something?" The woman felt suspicious so although she felt slightly thirsty, she decided not to take anything offered by the old man and she said, "No. Let''s just get this over with."


    Hen Zu smiled and replied, "Very well. The setup is in the basement, let''s go." Saying so, Hen Zu took the lead and they arrived at the corridor at the end of which was a door. Hen Zu stayed ahead of the woman so as not to raise suspicion. They shortly arrived at the basement and when the woman saw the setup, she got angry.


    "Old man, didn''t I say that I won''t be doing anything extreme?" The woman said angrily seeing a makeshift wooden bed that was hanging vertically. There were straps at its corner indicating it was used to bind arms and legs. The woman became angry when she saw all that.


    "Haha. You don''t have to worry," Hen Zu turned and said. The woman saw him swallowing something but before the woman could ask, gas began to shoot out of the vent of the room and the woman panicked. She didn''t remain like that for long because she soon began to lose consciousness. Her vision turned hazy and her senses dulled and soon, she entered the realm of deep unconsciousness.


    "We will simply be doing what I want." Hen Zu said to no one in particular and the gas stopped flowing into the room.


    Soon enough, the old man moved, picked up the girl with great effort, and stripped her naked. He then strapped her to the table slash bed one by one with great difficulty. By the time he was done, about half an hour later, he was huffing and puffing as if the air had left his lungs.


    However, the deranged smile on his face didn''t lessen at all. In fact, it only increased with each passing minute as the excitement of what he was about to do washed over him.


    Once he was done, he simply stood back and enjoyed the scene. The game would begin when the woman would wake up.

 Chapter 79: Just a job (1)

    I''m traveling today so I''m kind of uploading this in a hurry and so early in the morning.


    If you guys find any grammatical errors, please mark them under paragraph comment. It would be very much appreciated.


    =====


    The woman woke up after a while and felt herself restrained. She panicked as she remembered the prior events. The worst thought began to flow in her mind as she tried to put strength into her limbs only to find herself lethargic. She couldn''t even struggle.


    "Don''t even think about it, it won''t do anything. The gas shuts down almost all of the nervous systems of the human body." A voice entered her ears as she turned her eyes to meet the eyes of an old man who had the most horrifying smile she had ever witnessed on his face.


    Tears began to flow out of her eyes as she found strength to speak, "Pl..ea..se¡­ Don''t¡­ hu¡­rt me." She had to expend a lot of effort to just speak because her lips felt very heavy and difficult to part.


    "Oh, my dear lamb, I brought you here to hurt you. Ask for something else." Hen Zu said with a chuckle. Tears began to flow out of her eyes with steady streams. She wanted to beg but she couldn''t. She just lay there, helpless and powerless.


    Hen Zu stepped forward and picked up a sickle from a table nearby and said, "With this sickle, I am going to gouge those eyes of yours out, you filthy who*e." The earlier happy face was gone, replaced with anger, Hen Zu said with the most horrifying expression he could muster and said, "How dare a lowlife like you look at me with scorn. I was born better than you, I lived a life better than you."


    He came near her and slammed the sickle just near the woman''s head and said, "Yet you who*es look at me like I am a piece of sh*t. You think you are that great! HUH!?"


    The woman could only cry in return because she saw no hope out there for her. Hen Zu became even angrier at the fact that she wasn''t begging anymore.


    "Where''s your sharp tongue gone to now, huh?! Where''s that look in your eyes gone to?! Go ahead! Look at me like that! Talk to me like that you bit*h!!!!!" Hen Zu''s voice reverberated throughout the room.


    The woman still cried but the look in her eyes changed to a plead and that made Hen Zu happy. "That''s it, that''s the look I need in your eyes. Beg me. Beg me to let you live!" Hen Zu said with an exhilarating look on his face that only horrified the woman even more. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had finally lost all hope when the old man forced her to look at him. However, her eyes spotted something beyond the old man. She didn''t know what it meant but the hope in her eyes returned. Seeing the hope in her eyes, Hen Zu''s excited expression waned and was replaced by a fuming one.


    "WHY IS THERE HOPE IN YOUR EY¡ªKUHH¡­Kuh¡­ KUHUHUH?!!! Hen Zu shouted with so much force that his throat became sore and he began to cough violently.


    He stopped coughing after a while and turned back to the woman only to find the same look in her eyes. His anger reached its peak and he said, "That''s it. I''m not paying with you anymore. I will make sure to cut you without a gag to relish in your screams."


    Just as he said that and turned around, something poked his neck. It took him a moment to realize that there was someone standing behind him and that the prick he felt earlier was from a syringe that had been injected into his neck.


    The figure with the helmet said nothing as Hen Zu lost consciousness. The helmet man turned to look at the woman who was looking at the scene with confusion in her eyes.


    She didn''t know whether to feel hope or despair. The helmet came closer to her and said, "Although I don''t like to leave witnesses, I''m in a good mood today so I will spare you. But if you say anything about what you saw here, I will find you, and finish the job, understood?"


    The woman felt despair at the first part of the sentence but then she felt hope and happiness at the second part. The final part brought fear along with those words. She would have nodded if she could but she couldn''t.


    "Stay like that for a while. I''ve called for the police. A detective will be here. When he asks who saved you, say that it was a man with black hair and eyes. Say that he had a green locket around his neck. Make sure to say it in those exact words.


    Also, memorize these words, you''re gonna have to say them." Wei Jun delivered a few sets of instructions.


    The woman parted her lips with difficulty to say something but Wei Jun took it as a sign to assent so he said, "Tell the detective that the man who saved you said these words, ''I didn''t cure you so you could go around doing such nefarious things. I will take back what I have given you.''"


    "Make sure to say these exact words. Memorize them. if I don''t find them in the police report tonight, I will be coming for you next, Sha Rue." Wei Jun said her name at the end which he had obtained from her purse to relay the message that he knew who she was so she should do what she was told.


    Sha Rue, the woman promised herself to do exactly as the man had said. As for the helmet man, he came outside the villa and heard the police siren some distance away. He calmly made his way to his bike, settled the man on his back, and tied a belt around him to make sure he didn''t fall.


    He started the bike and he was gone from the area just in time for a sedan to stop in front of the villa and the one to exit from it was none other than Zhao Hui, "Search the perimeter. Saving the victim is the utmost priority."


    ======


    Hen Zu slowly opened his eyes but had to close them instinctively because of a hanging light source on top of his head. He closed his eyes shut and kept them shut for a while after which he slowly opened them up to find out that it was a bulb hanging on top of his head.


    He tried to turn his head but his head was strongly strapped in place. He tried to move his limbs but the result was the same. He could feel them; he could even exert the power in his limbs but he couldn''t move them with how strongly he was bound, he couldn''t even move slightly let alone free himself.


    His ears, however, picked up a sound. The sound of someone''s step. Fear took hold of him but he couldn''t do anything about it. All he could do was wait because even his mouth was tied shut.


    After a few minutes, he finally felt someone approaching him and he felt the touch of someone on his head. He said something that only came out as muffled sounds but even an idiot could tell that he was begging.


    Soon, his head was freed so he could at least move it. He hurriedly turned to look at the person responsible for his current predicament only for his eyes to go wide.


    "You recognize me, don''t you?" The handsome man asked with a smile before he added, "We saw each other at the shop before." Wei Jun said.


    Hen Zu also recognized the man. It wasn''t just from the shop though, at the shop, he had briefly glanced at him and dismissed it but now that he dug deeper into his memory, he knew who this young man was. The young master and the sole heir of the Ruan family, Wei Jun Ruan.


    "And now your eyes say that you know who I am so there is no need for an introduction. You know who I am and I know who you are as well." Wei Jun said while slowly circling the table.


    Fear struck Hen Zu''s heart even more strongly as he tried to say something but it was again muffled by the cover on his mouth.


    "Zen Hu. Seventy-two years old. Fought in a battle against foreign western cultivator terrorists. Came out with an injury that caused your erectile dysfunction. Wife left you because of that so you killed her." At first, Wei Jun''s recount of the old man''s identity was usual but then it took a dark turn.


    "After that, you would take prostitutes, take them to your villa, cut them up while they scream, and then dispose of them. By now, you have killed twelve women this way, tonight was your thirteenth victim. Eight victims before your dysfunction and four after it was cured." Wei Jun then came in front of the old man and peered into his eyes.


    "But that wasn''t enough was it? The cure of dysfunction awakened another sinister and disturbing habit inside you, didn''t it?" Wei Jun once again questioned at which, Hen Zu trembled.

 Chapter 80: Just a job (2)

    Due to a sound suggestion from "Swiftescape", the tag ''villain'' has been replaced by ''anti-hero''.


    Let me know what tags work and not and if they are reasonable like this suggestion, I would definitely implement them. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    =====


    "Ra*e and Necrop*ilia. Now that''s a combination you don''t see every day." Wei Jun said as he read the file in his hands. The habit that Hen Zu had before his erectile dysfunction was cured was just torture and murder but after he was cured, he did many nefarious things to the women.


    "You want to know how I know all of this?" Wei Jun asked, staring into the frightened eyes of Hen Zu who could do nothing but let out muffled noises. "What kind of idiot, leaves a record of his deeds in the very place he is committing the said crime at? That''s like giving the police a full-cooked spicy turkey on Thanksgiving. It''s every policeman''s wet dream to find evidence so easily."


    Wei Jun berated Hen Zu for his criminal choices. But Hen Zu wasn''t a seasoned criminal, he was a soldier and then, thanks to the military, a government official. The most he knew about the human body was cutting one, how to erase the traces, was something he hadn''t learned in any way. As for the record, it was his way of pleasuring himself.


    Wei Jun stared straight into the eyes of Hen Zu before he said, "But, I''m not one to berate you. I mean, in the olden days I wouldn''t waste time like this."


    He then came to Hen Zu''s side and said, "I would have cut you up, harvested the organs I need to frame someone, and then melted the remains in sulfuric acid. All the while you were unconscious."


    As Wei Jun told Hen Zu his intentions, Hen Zu could do nothing but struggle and let out more muffled noises and moans.


    "It''s no use. I intend to let you die without letting you hear your voice." Wei Jun said before he returned to the previous topic, "Now as I was saying, normally I would have just killed you instead of wasting time like this but I also happened to find something in your bucket list of targets."


    Wei Jun pulled out a piece of paper and began to read the names out loud, "Wol Hi, Zheng Ge, Lin Ruan, Liu Yu, Yan Wi, and finally, Xia Lu."


    As Wei Jun read the last name, something stirred inside of him. He wanted to kill this man in the most horrifying ways possible. Though his sister was also on the list, the anger didn''t come because of that. Lin Ruan was capable of taking care of herself. However, Xia Lu was weak, not only that, but her uncle was trying very hard to do something to her.


    A question arose in Wei Jun''s head instinctively, "What if he was going to do this?"


    The anger when he picked up the list got to the point that he decided to not kill the old man in that basement but take his time, slowly and painfully killing him.


    That was when another thing happened. Something that had only happened once before. When he received the main quest.


    [A side quest has arrived]


    [The Anger of the Invader]


    [Difficulty: D+]


    [Description: Someone has nefarious thoughts about someone you find dear to your being. Although such plans may never come to be, the thought of something coveting that belongs to the invader is a sin far worse than any.


    Such a sinner has to be punished painfully and with the fear that he has never felt before. Let him know that the fear of the god is nothing before the fear of the invader.


    Task: Punish Hen Zu painfully.


    Additionally: To pass the quest, the fear scale must be at least forty. Different rewards for different scales of fear your victim feels before death.


    Punishment: None]


    [Fear scale: 32%]


    The quest wasn''t difficult at all. Hen Zu was already scared enough from just talk that Wei Jun had almost passed the quest. But the quest didn''t matter to him in the first place. Wei Jun wanted to inflict an unimaginable amount of pain on Hen Zu anyway no matter what. The quest was just an excuse. Even if there had been no quest, Wei Jun would have still done the same.


    Now he simply had a reward as well.


    Wei Jun then moved to the south of the table where Hen Zu''s legs were. Wei Jun took a marker and began to draw a line starting from Hen Zu''s feet, along with his thigh, his waist, then his chest, and his left arm. He moved to the other side and did the same to the right part of Hen Zu''s body while he said, "Since you have also done this many times, you should what I''m doing right now.


    While I am inflicting fear in you, I am also making you remember all the wrong things you''ve done in your life." He paused as he moved to his waist to join both the lines together.


    He then continued, "All I know about you is from the journals you wrote but such darkness doesn''t just appear one day. I doubt you were a good soldier in the army. Maybe your misfortune about the manly goods wasn''t a heroic reason but simply you getting what you deserved."


    Wei Jun finished drawing the lines all over Hen Zu''s body as if a surgeon drawing the operative lines on his patient. "Now, not for a moment think that I judge you, I have seen darkness and done some dark things myself so no, in no way do I criticize you for doing what you did. It wouldn''t be wrong to say I''ve done worse. Of course, in my case, the people deserved it or they were just in my way."


    Wei Jun finally finished as he saw the meter had already passed 56%, reaching the bare minimum to finish the quest and he hadn''t even started yet.


    "Well, let''s not talk anymore, and now let''s listen. As I listen to the mechanical sound of the blade cutting through your limbs while you feel it and you listen to the sound of pain. And yeah, at unmeasurable levels of pain, you can hear it." Wei Jun came close to Hen Zu''s ear and whispered, "It''s almost melodious."


    Wei Jun finally ended his talk, picked up the chain blade, and turned it on. It whirred and Wei Jun brought it close to the first incision point. The ankle of Hen Zu. Wei Jun didn''t forget to put a round metal holder in a specialized device to heat it up.


    Wei Jun brought the blade down and began to cut through Hen Zu''s ankle. Blood flew in all directions and of course on Wei Jun too but his goggles protected his eyes from blood. As for Hen Zu, he struggled and yelled which was drowned by the tight gag on his mouth.


    But nothing, Wei Jun didn''t stop, he let Hen Zu feel the pain and continued as the bindings held his victim down despite all the struggles. Finally, the foot was severed after what felt like an eternity for both of the parties. Wei Jun hurriedly pulled out the rod to push it on the severed part to stop the bleeding. It worked, evoking more muffled yells from Hen Zu than he was already emitting.


    Once he was sure that the bleeding had stopped, he moved to Hen Zu, only to find him unconscious. Wei Jun was quite dissatisfied with this behavior but he let it slide. After all, the man had just lost a foot.


    Wei Jun removed the bindings on Hen Zu''s mouth and pushed a healing pill into his mouth. Since he already had the opportunity, he wanted to learn the limits of the healing pill. Since it brought him back from almost death to the peak state, could it also regenerate a severed limb?


    The answer came quickly, a clean stub formed on the part where the foot had been severed. The charred meat was gone but no regeneration occurred. Wei Jun saw Hen Zu slowly coming back to himself so he again gagged him up. The powerlessness to speak was another form of fear.


    Wei Jun checked the fear meter and found it at a whopping 79%. This quest was way too easy for Wei Jun but given the difficulty was just D, he was sure he wouldn''t have a hard time doing it.


    As Hen Zu came to himself, he confusedly glanced around. Many questions passed through his head reflected by his eyes. Why wasn''t he feeling pain anymore? Was what happened just a dream?


    There was a chance of it being a dream and Wei Jun laughed at the sight. He stepped forward to enter the field of vision of Hen Zu before he spoke, "As an experiment, I fed you a magical pill that erased your pain. But the magical pill can only be used after ten minutes, so you will have to bear the pain this time because I''m not letting you sleep peacefully."


    With a smile on his face, Wei Jun moved to the calf of the left leg where the next incision mark was. The torture session of Hen Zu had continued and begun for real because there were still many points to go through and still many experiments to conduct.

 Chapter 81: Just a job (3)

    Wearing a protective suit along with a mask to protect himself from sulfuric acid and its fumes, Wei Jun discarded the body parts of Hen Zu. He stored the parts that he could for the sake of proof and melted the rest. Once he was done, he left the room and took off the suit he was in. He breathed out and said, "I have to do this again and I''m already dreading wearing this suit."


    [That was a job well done host]


    "Of course it was. Who do you think I am?" Wei Jun retorted and said. Since he was alone anyway, he didn''t bother speaking to the system in his head.


    "Besides that, tell me what does ''invader'' mean?" Wei Jun asked, pointing to the title he had in the quest.


    [You]


    [You are the invader host]


    [It''s your official title]


    [You just haven''t gained it yet]


    "Why not?" Wei Jun asked as he exited the building. He equipped his biker suit along with the helmet but didn''t sit on his bike but entered a truck.


    [Because you haven''t done anything invader-worthy yet]


    [Right now you''re just a simple thorn that has no weight]


    "You''re quite blunt, aren''t you?" Wei Jun commented on the choice of words of the system as he entered the vicinity of downtown and made his way to the shadier part of the town. The area where the more unethical class of the population resided.


    Wei Jun checked the list as the system replied to his question.


    [Of course, I am only telling the truth after all]


    Wei Jun didn''t mind since it was the truth. He had almost died while fighting a nobody cultivator and had to use millions of worth of equipment to kill a second one. Both of these weren''t blessed by the world so in a sense, Wei Jun hadn''t done something noteworthy defeating them.


    [Why don''t you receive the rewards from the quest now?]


    "Later. I need to finish this by tonight." Wei Jun said as he exited the truck and approached a group of rough-looking men. He said, "Which one of you is Lau Shu?"


    The men were confused looking at the strange figure in the helmet. One of them said, "What''s it to you?"


    "It would be better if you tell me?" Wei Jun simply replied back.


    "Or what?" One of the goons said.


    "Or you would all have to suffer." Wei Jun simply said.


    The group of goons didn''t take Wei Jun''s words kindly and cracked their hands and necks while saying a line that Wei Jun found cringe as hell. He had read it in the novel about a hundred times and he had only read two volumes so far. The line that appeared the most was, "Courting death."


    Wei Jun sighed and said, "Well, all you reek of murder anyway so I guess the workload would be increasing tonight." Wei Jun simply stepped forward and prepared his fists. This was going to be a long night of work for him.


    =====


    [You have killed a person]


    [No Qi found]


    [No stats available to absorb]


    Wei Jun ignored the message the umpteenth time as he melted the last corpse in the acid and saved the organs that could be saved. Wei Jun then put them all on the black market under an auction and left the building. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His work for the night was done. As he left the place, it was already nearing dawn. Wei Jun was feeling somewhat tired after killing almost two hundred people. All of them deserved to die but that wasn''t why Wei Jun killed them He wasn''t a hero of justice; he just chose to pick the easier targets.


    People no one would miss, no one would care if they died, but the impact would be the same when the law would get involved. Wei Jun smiled as he contacted Li Wei who on the other side sounded like had just woken up, "Yesh, Bosh?"


    She replied mid-yawn, making the words leaving her mouth sound very strange. Wei Jun ignored that and said, "Leak it. All of it."


    "Yes, boss." Li Wei replied from the other side and the simple phone call ended. Now was the time for Li Wei to do her work. He had made sure to leave proper evidence behind. It was hidden but not to the point that the incompetent police would be able to find it.


    Although Wei Jun wanted to frame Run Long for Hen Zu''s murder, he decided to change the target because Run Long would be a little difficult to tie up to this. The trail of such an operation would have to lead quite a while back and Run Long wasn''t in the town then. However, Wei Jun''s current target was.


    ======


    "Found anything?" Zhao Hui asked the forensic scientist of the Yuan Yin police department.


    "Well, if it isn''t the newly promoted Sargent, have you come to gloat?" The forensic expert, Kao Hun retorted.


    "Are you still mad I didn''t throw celebratory drinks?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "I don''t care if you''re technically my boss now but I am going to speak my mind," Kao Hun said before he added word by word, "Promotion. Means. Drinks."


    "Haha. Fine. I will get you your drinks this weekend. As much as you want." Zhao Hui said.


    "You better." Kao Hun said before he finally moved on to the main topic and said, "And regarding the scene, I''ve found 198 different types of organs. Such an excessive amount screams organ trafficking. The building was equipped with freezing rooms and everything to keep the organs fresh as if they were just harvested. You will have to ask the IT team to find out about the organ selling though."


    "I see." Zhao Hui said before he asked the most important question, "Find anything we could use?"


    Kao Hun chuckled and said boastingly, "Who do you take me for? I am the great Kao Hun, the genius of forensics. Of course, I found something."


    "What?" Zhao Hui asked, ignoring the earlier sentence of Kao Hun.


    "A thumbprint." Kao Hun said, leaving Zhao Hui stunned. Kao Hun raised his head and said, "It was old, almost erased, heavily damaged but me, the great Kao Hun, managed to obtain it anyway."


    "We must have gotten quite lucky." Kao Hun said as he fetched the file with all the details.


    "How so?" Zhao Hui asked as he took the file but he hadn''t opened it yet when Kao Hun replied, "Because we managed to obtain his fingerprints two days ago. Had we not, the suspect wasn''t on any database."


    Zhao Hui was intrigued and although he was about to pen the file and read the suspect''s details, he couldn''t help but ask, "Really? Who?"


    As Zhao Hui opened the file to read the details, Kao Hun also replied, "No one other than the famous Yao Tian."


    Zhao Hui stopped. It was a name he was very familiar with. It was none other than the person who was not only famous, but Zhao Hui also knew him very well because he was the one who had brought him in and took his fingerprints in the database.


    The gears in his head began to turn, his mind worked at full capacity, the best it could and he realized, ''Wasn''t it Wei Jun Ruan who had made the arrest of Yao Tian possible?''


    That one question changed many things. Many theories formed in his mind. What if this was all a plan? What if the person behind all of this was none other than Wei Jun Ruan? It was possible because he was the one who had asked Zhao Hui to follow him, it was him who had provoked Yao Tian and it was also because of him that Yao Tian was arrested and his fingerprints ended up on the police database.


    He sighed and read the file. The fingerprint was a perfect match even though the one obtained was only half of the thumbprint. He couldn''t help but think that someone might have something to do with this. Someone behind all of this. ''Someone'' known as Wei Jun Ruan so he asked Kao Hun, "How sure are you?"


    "What?" Kao Hun asked, not hearing the praise he was hoping for.


    "How sure are you that these fingerprints belong to him? And even if they do, is there a chance of plantation?" Zhao Hui asked. It was rare but such a case was seen before so it wasn''t out of the realm of possibility.


    "That would be hard. Actually, very hard. To accurately plant that part of the print, the one doing it must be an expert in this field. And even they can''t do a good job. Even I can''t do a good plantation without leaving the trace of tampering behind so I think it is all real." Kao Hun replied.


    Zhao Hui knew that Kao Hun''s expertise was not doubtful, but he still couldn''t dismiss this suspicion. Not until an IT expert came yelling, calling his name.


    "What?" Zhao Hui asked. The IT expert only gasped for air as if he had been running the whole day and handed him a file. Zhao Hui opened the file and sighed. The trace and the sales record are clearly traced back to Yao Tian.


    "It was hard, very hard. There were many securities in place and I had to use some drastic measures to find them but I managed to trace everything." The IT expert explained once he caught his breath.


    There was no room for doubt anymore. Everything pointed to Yao Tian being the criminal and Zhao Hui had no choice but to arrest him, despite the nagging feeling at the back of his head.

 Chapter 82: Skill

    Wei Jun came out of the shower and dried himself. He was a bit tired but that was no excuse to skip the gym session up next. Also, he wanted to see Xia Lu for some reason as well. But since there were still some minutes left, he decided to check the reward he had received for the quest.[An outstanding achievement]


    [You have completed the quest by 100% and surpassed the result]


    [The amount of fear and pain felt by the quest target was 2.4 times the maximum limit]


    [Reward would be enhanced]


    [Passing grade S]


    [Enhanced grade SS]


    [Level up x3]


    [You have received 10 Qi replenishment pills]


    [Due to the enhanced effect, the above 10 pills would have no time limit]


    [You have received skill ''Terror'']


    [Terror (E) Lv1]


    [Effect:


    You can instill fear in your opponents. The higher the level, the stronger and longer the effect.


    >The skill has a 100% chance of working on opponents lower than the user''s level


    >The skill has a 50% chance of working on opponents with the same as the user''s level


    >The skill has a 25% chance of working on opponents higher than the user''s level


    >The skill chance isn''t affected by the level of the skill]


    [Duration: 2 seconds]


    [Cooldown: 5 minutes]


    [Cost: 10 QP]


    Wei Jun felt no difference since his level of empowerment was reserved for the novel content unlock. He was now level 22 and he could now read the final volume of this novel. He decided not to use the rest and save them for the next novel.


    As for the Qi replenishment potions, since he hadn''t used them before, he didn''t know what the time limit between each potion consumption was but since a health potion had a ten-minute cooldown, he didn''t know about the rest.


    He made sure to test about it later. For now, he focused on the last reward, the skill, his first skill.


    ''What''s QP?'' Wei Jun asked the system as he left his room in gym attire and made his way to the gym. It was a term related to the system but he hadn''t seen it before.


    [It''s short for Qi power]


    [It isn''t in the status panel because you haven''t awakened Qi yet]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun replied. The skill was currently useless but it wasn''t unwelcome. There were skills in the shop as well but their prices were outrageous and even Wei Jun was hesitant to buy them.


    He then entered the gym after he was finished with everything and found himself to be the last one to enter. The rest were already in the gym with the four youngsters whispering amongst each other while Xia Lu was frantically lifting weights with a frustrated expression on her face.


    Wei Jun chuckled and coughed. The four youngsters stopped and stood at attention but Xia Lu dismissed him after giving him a short glance.


    "Do the usual exercise. Don''t slack." Wei Jun halfheartedly ordered them and made his way to Xia Lu who was pushing weights on the bench. The weights were about twenty kilograms with the bar included. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun hadn''t made anyone do bench lift yet so Xia Lu was struggling a little even though she could lift more weight using dumbbells. Her form was terrible and Wei Jun was tempted to fix it using his hands and get her even more flustered, however, he decided to hold back because it also fell into the realm of se*ual harassment.


    "You''re doing it wrong." Wei Jun said.


    "Go away." She replied curtly and lifted the bar with an exhale again.


    "You will ruin your shoulders and joints like that." Wei Jun persisted instead of saying anything.


    "What are you gonna do about it?" She again curtly said and continued her lifting. Wei Jun smiled and stepped forward, he slowly reached forward and took the metal bar, easily snatching it out of her hands.


    "You may think that I only care about the contract but I also care about the people I work with. I''m not emotionless." Wei Jun lied. He didn''t care about any of the people he worked with. He needed them of course so he kept them happy but that didn''t mean they weren''t expendables to him. Everyone always was.


    Except today.


    He cared about Xia Lu for reasons unknown even to himself. So he said, "Let me help you. Please." Wei Jun wasn''t lying when he said that and was very much sincere. It was that sincerity that compelled her to not say anything and just lie back down. Wei Jun smiled and moved to the back of the bench just before her head.


    He slowly made her grab the metal bar and straightened her arms along with her back and posture.


    Once he had shown her the correct way, Xia Lu lifted the weight with much less difficulty though she was still new to it. Once he was done, he stepped back a bit and let her do it on her own while he placed his hands just below the metal bar to show her the height she needed to lower the bar to while also acting as a spotter.


    As Xia Lu continued, Wei Jun just kept looking at her focused expression which also made him smile.


    It seemed like every action of Xia Lu was making him smile unconsciously. Wei Jun shook his head and focused on her. Although he would have liked to keep admiring her, he couldn''t also distract himself which could lead to a mistake.


    Xia Lu soon reached her limit so Wei Jun took the bar and settled it away. She breathed in and out as she stood up, although with the support of the bench and once she was up, she didn''t look at him but just said, "Thanks."


    Wei Jun smiled but didn''t say anything else, he simply stepped forward until her close enough to her by her side and whispered in her ear, "Anytime."


    His breath in his ear sent shivers down her spine but she didn''t move away. She liked it, she wanted more of it. His existence closer to him but she took a deep breath and began to walk out of the gym with her head lowered. Since her hair was in a ponytail, Wei Jun could see her face from the side which was beet red.


    Wei Jun smiled and let it go. He turned to the rest of the actors who were out of breath and looking at him judgmentally. Wei Jun''s smile disappeared which brought an ominous feeling to the team.


    "I think you guys are at the stage where it is fine to take it one step ahead." Wei Jun said with a straight, expressionless face without any hint of anything on his face.


    ''Protest'', was what the team wanted to do but then they remembered the face Wei Jun would make when they denied his decisions, the smile that was enchanting but worse than the devil''s because Wei Jun would then show them someplace worse than hell right then and there in the gym.


    And the training continued. They did whatever they could even when their bones were being crushed. However, they vowed to do one thing for the rest of their lives and that was to never judge Wei Jun.


    ======


    At the breakfast table, Wei Jun elegantly drank his tea and commented, "What a bunch of wimps."


    Lao Chen looked at the four sprawled-out youngsters who were deflated like someone had sucked the air out of them. He couldn''t imagine what they were being put through for them to be acting like that. But one thing he did admit was that their pain was real but all he could do was offer his condolences.


    Xia Lu on the other hand happily ate her breakfast and didn''t even care to console her juniors. Wei Jun let the four of them feel the pain of broken muscles and didn''t give them the stamina pill and planned to give it to them once they arrived at work.


    "I can do it." Xia Lu insisted. She was talking about the scene from yesterday and she wanted to film it again today because she was sure she would be able to do it today.


    The crew looked at her skeptically. Currently, Wei Jun wasn''t present among the actors as he was preparing the set. Some crew members were explaining the equipment use to the concerned parties. Even they were looking at her like she wouldn''t be able to do it.


    "Sister Xia," Quan Kui called out to her. Xia Lu turned to her to meet Quan Kui''s calm expression who said, "If I show you something and you don''t blush, we will believe you."


    Xia Lu thought it would be easy whatever it was and readily agreed. Quan Kui pulled out her phone and opened her gallery. She clicked on a photo and it shoved it in Xia Lu''s face. Xia Lu stood stunned when she saw the picture of Wei Jun and soon, her face turned into a silly smile.


    ''We have a problem on our hands.'' Everyone present thought at the same time.

 Chapter 83: Surrender

    Yao Tian sat in a room, on a cold metallic chair, cold cuffs on his hands and his head down. The coldness of the room only enhanced the hopelessness he currently felt inside. There was nothing left inside of him, no hope of any kind, and all he could do was wait, wait to live a life he had never expected to live.However, there was still one question he asked himself frequently since last week, ''Where did everything go wrong?''


    It was perfect. He was on his way to becoming the head of the family, a perfect goal with almost no competition. His brother wasn''t the ambitious type nor was he a leader, he was a submitter and if he were to lead, he would surely drown the whole family. For that reason, for not wanting to see his family submit to anyone, he did everything he could to fix that.


    He killed all those in his way, got rid of the potential competition, and even harmed those that could even slightly contribute to his downfall. All because he was the perfect leader and there was no doubt he was one. He didn''t drink, he didn''t engage in any sort of debauchery, and he certainly didn''t bow in front of anyone except for the family head.


    He was everything, unlike a certain someone. Wei Jun Ruan was the downfall of the Ruan family, nicknamed ''The Drowner''. Yao Tian was everything Wei Jun Ruan wasn''t and Wei Jun Ruan was everything Yao Tian wasn''t.


    However, there he sat, in a cold chilling room with nothing but hopelessness awaiting him. His head had finally bowed, and not in front of his father, the family head, but in front of fate. Unconsciously, he had accepted his fate. He knew the cause of his misfortune was Wei Jun Ruan but he couldn''t do anything about it. He didn''t even resent him anymore. He was thoroughly broken now.


    The door to the room opened and the one to enter was none other than Zhao Hui. Zhao Hui stared at the defeated young man and couldn''t help but pity him. Zhao Hui knew Yao Tian wasn''t an innocent person. He had committed various crimes as well and there were many rumors around him, about how he killed anyone in his way or the people in his path disappeared overnight.


    Zhao Hui knew all of this but he couldn''t do anything about this because of the higher-ups. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now that they were gone, Zhao Hui wanted to go after such golden spoons but before he could, the young man in front of him was found guilty of a major crime.


    Organ trafficking of not one or two but almost two hundred people and prior records before that increased the count to almost three hundred. Zhao Hui, however, knew this young man hadn''t committed that crime. Although he was guilty, he was guilty of something else, not this.


    But through this realization, Zhao Hui also realized one more thing. He was still as powerless as before. Only this time, the law was being used in a just way. Everything was done by the book, everything. Still, someone had enough power and intellect to manipulate the law that way. To lead the law into believing this young man was guilty of this crime.


    ''Nothing''s changed.'' Zhao Hui thought inwardly. He was right, nothing had changed. If he was forced before to let these criminals go, now he was being forced to punish them for something they didn''t do. He realized how bound he was. And he also realized how easy it was to manipulate the law, the concept and idea he worked the hardest in his life to maintain.


    Zhao Hui sighed and shook his head to push all those thoughts away. The matter was out of his hands now. He tried many things to prove Yao Tian''s innocence of this matter but nothing was left behind. Everything pointed to him being he criminal so Zhao Hui now had to give up. He realized another thing by the end, he had also been defeated. The worst part was, he had chosen to give up.


    =====


    "This is the list of the policemen who are, let''s say, unethical." Li Wei handed over a list to Wei Jun. They were both sitting inside his office and Wei Jun was working on something when she came to deliver the file personally.


    "You could have done this over the phone." Wei Jun said but he didn''t mind her personally coming here. Li Wei was doing the work of ten men combined. He couldn''t even ask her to work harder because she was working tirelessly. So if she needed a break or indulge herself in useless things, he didn''t mind.


    "And miss the excuse to take in this beautiful sight, no thanks." Li Wei retorted with a hushed voice that sounded quite a bit flirty. Wei Jun shook his head to ignore her. She had been extremely provocative lately. However, Wei Jun didn''t mind. But he was going to keep it limited to just this though because he had no reason to take things further with her. He didn''t feel anything for her.


    To him, she wasn''t Xia Lu. To him, she was just another girl.


    Wei Jun read the list and chose the eight he had seen before. These eight were corrupt cops but Wei Jun didn''t care, what he did know was that these guys were involved with his case, and also because their deaths wouldn''t be missed once their deeds came up.


    Wei Jun marked the eight and handed the list back to Li Wei who took the list and saw the eight marked. "So these are the lucky guys for ascension."


    Wei Jun didn''t reply to her joke and instructed, "Make sure these eight are the ones transferring Yao Tian to prison."


    Li Wei nodded and stood up to leave but before she left, she turned and asked, "Will I get a reward for a job well done, boss?"


    Wei Jun stared at her and knew something inappropriate was coming but he still asked for the sake of a hard-working employee. "What do you want?" Wei Jun asked softly.


    "Would a kiss do?" She asked cutely.


    "No." Wei Jun outright refused to which Li Wei acted like she was hurt and asked with a sad face, "Then can I at least get some good spanking for being a bad girl?"


    Wei Jun let out a lengthy exhale and said, "Goodbye, Li Wei." A polite way of saying get out which Li Wei picked up and left with a dramatic salute. Wei Jun was alone to prepare. But for his plans up ahead, he needed to do some shopping. Hopefully, what he ordered would have arrived by now.


    =====


    "Here it is." Zi Huan said as he opened a briefcase to show the contents of the case. Inside, there were black balls the size of a golf ball. Wei Jun skeptically raised his eyes because he was expecting something big, because to him, big meant destructive.


    "I can see the look on your face and tell what you''re thinking but you should know that size is not everything." Zi Huan said. Wei Jun once again raised his eyebrow as he said, "Size always matters."


    "Quite narcissistic of you." Zi Huan commented before he took out one ball and said, "This little beauty may not be able to do the destruction a grenade can, but unlike a grenade, this is purely organic. Made of several elements compressed together, the shell itself is magnetized so it sticks to the target pretty well, of course, as long as they''re wearing metal."


    "To use it, press the ball a bit tightly. The elements come in contact with the air, spontaneous reactions occur giving you about three seconds before it explodes." Zi Huan explained the procedure before he moved on to the other advantages, "As I said since it is made of natural elements along with a Qi crystal in a very small amount, there is no way to trace it anywhere unlike other explosives."


    "The shell itself is made of a compound that disintegrates upon the reactions of the element, leaving no trace behind. It would seem like a natural explosion has occurred." Zi Huan ended his explanation and added, "Granted the explosion is small but it would kill a person without fail. Of course, if they manage to bear it out, then you might have to use two."


    Wei Jun had to admit that he was quite happy. The destructive weaponry in this world wasn''t very advanced because the main weapon in this world was Qi. Even the current weapons were old weapons compared to his previous worlds. There wasn''t even a rail gun in this world or a nuclear weapon. He would often ask himself what kind of backwater world was he in.


    Still, this one thing truly impressed him. A small explosion enough to kill a normal person leaving no trace behind. And with the untraceable function, it could be used to create natural accidents as well which gave him an idea.


    He couldn''t help but smile to which Zi Huan said, "Whenever you smile like that, I want to punch you in the face."


    Wei Jun ignored him and asked, "And, the price of such a marvel?"

 Chapter 84: Transfer

    "Well, they''re expensive for sure." Wei Jun said as he emptied the briefcase and stored the twenty golf ball-sized explosives. Since they were military stolen, their prices were also very high but they made it up with their efficiency. There were many occasions when Wei Jun wanted things to seem natural but he couldn''t.Still, these weren''t perfect. Since they had a time limit, he couldn''t use them for planted explosions like C-4 which he made sure to buy because he needed it for the plan up next.


    [Why not read the final volume and raise your level up a bit?]


    ''That''s for later. For now, I need to get rid of the headaches.'' Wei Jun replied. Granted, Run Long was his ultimate objective, but to make sure that no one else would stand in his way, Wei Jun wanted to make sure no one was left to stand in his way.


    He had chosen Yao Tian as the first target because he wanted the hidden funds of the Tian family, the ones they had moved to one secure location. Wei Jun just needed a distraction to move the Tian family''s attention from the reserves and what better distraction than a dead son?


    [I''m confused about something]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Why don''t you use the money you currently have for the shop items]


    [It could save you a lot of trouble]


    ''And will you provide me with an expense statement?''


    [What?]


    The system didn''t understand Wei Jun''s words so he asked.


    ''How will I explain where the money went if I was ever investigated?'' Wei Jun retorted. Sure, he could somehow make a billion yuan through some methods. Sure it would take time but Wei Jun was sure enough he would soon be rolling in money to start international-level businesses.


    However, the problem was that the money would disappear through the shop. One or two hundred million was fine because the papers where he spent them could be forged but bigger transactions would raise questions. He wasn''t just anybody but a soon-to-be world-renowned figure if he didn''t keep track of his money, it could be sued against him by his enemies during investigations.


    ''That''s why it is better to use untraceable, black, or someone else''s money for the shop, none of which I currently possess.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [I see]


    The system could only say that in reply because it didn''t quite understand the technical terms a businessman like Wei Jun did. Wei Jun continued driving his car, arrived at the downtown area, and made his way to the warehouse where he kept his stuff.


    ====


    "I don''t trust any of you but make sure no accidents happen because all of you are already under my radar." Zhao Hui said without concern to the policemen who would be acting as guards to escort Yao Tian to the prison where he would await trial.


    He didn''t trust these policemen as he knew they were from Kai Bo''s faction. Although Kai Bo was now gone and rotting in prison, some of the policemen and detectives had managed to avoid getting rolled into his sins.


    "Fu*k." Zhao Hui cursed and added to no one in particular but made sure everyone heard him, "Why did they have to send these rats for it?"


    Zhao Hui couldn''t understand why these policemen were appointed for such a mission. And it wasn''t a coincidence that they were all from the corrupt division of the Yuan Yin police department. ''Almost as if someone wanted them here.'' Zhao Hui thought inwardly and as soon as he did, one individual came to his mind.


    The young man who had made him admit defeat several times, not one or two but many more times, the infamous black sheep of the Ruan family, known by many titles, none of which were anything to be proud of, Wei Jun Ruan.


    But he dismissed this thought since he made sure to check the order, it came from reliable sources and these eight were selected at random. There was some suspicion in his mind since he had seen Wei Jun Ruan manipulate the law before, but still, his rational side chose to dismiss this issue.


    ''Besides, I will be just behind them.'' He thought inwardly as he left the compound just as the envoy left the police station and made his way to his own car. It was past midnight so the roads were empty. He followed the envoy from a good distance and kept following them.


    They soon arrived in the area out of the city. Zhao Hui followed them quite well until he saw a young woman on the side of the road waving at him and yelling for help.


    "Help! Please!" She shouted. Zhao Hui glanced at the envoy and it was going steady so he decided to stop and see what the problem was. The young woman seemed to be about in her early twenties, her brunette hair gave her a sense of unique beauty. Her hazelnut eyes also enhanced her beauty.


    In a tight set of clothes, this young woman attracted Zhao Hui''s attention and he couldn''t help but admit she was a beauty of her own ranks.


    Zhao Hui stopped the car on the roadside and came out of the car. "What seems to be the problem?" Zhao Hui asked even though the cause of the woman''s distress was obvious as day with one tire of her car flat.


    "Thank you so much for stopping, no one else stopped and it was making me very scared and at this time of the night, there are many things that haunt you and anything can happen. I was very scared that you would also pass away but thank goodness you didn''t. I waved and waved at the cars before you but they didn''t stop and kept on driving. Is that how the police are these days?


    They leered at me and they didn''t even hide it but they didn''t stop to help me. I will be complaining about them for sure. I can''t remember all of their faces but I know the one who called me fu*kable babe and I will make sure to rip his mouth off once I see him again. But then I might go to jail and that might ruin my life.


    My husband would divorce me, and my child would be forced to grow up without a mother. My husband might remarry, of course, that bastard will as he is already a lusty bastard, and what if the woman he brought mistreated my child? He will grow up twisted and unloved which might cause him to have issues and haunt him for the rest of his life as well, destroying it.


    He will blame me for it while I sit in jail and be probably molested by my fellow inmates because that''s how they show it on TV. So to avoid all of that from happening, I will just leave it at a complaint against those policemen. So, do you know how to change a tire?" The woman was a chatterbox who once began and managed to take the topic to the point where her life would be in shambles.


    Zhao Hui stood with an open mouth and all he could say was, "Yes."


    "Oh thank you so much. I was worried you wouldn''t either or you would refuse to help me since no one helps out others these days. All everyone cares about is themselves, the world has become selfish and a terrible place to love. I''m worried about raising my child in such a world¡­.." The woman once again began to speak and her words only increased this time.


    Zhao Hui silently changed the tire and she was still talking, taking the topic of conversation from the selfishness of the world to the habitations of other planets.


    "IT''S DONE!" Zhao Hui had to yell to make her stop talking. "Oh!" The woman exclaimed as she checked her tire and said, "Oh my god, thank you so much. You are so not like other men. I will remember to repay you like this. I am a woman of my word and that''s how I will make sure to raise my baby¡­.." She once again began to speak which made Zhao Hui suffer from a severe headache.


    However, that headache was forgotten when he heard an explosion in the distance. The sound of the explosion was very small which meant that the envoy was quite a bit far away.


    "Oh my god, was that an explosion? Did lightning fall? An asteroid fell? Oh! My! God!


    Is it divine judgment?!" The woman yapped but Zhao Hui ignored her and hurriedly got into his car and drove away. The woman, on the other hand, opened the door to her car and entered.


    She wiped the makeup off her face and what emerged from underneath was none other than Li Wei who said, "Boss, you were right. He was following the envoy. And he''s on the way."


    "Copy." Wei Jun on the other hand replied as he made his way to the explosion site in his biker outfit where he could see several dead bodies. However, he didn''t spot his target.


    He could see the marks of someone crawling away and following those marks, he saw a young man of about twenty, hanging on to his life but he was also slowly bleeding. His legs were severely damaged and there were several burn marks but other than that, he would survive if treated soon.


    "So you managed to live." Wei Jun said as he knelt on one knee in front of the injured and bloodied Yao Tian.


    =====


    Since Li Wei''s distraction took a good amount of word count, I made sure to substitute that by making the chapter a little longer. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 85: Unlucky

    "You''re still alive? What a tenacious bastard." Wei Jun said as he knelt in front of Yao Tian who was gasping for air and coughing blood. His condition wasn''t untreatable; he had managed to survive somehow but even he couldn''t bear the brunt of three C-4 explosives. Wei Jun could only think of one reason why Yao Tian had managed to survive.[Qi Sense realm]


    [Level 17]


    [Strength 11]


    [Agility 9]


    [Stamina 10]


    [Qi 29]


    [Status: Injured]


    [No skill currently activated]


    The system screen was more detailed this time, although it didn''t tell what skills Yao Tian possessed, it at least told him that Yao Tian wasn''t under the effects of Qi armament at the moment.


    When Yao Tian saw Wei Jun, he didn''t recognize him due to Wei Jun''s helmet. Wei Jun''s current expression was hidden underneath the helmet so there was no telling about that as well. If Yao Tian couldn''t gauge the expression of his obvious assailant, then he didn''t know whether negotiations were possible or not.


    Still, he had to try, "Please¡­. Help¡­. Me." Each word getting out was laborious as hell but he still had to try because, for some reason, he wanted to live.


    Earlier, he had given up but now, for some reason, he wanted to live. The will to live had returned and the flicker of life shone in his eyes.


    However, that was what his opponent was looking for. The hope.


    "When I saw you leaving the prison, I thought you had given up and it was the end, and killing you would be no fun." Wei Jun stood up and continued, "But now looking at you, wanting to live, it strangely makes me want to kill you for all other reasons."


    Before, Wei Jun only wanted to kill Yao Tian for the sake of pushing someone out of the way but now, he wanted to do it for an unknown reason. A reason he had never had before when killing someone, a feeling to be more precise. Exhilaration. He felt excitement at seeing the hope in Yao Tian''s eyes and it strangely made him want to snuff that hope out.


    He turned and began to walk over to the overturned truck, while he said, "Now, if I kill you like this, there would be obvious traces that someone was here during the autopsy. I mean, it still screams someone else did it intentionally but it doesn''t prove my presence here. So to avoid that, I would have to do it in a little unique way."


    Wei Jun grabbed the tire of the truck and pulled it out with his bare hands. It took some power but he was strong enough to do it and he did. He tore the tire away and began to walk towards Yao Tian, "And what''s more unique than bad luck."


    Yao Tian couldn''t fully understand what the man in the helmet said but what he did know was that he would be dying now. The small flicker of hope was snuffed instantly as Wei Jun brought the tire down on Yao Tian''s head with full power. The tire came down and bashed Yao Tian''s head and then bounced off due to the power put into it.


    The headless body lay lifeless with small tremors passing through its body. Wei Jun turned around and pulled one of the golf explosives out of his inventory and threw it at the part of the truck where he had pulled the tire out.


    Done with everything, he entered the woods and after traversing a bit, he arrived where his bike was parked. It was difficult leaving a bike in the police search radius due to the chance of leaving some traces behind. So to be careful, he had parked his bike a bit distance away.


    Shortly after Wei Jun entered the woods, Zhao Hui arrived at the site and as soon as he got out of the car, he exhaled a lengthy sigh. It was done, everything was and all that was left to do was to wrap up. His years of instincts told him it was all in vain, he wouldn''t find anything and even if he did, it would be left for the police to find out.


    He pulled out a talkie from his car and turned it on, "Dispatch, send units to the highway H, section thirteen¡­.. Code black."


    ======


    "Anything?" Zhao Hui asked Kao Hun after the site had been cleared. Kao Hun remained quiet for a while before he said, "Do you believe in luck, Zhao?"


    Usually, Zhao Hui would have dismissed such a question thinking Kao Hun was messing around but the serious expression on his face made Zhao Hui ask, "Not really."


    Kao Hun nodded and replied, "Me neither." Kao Hun once again paused and said, "But this, what I found today was a little unsettling. Outwardly, it was a simple plan to kill Yao Tian but he survived. He survived and he crawled out of there, refusing to let go but nature had different plans for him."


    Kao Hun was somber while saying so, a rare face of his that only his close friends, like Zhao Hui had seen before, "Can you see that truck over there?" Kao Hun pointed at the truck before continuing, "Another subsequent explosion occurred that caused the tire to explode and bounce in the air. Came down straight on the head of the poor bastard.


    I''m not the one to believe I such bullsh*t but even I can''t help but think he had such a bad luck."


    Zhao Hui couldn''t understand how it happened. It was too much of a coincidence and if that was the case, then there must have been some other factor involved. Maybe the presence of someone who could do that.


    "I know what you''re thinking but forget about it. The tire of the truck weighs too much for a human to pick it up unless they were a cultivator. There were no Qi signatures in the area." Before Zhao Hui could cement his theory, Kao Hun doused it with cold water. Zhao Hui had no choice but to dismiss this factor but he made sure to keep it in his mind.


    He then moved on to the other experts to get information from them, there were no footprints, no signs of any presence of anyone in a two Km radius. The dogs didn''t even pick up a scent so the only lead the police so far had was the explosives used to cause this accident.


    But the feeling from earlier returned, the feeling that he wouldn''t find anything. His huts told him, that lead was a dead end as well.


    =====


    "Did I do good, boss?" Wei Jun came out of the shower and called Li Wei who had safely arrived home.


    "Very much." Wei Jun replied with a smile. He began to think that Li Wei was a blessing. She was loyal, hardworking, and precise, down to the teeth. She had all the qualities to be a perfect ally. Which was why, he thought that money wasn''t a good incentive anymore. Maybe he should indulge her wishes a bit.


    Such as her revenge.


    "So good that I deserved a good girl spanking?" She playfully asked. Wei Jun shook his head, that was one part he didn''t think would change soon.


    "We''ll see about that. But before that, pack up. We''re going somewhere on this weekend." Wei Jun said on the phone. Li Wei was estranged because Wei Jun had never asked that before but she still replied, "Got it, boss. I will be ready."


    "Good." Wei Jun replied and hung up the phone. He couldn''t go soon because he still had a few things to do in the city. Such as robbing someone and marking his influence through his proxy, his sister.


    He turned his attention to the system panel after he had made all his plans.


    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been obtained]


    [No Qi element detected]


    [Stats would be randomly distributed]


    [Strength +1]


    [Agility +2]


    [Stamina +2]


    [Qi +17]


    [Error]


    [Qi cannot be infused]


    [Converting Qi stat to other stats]


    [Stats would be randomly increased from 5~7]


    [Strength +1]


    [Charm +2]


    [Luck +2]


    The stats he gained this time were very low but that mainly had to do with the fact that he was already too strong for such a small level of energy to incorporate and also because the amount of stats his opponent possessed was very low.


    Still, he wasn''t dissatisfied. Ever since his stats had increased, Wei Jun didn''t even have a single stat point gain through exercise. Besides, since he leveled up to twenty, his stats limit had increased to sixty so he was already as strong as a cultivator in the second realm''s first stage. All that remained now was to become a cultivator and use Qi himself.


    ''Just a little bit more.'' He thought that the time when he would also have the supernatural power of this world was within his reach. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 86: The Role

    Three days passed after the incident regarding the young master of the Tian family. The family was in shambles, the patriarch of the family, Bei Tian had ceased all operations and resorted to drinking, neglecting everything related to the family.The lady of the Tian family, the mother of Yao Tian only kept crying for the past three days, there were some episodes where she attacked some servants, yelled, and tried to kill herself but her son, the elder one, Noh Tian, had appointed a few guards on her twenty four seven to prevent such incidents from happening.


    Speaking of the elder son, he had taken charge of the entire family and was supporting all of the businesses. It proved to him how difficult it was so he had to ask for help from an ally, who was very happy to help in exchange for some funds which Noh Tian had no problem providing.


    And today, today was the funeral of Yao Tian, also the day of his birth. The day he came to this earth, was also the day when he was being let go by his beloved ones. His father and mother, two blank slates just stared at the casket, not having the courage to lift the lid because in there lay their headless son''s corpse.


    They were so broken by grief that exacting revenge on whoever did it was the last thing on their minds. As for the rest of the family, some were sad, some showed their sorrow and some just thought of what would happen next.


    One such person was just sitting in the corner, looking at the casket with pity. Also, a little blame on himself because he had let himself be distracted. That day, he was unknowingly distracted by that woman on the highway. When he ran the plates of the woman, it turned out to be the car of an old retired school teacher whose license had been suspended for years now due to her age.


    Zhao Hui couldn''t help but curse at himself for being fooled so easily. He tried to run the description of the woman but nothing came up. All he could do was just let it go with blame to go nowhere else but to him. He sighed as he sipped the light wine from his glass.


    He was wallowing in pity and guilt when he spotted someone entering the venue. The one to enter was a handsome young man in a black and white funeral suit. His presence was so strong that even those stricken with grief couldn''t ignore his presence.


    Bei Tian, who was said to despise the Ruan family simply glanced at him and turned his attention back to the casket. Wei Jun hadn''t come to cause a scene so instead of doing anything else, he simply made his way to Noh Tian and said, "My utmost condolences. I know that our families don''t have the best of the relation, but allow me to just say how sorry I am for your loss."


    Each and every word was sincere and anyone who heard it couldn''t help but applaud the magnanimity of Wei Jun, who was said to have been in a very bad relationship with Yao Tian personally.


    Noh Tian nodded and replied, "I thank you for your words as the acting head of the Tian family." It was a simple and short reply and many in the venue found them disrespectful because there was no sense of sincerity in those words but given the history of the two families, it was somewhat understandable. After all, the differences of years don''t end within just a day.


    Wei Jun nodded and retreated to the bar. He ordered a water which was delivered although with a few strange glances. Ignoring those glances, Wei Jun simply drank his water his water in one go and ordered another.


    "That''s not the drink for a funeral." Zhao Hui said as he approached Wei Jun. Wei Jun simply glanced at him and then smiled, "Detective, come to accuse me of some other crimes I don''t even know of?"


    Zhao Hui chuckled and said, "No, I''m sure you were the one to commit them. I just have no evidence."


    "Then that''s the same as me not committing them." Wei Jun replied.


    "It''s not." Zhao Hui said before he added, "You did commit those crimes. You may be able to escape my judgment or the judgment of the law, but you will never escape the weight of those crimes."


    "Haha." A short chuckle left Wei Jun''s lips as he said, "So you''re saying that if I managed to dodge punishment on earth, I won''t be able to do the same in front of the god? Since when did you start to believe in god? Weren''t you the one who said if nature could do everything, what was the use of you?"


    Use of his own words against him, Zhao Hui was at a loss of reply. He was already very frustrated by his mistakes that day when Yao Tian died, being told off like that made him desperate as he said, "Why did you kill him? He was powerless. No threat to you at all."


    Another small chuckle left Wei Jun''s mouth as he said, "I don''t know what you''re talking about but I can sense the desperation in your being. You sound frustrated not only because you failed to save someone, it is also because you came to realize how powerless you are."


    Zhao Hui flinched, he was easily being read by a boy half his age no less. Wei Jun smiled and continued, "This is a world of rulers, detective. You don''t take charge, someone else will."


    Zhao Hui replied with a cold tone, "Strong words from someone born with a golden spoon in his mouth."


    Wei Jun turned to Zhao Hui for the first time and said, "It has nothing to do with one''s status. Even if I was born at the bottom of the slums, I would have still taken my freedom by hook or by crook. The difference between you and me detective is that I refuse to let someone else rule me, you do. We both have our roles in this world and you have the role of the puppet and I''m the puppeteer.


    The sooner you accept that fact, the easier your life will be."


    "Don''t live in this false reality of being able to do anything you want. Unless you let go of the mantle that you yourself have chosen, you will always be a puppet. If not mine, then someone else''s. Your role will never change." Wei Jun took out a bill of a thousand Yuan and left it under the glass.


    He left the speechless Zhao Hui there and made his way out of the venue. Many people saw him leaving but no one stepped forward to stop him. Although the patriarch was broken now, he will remember later who talked how to a Ruan family member. That was why Noh Tian had kept his reply short.


    Wei Jun made his way to his car and entered it. He turned it on and left the estate. His next destination was the warehouse in downtown. Everything was set. The distraction was set. No matter what happened to the Tian family, they won''t be able to respond in time.


    As for the other forces that could interfere, well, the Ruan family would hold them off for some time.


    ======


    "What a sh*tshow. I have to guard here even today, in the middle of the day. I mean, who is going to rob us in the middle of the day?" A guard complained while puffing heavily on a cigarette. His colleague ignored his ramblings and said, "If you don''t want to lose your job I suggest you hold your complaints in. What if he heard you?"


    Guard one trembled at the words of guard two. It was true that he was frustrated but he didn''t want to offend the person overseeing the entire compound. There were many rumors regarding that man, the rumors of cruelty and unquestionable acts with women and men alike. Even their own guards have done something to and not seen after that day.


    The easiest way to avoid that person was to stay off his radar. Don''t get noticed by him, and there was a good chance you would be safe. But if you do get noticed like the earlier guards, no one knows what would happen.


    "Yeah, let''s not do that." Gard one replied before they both returned to their patrols.


    Inside the main compound building, in a luxurious office, a man with a slender physique was sitting, leaning on the sofa lazily with his head perched backward, he was looking at everything uninterestingly.


    "Haaa¡­ I''m hungry. Should I go and look for a new prey?" He wondered to himself but he couldn''t do that. He was already reprimanded for doing that three times. If any more guards went missing, he won''t be paid. Just at that moment, his ears flinched and his nose sniffed like he smelled something delicious being cooked. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Looks like a prey has come to me on its own." He said with a smile as he stood up and left the office. Outside the compound, the man in the helmet walked past two knocked-out guards.

 Chapter 87: Luo Han

    Wei Jun walked inside the compound. He had only taken care of the ones at the entrance and there were still many guards in the compound. He had chosen the east side entrance because of the least visual on that side.Or at least that''s what he had thought as he looked at the man standing in front of him. From the looks of it, and given the lean figure of the man, he didn''t seem to be a fighter but looks could be often deceiving. That was the single rule someone must never forget in the world of fighting.


    [Qi empowerment realm]


    [Strength 27]


    [Agility 32]


    [Stamina 33]


    [Qi 132]


    [Status: Hungry]


    [No skill currently activated]


    [Additional trait: Cannibal]


    Wei Jun stared at the man after checking the notifications. The stats of the man without any empowerment from the Qi were still good enough. Not enough to put up a fight against the current Wei Jun but it was still enough to survive against many strong humans. However, once he empowered himself with such an amount of Qi, then it would be a different story.


    It was an opponent Wei Jun couldn''t fight at the moment. Not without using underhanded methods because he was not a Qi user himself.


    ''What''s the difference between the second and the third realm?'' Wei Jun asked the system since his opponent wasn''t moving at all and just staring at him.


    [Unlike the first two stages where one could increase their physical stats with Qi, the third one allows the armament of Qi on the outside, externally making the person stronger. It would mean stronger attack power and stronger resilience]


    ''Isn''t that the same as the first two but only stronger?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Not quite because the Qi holder would have pure Qi, not just some armament]


    [Just like that, the defense can be increased manually instead of a fixed amount]


    [Not even the special sniper might be able to penetrate through that]


    ''Any weaknesses?'' Wei Jun once again asked because his opponent had been just standing there for five minutes now. Wei Jun wanted to carefully craft a plan using that opportunity. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Since it is the beginning of that stage, one cannot do so as well as the Qi manifestation realm]


    [In other words, the manifestation of Qi is crude and unstable]


    [Which means the more damage you deliver, the more it will be used]


    ''So there would be areas to penetrate?'' Wei Jun asked. If the Qi was unstable, then it couldn''t be uniformly spread around the body, making it very difficult to guard all the areas at once,


    [Precisely]


    [That''s why the battle ahead depends on the mental capacity of your opponent]


    Wei Jun ended the conversation but he didn''t make a move. They both just stood there and kept staring at each other. Wei Jun knew his opponent wasn''t stalling for time because if there had been a distress call made, Li Wei was there to intercept it so Wei Jun had a good two hours at his disposal.


    Finally, once the fifteen minutes had passed, the man finally gave up the battle of wits and asked, "If you have formulated a plan, then why don''t you go ahead and implement it."


    Wei Jun tilted his head a bit but said nothing. He stepped forward and at breakneck speed, one the man couldn''t quite follow, bashed into him with his kick embedded straight in the man''s abdomen.


    The man was thrown back quite a bit of distance. Currently, Wei Jun''s strength and other stats were almost twice the man''s current stats and since he wasn''t prepared, he hadn''t used the Qi armament which caused him to take quite a bit of damage.


    Wei Jun, however, stopped. He didn''t follow up because the Qi armament was now in effect.


    [Qi empowerment realm]


    [Strength 92]


    [Agility 99]


    [Stamina 97]


    [Qi 132]


    Now Wei Jun''s opponent had stats twice than him. Following recklessly at this point was suicide. He knew he wouldn''t be able to come out of this unscathed so he simply held back.


    The man on the other side stood up, he examined the damage in him. He had to admit that he had underestimated his opponent. He had extensively checked his opponent and he had no Qi. No Qi meant no armament, the person in front of him was a simple human yet the speed and power displayed by the man in helmet in front of him was something else.


    "You''re not human, are you? What are you? Such a strength isn''t possible for a mortal human." The man said nonchalantly, hiding the pain he was currently in.


    That one strike meant everything and the man had let his guard down in that crucial moment. He should have used his armament since the beginning but he was too confident for that.


    Again, he received no reply from Wei Jun so he had no choice but to initiate an attack himself. To have fun, he decided to hold back a bit but once again he underestimated his opponent. Just as he launched himself to attack, Wei Jun made a beeline past him for the compound.


    The man simply chuckled and ran after him. Wei Jun once again got out of the way and the man shot past him. The force from the man alone pushed Wei Jun quite a bit but he didn''t resist and let the momentum carry him. He came in front of an industrial pipe and remained there.


    It was clear from this short exchange that the man had no control over his power. His mind couldn''t keep up with his physical traits. He had power but not much experience to back it up. Another blessing Wei Jun hadn''t counted but now he had.


    Wei Jun waited for the man to move once again and not wanting to disappoint, the man launched himself at Wei Jun once again. Wei Jun didn''t move and let the man take him.


    [Protection of Agies]


    [Tier: C+]


    [Cost: 1000 coins]


    [One-time consumable]


    The man collided with the shield and both of them were sent through the dense collection of pipes supplying everything to the compound. The factory that required nitrogen, the factory that required water, the factory that required gas, everything was in those pipes, and all of that was destroyed, covering the compound in various gases.


    Since Wei Jun was still surrounded by the shield, he wasn''t harmed by the various gases but the same couldn''t be said for the rest of the people. The man also survived because of Qi but every other person to come into contact with those harmful substances either straight out died or lost consciousness and were poisoned.


    Wei Jun wasn''t the type to kill thoughtlessly but he couldn''t take the risk this time. There were no workers in the factories because of the situation with the Tian family. There were only the guards who were far from innocent people and even if there were a few, Wei Jun couldn''t help it. His own survival took priority.


    Wei Jun didn''t have much time on the shield as the layer around him began to thin out. He hurriedly stood up and ran for the woods. The compound was out of the city and as long as there was no explosion, the city wouldn''t be aware of what was happening here.


    Wei Jun decided to take the fight to the woods for the sake of confusing his opponent and limiting his movements. The opponent was fast but lacked control so he wouldn''t be able to utilize his full speed amidst trees.


    As soon as Wei Jun arrived outside of the radius of the gases, his shield ran out. Just at that moment, his senses tingled and he barely dodged the incoming attack. Wei Jun was sent flying through the air just because of the shockwave that the man left behind.


    [HP 28\\32]


    Wei Jun lost 4 points of HP just from a simple shockwave so he dreaded to consider how much he would lose if a direct hit handed on him. Wei Jun knew that he wouldn''t be able to make it to the woods so when he saw the man coming at him again, he pulled out an automatic shotgun and emptied its magazine at him.


    The twelve bullets did nothing to the man but he did lose some focus because some of the shells fell on the less protected area of the Qi armament.


    Just enough time for Wei Jun to run to the side and enter the woods. The man didn''t let Wei Jun get away so easily so he also followed after him but he was a bit too late. Wei Jun left his trajectory, causing him to collide with the tree.


    The tree snapped into two as the man passed through it but that was enough for his vision to be impaired. Wei Jun didn''t let him have a single moment of time and took out an RPG launcher and aimed it at the man. The man turned around just in time to dodge but he was caught in the explosion nonetheless.


    Wei Jun put the launcher back into the inventory and ran deeper into the woods. He knew that his opponent wasn''t harmed at all and he wouldn''t be able to take him on without sacrifices.

 Chapter 88: Luo Han (1) (Bonus P.S)

    Luo Han was a child who grew up in the slums. His talent was amazing. Amazing as in the sense that he awakened Qi at the age of ten. It was a marvelous achievement given the world he was in. He was on par with the talents of the world that got the treatment of kings when they awakened at that early age.However, the problem for Luo Han was where he was born. He was born in the slums and the slum was ruled by many nasty gangs who snuffed him out before he could recognize his talents. He was suppressed, tortured, and forced to work for the people of this world.


    He was used, abused, and thrown around until he offended someone of a very high rank and he was thrown in a dungeon cell where he was starved to the point his bones could be seen. One day, he lost himself and when he came to, he saw a half-eaten corpse, his hands bloodied and a metallic taste in his mouth.


    However, the scene that would have been traumatizing for others, was somehow ecstatic to Luo Han. And that wasn''t all, he felt something stir inside of him. Something that brought him power. His Qi reacted. So to confirm the experiment, he decided to eat more and finish the rest of the corpse. However, the pit inside of him wasn''t satisfied, he wanted more.


    So he ate more. The entire dungeon that was run by the gang, all of it was eaten that day.


    Luo Han escaped from the dungeon while eradicating the gang and many others in his way. However, he reached his limit like every cultivator. A bottleneck he couldn''t overcome no matter how much he ate. And with the police on his tail, he couldn''t eat freely either.


    He had been stuck in the realm of Qi empowerment realm for three years now. Still, being in the third realm of the Qi training at the age of twenty-five, it was an achievement no one could dismiss.


    Then, a man found him, a man by the name of Bei Tian. He promised him the police off his tail and a steady supply of food to satisfy his cravings. Luo Han agreed, and he became the hidden guard dog of the Tian family. He still couldn''t overcome his bottleneck and all he could do was be the king of the small world he was in for now.


    He still made some mistakes, such as eating some employees, some guards, and such. Some people that even the Tian family had a hard time covering up. He was under the radar so he couldn''t eat anymore.


    However, today, a prey had come to him of his own volition. To have the honor of being eaten by him and becoming a part of his power. Enhancing his power even though by a very small amount.


    Or at least that was how it should have been but such a simply weak mortal was giving him so much trouble. Somehow, the mortal had managed to inflict great damage on him. Not only that, the mortal had also destroyed the compound causing millions of damage, and managed to escape him and trap him in a forest.


    But that wasn''t what the problem was. If it had been a normal mortal, Luo Han would have been able to detect him right away but at that moment, no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t locate his target. It was as if his target had completely disappeared. There were small rustlings of leaves but that earned no proof to Luo Han.


    He took another step and felt something below his feet. He lowered his head confusingly only to see he had stepped on something metallic. He raised his feet to check only to be blown away by a blast. He was thrown away a few feet and he received no damage. He stood up to check his surroundings but found nothing.


    ''There are traps.'' He inwardly thought as he took another careful step. He was now very careful with where he was stepping when he once again heard rustling from his side. He turned only to see the helmet man with a rifle in his hand. The helmet man opened fire but Luo Han didn''t wait around, he also shot at his target without any regard for the bullets.


    However, he was mistaken. He felt something touch his Qi barrier and when he stopped to check, another explosion occurred. Once again, he was unharmed however, his vision was once again impaired, and when he came out of the explosion, he couldn''t see his target at the spot anymore. He still kept going and arrived at the place where his opponent was standing.


    He turned his head and looked in every direction but no matter what, he couldn''t spot his target, he had once again managed to hide himself.


    "Where are you?! Come out and face me, you coward?!" Luo Han resorted to taunting even though he knew that it was in no way a fair fight. He was fighting a mortal human while being a Qi warrior, possessing many times the power of a human.


    Obviously, when his opponent didn''t give in to his taunt, he clicked his tongue and traversed forward carefully, watching his every step and enhancing his vision to the limit to spot anything that could lead to an explosion.


    Luo Han, who had been in a mercenary team had to once face a military cultivator. He wasn''t a high rank cultivator and against a force of fourteen cultivators at the second realm, the match was already decided. However, the military man had managed to trap the team in a forest like this.


    Guerilla warfare. The military man was an expert in guerilla warfare and his expertise led to the death of the thirteen cultivators. Luo Han barely survived after running away but he never forgot the name of that military man. Fan Tao, a widely known expert in the field of picking up his enemies one by one. A nightmare to those whom he managed to trap in the forest.


    However, compared to Luo Han''s current opponent, Fan Tao''s skills were lacking. No matter what, Fan Tao could still be sensed but Luo Han''s current opponent was almost as if he was invisible. And not just his body either, it was like he could erase his true being and become one with nothingness.


    ''A true expert in guerrilla warfare.'' Luo Han thought inwardly as he slowly traversed deeper into the woods. He knew he needed to run away because of his previous experience but his rational side held him back. Logically speaking, Fan Tao was a cultivator in the Qi gathering realm.


    Luo Han''s current opponent was a simple mortal. Although a little stronger than normal humans, it wasn''t anything impressive because Luo Han himself had crossed the boundary of human limits and even without Qi, his physical traits were amazing compared to the other cultivators.


    Rustle¡­


    Luo Han turned hurriedly in the direction only to see a squirrel pass by. He turned his attention to the front once again only to see something that made him instinctively say, "What the fu¡­"


    Before he could even complete his phrase, the whirring of a weapon then spewed bullets at him nonstop. The bullets were so strong that he had to enhance his Qi barrier to the limit and focus it only at the front to bear the brunt offered by the gun.


    In the hands of Wei Jun was a gun known as the behemoth of all weapons. The gigantic weapon that spewed out 6000 bullets in just a short time of a minute and three seconds. The big gun known as the mini gun. An M61A1 Vulcan cannon mini gun that relentlessly shot bullets at the force of about 600 Newton that even the Qi barrier of Luo Han was threatening to end.


    The worst news was; he was stuck in a place. He couldn''t move no matter what, he had to expend all his effort on the Qi barrier because he knew that in just a second of distraction, he would be pierced by those bullets and he knew he wouldn''t survive no matter what.


    His Qi was running out and he was holding by a breath. He couldn''t thin out the barrier because it was breaking even at its strongest. When his Qi would run out, he wouldn''t be able to hold himself against his opponent.


    He only had about half the Qi left and even that was rapidly running out. He ended his Qi armament to use the remaining Qi solely for the barrier but even with that, he was still rapidly losing it.


    And the inevitable came to be. He had about ten percent of his Qi left when the relentless assault ended from his opponent. He cautiously raised his head and looked at his opponent who was now standing there with nothing in his hands.


    The gun had magically disappeared somewhere but that wasn''t the main point of concern because the helmet man shot straight at Luo Han and struck him straight in the barrier. Luo Han couldn''t react in time when the helmet man sidestepped and struck Luo Han in the ribs.


    Luo Han gritted his teeth and stepped back to create distance but the helmet man wasn''t letting up. He knew that Luo Han was low on Qi and the Qi armament wasn''t also activated.


    But that only got on his nerves. It made him angry that a mere mortal had made him use almost all of his Qi and was now fighting him almost on equal terms, even overwhelming him. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "DON''T FU*K WITH ME!!!" Luo Han yelled and a tangible Qi wave of Qi emanated from him, hitting Wei Jun and pushing him back quite a bit in the distance.


    But he wasn''t worried, because¡­


    [Qi empowerment realm]


    [Strength 54]


    [Agility 56]


    [Stamina 51]


    [Qi 132]


    The Qi armament of Luo Han this time wasn''t the same as before. In other words, it was doable.


    =====


    A request to the readers whose suggestions have brought this novel so far. Try my other novel as well and let me know what you think of it so I can improve it as well. I guarantee you will like the plot but for some reason, it isn''t gaining the appreciation I hoped so maybe you''re opinion could change that.


    Regards, Bad_wolf

 Chapter 89: Luo Han (2)

    Wei Jun dismissed the yell of Luo Han and went in with one more strike. His stance was a classic boxing stance and his arms were acting guards over his head, Wei Jun wasn''t giving the man any chance to strike back nor he was giving him a chance to let him absorb some Qi.He didn''t know what was the criteria for replenishing Qi so he wasn''t going to take a risk and let the man take even a second for himself.


    Luo Han on the other hand was struggling. His Qi was insufficient to use Qi armament at full strength. All he could do was try to strike back which he did and although he didn''t know of it, he was delivering Wei Jun damage although it didn''t appear to be so.


    [HP -1]


    [HP -1]


    [HP -1]


    Wei Jun dodged the ones he could but the ones he couldn''t had to be blocked. However, even when he properly blocked, negating all damage, he was still taking damage.


    ''Why am I taking damage? I''m blocking his strikes perfectly.'' Wei Jun asked the only one person or thing he could. The system.


    [Although you are, his Qi is damaging you]


    [To neglect Qi, you also need to have Qi]


    ''That''s just great.'' Wei Jun replied as he pulled out a golf explosive from his inventory and exploded it on the face of Luo Han. It wasn''t enough to do any damage but it was enough to block Luo Han''s vision which was enough for Wei Jun to create some distance.


    Wei Jun hurriedly reloaded his RPG launcher while Luo Han was still distracted. As soon as Luo Han''s vision cleared, he saw a rocket launcher aimed at him. He knew he took another strong strike, he would be out of Qi so he decided to turn around and run, only to step on Wei Jun''s earlier planned surprise that he left before creating distance.


    A mine. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Boom!


    Luo Han was sent sideways with the explosion. He crashed into trees and coughed blood. The injuries he attained weren''t only because of the explosion but also because of the Qi depletion. He had severely exhausted his Qi, something that had never happened before. And definitely not to something nonsensical like weapons.


    He had faced weapons before but people at his level couldn''t afford such destructive weapons.


    Luo Han couldn''t even laugh at the fact that he was defeated by weapons when he possessed the greatest weapon of all time, Qi. Yet there he was, coughing blood and awaiting his fate as the man in the helmet inched closer step by step towards him.


    When the man stopped in front of Luo Han, Luo Han didn''t see the launcher from earlier. Instead, it was a simple revolver. But in his current state, even that simple revolver was lethal.


    "Cough!... Who¡­ the heck are¡­ you?" Luo Han asked but he received no reply. Not that he expected to receive a reply. But he was hoping to prolong the conversation as much as he could so he could replenish enough Qi to run away from here.


    "Fine¡­ You win. Jus¡­ Just let me go. I will disappear from your¡­ your sight and never return." Luo Han pleaded for his life. He wasn''t putting on a fake front either, he was seriously asking the helmet man to spare his life. He had no intention to fight anymore and he would leave quietly as he promised.


    The helmet man didn''t answer again and raised the gun to aim at Luo Han''s forehead. Luo Han had obtained his answer. He chuckled and said, "Fine. Have it your way then."


    Just as he finished speaking, a burning sensation left his abdomen which covered him entirely. Wei Jun pulled the trigger before the unknown phenomenon but the bullet disintegrated when it came into contact with the yellow layer around Luo Han.


    [Host step away!]


    [Hurry!]


    Wei Jun didn''t waste a single second and jumped back only in time before a yellow wave of unknown power emitted from Luo Han, and struck him. Wei Jun was thrown back with significant damage.


    [HP 9\\32]


    Had he been close, he would have died given the extent of damage or even worse. Wei Jun didn''t have the time to analyze when he saw another wave heading towards him but this one was vertical. Like a blade.


    And as he thought, as soon as he jumped out of the way, the tree behind him was sliced in half. Wei Jun didn''t wait another moment and increased the distance between him and Luo Han but Luo Han ran to him to shorten the distance as well while shooting the blades from earlier.


    ''What the hell happened to him?'' Wei Jun asked as he ran in random directions, trying to distance himself away from the rapidly approaching Luo Han.


    [He is using his true Qi]


    ''What the hell is that?!'' Wei Jun yelled as he once again dodged another blade that nicked him on his foot, causing a wave of pain to shoot through his whole being. The pain brought by that unknown power was strong.


    [Do you really need a crash course right now?]


    The system retorted and Wei Jun nodded because it made sense. The number one priority was surviving.


    ''How long will that last?''


    [Not long]


    The system replied so Wei Jun nodded and dodged once again. Luo Han saw that his opponent was evading his attacks and wasn''t much harmed. Sensing that his life was nearing its end, he decided to let out one powerful attack in all directions instead of letting out concentrated attacks.


    "Haap!!!" He clenched his fists and another wave, one last wave was emitted from him, the wave was then converted collection of blades and shot in all directions.


    Wei Jun saw that and even with the system warning, he only had one option left. Offer a sacrifice. So he dodged as much as he could but even his luck ran out when one of the waves, he couldn''t dodge.


    Luo Han still had a few breaths in him. He wasn''t going to die until he saw the end of his opponent, the person who was the reason his life was ending.


    As the dust cloud from the destruction began to settle, Luo Han desperately squinted his eyes only to see a hand emerge from the cloud and grab him by his neck. Soon, the person appeared in his view as well. The person was no one else than his helmet friend.


    Luo Han, who was grabbed by the neck and on his last breaths couldn''t see, but his opponent was missing an arm. He didn''t have the satisfaction of seeing that because before his life could run out, the helmet man snapped his neck and killed him.


    [Health pill consumed]


    [Bleed effect lifted]


    [HP 31\\31]


    Wei Jun consumed a health pill and the various effects when he was hit by the blade were lifted. His arm didn''t grow back but it was stubbed like it was cut off for years.


    While he was still collecting the situation, a swarm of notifications clouded his vision.


    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been obtained]


    [Strength +21]


    [Agility +25]


    [Stamina +22]


    [Qi +78]


    [Error]


    [Qi cannot be infused]


    [Converting Qi stat to other stats]


    [Stats would be randomly increased from 40~45]


    [Strength +2]


    [Agility +11]


    [Stamina +7]


    [Defense +17]


    [Charm +2]


    [Luck +5]


    A wave of power went through his entire being, unlike anyone he had ever felt before. He felt refreshed as hell but that wasn''t the highlight at all, because the next set of notifications made him very happy.


    [You have had your first encounter with an evil cultivator]


    [Considering your power differences, the fact that you still emerged as the victor speaks volumes of your skill]


    [Rewards will be given for such an achievement]


    [#1 All stats +2]


    [Error]


    [Qi could not be infused]


    [Substitute stat selected to be charm]


    [Charm +2]


    [#2 When fighting an evil cultivator, attack speed and attack power +10%]


    [#3 A discount coupon of 10% percent on any item from the shop]


    [Status]


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 22


    HP: 31\\31


    Cultivation realm: Mortal]


    [Strength: 63]


    [Agility: 82]


    [Stamina: 79]


    [Defense: 52]


    [Qi: 0]


    [Charm: 38]


    [Luck: 16]


    Wei Jun decided to not hold any longer and hurried to the compound with a gas mask and suit on that he purchased from the shop. The compound was still heavily infested with various gases that could be harmful to him so he decided to take his biker suit off and equipped that one.


    Once he was inside the building, after confirming the location of the safe, he made a beeline to that part, using Li Wei''s programs to disable any security in the way. When he finally arrived at the safe, something he had no knowledge of, he simply put his hand on the lock and said, ''Now, get to it.''


    [¡­]


    [Me?]


    ''Yes.''


    [But I cannot interfere in the world as I wish]


    ''Do it.''


    [But host--]


    ''Do it.''


    [¡­]


    [Yes, host]

 Chapter 90: Cultivating

    "Miss Ruan, young master Ruan has come to see you but he is here without an appointment, should I let him in?" An operator asked from the lobby after she was directed to Lin Ruan''s main line through her secretary.Lin Ruan was a little taken aback by her brother''s unannounced visit but what made her upset was that he was being asked for an appointment when he was the direct descendant of the Ruan family.


    She knew it wasn''t the operator''s fault so she simply replied by saying, "Let him up. And never ask him for an appointment again."


    Her tone wasn''t harsh but it wasn''t benevolent either. Shortly after, the door to her office was knocked at. "Come in." She replied and Wei Jun entered the room, dressed in a luxurious suit that only enhanced his charm. Even Lin Ruan, who had never seen her brother in such a light couldn''t help but say he was the most handsome man ever.


    "That''s a surprise. A visit from you." Lin Ruan said as she closed the files in front of her.


    "I needed some help so I came. Sorry to intrude without properly contacting you. It is a bit urgent." Wei Jun said but he didn''t sit.


    "I see. What is it?" Lin Ruan curiously asked.


    "When you had the opportunity to assault every family during my case, did you happen to make a lot of money?" Wei Jun straightforwardly asked.


    Lin Ruan smiled and proudly said, "Indeed. Not only the one that the family made but also the money I made would blow you away."


    "I''m not much interested in the money that the family made. How much did you make though?" Wei Jun asked with a curious expression on his face that had a different charm.


    Lin Ruan smiled in triumph and said, "A whopping 400 million."


    Wei Jun smiled and asked, "And how much in black?"


    The triumphant smile on Lin Ruan extended as she replied, "322."


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "I need some of that." Lin Ruan didn''t ask anything else, just simply replied, "Sure."


    The truth was that Wei Jun had robbed the Tian family of exactly 890 million. With a few leftover cash from before, Wei Jun had about 918 million which was enough to purchase the elixir that would enable him to cultivate.


    Unfortunately, since Wei Jun was missing an arm, he had to purchase a phoenix''s tears which left him just two million short. So Wei Jun decided to ask his sister but since he was asking for black money, he decided to save some of the untraceable money as well for future purposes.


    Lin Ruan took Wei Jun to a private lift which brought them down to the basement level. Once there, Lin Ruan led Wei Jun to another lift which went down five more floors.


    "How do you get oxygen so down?" Wei Jun asked. Since the basement was quite a bit deep underground, there must have been the issue of breathing.


    "It took some effort but there are plenty of architects who know how to keep their mouths shut." Lin Ruan replied as she opened the door and led them both to a safe.


    Since Lin Ruan wasn''t divulging any more information, Wei Jun decided not to ask anything further even though he was very curious about whether it was the family who owned this private fund or did it solely belonged to Lin Ruan as a retirement fund. After all, she was the adopted child of the Ruan family.


    They arrived at a vault at which, Wei Jun turned around by himself before Lin Ruan could ask. "I have no problem with you seeing." Lin Ruan said but Wei Jun still respected her privacy, as a sign that he would like his privacy to be respected as well.


    "When the Tian family was going through some difficult times thanks to your case and then due to the scandal of Yao Tian, we ransacked many of their facilities, illegal ones of course, and earned ourselves quite a buck. Pity it''s all in black and cannot be used in business." Lin Ruan said as both of them entered the gigantic vault. The vault had many compartments inside, locked behind bars.


    One of the compartments was marked with N.


    Lin Ruan opened it and said, "Here is the black money that I keep for some dubious purchases."


    Wei Jun picked up the keyword ''I'' but that could have meant anything so Wei Jun decided to focus on the task at hand.


    "How much can I take?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Since most of it has been planned for a few projects, you can take 150." Lin Ruan said. Wei Jun nodded and said, "Then please have someone bring it to my office."


    Lin Ruan nodded and they both left the basement. On the lift, Lin Ruan suddenly remembered something and said, "I completely forgot to tell you. This weekend, there is a family meeting. You have to come."


    "I can''t. I''m going somewhere this weekend. This cannot be ignored." Wei Jun outright refused.


    "You can''t. Grandfather personally asked for your attendance. Maybe he is thinking of letting you come back." Lin Ruan ecstatically presumed but Wei Jun didn''t care about that one bit. He didn''t know what this ''come back'' business was, but he couldn''t think about it because he had work to do. Li Wei had an amazing potential. He couldn''t let her go just because of some useless meeting.


    "I can''t. Apologize in my stead. I cannot delay this business any longer." Wei Jun said and left the lift without letting Lin Ruan reply. He then left the building and made his way to his office. The scenes that were being filmed had mostly the main characters and the villain was mostly hidden behind shadows so he\\Wei Jun didn''t have many scenes.


    Shortly after his return, a few movers came by to deliver a sofa. He let them arrange the sofa and once they were gone, Wei Jun took out his dagger and ripped the seats of the sofa, discovering bundles of money, too many to count. Wei Jun simply stored it all in his inventory and converted 900 million to shop coins which only left him with nine million coins.


    The Qi awakening elixir''s cost was ten million coins. With the discount coupon Wei Jun obtained from killing Luo Han, Wei Jun could purchase it for nine million. Without further ado, he locked the office, moved the furniture away, and sat in the middle of the room.


    He had seen how Luo Chen would have Zhan Yi and Quan Li cultivate in a meditation pose of cross-legged so he also assumed a lotus position and purchased the potion from the shop.


    [Qi awakening elixir]


    [Tier: SSS] Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Description: The world you live in is defined by the strong where the weak has no value. If you wish to be strong yourself but for some reason can''t, then fear not as the hope hasn''t ended yet.


    A magical elixir created by a Qi master at the Qi spiritualization realm who sacrificed his life force to make this elixir to grant an opportunity for the younger generation to not be deprived of the opportunity to become strong.


    Effects: Qi manifestation in any kind of body]


    [Cost: 10,000,000 coins]


    All of his revenue turned to dust with only a few leftover cash of about 150-160 million behind. It was a good thing that it was untraceable cash so it could be used anywhere without much worry.


    But that wasn''t what Wei Jun was worried about. The point he was worried about the most was something else. When using the phoenix''s tear didn''t work, when it worked for Quan Li and Zhan Yi and even helped in advancing Sun Ruan''s cultivation but didn''t work for him, Wei Jun was worried that this elixir might be the same.


    [Don''t worry about it, host]


    [If it doesn''t work]


    [There are many other ways]


    ''Expensive ways?'' Wei Jun asked threateningly.


    [Yes]


    ''You fu****''


    Wei Jun already used a fortune for this elixir and almost lost his life, not to mention he had to fully uproot the Tian family. If he had to do it again for some other elixir if this one didn''t work, then the city''s families would run out of money before he would be able to cultivate.


    As Wei Jun purchased the elixir, a blue sapphire-colored pill appeared in his hand. Wei Jun didn''t have any hint as to what to do with it so he simply swallowed it. Since the system didn''t say anything, Wei Jun didn''t worry about it.


    A warm sensation spread in his abdomen as a multitude of notifications appeared in his view.


    [You have consumed a Qi awakening elixir]


    [Qi is running in your veins]


    [No Qi vein detected]


    [Using the Qi from elixir to make one]


    [Qi required to make the Qi vein is sufficient]


    [You have awakened Qi]


    [You can now cultivate]


    [Qi +20]

 Chapter 91: Cultivation (1)

    Just as Wei Jun swallowed the pill, the next moment a few notifications appeared in his view along with a warm sensation in his abdomen but it all disappeared the next moment."That¡­. was anticlimactic." From the novel that Wei Jun had read, he thought that just like Run Long, who went through tremendous pain and a multitude of changes when he cultivated, Wei Jun would also go through the same but all it took was a few seconds and Wei Jun was now a cultivator.


    ''So, now what?'' Wei Jun asked the only person who was knowledgeable in terms of Qi cultivation.


    [Now you have to learn a breathing technique and apply it to attract Qi]


    ''How do I do that?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You remember Luo Chen helping Zhan Yi and Quan Li, right?]


    ''Yeah.''


    [Well, that was a breathing technique]


    [A method to circulate Qi within your body along with your breathing which would create more space for your Qi in your body]


    ''So I need a cultivation manual? Then buying an expensive one would have different effects?''


    [If you purchase a D-tier cultivation manual, it will increase your Qi stat by 1 after a month]


    [But if you used an SSS tier manual, then it might not even take an hour for your Qi stat to increase by one]


    [Of course the more the stat increases, the more circulations it would require]


    [There would come a time when even with a divine ranked cultivation technique, you will have to complete thousands of circulations for just one stat point of Qi]


    Wei Jun nodded and opened the shop to check for the cultivation manuals. The explanation was easy to understand but Wei Jun didn''t have enough budget for high-rank cultivation manuals.


    [Buddha''s cultivation technique: 10,000,000 gold]


    [Phoenix''s rage cultivation technique: 50,000,000 gold]


    [Dragon''s blood cultivation technique: 100,000,000 gold]


    Wei Jun couldn''t even dream to buy these for now given that he had to suck the Tian family''s hidden fund for just a billion yuan. He doubted that his own family would even have enough money for him.


    It was good news that Wei Jun could still transition from lower-ranked cultivation techniques to higher-ranked cultivation techniques so he decided to go with a cheaper one for now and will purchase a higher-ranked one down the line.


    The current cash he possessed was 59 million yuan and the cultivation technique in his price range was only this one.


    [Wenyuan cultivation technique: 500,000 coins] S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was an B-tier cultivation technique and it was the highest among all the B-tier cultivation techniques. Wei Jun purchased it and a book appeared in his hand.


    [Would you like to learn the Wenyuan cultivation technique?]


    [Once a technique is learned, it will permanently consume the cultivation slots available to the user]


    [Current slots 0\\3]


    [Would you like to proceed?]


    ''What is this crap?'' Wei Jun asked the system about the notifications because he didn''t understand them one bit.


    [It is the limit of the cultivation techniques you can learn]


    [Usually, a person can only learn one technique but thanks to the system, you can learn three at once]


    [But once a slot is taken by a technique, it will be permanently consumed]


    [However, at a slight cost, it can be removed from the slot]


    ''What cost?''


    [Cost is always random]


    [Sometimes in the form of stats or sometimes in the form of money]


    [Sometimes, on rare occasions, it can also be in the form of levels]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun wasn''t happy with this system. Since the risk of levels was too great, he could risk it which meant, he could only learn three cultivation techniques. But it didn''t change anything, he was still going to learn this one because it was the only one he could right now.


    "Yes." Wei Jun said out loud and the book began to disappear from his hand. Once it was gone, a set of notifications appeared in his vision.


    [Qi +1]


    [You are now a ''Qi sense realm'' cultivator]


    [All stats +2]


    [You have learned the skill: Qi armament]


    [You have learned the skill: Qi empowerment]


    [You have learned the skill: Qi discharge]


    A number of notifications appeared in his view. Wei Jun checked all of them and he was quite satisfied. Wei Jun decided to hold off checking the skills because there were still a few notifications left.


    [You have taken baby steps into the world of cultivation]


    [Like a good adult, the system will guide you by your hands]


    Wei Jun didn''t like the analogy used but he ignored it and continued reading.


    [The tutorial will now begin]


    [Good luck]


    Wei Jun''s vision went black and once it all cleared up, Wei Jun was standing with nothing but darkness all around him. Wei Jun didn''t know what to do when a notification appeared.


    [Assume a relaxed position]


    [Qi circulation will now begin]


    Wei Jun sat cross-legged even though it wasn''t a requirement]


    As he did, he could feel a warm energy being pulled out from his abdomen.


    [Please follow the flow of the Qi]


    [Breath slowly with the intervals as shown]


    A notification appeared asking him to breathe according to a set of conditions. Wei Jun decided to follow it and once that was done, another notification appeared.


    [Please remember the acupoints the Qi follows through]


    [The Qi would first pass through your Xianan acupoints¡­]


    A lengthy explanation was given which although Wei Jun memorized, he wasn''t very knowledgeable in terms of acupoints so although he skimmed that part, he did remember how the Qi was being moved and which areas would it remain longer than the rest or which areas were just shortly passed through.


    The entire process lasted about ten minutes and once it was done, a notification appeared in his view.


    [You have successfully completed a Qi circulation]


    [Tutorial will now end]


    Wei Jun''s vision once again went blank and when it came to again, he was back in his office.


    He felt refreshed, much more than he had ever felt before. It was as if his fatigue had all washed away and his mind was clear to perceive his surroundings. Not only that, his senses were a little more sensitive than before and he could even hear people walking and talking outside his office.


    ''So this is what it feels like being a cultivator.'' Wei Jun commented before he closed his eyes and began to cultivate. He circulated his Qi exactly how he was shown in tutorial and he kept doing it for an hour before he felt a slight change in him. But it was very slight that only he could pick up with his sharpness.


    His Qi stat didn''t increase at all but he could understand that. As the system had said, only higher-tier cultivation techniques could raise his stats fast. Wei Jun had a B tier one so he couldn''t expect a change after just an hour.


    Wei Jun once again closed his eyes but told the system to let him know when there was an hour left before the evening gym session. Once he began to cultivate, he cut focus with everything from the world, it was as if his surroundings didn''t matter. The only thing in his mind was that little yellow line that followed his will and passed through his body.


    He remembered to breathe exactly as he was told. He was fully cut off from the world, only his breathing and his focus on the little yellow line were all on his mind. He didn''t know how much time had passed. He just felt as if he was floating through the space.


    Calm, desolate, devoid of any distractions. That''s how his whole being currently was. He kept completing the circulation after circulation. He must have done it at least a hundred times now when the system informed him of the time. There was a way of delivering information in the system''s wording as if it was timed with his circulation.


    Wei Jun didn''t know why the system did that but he could guess why. He had come across the term Qi deviation before and he guessed that it was related to that. The system knew cultivation best so it knew when to deliver the information so as to not risk Wei Jun falling into Qi deviation.


    Wei Jun stopped and opened his eyes. It was starting to get dark outside and when he checked the time, it was around six. There was still some time before the gym session.


    Wei Jun checked the notification that appeared in his view.


    [Your efforts have borne fruits]


    [Qi +1]


    After a four-hour Qi cultivation session, his Qi stat had increased by one. It wasn''t a massive increase but Wei Jun didn''t mind. It was a new power and he wanted to slowly walk through it rather than speeding through it with a car.


    Slow and steady progress was always better than fast and crude accomplishments.


    ''Now that that''s out of the way, mind telling me why I feel like I''m going through puberty?'' Wei Jun asked as he gazed down at his groin area.


    [The Qi gathered by men is Yang Qi]


    [The one you are practicing accumulates higher quality of Yang Qi]


    [Yang Qi is also known as scorching Qi]


    [It stimulates every part of the human body]


    [Including that]


    ''What does that mean?''


    [It means you may run out of stamina but you will never run out of stamina down there]


    ''That''s a useful aspect of Qi cultivation.'' Wei Jun remarked before he stood up, feeling refreshed, and made his way out of his office.

 Chapter 92: Skills (Bonus G.T)

    Thanks for the golden tickets and for that, two extra chapters for today. I have more chapters in stock, just waiting for your support to unlock.Enjoy!


    ====


    [Status]


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 22


    HP: 31\\31


    QP: 120\\120


    Cultivation realm: Qi sense realm]


    [Strength: 65]


    [Agility: 84]


    [Stamina: 81]


    [Defense: 54]


    [Qi: 24]


    [Charm: 40]


    [Luck: 18]


    [Skill: Qi armament Lv1]


    [Effect: Cover yourself with an unstable barrier of Qi. The cost of the skill can be changed depending on how strong you want the barrier to be. At the first level, the barrier would remain unstable no matter what]


    [Cost: 50 QP. Additional usage requires 30 QP per minute]


    [No cooldown]


    [Skill: Qi empowerment Lv1]


    [Effect: All combat stats +20]


    [Cost: 60 QP per use]


    [Cooldown: 5 minutes]


    [Skill: Qi Discharge Lv1]


    [Effect: Discharge Qi from any part of your body. The amount of Qi discharge depends on the user''s control. Maximum discharge at level 1 is 5 QP]


    [Cost: QP]


    [No cooldown]


    Wei Jun read his status and the usage of skills while he exercised. If before he needed to expend some effort to exercise, right now, he was effortlessly lifting weights that normal people wouldn''t even dream of.


    Wei Jun had a lot of questions regarding the skills that he had. Although their explanation was simple enough, there were things he still didn''t understand.


    ''If I remember correctly, the barriers of the first two cultivators were quite stable since my bullets didn''t penetrate them.'' Wei Jun asked the system.


    [Ignoring the fact that they were one rank higher than you in cultivation, the system doesn''t take bullets into consideration]


    [It is unstable against Qi, the Qi of another person] S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [However, if you remember the second cultivator you fought, the one you used a blast to defeat]


    [His Qi was unstable in many areas causing the flames of the blasts to penetrate them]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun simply said. He somewhat understood what the system meant but since he wasn''t experienced when it came to Qi, he decided to hold off on it for now until he had a chance of experimentation.


    ''So how do I raise the levels of my skills?'' Wei Jun asked. The other two skills were somewhat self-explanatory so all they required was experimentation, nothing else. As for the levels of the skills, he was quite curious about them.


    [The levels of your skills would increase with the increase in your cultivation rank]


    Another simple and easy to understand point that Wei Jun had no qualms about. All that was to properly experiment with those skills and an opportunity for that was coming soon. For that, he needed to give the poor panting people in front of him a break, "That''s it for today. And you also have the next two days off. I have business out of the city."


    Wei Jun informed them and while four of them seemed overjoyed, one of them asked, "Where to?" Xia Lu had a suspicious look on her face that said, ''It better not be with a girl.''


    Wei Jun kept his expression straight because it was indeed with a girl. "I have to go to Shannau City. I have some business with the Chi family there."


    Xia Lu still looked suspicious but she didn''t pursue the matter. Although no one mentioned it, Wei Jun had changed drastically. Too drastically even to say that he may not even be the same person he was before.


    But the change wasn''t bad, so even if some were worried, they preferred Wei Jun like he was now so they didn''t raise an issue. Xia Lu, along with the rest went out of the gym. Wei Jun did some more practice and lifting but he was still full of energy. Deciding he had had enough, he left the gym and showered after a warm bath.


    Dinner was served and everyone retired to their rooms. Wei Jun also slept because he had a long day ahead of himself tomorrow. He needed to do many other things besides just Li Wei''s revenge.


    ====


    "So where are we going, boss?" Li Wei asked when Wei Jun and her were sitting in the private jet of the Ruan family. Wei Jun didn''t know they had jets until Lin Ruan told him. Still, none of them were in his name but the family''s so they must be aware of where he was going.


    "Shannau City." Wei Jun simply replied. When Li Wei heard the answer though, her face paled as she said, "But, there¡­" She couldn''t find the words to tell Wei Jun that it was a dangerous city, even for them with a multitude of bodyguards.


    Wei Jun was aware of the matters regarding the Shannau city. It was the city of outlaws. A simple city from the outside but heavily infested with crime and gangs so much so that no one was safe in there. It was a grade three city just like Yuan Yin City but if Yin Yuan City was shiny and bright, then Shannau City was dark and desolate.


    A place where hope was the last thing people had, their day began from despair and ended in despair as they weren''t sure what fate awaited them tomorrow. Wei Jun didn''t know much about Li Wei''s background, but he doubted it would be anything wholesome.


    But, none of them mattered to him. All he needed was an excuse to enter the Shannau city and wreak havoc. If it wasn''t for Li Wei, then for the sake of money and business, he would have somehow made his way to Shannau City because there was no other easier target than that. A city where law was the last thing, just the kind of place a businessman like Wei Jun fancied.


    "You don''t have to worry about anything. Just focus on the task up ahead." Wei Jun said without any worry evident in his words or on his face. He really wasn''t worried. Ever since he became a Qi cultivator, he had a different kind of confidence in him. He didn''t tire out easily, he could focus better and he could even perceive things better than before.


    His reflexes, his senses, everything was twice or thrice enhanced than before.


    And if that wasn''t enough, after a visit to Zi Huan, Wei Jun had enough firepower to rage war over a city of almost 100,000 criminals. His current arsenal was more than enough to destroy the Shannau city. Not everyone was going to be a cultivator but he was hoping there would be a few cultivators because killing cultivators was the quickest and easiest way to gain power for him as of right now.


    Of course, that came at the cost of his remaining money so he was now penniless.


    [Shouldn''t you also be focusing on Run Long right now?]


    The system asked because in all this time, except for the first interaction, Wei Jun had made no contact with Run Long.


    ''There''s no need to worry about him.'' Wei Jun simply replied. Run Long relied on his cosmetics but the problem was that with the death of Hen Zu, and his corruption out, everyone related to him was being investigated. Of course, that included the people who he had asked to the other way when Run Long would start a company without a license.


    With them under investigation, there was no way Run Long would be able to run anything right now. And with the opportunities from the first volume gone and there being not one in the second volume, Wei Jun only needed to worry about the treasures from the last volume which he still hadn''t read yet.


    ''Well, I had been busy the entire time.'' Wei Jun said as he glanced at the still-worried Li Wei. Wei Jun ignored her and asked the system to transfer the data of the third volume to him.


    [Consuming energy from empowerment to unlock the next and last volume of the first novel]


    [Data will be directly transferred to the user]


    [Transfer initiated]


    Wei Jun began to feel information being poured into his head. He didn''t bother to organize the information in his head because he knew it was useless. He expected most of it to be useless and infested with useless dialogues.


    And as expected, it was. But there was some very interesting information in there. The location of the last treasure, a manual that would help Run Long raise his power to the peak of the Qi gathering realm.


    The manual involved Quan Li and Lin Ruan as well. Wei Jun dismissed that information for now since it had no use. Lin Ruan had no contact as of yet with Run Long and Quan Li was slowly but surely falling for Zhan Yi. They were spending a lot of time together and if Wei Jun had to guess, they might have even gotten to the first base.


    He wasn''t sure though and that was why, it was his job to be sure. For now, all he knew was that he only had one treasure left to take from Run Long. As for the girls, he lost interest in them after he found out that almost all of them were useless since only Lin Ruan and Quan Li gained him experience points.


    Had he known that information beforehand, he might have not worked on the other heroines. He was glad for it though because that was the whole reason he got to know Xia Lu. But going forward, he decided not to involve himself with heroines that only raised the protagonist''s influential status.

 Chapter 93: Experiment (Bonus G.T)

    Waiting to hear from you guys. Any suggestions that you might have, don''t hesitate to state them.===== S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a usual day in Shannau City. As the private jet of the Ruan family landed on the runway, they were asked to go through the checkout, not straight out of the runway. It was a little strange for that to be said because even in this city, the name Ruan wasn''t something to be dismissed yet they were being dismissed.


    However, Wei Jun could understand what the reason was. But even though he knew about it, he still decided to go along with it. Although he knew the situation in Shannau City from intelligence, he hadn''t observed it firsthand so he opted to experience it firsthand.


    "They must want toll." Li Wei said, a little afraid. Although there was the assurance of guards, a few guards were still nothing when faced with the big gangs of Shannau City. If they ended up offending someone big, they ran the risk of becoming the enemy of the entire city.


    As Li Wei predicted, at the official checkout, three buff men were standing, some scars here and there and their dressing wasn''t something that should have been allowed at the airport. Not only that, the stench wafting from them indicated they hadn''t taken a bath for at least a week and they reeked of sweat in their sweatshirts.


    "Wait there." One of the men extended his hands and stopped Wei Jun. Wei Jun, who was at the forefront despite the insistence from his guards, said, "Talk from a little away. You reek."


    There was a clear disgusted expression on Wei Jun''s face as he said that. Seeing the disgust on Wei Jun''s face, the man became a little embarrassed but the prominent expression was anger indicated by his gritted teeth, "You have quite a mouth on you."


    "I know. Everyone does. Have you ever seen a mouthless person, you idiot?" Wei Jun insulted the man once again.


    The man was now seething in anger and replied, "I haven''t before but I''m about to see someone become one." He smashed his fist against his own as he threateningly stepped forward.


    Wei Jun raised his hands to stop the guards behind him and said, "Protect her. Don''t worry about me."


    These were the bodyguards of his agency. They had seen Wei Jun''s prowess so they all decided to obediently heed his order. The man who seemed to be the leader towered Wei Jun and said while gnashing his teeth, "I will make meat paste of you. Make you regret coming out of your mot---"


    While mid-speech, the man''s tongue was caught between his teeth due to Wei Jun''s punch that was squarely delivered at the bottom of the chin of the man, throwing him across the place. He landed quite a bit far away from the place.


    Wei Jun thought he had held back quite a bit. His strike was mild and he had only applied slight Qi to his fist using the discharge skill. The amount of Qi he used was only worth three points, however, he was stunned to see the notifications that appeared in his view.


    [You have killed a human being]


    [No Qi detected]


    [No stat gain possible]


    The man was dead. Wei Jun was sure he hadn''t even applied half of his strength so all he could attribute to the man''s death, was the factor of Qi. The Qi that wrapped his hand was no longer there so either it was dispelled or it entered the man''s body and was the reason for his death.


    Wei Jun suspected it to be the latter. Wei Jun ignored that for now as there were still two men coming at him. They were both slow, not in human terms but his own. He could easily perceive their moves while also observing the entire background.


    The child who was crying, the old man who was watching the spectacle with wide eyes, the young man who was flirting with a woman, and the woman who had a fed-up expression on her face. The world seemed to have slowed down literally for him. His senses were so heightened that he couldn''t even think of anything other than the Qi in his system.


    Another idea came to his head as he tried to circulate the Qi through his system just like he did during the meditation and to his surprise, a skill was activated.


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    [All physical stats +5]


    [Qi -20]


    Compared to the effects of the skill he had in his skill window, this one didn''t consume that much Qi, but the output was also very low. Using this same amount, if he used eighty points of Qi, only then would he get the same rise in stats as the skill in his skill window but at a higher cost.


    Wei Jun ignored that and turned his focus back to the men whose fists were almost upon him. Wei Jun slightly tilted his head as one of the fists passed just by him while he grabbed the other one with his hand and twisted it slightly.


    However, that slight twist ripped the arm of the man from the middle. A clean and effortless tear and the man hadn''t even realized that his arm was gone because of the phantom pain.


    Wei Jun immediately spun and grabbed the last man by the neck and gave it a simple twist as well, killing the man on the spot.


    "AAAHHHH!!!!" The last living man finally realized his plight and he didn''t even have enough will to know that both of his companions were dead. Seeing the scene, the rest of the people at the airport began to scream and flee. Wei Jun didn''t mind them because his business wasn''t finished yet.


    Now that he had tried the effect of his experiment, he needed to see the true effect of his skills. And who would be better to test it on rather than the thugs who were slowly approaching them?


    "Take her to the car. All of you go as well. Do not hesitate to use the guns." Wei Jun instructed the bodyguard team. They nodded and left with Li Wei from the side. Now, in the empty airport lobby, there was only Wei Jun and about thirty thugs.


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    Wei Jun didn''t have enough Qi for the skill ''Qi armament'' as well so he just opted to go with this one. He knew he would have been fine even without using Qi but he wanted to use it anyway. Only one man was making it alive out of there other than Wei Jun and Wei Jun wanted that man to deeply imprint this image in his mind.


    The image of absolute power.


    Wei Jun felt the power coursing through his veins as the Qi in his abdomen automatically circulated. He focused on the flow of it and realized, the Qi flow was more systematic than when he did it. So much so that even after expending so much effort on it, he lost track of its movements halfway through.


    ''It seems the system has some of its own uses.'' Wei Jun said. No doubt the skills he could use, the people of this world could use as well but he had a hunch that no one other than him could use them more efficiently than he could due to his system.


    The world around him slowed down once again, even more than before as if everything came to a halt. Wei Jun calmly stepped forward and came in front of his closest opponent. He decided to do something else this time.


    He touched the chest of the man and discharged just one point of Qi into his body. He didn''t stop at that, he moved and did the same to ten more opponents before stepping back to his original spot.


    As his senses returned to normal, all the men he had touched with Qi dropped on the floor, trembling in pain as if they were having a seizure. The rest of the men stopped seeing their companions dropped on the ground, trembling in pain but not a word came out of their mouths. Not even a sound of pain left their mouth.


    All it did was induce pain. Wei Jun also observed their state. Wei Jun could tell what the problem with the men was. They were being burned. Their bodies were burning from the inside. Wei Jun knew that Qi was hot but he didn''t expect it to be this hot.


    [That''s because the cultivation technique you are currently practicing enhanced the scorching effect in Yang Qi]


    [You can say it is a fire attributed Qi]


    Wei Jun nodded and turned his attention back to the men. They soon stopped moving while Wei Jun saw many notifications as earlier in his vision. Wei Jun didn''t worry about it though.


    It was just an experiment to him. Wei Jun turned his attention to the rest of the men who were frozen in place seeing the men die. Wei Jun wasn''t too keen on wasting time here. He didn''t do anything to snap them out of their reverie and once again enhanced his senses to the maximum. The world around him once again slowed down and in just a minute, they all dropped dead.


    Other than one of the first three men, who had lost his arm, Wei Jun killed everyone else. There were still a few guards around, but Wei Jun let them live for the sake of rumors spreading out. He wanted the people of Shannau City to know what had happened here.


    "Let whoever employs you know exactly what happened here. Also, tell them where I am." Wei Jun said to the man without an arm before calmly walking out of the airport.

 Chapter 94: Attempt

    The scene at the airport was both horrifying and clean. The kill was clean and without much of a mess. Except for the goon who lost his arm, no one else lost even a drop of blood. All the men died of internal injuries.The police and detectives clearing up the crime scene knew without anyone telling them. They had encountered a Qi cultivator. There were cultivators in the Shannau city but none of them were this cruel. No other person in the city had done this scale of massacre.


    "What do we do now?" A detective asked.


    "What can we do?" The other detective retorted. What could he do? This was a fight involving a cultivator. There were strict laws against cultivators in the empire but when have laws ever mattered in Shannau City?


    "For now just clear the scene. All we can do for now is watch out for this issue. We can issue a warning to the person who was targeted but since it could be said to be self-defense, then we can''t do anything about it." The lead detective said and the police began to clear the scene.


    =====


    Wei Jun was sitting in his car while Li Wei, sitting next to him was staring at him suspiciously. Wei Jun didn''t bother with her and turned his attention back to the media sites. Wei Jun was sure that such a big incident would have been out in the media but there wasn''t even anything related to it. It was as if the gang-related news was suppressed in the Shannau city.


    Other than the police report, there was nothing else about it and even that was toned down by a lot. The report only mentioned a small skirmish which caused a few casualties but nothing else.


    Wei Jun dismissed everything and turned to Li Wei and asked, "Name the major gangs in this city. Also, compile a report. Anything from minor details to major details, everything about them, I need them as a report."


    Wei Jun said as the vehicles in which they were entered the parking lot of a building. Wei Jun exited the vehicle and instructed a bodyguard, "Check us in."


    Wei Jun was planning to stay in a hotel of the Ruan family affiliated. The Ruan family only had small shares in the company that owned the hotel, but that still made it the first and the only option for him to stay at.


    The check-in was done and Wei Jun entered his room. After he was in, he took a shower and examined the changes within him. Wei Jun noticed that the rate at which his Qi replenished by itself, was one point per minute. But while in the car, Wei Jun circulated his Qi a few times, and he was pleased to see that the Qi replenishment was ten times faster.


    [That method isn''t normally used because the people of this world aren''t monsters like the host]


    ''What do you mean?'' Wei Jun asked. He couldn''t understand what Wei Jun meant. Wasn''t it true that the people of this world could do whatever he could, it was just that he could do it more efficiently thanks to the system.


    [While it is true]


    [No one has more concentration than the host]


    [The people would focus all their attention on Qi circulation]


    [However, the host has done circulation mid-battle without prior practice]


    ''So does that mean I can restore my Qi mid-battle if I want to?'' Wei Jun curiously asked. If circulation to empower was possible, then wasn''t the circulation to recover Qi possible as well?


    [Theoretically, it is possible]


    [But all those who have attempted such a thing, died]


    [One has to keep most of their focus on replenishing Qi with minimal movements]


    [That''s the norm]


    Wei Jun could somewhat understand what the system meant by that. Since the risk of Qi deviation was greater while just standing up or focusing on just anything else, doing the circulation mid-battle was worse. Wei Jun knew that the circulation to empower one was something all cultivators did, but none of them did it on their first try.


    They would have to practice for decades before even being able to use Qi armament. Yet, Wei Jun had done so, a dangerous task, just as an experiment.


    Wei Jun pushed these thoughts to the back of his head. According to the system, Wei Jun was late. Those who awakened Qi in their younger years had the potential to go forward but those who did it in their later years would have to spend almost two decades just to properly circulate Qi.


    That was true unless they were talented and even if they were, talent could only take so far in cultivation. Some things also depended on one''s mind and no one had such a great mind in history before.


    The system was the one that said that Wei Jun was late but it was also the system that had subtly said that Wei Jun was a talent never seen before. A monster.


    Wei Jun sat cross-legged and began to circulate Qi in his abdomen. Wei Jun tried very hard to replicate the same circulation achieved by the system but he had to give up very soon. Wei Jun would always have to return to normal circulation midway through because he couldn''t follow the path as perfectly as the system could.


    Wei Jun didn''t know how many times he had completed the circulation but he kept doing them. But this time, unlike before, he kept a part of his senses reserved for his surroundings. It was only him that could do so he did. He didn''t want any mishaps to happen to him while he was in enemy territory.


    Noon turned to afternoon and afternoon turned to evening and that soon turned to night. Wei Jun finally opened his eyes and ended the cultivation. He wasn''t there to cultivate but to kill and rob and exact revenge, for someone else of course. He decided to hold off on cultivating until he went back to the Yuan Yin City.


    [Qi +3]


    Wei Jun stood up and left his room. He made his way to Li Wei''s room which was just next to his.


    "Who is it?" Li Wei asked from behind the door when Wei Jun knocked on her door. After receiving an answer, Li Wei opened the door dressed very inappropriately. She was wearing a robe but the front of the robe was untied, revealing her body. She was wearing a laced bra and panty, and all of her other body parts, her smooth flat stomach, and her soft legs were on display.


    Wei Jun didn''t even bat an eye to her state of dress or her lack of clothes as he said, "The report."


    Li Wei was a bit disappointed by Wei Jun''s lack of reaction and said while striking a pose, "Boss, you shouldn''t come to the room of a young and defenseless girl at this time of the night, all alone~. People might take it the wrong way."


    If it had been Li Wei''s usual antiques, Wei Jun would have ignored her but Wei Jun could clearly see that she was troubled after coming back to this city. To hide the obvious worry in her eyes, she had decided to opt for this side of her.


    Wei Jun didn''t mind and gave her the much assurance he needed by playing along with her. "Then you shouldn''t dress to tempt."


    Li Wei was taken aback by Wei Jun''s reply as she had expected him to dismiss her like always. But right now, even though there wasn''t the slightest bit of change in Wei Jun''s expression, his answer still held enough weight for her to continue her act. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh no! What would I do if some animal jumped at me?" Her face was marred with playful worry as she looked around while crossing her arms in front of her chest, but deliberately applying some force, squishing her chest in the process.


    Wei Jun saw all that but his expression didn''t change in the slightest. Instead, he calmly said, "You don''t have to worry about that. As a boss, I am very reliable when it comes to the safety of my employees."


    Li Wei was once again taken aback but she was quick to recover this time as she said, "Is that so? Then that''s very reassuring. Let me get you the file."


    She said before she turned around, walking ever so slowly and deliberately bent down when she picked up the file on her coffee table and returned to give it to Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything about her act and returned to his room with the file. He could hear the door of Li Wei''s room closing.


    He gave the file a full read until it was midnight. He had a more or less understating of the city''s workings. Wei Jun knew that there was no use trying to do business here. This city wasn''t known for any of its productions so it was useless trying to invade this place.


    However, he did discover one interesting fact. It seemed like Shannau City was used for something else than just hiding the criminals of the world. It was also the hub of a few politicians of the empire who hid some, retirement funds that they couldn''t afford for the others to see in this city.


    Wei Jun smiled as his motivation to turn this city upside down went up by a lot. Just as he closed the file, he heard a knock on his door. "Room service."


    ''At this time of the night. That''s original¡­ or stupid, or they think I''m stupid. I can''t tell.'' Wei Jun smiled and thought.

 Chapter 95: Guinea pig

    Wei Jun had specifically asked the hotel not to send any room service to his room. If he required something, then he would ask for it himself over the landline.If someone was here despite that and at this time of the night, then they weren''t sent by the hotel lobby because whoever was here, wasn''t aware of the room service thing. And if they weren''t aware of it, then they weren''t from the hotel as well.


    Wei Jun turned to the door and said, "Just a minute." Wei Jun then spread his Qi, a technique he had discovered thanks to the system. Of course, his current capacity of Qi didn''t allow him to use this skill for long and longer distances.


    He used a hundred points of Qi to just see what the situation outside of the door was. Wei Jun counted ten men and the woman who was standing in front of the door. He didn''t perceive any emotions of panic from the woman which meant she was in on it.


    The last thing, thing he wanted to check the most, was the presence of any firearms, and all of them had guns. And from the long muzzles of the guns, they were all silenced guns. This meant that they were all professionals, experienced in guns. Not just some random gang members.


    That worked in favor of Wei Jun as he would rather not create a lot of noise at this hour. Wei Jun also pulled out a silenced Glock from his inventory and pointed it at the door. Since he wasn''t using his Qi anymore, he only remembered the positions of the people outside from before.


    Wei Jun slowly opened the door and said, "I thought I told the manager not to disturb me, even with the room service. The woman in front of the door, holding a tray of champagne and two glasses said, "These are the compliments of the hotel. They don''t count as room service."


    The woman was quick to adjust her story without any change in her expression. The rest of the men were hiding so Wei Jun could only see her. Wei Jun was also circulating his Qi to replenish his Qi but it wasn''t enough for what he wanted. So, he did what he had to do to stall for time. Flirt.


    Wei Jun was never one to flirt. He never flirted with anybody even though he was handsome as hell in his previous life. However, his brother was the opposite of him. Although never in front of him, thought his sister-in-law, Wei Jun came to know that his brother was a classic womanizer back in the day.


    Wei Jun wasn''t born then so he didn''t know, but his brother was said to have eight affairs at a time once. Of course, he wasn''t just a playboy, he was serious but he was serious with eight women at once.


    Wei Jun couldn''t believe that but he didn''t judge his brother. Everyone was different. He was different, his brother was different. Never once in his life was Wei Jun compared to his brother by his parents or anyone else.


    The very same brother, who taught him different things. How to burn a body without leaving behind a trace. How to cut someone''s tongue out without killing them. He was the one who had taught him near-perfect crime and also how to catch such people. And he was also the one who taught him the art of flirting. It was a skill that Wei Jun didn''t need but was forced onto him when he was young.


    But, as Wei Jun stepped into the world of business, he realized there were many places where this skill was a necessity. Especially against female assassins like the one in front of him right now.


    "I see. But that bottle of champagne," Wei Jun pointed at the bottle and said with a suggestive smile, "Isn''t that too big for one person?"


    The woman smiled and said, "I can spare a few minutes during my shift." The woman said even though hotel waitresses weren''t allowed to take private time, even a minute. But that didn''t matter because she wasn''t a waitress. The smile on her face was to die for but Wei Jun did anything but fall for it. He smiled and said, "And I would be delighted to host you for those few minutes." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [It''s done, host]


    [Qi 51\\130]


    Wei Jun smiled and let her in. He needed to turn his back from her so he said, "Let me clean the table where you can put it." There were many places where she could have put down the champagne. Instead, Wei Jun chose the table closest to the couch, which would have also suggested something else were they planning to do something on the couch.


    When Wei Jun turned back, the woman hurriedly signaled the men who entered the room and closed the door behind them. When Wei Jun heard the door close, he said, "Oh, looks like someone''s in a hurry." Wei Jun was full in character so he said that line flirtatiously but when he turned around, a frown appeared on his face as he said with a dissatisfied face upon seeing the men, "Now, now.


    I don''t know what your tastes are, but I don''t enjoy such scenes at all."


    The frown on Wei Jun''s face and the words that left his mouth were fully playful and the woman could understand what he actually meant as she said, "Oh, they aren''t here for me, they''re here for you."


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "Well, I''m flattered. But can all of you take me? I can be quite the handful, you see."


    Seeing no tension on Wei Jun''s face, the woman smiled and said, "Just because you''re a cultivator, you think too much of yourself, don''t you?"


    Now that''s what Wei Jun wasn''t expecting. He had assumed that since they had guns, they weren''t aware of his status as a cultivator. But now that they did, Wei Jun decided to take this a bit more seriously.


    [Host, the woman is a cultivator]


    The system warned him. If it was someplace else, Wei Jun would have loved to check out his limits as a cultivator against another cultivator, but unfortunately, he couldn''t have a fight here so he said, "Then shouldn''t you have come with another cultivator? Just you alone won''t be enough to kill me?"


    The woman wasn''t overly surprised because cultivators could sense Qi so she knew that Wei Jun must have figured it out by now. But what she did not expect was the amount of Qi in Wei Jun. Wei Jun had so little Qi for a cultivator, that one would think he had started cultivating yesterday, which wasn''t wrong.


    So she was confused about how his deeds were so exaggerated by the gang member who survived. The survivor revered Wei Jun as a superhuman-level cultivator whose speed and deeds were more amazing than anyone else.


    But, Wei Jun was just a cultivator in the Qi sense realm, nothing more. She was actually disappointed when she saw that she had brought more men for him. She alone was enough for a brat at Qi sense realm. She was a higher realm cultivator than this brat, by two whole realms.


    "You''re not very experienced are you?" While she was lost in his thoughts, she heard Wei Jun''s voice enter her ears.


    "What do you mean by that?" She softly asked.


    Wei Jun replied with a smile, "Well, if you were experienced, then you should have activated Qi armament the moment you entered this room. After all, anything can happen."


    [Qi has been fully replenished]


    [Skill ''Qi armament'' activated]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' activated]


    Before the woman could understand what Wei Jun''s words meant, Wei Jun disappeared from his spot and appeared in front of her. Since his opponent was a cultivator, Wei Jun wanted to up the dose of his Qi by a notch to see the effects.


    He used ten points of worth of Qi to let it enter the woman''s body before she could even activate Qi armament. Wei Jun once again felt the same sensation as earlier today. The feeling of liberation. He didn''t waste any more Qi on the rest of the men but pulled out the silenced Glock and shot each of them in the head.


    There was no need for a dramatic and fancy fight when the battle could be ended with the least effort expended.


    While the men dropped dead on the floor, the woman dropped to her knees while she grabbed her chest. She looked like she was in pain and she was but she also seemed to be doing something else. Wei Jun knelt in front of her without any worry and observed. But no matter how much he observed, he couldn''t tell what the woman was doing.


    [She is trying to circulate her Qi to counter your Qi]


    [Of course, the cultivation technique she practices, isn''t strong enough to deal with the Qi from a B rank cultivation technique]


    [She might survive this, but she would have exhausted all of her Qi while doing so]


    [There is also a chance she might not]


    ''Now that we can''t have.'' Wei Jun said as he put his hands on the shoulders of the woman. He had an idea that he wanted to try and there was a perfect guinea pig available for that.

 Chapter 96: Sect? (Bonus P.S)

    I have added the bonus chapters requirement to the synopsis. Please check it out for details.*****


    Wei Jun was curious whether or not he could control his Qi while it was inside someone else. He grabbed the shoulders of the woman who was trying to contain his explosive Qi and began to feel his own Qi.


    He had to close his eyes and enhance his senses to the maximum. As he did, could feel himself entering a space where blue thread-like lines connected by dots, like stars, were moving in order.


    In one place, he could see a scorching thread, similar to the blue ones but unlike the blue ones that were calm and serene, the yellow one was erratic and explosive, like it would destroy everything in its way.


    Wei Jun didn''t know in what form he was because all he could do was see and feel. He could see the blue and yellow threads but he couldn''t feel any connection with the blue threads. With the yellow thread, however, he could feel an overwhelming sense of familiarity.


    However, no matter how much he willed that little yellow thread to move, it didn''t budge from its place. When Wei Jun tried to look around, he couldn''t look all over the place. But what he could see was a collection of blue threads, surrounding the yellow thread and him.


    He knew that they had no effect on him but the yellow thread was slowly snuffing out, like it was thinning out. It was losing its shine and was growing dimmer with every second. The blue threads were growing dimmer too but they didn''t look like they were going to disappear. The yellow thread on the hand did look like it would disappear any minute.


    Wei Jun tried a multitude of things but no matter what he did, whether he willed it to move or tried to supply that little strand of Qi with more of his own, however, no difference took place.


    Wei Jun decided to finish this because in the end, he was very new to Qi and he needed to experiment with it again and again to figure out the secrets behind it. He was sure that he wouldn''t be able to do what the woman was doing. He couldn''t will his Qi to stop in places because he had tried while trying to imitate the system''s circulation.


    But he was sure, with a little more practice and focus, he wouldn''t be far away from that stage. Satisfied and seeing there was nothing more to learn, Wei Jun opened his eyes. His eyes felt a little hazy by the change of scenery even though he didn''t think what he saw was through his eyes.


    He couldn''t explain the phenomenon from earlier but he knew it wasn''t his physical form wherever he was.


    He had a feeling that the system would know but he also had the feeling that it wouldn''t tell him. Although the system had acted subservient at times, there were times when it didn''t budge no matter how hard Wei Jun tried.


    Deciding to deal with this later, Wei Jun stepped back and began to replenish his Qi. He just found out that his Qi was nearing its end. Turned out that to remain in the place he just was, it would require Qi.


    Wei Jun was learning new and interesting things about Qi and he had to admit that it was fun. Wei Jun turned his attention back to the woman while he replenished his Qi. The woman seemed to be trembling but she was also focused on trying to control his Qi inside her.


    [Why not strike her now?]


    She was as vulnerable as she could be in any situation but Wei Jun wasn''t taking advantage of that. The system asked because Wei Jun wasn''t the type to waste opportunities.


    ''And kill a perfect opportunity to learn? No thanks.'' Wei Jun had already formulated a few plans regarding the woman before him. All he needed to do was put them together. And the first step of that was to have this woman by her side.


    In that short amount of time, when Wei Jun was inside that mysterious space, he had figured out the woman to be quite talented. If she was able to reach that stage with an ordinary cultivation manual, then what if he provided her with a better one in return for her loyalty?


    Of course, Wei Jun wasn''t stupid enough to believe in human loyalty but that didn''t mean there weren''t other, more practical means.


    Killing her would be a waste, he wanted to use her to her full potential. Fatten her up and then, depending on her usefulness, decide her fate. But one thing was sure, whether she was useful or not, he would still have to fatten her up.


    Finally, after about thirty minutes, the woman opened her eyes vigilantly. She had finished whatever she was doing a few minutes ago but she was trying to assess the situation while recuperating some Qi. She wasn''t internally damaged but her insides sure were burning, and not the good kind of burning.


    She felt as if she was wearing a full set of winter clothes in the summer while there were heaters at full setting all around her.


    ''What was that? How did he do that?'' She thought. She had never experienced that before. She had never seen someone''s Qi like that before that. The man''s Qi before her was scorching hot and threatened to burn her from the inside had she not contained it timely.


    But although she managed to contain it, she also ended up exhausting all of her own Qi, making her vulnerable to attacks. However, for some reason, the man hadn''t attacked her. Even when she finished and replenished some Qi, he let her. He knew what she was doing but he didn''t interrupt her, he just kept staring at her with a straight gaze with minimal blinking. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What?" In the end, she had no choice but to begin the conversation so she asked. Wei Jun said with zero emotions for her to pick, "How did you do that?"


    While normal people would have asked why she was there and on whose orders was she trying to kill him, Wei Jun asked something else entirely. ''He''s not normal.'' The woman deduced before she said, "You mean Qi expulsion?"


    She understood the young man''s worry. He was new to cultivation and it was quite an advanced technique that only a few organizations possessed and even they only taught them to their most talented individuals.


    "Yes." Wei Jun replied. The woman, on the other hand, had no reason to reply but she thought she might be able to talk her way out of it. "I didn''t expel your Qi but just kept it in place before it ran out. I cannot do it perfectly like my master yet."


    Wei Jun picked up a few details in her explanation. Firstly, it was a technique that was either forbidden or classified. He was leaning toward the second option. And second, her technique wasn''t perfect. She had yet to master her techniques. ''She''s still in training.'' Wei Jun thought.


    And third detail that he picked up was something the system had said before. That she was using a low-level technique. The system didn''t say that she was using the cultivation technique commonly known but another low-level technique. But she was using something higher than that.


    "The technique that you practice, the cultivation technique, what rank is it?" Wei Jun shot in the dark but he didn''t expect to hit the bullseye because the woman''s eyes shot wide open.


    "You¡­ how¡­ are you¡­ but it couldn''t be¡­" she murmured to herself in shock but she didn''t say anything properly. Wei Jun waited for her to get over her shock and patiently waited for her to speak. After a while, the woman looked at her and cautiously said, "You¡­ Are you also a disciple of a sect?"


    ''Sect?'' That was a term Wei Jun was hearing for the first time. Even in the entire novel that Wei Jun read, there was no mention of anything like a sect. He knew what the word meant, but he didn''t know what it represented in this world.


    Wei Jun didn''t let any emotion on his face and kept quiet. He kept staring at her in the eyes but he didn''t say a thing. The woman formulated many scenarios and many theories in her head. She now understood why the Qi of the young man in front of her was so strong, he belonged to a sect.


    And not just any low-level sect like hers but a high-level sect that possessed such a high-level cultivation technique.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, could somewhat tell what she was thinking. But that wasn''t what he was worried about. He needed information and from the looks of it, she knew things. All the more reason to keep her alive for now. However, the problem that plagued him was something else.


    ''How will I get it out of her without letting her know she''s divulging information?'' Wei Jun thought inwardly.


    In simpler words, how to get an answer without asking a question. That''s what Wei Jun was worried about.

 Chapter 97: Sects

    As Wei Jun intensely stared at the woman before him, the woman felt more worry creep inside of her. Given Wei Jun''s strength even when he was just in the Qi sense realm, the only scenario explainable would be that Wei Jun practiced a very high-level technique and that could only mean that he belonged to a big sect."Are you¡­ Are you also a disciple of a sect?" The woman asked.


    "And what if I am?" Wei Jun asked in return, not giving any clue in his answer that he didn''t belong to one. Although Wei Jun didn''t know the story behind the sect thing, he did know that being one to the woman right now had a higher chance of her trusting him.


    "Then¡­ which one''s, may I ask?" The woman respectfully asked. Even if he didn''t belong to a high-ranking sect but a lower-level one like hers, given his strength, he must be an internal disciple or even a core disciple. A lower-level inner disciple like her had to show respect regardless.


    "Oh?" Wei Jun marveled as he said, "I didn''t know I was the one supposed to be answering questions."


    The way Wei Jun said only derived one explanation, ''How dare you question me when you should be begging for your life?'' Or at least that was how the woman interpreted it. Wei Jun, on the other hand, simply shifted the topic off of him.


    "I''m sorry!" the woman panicked and said, "You''re right. You must want to know who employed me, right? I will tell you. But please let me go."


    She bargained and begged, a combination that people who held the information rarely used. Wei Jun saw the opportunity there. If this woman belonged to a sect and she was employed, then it meant the gangs of this city were aware of the term sect.


    If they were aware of it, then there was no reason a giant family like Ruan wouldn''t be aware of them either. Wei Jun made sure to ask Lin Ruan once he returned. As for the information about who employed this woman, it didn''t matter. It didn''t matter who it was, Wei Jun was going to uproot all of them without discrimination.


    Still, it didn''t hurt to know the target he was going to hunt first so he asked, "Who?"


    Seeing that Wei Jun didn''t make any promise about her life, the woman was hesitant to reply to which Wei Jun said, "I will let you live depending on the information. Also, you will owe me more than that."


    The woman wasn''t still convinced but she said, "It was the Hanyun family."


    Wei Jun remembered reading about his family in the information provided by Li Wei. However, he wasn''t sure if he heard it right because the Hanyun family was a subordinate family of the Quan family. He was sure they couldn''t employ a task force of this scale.


    "Are you telling the truth?" Wei Jun asked with a threatening expression.


    "I am. I am. Trust me, you may doubt me because of the information about the Hanyun family, but it''s all a lie. The information about them is heavily distorted." The woman hurriedly spoke, trying to calm Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "All right then, explain. Everything you know about them." Wei Jun leaned back into the sofa and pointed at the sofa beside the woman. She nodded and slowly stood up, she carefully sat down while keeping her eyes on Wei Jun.


    Once they were both settled in, Wei Jun said, "Well, begin." The woman nodded and began her explanation.


    =====


    Wei Jun cleaned up the scene with the body bags he purchased from Zi Huan. While doing so, he compiled the information he obtained from Hui Ying, the woman from earlier who was obediently sitting in the corner.


    The shadow family, the family of the Shannau family was hidden behind every other family. The successor of the family had managed to get himself into a mid-sized sect and he was in the Qi empowerment realm at the age of just thirty-three. Wei Jun wasn''t impressed but according to Hui Ying, that was very remarkable.


    Hui Ying, although she was talented, she was still from a low background so all she could do was cultivate, without being able to purchase high-quality elixirs. So even though she was talented, she wasn''t the most treasured disciple.


    According to the intel obtained from Hui Ying, the reason everything was so e in Shannau city was because the families extorted everyone so that they could purchase high-quality elixirs for their successor, who was talented enough for all of this trouble.


    Wei Jun was expecting a very grandiose reason behind the situation of the city but it simply turned out to be this. To be honest, Wei Jun was very disappointed after hearing the reason behind everything.


    All he needed to do was kill one person at the same level as Hui Ying, and everything would be solved.


    [I don''t think it would be that simple]


    ''What do you mean?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Hui Ying is simply an inner disciple; it''s like attending a class with a teacher] sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Between master and disciples, no strong bond exists]


    [However, it is a different story when it comes to core disciples]


    ''Different how? Wait, you know about sects?''


    [Of course I do]


    [I was the leader of one]


    ''Then why didn''t you tell me?'' Wei Jun asked, quite a bit annoyed.


    [You didn''t ask]


    ''Of course I didn''t.'' Wei Jun replied and chose to move on from the topic and asked, ''Different how?''


    [Core disciple is like one-on-one tutoring]


    [The better a student is, the better the evaluation of the tutor]


    [Just like this, in a sect, the strength of the student represents the authority of the master]


    [If this guy you want to kill really is talented, then the teacher won''t just sit by upon his death]


    [There is a high chance the entire sect would get involved in this matter]


    [The host may be talented, but you are nowhere as strong to bear the brunt of an entire sect]


    [I advise not getting involved with them until your power has reached a certain point]


    ''What certain point?''


    [Depends on the power of the sect master]


    [The times have changed and the power of the generations has declined quite a bit]


    [Back in my time, the masters of mid-sized sects were at least at the rank of a Qi emperor]


    [But now, they might not even be a Qi grandmaster]


    [So unless you become capable of dealing with such an enemy, I advise not getting involved with this matter]


    Wei Jun finished taking care of the bodies and sat down. The system wasn''t one to interfere without a reason, just as it didn''t explain anything about sects. But when Wei Jun was about to make a wrong decision over the lack of information, it interjected.


    Wei Jun knew that the system''s words made sense. He had just stepped into the world of cultivation, taking on a cultivator of grandmaster rank was something he wasn''t confident in doing. He was sure that after a year of cultivation, and once he was done amassing enough wealth to purchase a divine rank cultivation manual, he would be unstoppable then by most but right now, he wasn''t.


    Wei Jun wasn''t the one to back out of a fight but this wasn''t his fight. There was no need to get involved with the Hanyun family, all the more on their home ground. It would be much better to just take Li Wei''s revenge and return to the Yuan Yin city where his grandfather as a guard was present.


    Wei Jun didn''t know what the situation he had with his family, but he was sure that Sun Ruan would interfere no matter what if someone from the sect came for him.


    Once decided, Wei Jun turned to Hui Ying and said, "Hold off on informing the Hanyun family for now. Simply tell them that the job was done but the rest of the men died."


    "But if I do that, and it turns out to be a lie later, then I would be in trouble in my sect." Hui Ying worriedly said. Wei Jun simply replied, "You won''t be going back to your sect. You will be coming with me."


    "What?! No, I won''t. Do you know much I have sacrificed to get into that sect?" Hui Ying outright refused.


    "No, but I do know you are willing to sacrifice your life for it." Wei Jun sarcastically said it in a roundabout way but it was enough for Hui Ying to know what he meant.


    She could only swallow her words and nod in return.


    Wei Jun wasn''t just going to take in the words of her and he came in front of her. Hui Ying felt threatened but there wasn''t much she could do.


    [Skill ''Terror'' has been activated]


    [Skill has a 25% chance of working on your opponent]


    [Success]


    [Target has been successfully terrorized]


    [Qi -10]


    "If you think about betraying me, I will find you even if I have to the depths of hell and then, I will make sure you suffer so much that even the devil will feel sympathy for you. Do you understand?" Wei Jun was already very threatening, with the terror skill, Hui Ying almost wet her pants but even in all that fear, she still managed to utter, "Yes."


    If she had such plans, she wouldn''t any longer. Once Wei Jun was no longer worried about her, he turned around and left his room, making his way to Li Wei''s room.

 Chapter 98: Infiltraion

    Here I thought I would have a peaceful Sunday but you guys just had to drop work on me, didn''t you?I''m just kidding. I sincerely thank you all for your support and it cannot make me more happier to know that my work is being well received.


    Thanks for all your support and I hope your support never ends.


    Lastly, I forgot about it yesterday, but thanks a bunch for the 1 million views. It couldn''t have been possible without you all.


    That''s it! Enjoy!


    **********


    Wei Jun knocked on Li Wei''s door. After a few rushed steps, he heard from the other side a cautious tone, "Who''s there?"


    "It''s me." Wei Jun knew she wasn''t sleeping when he spread out his Qi earlier to gauge the men outside his door. Li Wei''s room was also in his range and he could feel her sitting on the bed, with a table lamp in her hand and wrapped in a thick blanket.


    He knew she couldn''t sleep given the circumstances, whatever memories she had of Shannau city were too much for her to let loose while she was in the city.


    She opened the door slowly, and even though she knew it was Wei Jun, she still didn''t undo the chain on the door. "Yes, boss?" She asked, in a little quaky voice. Wei Jun redid his analysis. She wasn''t awake all the time, she fell asleep sometime in there only to be woken up by a nightmare.


    Wei Jun somewhat understood her circumstances so he didn''t act harshly and said, "You need to come with me."


    "Where?" She asked, her worry evident in her every word.


    "Somewhere." Wei Jun gave an ambiguous reply and left saying she had five minutes.


    ********


    After five minutes, Wei Jun saw Li Wei coming out of the lift that was connected to the garage. He had already dealt with the cameras in the parking lot and any of the cameras that raised suspicion to them. Of course, he had to go a little extra to turn the attention of the police somewhere else if it ever came to an investigation.


    "Get in." Wei Jun simply said while he himself entered the black SUV with tinted glass. Only the front glass of the car wasn''t tinted that was dealt with. Wei Jun had applied special tapes that prevented cameras from catching them. All they would see would be a bright flash in the recording.


    As Wei Jun drove through the city, his first destination was a warehouse. Li Wei knew what this warehouse was. She was the one who had included it in her report. She wanted to tell Wei Jun that it would be dangerous going in there but she kept quiet. Although she hadn''t seen it herself, she knew Wei Jun was strong, ''Maybe¡­ Just maybe¡­"


    A small ember of hope flickered inside of her.


    "Stay here." Wei Jun simply said before he stepped outside. Although Li Wei was familiar with her biker suit persona, Wei Jun preferred not to show her his inventory.


    Wei Jun used an electric hot wire to cut through the fence and entered inside. He kept his presence at an all-time low and even his Qi was hidden quite well. He hadn''t mastered many things about Qi as according to the system, he had just touched the real miracles of Qi.


    Wei Jun spotted a pair of guards with guns going down the sideway, chatting with each other and checking the doors of the warehouse. Wei Jun snuck behind them and once he was upon them, he hurriedly snapped one''s neck from behind and used Qi to boil the other one.


    Since he used the entire five points of Qi, the body of the man visibly melted from the inside while the skin from the outside was crimson red.


    Wei Jun knelt down to observe the changes. He touched the man just as he had touched Hui Ying. The only difference was that the man was completely melted from the inside. However, Wei Jun still entered a space similar to Hui Ying, only this one wasn''t full of shiny threads but dark and desolate. Either it was a sign of having no Qi, or the man was dead so the space was like this.


    Wei Jun decided he would keep his next victim alive. Moving on, Wei Jun observed the empty space once again and found that his thread was still there in that empty space, still shining bright. Wei Jun tried to attract it but once again, like earlier with Hui Ying, the yellow thread didn''t move.


    That one didn''t move because Hui Ying''s Qi was constricting it but why wasn''t this one moving? Wei Jun had no idea and the system didn''t help with an answer so Wei Jun could only let it go.


    Seeing that for a normal person, just one point of Qi was enough, he decided to limit his consumption of Qi since he didn''t have a lot of Qi in the first place.


    He stood up, dragged the bodies to the side, and covered them up so no one would see them. Wei Jun then moved forward and checked the doors. As expected, all of them were locked. Wei Jun observed the outer layer of the building to decide which part would be the best to infiltrate.


    He decided on the east wing after killing all the guards on the outside of the warehouse except for the one in the guard post or the entrance because there was a camera there.


    Once Wei Jun was inside, he once again slowly moved, watching out for the cameras. This large warehouse was used to store liquor of the Quan family who was in the business of importing liquor to other countries and all over the empire as well.


    Wei Jun looked around for a while before his gaze settled on a room with a sign ''Authorized personnel only''. Since there was a lack of cameras inside the warehouse, just two or three which he could effortlessly dodge, Wei Jun came in front of the room.


    However, he stopped by the corridor because there was a camera on top of the door. While he was wracking his brain for what to do, he heard a pair of footsteps his way. Wei Jun hurriedly climbed up the wall using his hands and feet and remained there while the people passed underneath him.


    They were talking about different things and they were headed to the room Wei Jun was eyeing. They stood in front of the camera and after a few seconds, the door buzzed and opened up. Wei Jun saw a group of armed men inside, almost nine of them, only that he could see.


    Wei Jun didn''t waste time and pulled out a gas bomb with a little enhanced something mixed in and before the door closed, he threw it in. The men noticed the object and distanced themselves away from it while they also stood alert for the surroundings. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of them stepped forward and chuckled, "Goggles out. It''s just a smoke bomb." Before he turned and said, "Find the intruder. He must be close by."


    But, before the armed men could leave the room, the smoke emitting from the smoke bomb suddenly intensified and covered everyone in the room. Before any of them could even respond, they began to fall like mosquitoes under the effect of mosquito-repellent smoke.


    Luckily the camera above the room wasn''t a security camera but an access camera so no alarm went off. Wei Jun quietly entered the room after equipping a gas mask.


    Wei Jun took a risk not getting rid of the electric circuits before entering but had he done so, the room full of guards would have been alert. His cautiousness saved him some trouble but it could have also gone terribly wrong if that was an alarm camera on top of the room.


    However, inside the room was a treasure trove. It was filled with explosives and guns. Wei Jun took all the guns in the room and the extra ammo along with explosives. It wasn''t an alcohol storage warehouse; it was an arms storage. Wei Jun took everything because none of it was traceable to him anyway. He then killed everyone who was knocked out with his dagger since he couldn''t waste Qi.


    Pity there was no money in there but that was okay. Wei Jun knew the real purpose of everything here wasn''t money but to keep the law enforcement of the city under control through terrorist attacks.


    Once he was done with the warehouse, he placed a few explosives at strategic places. Since there was alcohol in the warehouse, there was no need to place that many of them. He used the ones from the storage, not his own.


    After that, he went out the same way he came in, avoiding everything. He made sure to check the situation at the guard post to make sure it really wasn''t an alarm camera inside. Everything was normal at the post but Wei Jun knew it wouldn''t remain that way for long. Soon, the remaining guards would notice the lack of numbers among them and that would rattle everyone. He had an hour at most.


    However, his plan had changed from earlier. Before, he had a shortage of explosives he bought from Zi Huan, but now he had enough to light the city on fire so there was no need to infiltrate the rest of the locations he had in mind. He could just tackle that problem with quantity.


    He entered the car and took off his balaclava mask and said, "That''s one. We''re short on time so let''s go with the rest as well."


    Li Wei nodded and drove to the locations Wei Jun had marked on the map.

 Chapter 99: The beauty of destruction (Bonus P.S)

    Those who have made it this far in my novel would know that I''m not the one to go into details of the background. I usually just speed through things without explaining the surroundings.However, I decided to change that a bit in today''s chapter. Let me know if you prefer this kind of writing or if I should keep writing just straight to the point. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *****


    It was currently nighttime in the Shannau City. Even the city infested with crime and disorder met the stillness of night at one point. The stillness of night enveloped the Shannau city in a serene and profound calm.


    Even the criminals were nowhere to be seen. The shopping districts were closed, and even the nighttime activities were quiet at 3 am at night or in the morning. The air was cool and crisp, carrying a faint whisper of the day''s lingering warmth.


    Even the people challenged by destiny found a hole to sleep in under the starry sky. The stars glimmered in the vast, dark sky, undisturbed by the bustle of daytime activities.


    But even on this dark night, there were a few creatures of the night that broke the deep, almost tangible silence of the night. Some occasional rustle of leaves helped those creatures disturbing the stillness of night.


    In this quiet and desolate city, time seemed to slow down due to the silence, and the city felt hushed and reflective, inviting a sense of peace even to the city that was literally known for its crimes. The night, brought peace to the city that even the people of the world themselves couldn''t.


    However, one person in this deep night had other plans. He planned to disturb the night more than those harmless creatures of the night could. The person, who planned to set the city on fire, let it see the destruction never seen before.


    "Are you sure about this, boss?" Li Wei asked as she parked the car on the sidewalk. In their view, they could see the Quan family villa, a place that held bad memories for her. She wanted nothing more than to burn it to the ground and she knew Wei Jun could do it. However, he had no reason to.


    She didn''t want him to get hurt while doing this. And with what he had planned, the matter wouldn''t just be limited to the Quan family. Wei Jun would be making the entire Shannau city his enemy.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "Sure as I can be." In the end, to him, Li Wei''s revenge was just an excuse. His blood boiled, to destroy and conquer. It was in his blood and he was just using this city to vent his addiction.


    He waited. It wasn''t time yet. The explosives were set to go off at exactly 4:00. There was still some time left before that. Before that, he needed his newly appointed subordinate, a potential subordinate, to carry out her part.


    Wei Jun knew that by now, almost all of the warehouse owners must have been alerted of the situation and heading over there. The Quan family was no exception but no one of their family would be heading out today. The reason was the girl in a ponytail with a cat mask, walking slowly toward Wei Jun''s car.


    She was carrying a few bags in her hands of dark blue color, dragging them along with her. Whatever was in those bags, might not have been in good condition after the drag across the side path.


    She didn''t stop in front of the car but headed to the back. Opening the back compartment, she placed the bags in the back of the car on top of each other. After that, she came to the front and entered the back seat of the car.


    "Everyone?" Wei Jun asked the cat girl who took off her mask and revealed herself to be Hui Ying.


    "There were four cultivators. All at the Qi gathering realm and dealing with them was easy thanks to the elixirs you provided. All the sons of Nie Quan are dead, and Nie Quan is in the back." Hui Ying kept her report short and to the point.


    Wei Jun nodded and took out his phone. The hotel he had stayed in had something that met his requirements. A helipad. The caller ID of the person Wei Jun was contacting was none other than Lin Ruan who wasn''t happy being called at that time of the night.


    "Do you know what time it is?" She asked. Wei Jun didn''t reply to that but instead said, "Tell them to get ready now."


    Wei Jun''s watch read the time to be 3:30 at the moment. The prepared helicopters were fueled and ready to take off. All Wei Jun needed was a little more time. Something, Li Wei needed to see herself.


    Although Wei Jun had decided to leave Shannau city for now, for his future return, he made sure to leave as many holes in the city as he could. And while those holes were being created, Wei Jun would be in the air, traveling to Yuan Yin City.


    "Haaa¡­ I will tell them to be ready." Lin Ruan sighed and hung up the phone. The agreed time of departure was 4:15. It took about seven minutes to get to the hotel after the detonation, and Wei Jun would have exactly eight minutes to board and get out of the city''s radius before the authorities of the city picked him up.


    4:18 am. That was the time when Wei Jun needed to be out of the city. Still, he was confident he would make it out of the city by then. Even if he didn''t, he was sure nothing would happen to him.


    All that was left to do now, was wait. They waited and waited while the clock inched closer to 4:00 am slowly, minute by minute. When it was 3:59, Wei Jun spoke, "Keep your eyes peeled. That moment won''t come again."


    Li Wei turned to look at the villa of the Quan family. The place that had a lot of bad memories for her, some good ones but the bad ones were too much, she just wanted to see that damn building down on the ground, while everyone in it just burned.


    And then, the inevitable time came. The clock struck four.


    Boooommmm!!!


    In that calm and still night, the sudden eruption of who knew how many explosions shattered the peaceful silence of the night with ferocious intensity. The once serene and beautiful starry sky was now lit up with bursts of fiery light, transforming the darkness into a beautiful but destructive display of reds, oranges, and yellows.


    The ground trembled, shaking the car in which the party was, Wei Jun slowly closed his eyes and reveled in the trembles of the earth, feeling the destructiveness inside of them.


    The people who were peacefully sleeping in their homes were taken by surprise. Some were taken by shock while for some, it sounded like the judgment day had arrived. The deafening booms and sharp cracks echoed through the air, overwhelming their senses.


    The peace and calm were replaced by a disastrous cacophony of sound and light, creating a scene that was in stark contrast to the usual quiet of the night. The air was filled with the smell of smoke and burning, while the tranquility of the night was devastated by the relentless barrage of explosions.


    And finally, the building before them collapsed. The people inside it didn''t even know what their sin was, or for which of their sins were they being punished. They simply burned due to the ambition of someone. The revenge of someone didn''t matter. It was just a side effect of the ambitious person who quietly watched everything burn.


    The entire scene ended in two minutes. The clock struck 4:03 when Wei Jun said, "Time to leave." Since Li Wei was transferred to the passenger seat upon arriving, Wei Jun began their quiet drive to the hotel. Of course, under the loud panic of the people on the streets that delayed their journey by a few minutes. It was around 4:13 that they arrived at the parking lot.


    Wei Jun left the SUV, picked up the sacks with the help of Hui Ying, and placed them in the lift that was set to go to the roof of the hotel.


    When the lift closed, another explosion occurred in the parking lot, blowing the SUV beyond recognition, and removing all evidence and traces of anyone being in the car.


    Wei Jun turned to look at Li Wei who was quiet all the way over there. She hadn''t said a word and she was staying quiet even now too. At exactly 4:15, they arrived at the roof where two helicopters were ready to take off.


    The rotor blades of the helicopters were swinging at full speed and Wei Jun simply needed to get in one of them for them to take off. The bodyguards were already aboard. Li Wei, Hui Ying, and the sacks were the last to go.


    Wei Jun was the last person to board and when he did, the door to the roof burst open, and a man in his mid-thirties appeared from it. The helicopters had already taken off and created a visible distance between them and the building when the man ran in their direction and jumped at them.


    His jump and the power he emitted through that jump left the hard concrete of the helipad unrecognizable. From the look of it, he would succeed in catching up to the helicopter in the back, the one in which Wei Jun was.


    Wei Jun calmly kept his eyes on the man as he inched all the more closer.


    "BOSS!" Li Wei yelled at which, Wei Jun opened the helicopter door on the side and effortlessly picked up one of the sacks. He didn''t know which one was Nie Quan in but that didn''t matter right now. He threw the sack at the incoming man which hit him squarely in the face, halting his jump.


    The man went down along with the sack. Wei Jun kept his eyes on the man, but with the distance between them, Wei Jun couldn''t confirm his state. What he could confirm was that the man stood up even after that fall. Wei Jun smiled and closed the door. They had safely made it out of the city. The events in the city were now unrelated to them.

 Chapter 100: Advantages and Disadvantages (Bonus G.T)

    All the explanations in today''s chapter may be a little confusing but it will all make sense in the future.**********


    It was the dawn of Sunday morning when Wei Jun and the party arrived at Yuan Yin City. The entire helicopter was quiet on the way. Wei Jun had a concentrated expression on his face. He had divided his senses into three different proportions.


    With one, he was keeping a look out around him. With the other one, he was focused on his cultivation circulation. Just to be sure, he was doing the circulations a little slower than usual. And finally, with very little attention, he thought back to the move of the man he had seen back at the helipad.


    How his feet reacted when he jumped, and how he controlled the space around him. How air parted for him for assent. And how, even after a massive fall, he wasn''t just in one piece but looked absolutely fine.


    According to the system, that man was in the Qi master realm, the same as Sun Ruan, and also, that man had used Qi discharge on a great level.


    According to the system, the cultivators at Wei Jun''s rank didn''t have the option of discharging Qi. They can only use it inside of them or to make Qi armament. To discharge Qi, one must be in the Qi manifestation realm.


    The realm where one can literally let out Qi from their palm into another body. It was different from Luo Han''s Qi armament which damaged Wei Jun. His Qi only delivered damage to the outside of Wei Jun, it didn''t enter his body.


    But at the Qi manifestation realm, one can let Qi into their opponents, like Wei Jun did but the only difference was that Wei Jun was at the first rank of cultivation, not fourth.


    Also, the skill ''Qi empowerment'' was supposed to come at the second level, at the Qi gathering realm. That was another skill Wei Jun could use thanks to the system.


    Wei Jun realized from this short conversation that the system had many uses for him and that it made him stronger several times than his peers. Of course, there was also the disadvantage of the system.


    According to the system, if Wei Jun''s stats hit the limit, they would not increase unless he increased his level. Each level ten earned him twenty stats points for each category. So if Wei Jun was stuck at level twenty, the most he could raise his Qi stat would be to 40 which was the peak of the Qi sense realm.


    Even now, two of his physical stats surpassed sixty but their effects were stuck at sixty because he wasn''t level thirty yet. He needed to be level thirty to break their limit by another twenty.


    Wei Jun opened his eyes after thirty minutes of cultivation. The helicopter was about to land. Wei Jun earned nothing from this short cultivation, but doing cultivation always brought him a refreshing feeling. He didn''t even feel the need to sleep last night. Even now, his mind was refreshed as if he had just woken up after a perfect long sleep.


    "Rest for today, both of you." Wei Jun said before he addressed Lao Chen who had come to receive him and pointed at the four sacks while saying, "Store them. Take care of them. I need them."


    He talked as if he was talking about things instead of living beings. Lao Chen nodded and replied, "I will see to it, young master."


    Without another word, Wei Jun left for the Ruan villa where he was staying. He was thinking of purchasing a flat for himself but he couldn''t afford the commodities in the Ruan villa elsewhere yet so he decided to be a little shameless for a little longer.


    Wei Jun wasn''t planning on working today but instead, all he planned to do was to cultivate. From dawn to dawn, he planned to just cultivate. Of course, he was going to have little breaks to eat because while becoming a cultivator allowed him to cut back on sleep, it also increased his appetite several times higher. Even now, he was famished and he felt like he could eat a whole cow, alone.


    Which was exactly what he ordered Madam Lim to do once he arrived back home. He entered the gym to see that none of the diligent actors had any motivation to take care of themselves unless he was the one to provide it. Still, he decided to cut them some slack for today. But tomorrow, he will make them work three times harder, both here and at the office.


    Wei Jun left the gym since doing the gym did nothing for him now. Still, he was going to stick to his regime of one set every day so as to not grow rusty. Although according to the system, once a stat point was gained, it would never lessen unless special circumstances allowed, he still wasn''t a believer in just doing nothing.


    Besides, a small exercise of one set wasn''t even going to take half an hour of his time.


    Wei Jun returned to his room to freshen up. He then soaked himself in a warm bath because it was going to take quite some time to prepare what he had ordered. He came out of the bath and changed after drying himself. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he just sat on the bed, cross-legged. He didn''t cultivate or anything. He just sat there. Trying to gauge the situation he was in once again. Last night, he truly felt alive. In that destruction, he felt like he could do anything.


    But there was one variable, one thing about last night that didn''t sit well with him. The existence of another powerful being. A being, more powerful than him.


    It vexed him. Not just the person he saw last night, but the protagonist, his associates, and even Wei Jun''s own associates, those who were stronger than him, those who could make him do something against his will, he denied the existence of all of them.


    He wasn''t cruel, he would allow them to live under one condition, that they serve him with all their lives. Of course, to do that, Wei Jun himself needed to heed the number one and only rule of the world, be the strongest.


    If his power was beyond everyone else, who would dare to stand against him? However, to do that, the wheel of problems returned to the one point that vexed him even more, his level.


    As things stood, the most he would be able to increase his Qi is up to sixty, that was halfway through the Qi gathering realm.


    The only way to solve that was to get close to Lin Ruan and Quan Li. He had realized from his earlier experiments that he didn''t need to steal them from the protagonist. No romance was needed, all he had to do was make sure they didn''t get close to each other.


    From everything until now, Quan Li''s connection with Run Long weakened only once, when he had made her conscious of her weakness and the fact that Zhan Yi had to sacrifice himself for her.


    Whether it was romantically or she felt responsible, she had decided to get along with Zhan Yi. Wei Jun was nowhere in this story and that proved that he wasn''t needed.


    With Lin Ruan, the matter was a little difficult. In her case, Wei Jun hadn''t been manipulative, he hadn''t even properly interacted with her. In her case, as long as her accident, which Wei Jun caused in the novel, didn''t happen, there was no other reason for her to get involved with Run Long.


    Wei Jun didn''t know how to act in her case, other than letting her have what she deserved, the company she worked hard for, the business of the Ruan family.


    Wei Jun had no qualms about letting her have it because in his view, she really did deserve it and Wei Jun wasn''t the type to just inherit. He had made a name for himself before and he was very much capable of doing that again.


    Besides, his ultimate goal wasn''t some small company in the first place. So if all it took to have Lin Ruan on his side was some company, he was more than happy to let her have it.


    Compiling all this information, Wei Jun noticed that in all this scenario, Wei Jun himself didn''t need to get involved with anything. He didn''t need to be involved with Quan Li, and there was no need to get involved with Lin Ruan as long as he stepped out of her way.


    [I wouldn''t be too sure of that]


    ''What do you mean?'' The system interjected. The interference from the system meant that some of Wei Jun''s plans weren''t going in the right direction.


    [In the case of Quan Li, your plan may be right, but in the case of the main heroines, even those that don''t raise his power, are cases you might need to get personally involved with]


    ''Why so?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Let''s not look at this world from a novel point of view, but the point of view of the laws]


    [The laws strictly depict their plans]


    [Just like Run Long is important to the world, the main heroines are also important]


    [You may not get any EXP in that case, but being together of the protagonist and the main heroine strengthens laws]


    [If they end up together, the laws strengthen themselves, they become stronger]


    [In simpler words, the ending of Xia Lu and Run Long, a devastated one, may not benefit you, but it won''t strengthen the laws either]


    [However, if they do end up together, the laws with gain another level]


    [In this case, although you only gain EXP from Lin Ruan, if you don''t want your enemies to become stronger while you also weaken them, earning no result, then you need to make sure that protagonists and heroines don''t end up together]


    After a very confusing and lengthy explanation, Wei Jun just had one question, and that was, ''Then why do I have to get involved? I will just keep them away from each other.''


    [You are weak]


    ''What?'' The system''s answer was entirely irrelevant so Wei Jun was dumbfounded for a moment.


    [I intend to say that you are weak]


    [There''s no way that without putting in a lot of effort, you can weaken the work of the world]


    [If you just sit on the side and do nothing, thinking that if they don''t just end up meeting, it would be fine, then you are wrong]


    [They are all strongly connected by destiny]


    [They will find each other]


    [One way or another]


    [Which is exactly why, I advise not sitting on the sidelines and letting the heroines be]


    [You should get involved]


    [Heavily involved]


    ''Then, is killing them an option?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Of course, it is, but like I said, you''re weak]


    [You won''t be able to defy the work of the world with a few assassinations]


    ''I see,'' was all Wei Jun could say in reply. Although he didn''t want to get involved with the heroines too much, now that he was told that the more he weakened the laws, they would again strengthen themselves by bringing the protagonists and heroines, completely undoing his hard work, he had a headache coming.


    ''It''s moments like these that I get angry for coming to this world.'' Wei Jun thought as he stood up. The plan was the same. The plan would remain unchanged. He would weaken Run Long connection with Lin Ruan and Quan Li. The only part that was added to the plan was, where he needed to destroy one life, now he needed to destroy some more.

 Chapter 101: Downhill (Bonus G.T)

    I feel like my story is progressing too slowly so I have decided to speed things up a bit. If you don''t understand anything, feel free to ask.********


    Wei Jun opened his eyes to the warm glow of sunlight. He couldn''t stop his cultivation session at dawn so he decided to give the crew a break for the day.


    He opened his eyes, feeling refreshed as the word itself, like morning grass after a night of rain. He stood up and flexed his muscles, each of his fibers filled with power. He felt like he could run around the city the entire day and not get tired.


    [Qi +8]


    Even after tens of thousands of circulations, his Qi had only increased by an eight. Wei Jun wasn''t impressed by it but according to the system, such an increase in cultivation was a process of days to a month because no one, even the system itself back in the day couldn''t increase its cultivation by that much.


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but ask. According to the system, Wei Jun had zero talent when it came to cultivation but he could still increase his cultivation by this much, so why couldn''t others?


    It was a logical question from Wei Jun''s side to which, the system replied very simply.


    [Because no one possesses that strong concentration ability]


    [Even I, the one who was revered for his talent could only cultivate for half a day at most before losing my concentration on the circulation]


    [But, you, the host, have such strong concentration ability that I think instead of body art, you should find a mind cultivation technique and focus on that]


    ''Mind cultivation technique?'' Wei Jun asked as he entered the shower.


    [Since they are very strong and involve minds, they are often called evil techniques]


    [However, I have mastered a mind technique myself]


    [Mind cultivation technique gives you full control over your opponent''s mind]


    [Illusion is one of the most used skills of a mind cultivation technique]


    [The examples are somewhat the same for all the other skills]


    ''The power to play with your opponent''s mind.'' Wei Jun mused to himself as he came out of the shower. Since his joints weren''t aching, there was no need for a warm bath. Besides, the heat from his Qi had even changed his pale skin color to a slightly rosy color.


    He was already very hot so there was no need for such things in the first place.


    He dressed himself, left his room, and made his way to the dining room where he saw the actor''s team busy eating and from the looks of it, they were in a hurry. Wei Jun could understand why. They were trying to avoid him.


    He shook his head and decided to ignore them. When he took his seat, they were all frozen stiff, afraid he would say something but even after ten minutes, when Wei Jun didn''t say anything, they heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Today," But they weren''t relieved for long when Wei Jun began to speak. They all turned to him in terror only to find his usual expressionless face as he said, "We will be filming a lot of scenes today and even in the night. We need to pick up the speed."


    They once again heaved a sigh of relief. Wei Jun had decided to hurry it up. He needed money, it didn''t matter anymore if he would have to forge expenses papers because the amount of money he needed was ginormous.


    An amount he couldn''t get from just black money alone. He needed to earn that money and then forge papers for all the fake expenses he would be spending in the system. It would prove to be a headache in the long run, but if he had all the power in the world, then the laws of the world didn''t matter.


    *******


    ''Another freaking trouble.'' A young man cursed while he sat on a leather sofa in the middle of a luxurious living room. White tiles, a magnificent chandelier, decorations of paintings, and various ornaments only enhanced the luxuriousness and the beauty of the room.


    However, the young man''s mood was in great contrast with the peaceful atmosphere of the room. ''Is there nothing else to do but wait?'' He thought inwardly. Nothing had been going his way so all he could do was wait. He wasn''t powerful enough to take the law into his own hands.


    He had already gotten in trouble with the police once and it was related to a murder case to boot. Had it not been for the Na family''s efforts and the help of a few government officials, and not forgetting to mention the fact that the lead detective on the case was quick to dismiss him, he would have been sitting behind bars at the moment.


    After a while of cursing, he decided to turn on the TV for anything fun. On the TV, an interview was currently going on about a movie whose hype had been intensified to the highest degree.


    The young man was familiar with the movie. Someone he knew was in that movie but he couldn''t find her. He had asked some acquaintances to help locate her, but so far, there had been no news.


    Another thing that irritated him. And if that wasn''t enough, his fourth meeting with the Yu family was denied once again. The reason was very simple yet complex, the young lady of the Yu family, who oversees the cosmetic department of the company, was not in a good mood these days.


    And the last thing that plagued him was this, his fianc¨¦e. The simple part of the problem; she despised him.


    At first, it was just slight displeasure, nothing he couldn''t overcome with his charm and a few gifts. But soon, it turned to hate. The reason; her newly found friends that she happened to make on a shopping trip. It was as if those girls came out of nowhere and their sole purpose in life was to make her hate him.


    If that wasn''t enough, they had to provoke him to his face to which he obviously retaliated. But that only came back to bite him once again. His fianc¨¦e thought he was trying to control her life which obviously didn''t end well even after so many explanations.


    As a revenge, he gave those girls constipation pills but he ended up getting caught while doing so. And once he was, then it didn''t matter if it was a simple mischievous medicine or a dangerous drug to violate them later. And that was how that ''hate'' of her fianc¨¦e ended up being ''despise'' and as things stood, it wouldn''t be long before it turned to ''loathe''.


    Even the blind faith and support of the Na patriarch didn''t matter at this point. Although he believed him, the rest of the family didn''t. That was why he had asked Ouyang Na for a separate house which he was happy to oblige because the old patriarch could see how things were going.


    He sighed and sank into his chair, fully deflated, having no energy and interest to do anything else. Even the interview on the TV came to an end, revealing no clue to his acquaintances'' location.


    Seeing nothing else to do, he took out his phone and dialed a number. The number he was trying to call was a friend he had made in recent days. A drinking buddy of sorts who was also a frequent helper of the orphanages around the city.


    He knew of that person through his brother who had been a friend of his as well before his unfortunate death. Although the young man wasn''t one to trust so blindly, his new friend was not only powerful, he was also a bit gullible, like an easy pushover. Of course, the young man never took any advantage of him but the fact still stood that he was someone the young man could trust.


    The call was picked up from the other side and the man on the other end said, "Hello, Brother Long. A call from at this time is surely a surprise." The voice on the other end sounded happy and considerate.


    The young man, Run Long, asked while stating his agenda, "Can we meet? I have a few things to discuss."


    "Of course we can. Tell me when and where and I will surely be there." The man from the other end replied.


    "Very well. Why don''t we meet at the Lau''s bar? My treat." Run Long said.


    "Of course, of course. I will see you there." The man from the other end replied. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then I will see you there." Run Long replied as he hung up the phone.


    The man on the other end called someone else. The caller ID read unknown but the voice of the person who picked was all the more familiar, "What?"


    "He asked me to meet and I agreed. Do I have to do it today?" The man who was on the phone with Run Long asked the unknown caller.


    "No. Now is not the time. Let him have some fun for now. The task isn''t completed." The unknown caller said. The man didn''t know what the other person meant but he knew it wasn''t his place to ask.


    "All right." The man replied and ended the call. The unknown caller on the other end ended the call and smiled while seeing the caller ID on his phone that read Noh Tian. "Just a little bit more." He said while he entered a building he had done once before.


    He walked over to the reception and the receptionist greeted her, "Good morning, young master Ruan. Lady Lin is waiting for you in her office."

 Chapter 102: Lin Ruan

    "What a surprise, two visits from you in such a short span." Lin Ruan said as Wei Jun settled opposite her. The way Wei Jun behaved, his posture as he sat showed the proportions of a warrior who had learned to stay alert his whole life.For Lin Ruan though, Wei Jun was no different he was a few days ago when they met but she couldn''t quite put a finger on, the fact that something had changed.


    "Yes, I have some things to discuss." Wei Jun said.


    "Sure." Lin Ruan said. Wei Jun pulled out a list with two names on it and gave it to her before he said, "Hire these girls. In whatever department you can. Overwork them, pay them accordingly but make it so that these girls have no time for a personal life."


    Lin Ruan read the list but the names were very unfamiliar to her. As for the question of why Wei Jun was asking for it, she just attributed it to the fact that he was interested in them. She didn''t judge him for that because he was the only descendant of the Ruan family. Their father couldn''t marry more because he wasn''t of the Ruan bloodline, their mother was.


    If they wanted more Ruan on the street, the children would have to come from Pei Ruan who had refused to have multiple relationships.


    Wei Jun was always raised to have as many lovers as he could and he was never the one to disappoint but his foolish acts along with them cost the family greatly.


    And now, Wei Jun stopped many atrocities for about a month now. No clubbing, no dating movie stars, no hiring beauties or blackmailing helpless girls.


    Anyway, Lin Ruan didn''t ponder on it too much and returned to the matter at hand. "Okay. I can get them in. but are you sure you don''t want them to have some personal time?"


    Lin Ruan asked that because if these girls had nothing but work on their hands, how would Wei Jun be able to make his moves?


    As for Wei Jun, his thoughts didn''t even go that far. He simply said, "Work them down to the bone."


    His tone was harsh and it didn''t give off the impression that Wei Jun was even remotely interested in them which made Lin Ruan redo her analysis. But since she couldn''t think of another logical and sound reason, she just agreed to him.


    "Anyway, is that all?" She asked.


    "No. I was hoping there was some work you could use my help in." Wei Jun said.


    This time, Lin Ruan was stunned. Wei Jun, the same one who hadn''t even finished his college degree in arts, the easiest subject to exist, had never shown any interest in work. That was one of the reasons why he was kicked out of the family.


    Although Lin Ruan was happy to work for the family while keeping Wei Jun the official head of the family, Sun Ruan completely refused to have a snob lead his family.


    He was kicked out of the family in hopes that harsh living conditions might help him learn something. But how the hell was he going to learn when he was given a giant villa, a plethora of servants, all commodities and luxuries?


    "You¡­ want to work?" Lin Ruan hesitantly asked, as if she had heard wrong or Wei Jun was just playing with her. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes. Any sort of meetings or anything that you need help with. It can be something minor as well." Wei Jun said.


    "I see." Lin Ruan simply replied and lowered her head. ''He doesn''t seem to be joking,'' was her first thought. ''I hope he''s not trying to steal from the family,'' was her second thought. ''I better send someone with him just in case,'' was her third thought.


    In none of her thoughts, she viewed Wei Jun as reliable. Wei Jun didn''t know what was going through her head and he had no interest in knowing. All he wanted was to have an excuse to enter her life. The more he remained with her, the less the chances of her and Run Long meeting.


    Although he couldn''t stay with her twenty-four-seven, he just needed enough time to implant information of Run Long as a rival to the family. He just needed to make her the villain in Run Long''s life.


    But he wasn''t stupid, although he hadn''t read light novels, there were many educational and literature novels he had read when he was a child. In quite a few of them, the romance between a man and a woman brewed from hatred.


    His own parents were a prime example although they didn''t hate each other when they first met. She had just arrested him, which wasn''t an example of hate and such. But it wasn''t romantic in the least and it brewed later on. So right now, Wei Jun was risking by letting them meet.


    Any situation where they end up becoming lovers can happen so to keep an eye on Lin Ruan so that doesn''t happen, he decided to involve himself in her life.


    "Well," Lin Ruan finally said after a few minutes, "Since grandfather''s cultivation rank increased, the problems with the families have almost all diminished. And with the death of Yao Tian, our biggest competitor, the Tian family is not a problem at the moment." She first explained.


    Then she continued, "All in all, everything is perfect. But there are some small problems. Problems where ordinary civilians are involved and cultivators cannot do anything about it. I was thinking of sending some legal expertise down and dealing with them. Feel free to join them and help however you can." Lin Ruan told Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun simply nodded and said, "I will be in the lobby then. Tell the advisor to meet me there. Make sure to send the contract with him."


    Lin Ruan nodded and Wei Jun left like lightning. Not literal, just that he didn''t give her any time to say anything. He just left.


    In the building lobby, Wei Jun was waiting when a man in a lawyer outfit came to him and said, "Mister Ruan. I''m Yan Wi. May we head out? I will explain everything in the car."


    Wei Jun nodded and they both moved out of the building. Yan Wi didn''t say anything because he was nervous in Wei Jun''s presence while Wei Jun didn''t say anything simply because he wasn''t interested.


    On the way he read the contract and memorized all the loopholes in the contract that could be used in their favor, but also the ones that the opposite party could utilize. Such as this, a construction company was hired to renovate a condo but they had been delaying work for three weeks now.


    There were many reasons given, such as shortage of staff, delay in material delivery or just some normal communication issues. It was a small issue and it shouldn''t have reached Lin Ruan''s ears, but the owner of the condo was someone she knew so she became aware of it.


    But then the construction company utilized the problems stated above and claimed that one of their workers had been injured during renovation so the work was delayed once again. Right now, the lawyer was going there to see if they could quicken up the process.


    But Wei Jun didn''t like it. The way Lin Ruan asked, and the way the lawyer briefed Wei Jun, it sounded like they were going to request the construction company to speed up the process.


    Wei Jun didn''t like that because that was a subservient approach. There was no proof of the claims of the construction company.


    This was a simple matter of extortion. The company wanted to use various excuses to prolong the job which would cause them to ask for extra funds over time for various random excuses that would pop up at any time.


    The company also wasn''t scared because the cultivators couldn''t be involved in this matter and if the Ruan family tried to threaten them, they could easily involve the labor union and make this a public issue.


    Wei Jun had dealt with these kinds of people before and he knew how to handle them. Of course, once he was done with them, it depended entirely on his mood to what extent he was going to destroy them.


    Would he leave them with nothing, or be merciful and let them have their clothes on their bodies? All of it depended on his mood.


    Of course, things were different here. It wasn''t his company that was being targeted so he wouldn''t get personally involved. He would just use the loopholes in the contract in his favor to finish the job. There was no need to work perfectly when nothing of his was on line.


    Simply doing a job that would get Lin Ruan''s attention, causing her to give him more work, was enough for Wei Jun.


    Just as he had decided on his approach. They arrived in front of a forty-floor resident building. Wei Jun closed the contract and left the car with the lawyer.

 Chapter 103: Legal consequences (Bonus: Review)

    This is the bonus chapter of the week thanks to the review of Paradoxical_smile. Thanks for the review and enjoy.*********


    As they entered the condo that was being renovated, there was no worker in sight. Wei Jun knew what this signified. They were slacking off. They would later make an excuse that they were taking a dump, eating something or they were just taking a break because there was too much work because they were short-staffed.


    "Shall we wait then?" The lawyer, whose name Wei Jun had already forgotten, asked. Wei Jun nodded but walked forward and began to throw everything on the ground. He kicked the bucket of paint and spread it out everywhere. Then he kicked the structures down.


    All in all, before the lawyer could even say something, everything was kicked down and destroyed. The work that Wei Jun had destroyed was a day''s worth and the appearance of the condo was completely destroyed. It would take twice the amount than before to fix it.


    "What¡­ What are you doing?!" The lawyer loudly asked.


    "Just shut up and stand aside. I will deal with everything." Wei Jun said before he picked up a hammer and began to beat up the wall. Once he had destroyed a good portion of the wall, he moved to another one, then another one, and then the last one.


    If before it took twice the amount, now it would take four times the amount to just fix this place, let alone renovate it. Then Wei Jun simply sat on a table where various tools were placed. The lawyer left stunned, couldn''t say anything to the overwhelming presence of Wei Jun.


    He just quietly stood aside, keeping some distance from Wei Jun. After a few minutes, almost a quarter of an hour, a man came into the condo while he whistled a rhythm. However, when he saw the state of the condo, he was left stunned before his gaze went to the two individuals in the condo.


    "What?! WHAT IS THIS?!" He was outraged, of course he was but Wei Jun stood quietly and said, "That''s exactly what we want to know. What is this? How is this place looking worse than before? Who did this?"


    When instead of receiving an answer, he was bombarded with a bunch of questions, even in his angered state, the worker was taken aback. "What? What bullsh*t are you spouting? Obviously, I didn''t do it and you were here."


    He tried to shift the blame to Wei Jun and the lawyer but Wei Jun said, "Well, it wasn''t us. So it could have only been you. Or maybe someone snuck in and destroyed everything. Do you know anything about this?"


    When presented with a third option, the worker hurriedly assented and said, "Yes, yes. It could have been someone else. I didn''t do it."


    "It could be." Wei Jun said. The worker sighed in relief but not for long when Wei Jun asked, "But wasn''t this place under your responsibility? Where were you when this accident happened?"


    The worker was taken aback but he didn''t panic. He simply replied, "I was just getting something to eat. It''s a hard job and I''m alone at the site."


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything about that and pulled out his phone, he pointed the camera at the worker and asked while waving the contract in his other hand, "Tell me, mister. Can you read?"


    "What?" The worker was taken aback and confused.


    "I''m asking whether or not you read this contract before you signed it?" Wei Jun elaborated.


    The worker didn''t know what it was about so he replied, "Yes, yes I did."


    "No one rushed you, made you sign it in a hurry?" Wei Jun asked again. Still confused, the worker replied, "No. No one did."


    "Good." Wei Jun turned off the recording and said, "Now you cannot use this fact in court when we sue you for contract breach and destruction of property."


    "What?" Momentarily confused, the worker asked as panic washed over him. What was this bullsh*t? How did he breach the contract?


    Wei Jun spoke up before the worker could say anything, "According to this contract if the work isn''t done before the stated time, the construction company, you, has to present plausible reasons for this tardiness. Your excuses so far are late delivery, worker injury, and failure of any confirmation from the Ruan company.


    As for the shortage of staff, because of the worker injury, no other worker was replaced even though your construction company boats twenty-three workers, nine of whom are currently free. Do you deny any of these facts?"


    After the lengthy explanation from Wei Jun, the man couldn''t even speak up. All of the facts stated were true and there was nothing that could be done about it. However, before he could even speak up in his defense, Wei Jun continued once again.


    "Another clause in the contract states that if these conditions aren''t fulfilled in the allotted time and a plausible reason isn''t given, the construction company would have to pay us back twice the amount promised." Wei Jun closed the contract and looked at the worker.


    "Seeing as the work hasn''t been finished and no plausible explanation has been given according to the records of the construction company, we would like to ask you to compensate us for the cost and damages. If you do not, it would be considered a breach of contract and we will take this issue to the court." Wei Jun ended his explanation, leaving the lawyer stunned and the worker panicked.


    "What?! You can''t do that!!" He protested to which Wei Jun simply replied, "Yes we can. And we will."


    Wei Jun then crossed his eyes and stated the rest of the consequences, "And we won''t end it at that. We will spread rumors that you, the construction company, tried to swindle one of the strongest families in the Yuan Yin city. No matter what you do, the union won''t protect you. Whether we win the case or not, it won''t matter. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You would have already gone bankrupt due to all the court hassle and it won''t end at that either. You will be finished in this industry; no one will employ you."


    When the consequences that waited for him and his company ahead were heard, the man lost all hope. He was sure that the union wouldn''t help if the matter escalated so much.


    Once again, Wei Jun was the one to continue the conversation, "Now here''s what we are going to do. You are going to complete this work, free of cost. Of course, that includes fixing everything and renovation. If the work isn''t done to our satisfaction, we will sue you in court. Am I understood? Oh, and you have three days to finish all of it.


    If not, we will have no choice but to do what you dread so much."


    "But¡­ but that''s too short of a time." The worker tried to reason, he had submitted already after hearing the consequences but the threat to work faster was unreasonable. No one could fix this much damage in three days.


    "Then put in your nights as well. Pull your workers from other work and put them in this one. If this work isn''t done by Thursday night, eight pm, then I don''t need to remind you for the umpteenth time what we will do, am I clear?" Wei Jun curtly told him the solution as he began to walk out of the condo, beckoning the stunned lawyer to follow him.


    On the way to the car, and on the way back to the office, the lawyer couldn''t help but stare at Wei Jun again and again. To call the earlier handling impressive was too short of a praise. The way Wei Jun had handled the matter was something even professional lawyers couldn''t do.


    Not to mention how Wei Jun finished the matter without even knowing the name of the man and the name of the construction company. Wei Jun handled the entire issue from just party ''A'' and ''B'' perspectives.


    And the last point to praise was how Wei Jun put the construction company in place and shifted all of the blame on them. Not only had he destroyed their work, but he had caused more damage that prevented the construction company from shifting the blame on them since the work was their responsibility. Naturally, any damage was their responsibility as well.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, had forgotten about the issue. He was focused on other things at the moment. Wei Jun''s conversation with Lin Ruan earlier revealed that there were very few opportunities to get close to her. What Wei Jun needed to do was create an opportunity. And for that, he knew just the person who could make it happen.


    But for that, he needed to keep the protagonist as far away from Lin Ruan as he could. And it just so happened that the protagonist had a meeting with his new drinking buddy. Wei Jun had an opportunity at hand that he might not get again.


    So without a delay, he left the car and contacted Li Wei. Li Wei had rested the entire Sunday and gotten back to work today. She had decided to put off killing the Quan patriarch yet and Wei Jun had no problem with it.


    So in the meantime, it was business as usual. "Yes, boss?" Li Wei asked from the other end to which Wei Jun replied, "Is there a way to attack someone and point the finger to someone else?"


    To Wei Jun''s ambiguous but obvious question, Li Wei simply replied gleefully, "Of course."

 Chapter 104: Lin Ruan: Lunch

    "I''m¡­. impressed." Lin Ruan couldn''t find the proper words to convey how impressed she was with how Wei Jun had handled the issue. Although they were still late in the renovation, now that the renovation was being done for free, the client was happy to have 50% of their money back while the rest was kept by the company for their troubles.Wei Jun nodded and said, "Is there anything else you could use my help on?"


    Lin Ruan contemplated for a moment but nothing came to mind. Business was running smoothly thanks to Sun Ruan''s status and with their competitors out of commission at the moment. "Nothing at the moment." She said.


    Wei Jun once again nodded and said, "Then I will take my leave. Don''t forget to call me if you need my help."


    "I will." Lin Ruan replied as Wei Jun stood and headed for the door. Lin Ruan stared at his back and for a moment thought back to the moments they had as children and other not-so-pleasant moments when Wei Jun grew up.


    "Hey." She called out to him before he could head out. Wei Jun stopped and turned to look at her.


    "If you''re free, how about lunch? My treat." Lin Ruan asked after a moment of hesitation. Wei Jun let go of the door handle and simply said, "Sure."


    *****


    Lin Ruan brought Wei Jun to a luxurious restaurant that screamed expensive. Wei Jun would have been happy with a cheaper, more closer place but Lin Ruan had insisted this place that was expensive as hell and half an hour away.


    They were guided to a private area with a view of a natural garden from a glass. Vibrant grass and Japanese-styled trees, and a pond in which golden fish could be seen. All in all, this was a special treatment and Wei Jun couldn''t help but feel pity since most of it was about to be destroyed.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Lin Ruan misunderstood as looked at Wei Jun who was watching outside the glass. She thought that Wei Jun was admiring the view if only she knew what was going on in his head. Wei Jun didn''t bother to correct her misunderstanding, not that he could, and said, "It is."


    After a simple reply, he took the seat opposite Lin Ruan and they both chatted about different topics. It was mostly Lin Ruan asking Wei Jun because Wei Jun wasn''t interested in asking anything. He didn''t want to know anything about her life. She was an ally for now, nothing more than that.


    Although he had trusted her greatly during his trial incident and she hadn''t disappointed, that didn''t mean that once or twice was enough to earn Wei Jun''s complete trust.


    As they both waited for their food while chatting, Lin Ruan suddenly looked out the window before she yelled while jumping at Wei Jun, "Look out."


    Wei Jun was pushed to the floor and once again realized, Lin Ruan was stronger than him. It wasn''t just that, even with his current stats that were enough for him to be called three times of a prime human, he was still pushed back without any effort.


    The next second, a barrage of bullets hit the glass, shattering it and the room along with it. Lin Ruan covered Wei Jun with her body and she seemed to have activated Qi armament. But it didn''t work in Wei Jun''s favor as well because while she was protecting him, she was doing so while hugging him, and her arms around his neck felt like she was trying to suffocate him.


    And with her power, she was. Wei Jun hurriedly activated Qi empowerment which empowered him as well so that he could bear that ''protection'' Lin Ruan was providing him.


    However, the moment he did, Lin Ruan turned to look at him, flabbergasted. ''Wei Jun''s a cultivator!'' was what her eyes seemed to be screaming and hundreds of questions along the lines of since when and how.


    She was quick to pull herself out of her stupor though as she hurriedly stood up seeing that Wei Jun needed no protection. She was wrong. Wei Jun''s Qi armament was different from the usual people of the world. What they thought was an extension of Qi armament, was another skill for Wei Jun who had to use empowerment and armament separately.


    So the moment she stood up, Wei Jun shot in his left arm. He hurriedly used Qi armament as well.


    Lin Ruan saw Wei Jun getting shot but once she saw a thin, almost invisible barrier appear on his skin, she heaved a sigh of relief and jumped at the men who were covered in black armor, like special ops, and had automatic rifles in their hands along with a few minor weapons and some weapons for distractions. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was fast, faster than any other cultivator Wei Jun had witnessed so far. The man he encountered in Shannau city didn''t display his speed so Wei Jun couldn''t compare her to him but Lin Ruan was fast, way faster than him, even the cultivator he faced at the Tian family compound.


    And another fact that Wei Jun soon realized, Lin Ruan had no qualms about killing because as soon as she got in range of the first shooter, she drove her arm through his chest.


    Strangely, the blood slid off of her like there was a thin layer of glass protecting her skin, which Wei Jun suspected to be Qi armament. She didn''t stop, she moved to the next person and then the next until there was only one shooter left who kept shooting her but she simply walked up to him and grabbed his gun which she then bent like a metal pipe.


    The man let go of the weapon seeing this and tried to run. Of course, Lin Ruan wasn''t that generous since she jumped in the air and landed on the ground while hitting the man on the back of his head, bashing him into the ground.


    Meanwhile, Wei Jun stood stunned at this overwhelming power of display. There was no hesitation in her moves, and her technique was flawless, not only that, but the way she killed her victims was clean. She identified the leader in an instant and let him be for last.


    And most of all, the one thing that impressed him the most, was her cruelty when it came to killing. She didn''t hesitate to rip open chests, although it was clean, it was also cruel.


    ''Nice.'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but praise her highly for how she handled the situation.


    Lin Ruan came back to the room carrying the last knocked-out mercenary and the first thing he said was, "You''re a cultivator!"


    Wei Jun chose to ignore that remark and said, "They don''t seem to be after me."


    "How could you not tell me? Us! How could you not tell us?! The family. Do you know the issue of banishment wouldn''t have happened if grandfather knew you were a cultivator?" Lin Ruan similarly chose to ignore Wei Jun''s words and asked her own questions.


    Wei Jun decided to answer since he knew he wouldn''t win. He simply replied, "I awakened recently."


    Lin Ruan was taken aback as she asked stunned, "When?"


    "On Friday." Wei Jun replied. Lin Ruan suddenly remembered, wasn''t that the day he borrowed money from her? And his mysterious connection which he displayed during Sun Ruan''s poison incident also showed that he had someone who could supply him with elixirs.


    A terrifying question suddenly came to form in her head. Was there a miraculous elixir that could awaken someone?


    Lin Ruan didn''t imagine what would happen if such a piece of news was released to the world. Moreover, she dreaded to think what would happen to Wei Jun once their grandfather came to know of it. Just the thought sent shivers down her spine given her grandfather''s ruthless nature.


    So she simply shut up about it. Such a thing was impossible in the first place, near impossible so Wei Jun must have awakened naturally. Yes, that was how she convinced herself and turned her attention to Wei Jun''s bleeding arm. The bleeding had stopped considerably and the wound was also slowly healing. A miraculous effect of Qi.


    Since there was no need to worry about it, she decided to ignore it for now and said, "Let''s see if this one knows anything."


    Wei Jun nodded but inwardly he was a little on guard. He didn''t doubt Li Wei''s abilities as she had proven herself again and again but still, if there was any trace left of his involvement, things wouldn''t fare well for him.


    He was already on thin ice; he couldn''t let the matter get worse. But there was nothing he could do as well. Because as things stood, if he did something, Lin Ruan''s suspicion would be on him and that was considering he could even do something given Lin Ruan''s speed. And she had clearly demonstrated, she couldn''t be caught by surprise so even a surprise attack had a very low chance of working.

 Chapter 105: Lin Ruan: Interrogation

    Aside from that, Wei Jun found many more points that didn''t make any sense. In the novel, Lin Ruan was only shown to be a cultivator in the late second volume, when Wei Jun died. And also, how was Wei Jun able to attack her and almost kill her to the point where she barely survived with her memory gone?From her earlier display, even if Wei Jun had employed a cultivator which he didn''t, how was he able to still push her to such a stage?


    [I wouldn''t recommend believing in the novel too much]


    [The future doesn''t remain consistent]


    [If a human chose ''A'' in one timeline]


    [There is a possibility he would choose ''B'' in another timeline even though all the conditions were the same]


    ''No. There must be another logical explanation for this.'' Wei Jun wasn''t well informed in such cases but he was sure there was something that was missing. So far, only one possibility has come to mind. The survival of Sun Ruan.


    "You are quite a high-rank cultivator, huh?" Wei Jun asked as Lin Ruan settled the last knocked-out mercenary on a chair.


    She was about to punch him awake when she stopped when she heard Wei Jun''s question. She had no qualms to answer that question so she replied, "Grandfather got me many elixirs to increase my cultivation. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to deal with all of these men so easily."


    Wei Jun nodded inwardly at the logical explanation given by Lin Ruan. The explanation of the system could have been right in a sense as well but Wei Jun had a hunch that that wasn''t it. That was why he had asked the question to satisfy his curiosity and also to understand how the changes in the novel were being affected by his decisions.


    "I see." Wei Jun simply replied. Lin Ruan, on the other hand, said while she punched the mercenary, "I will tell grandfather about your cultivation. Although he isn''t too happy with you for missing the family meeting this weekend, he might change his stance after hearing you are a cultivator." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a sight how she could nonchalantly say all that with a smile a man coughed blood on the ground due to her punch. Wei Jun also prepared himself. Whether it was to kill the mercenary or to face Lin Ruan. He didn''t use Qi since Lin Ruan could sense that but he was prepared to use it at a moment''s notice.


    The man stopped coughing after a few moments. Although Lin Ruan''s punch was strong, it was without Qi and the man was a seasoned mercenary although he wasn''t a cultivator so he could take a punch.


    When he stopped coughing, Lin Ruan grabbed him by his hair and said, "You have one answer and if I don''t like it, I rip a hole in your chest like the rest of your friends."


    Her expression wasn''t threatening in the least. Instead, she was smiling but when she said such terrifying things with such a smile and a beautiful face, it was all the more frightening.


    The man on the other hand understood what his fate was going to be so he remained silent. However, there was no contact between him and Wei Jun, and that relieved Wei Jun greatly. As always, Li Wei had done an amazing job.


    The mercenary didn''t know him. Irritated by his lack of response, Lin Ruan was about to kill him when Wei Jun stopped her. "Let me try something." He said.


    Lin Ruan nodded and stepped back. Wei Jun smiled and knelt before him. If it was old Wei Jun, he would have opted to torture him the usual way but with the miraculous power of Qi, there was no need to do so.


    Wei Jun grabbed the man by the foot and just let in one strand of Qi. He had experimented enough to know by how long he had before Qi dissipated when he would discharge it into someone. He had enough practice from Shannau City.


    His Qi lasted about thirty seconds inside someone if they didn''t have Qi already in their system. So if Wei Jun were to use this on a normal person, the person would be burned from the inside but even that would take time.


    Depending on the place where the Qi was let in, the man would either die immediately, or he would be in a world of pain. Just like now, if Wei Jun let Qi into the man''s foot, it would be a while before the Qi would reach his vital organs. The Qi itself would dissipate before then so there would be no damage to the innards of the man except for the current limb he was holding.


    As he let out one point of Qi, the man began to seethe, let out the most painful screams Lin Ruan had ever heard. As for Wei Jun, he had heard even more painful screams so he wasn''t really impressed. The screams went on for about thirty seconds while the left leg of the man was now red as a tomato, completely burned from the inside.


    Wei Jun didn''t touch it, worried that it might explode and let out its innards. As for the man himself, he had passed out. Wei Jun showed an act of mercy because technically, Wei Jun was the man''s employer so he was sort of bearing pain for Wei Jun''s sake.


    Wei Jun put his hand in his pocket and sneakily pulled out a health pill from his inventory. He forcefully fed it to the man who had passed out. As soon as the pill was down his throat, his leg began to visibly heal at a very fast rate.


    It wasn''t red anymore and from the looks of it, no signs of damage remained except for the fact that there was not a sign of hair on the man''s leg because they had been burned due to the immense heat of Wei Jun''s Qi.


    The man himself regained consciousness after a few moments and hurriedly looked at his leg which was now fully healed. He thought it was all a dream but he knew it wasn''t when he saw a handsome man and a woman standing in front of him. The man had a charming smile on his face while the woman had an inquisitive expression on her flawless and beautiful face.


    That expression wasn''t pointed at him but the man before him. He didn''t know what it was about but he knew that he didn''t want to feel that pain again.


    He hurriedly and loudly spoke, "I''ll talk! I''ll talk! I''ll say whatever you want me to say. I''ll tell you whatever you want to know, just don''t hurt me. Just not that, anything but that! Please!"


    Seeing him willing to chatter, Wei Jun stood up and looked at Lin Ruan with a smile, "All yours."


    Lin Ruan still looked at Wei Jun with an inquisitive gaze but for now, there were more pressing matters at hand. She asked the man simply, "Who sent you?"


    It was a simple question but everyone in the room knew the mercenary didn''t have the answer to that. Such a contractor would definitely not know who his employer was otherwise no one would hire them. But Lin Ruan simply wanted a clue. She already had one, she just needed to make sure that once she ran that clue, it would be backed up by this one.


    "All I know is that he was a man, who he was or what he wanted, I don''t know any of it." the man hurriedly replied.


    That was the extent of the information they were able to get from the mercenary. Of course, Lin Ruan wasn''t happy with it but she herself had employed such people so she knew how careful these matters were.


    Lin Ruan stepped forward and searched the man for a phone but she didn''t find one. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, without asking anything. The man understood what she meant so he said, "My phone is at the public locker in the Zounan metro station. Locker number 47."


    Lin Ruan nodded with a smile and without any warning, snapped the man''s neck. She turned to Wei Jun and said, "Let''s go."


    Wei Jun nodded and followed behind her as he asked, "Who owns this restaurant?" That was the clue, the first clue that Lin Ruan had. Such a scene and no one had come to inspect. It only meant one thing, the staff of the restaurant was either taken care of, or they were involved in this attack.


    Lin Ruan and Wei Jun both were leaning towards both of the options. Telling all the staff that the restaurant had to be closed for the day was much easier than killing all of them. And then the staff was replaced with mercenaries to take care of the matter.


    Wei Jun was impressed by how Li Wei had done all of this at such short notice. After all, the plan to attack Lin Ruan came to Wei Jun''s head just two hours ago.


    "Ours." Lin Ruan replied with a somber expression which meant she was also a little bothered by all of this. They both left for the station to get the phone from the locker.

 Chapter 106: Changes

    If anyone among my readers is an art creator or knows of a reliable one, comment on this paragraph.Enjoy!


    =====


    "Anything?" Wei Jun asked as Lin Ruan fiddled with the phone for a bit.


    "Can''t open it up. I can''t believe I forgot something as simple as asking for a password." Lin Ruan said while handing the phone to Wei Jun. Wei Jun simply smiled because he was no better. He couldn''t believe that he had forgotten something so simple as well.


    He pocketed the phone and said, "I know someone who can open this up. I''ll get back to you once I''m done with that."


    She nodded and started the car. On the way they talked about various things, again, Lin Ruan did and Wei Jun mostly listened. She apologized for how the lunch went and promised another one soon. Wei Jun simply assented and got out of the car once they arrived at the Ruan building where Wei Jun''s car was parked.


    He headed to his Sedan and drove off. He didn''t go to his office but straight to the arcade downtown where Li Wei''s current base was. Wei Jun thinking of relocating the intelligence team to a better place but for that, he needed a building and a separate wing for that as well that was hidden in plain sight.


    That time wasn''t far when he could have his own building but he preferred to build one instead of purchasing. A custom building to his liking where everything he needed was in one place. Of course, having all his secrets in one place was also risky but he had an idea for that as well. After all, B*tman literally had his everything under his house and no one knew about it.


    Wei Jun soon arrived at the arcade and used the backdoor to enter. He was careful entering because his being at an arcade was a major clue, especially with a detective on his back so hard. It wouldn''t take a genius to figure out there was something else in the arcade and the arcade was nothing but a front.


    As Wei Jun entered the basement, this time, everyone noticed him because he wasn''t silencing his steps.


    "Evening, boss." Li Wei was the last one to greet him once he approached her. He handed her the phone without saying anything about it and said, "Be ready tomorrow. It is time we finish the business."


    He was ambiguous in his words but Li Wei understood what he meant so she simply smiled and nodded. She then waved the phone and asked, "What about it?"


    "This belongs to a mercenary that dared to attack my sister in broad daylight. We managed to obtain his phone but we couldn''t manage to get the password due to some unforeseen circumstances. I''m sure you can open this and give us all the clues we need." Wei Jun said. Wei Jun was ambiguous in his words to others and all the more obvious for Li Wei.


    Li Wei smiled and said, "You forgot about it, didn''t you?" Wei Jun kept his expression straight but Li Wei simply chuckled because that was all the answer she needed. She nodded and said, "I will get this done in a few minutes. Or I could bring it by tomorrow when I come."


    "Tomorrow is fine." Wei Jun said before he nodded and turned around to leave. He left the building, once again careful, and made his way to his villa. It was almost seven in the evening and he needed to be home before then and train the slacking actor team.


    *******


    "I¡­ I can''t¡­ do this anymore, bo ¡­boss." Quan Li laboriously said. She was the last man standing, the last girl technically. Everyone else had already passed out. She only lasted this long because she was a cultivator and unlike Zhan Yi, she had a talent for cultivation so she was able to advance to the intermediate stage of Qi sense realm already.


    Not to mention she reached that stage with an E rank cultivation method, the lowest cultivation method known to the general public.


    But even she ended up almost fainting when faced with the monstrous training Wei Jun had for them. Of course, not all of them had the same regime.


    Zhan Yi and Quan Li were cultivators, although very low-ranked, they could still go on longer than normal people so their training was more intense than others. And for the rest, well, their training wasn''t easy in the least. For normal people, their workout was too much for them to handle. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Xia Lu, who tried to weasel her way out like last time by acting coy, adorable, affectionate, and even angry, wasn''t spared today. She, just like everyone else, lay there on the floor passed out of fatigue.


    Only Quan Li had managed to keep her consciousness but even she was on the verge of falling. Wei Jun was impressed she had endured this far, but that was all he was, impressed. Wei Jun wasn''t going out of his way to offer her a high-ranking cultivation technique unless she proved herself to be useful.


    So far, even in the matter of levels, Wei Jun hadn''t been able to obtain more levels through her after the first four levels.


    Although she and Zhan Yi''s relationship had been steadily progressing, it wasn''t to the point where they would be considered a couple so maybe there was still some hope for Run Long and her coming back together.


    Wei Jun ended the session in the middle of this thought while he handed five stamina pills to Lao Chen to feed the actor team after two hours. He wanted them to feel some pain for slacking off after all.


    He had dinner alone, a shower, then a bath and then he finally sat down on his bed and purchased an item from the shop.


    [Bubble of love]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Effect: Wraps the user in a protective bubble that cannot be easily destroyed]


    [Uses: 3\\3]


    [Cost: 10000 coins]


    Although very expensive for a limited-use item, Wei Jun still chose to purchase it. He remembered his last cultivation session where his Qi rose by eight after an entire day of cultivation. However, he had to spare quite a bit of his concentration on his surroundings because he was quite vulnerable during cultivation.


    But he wanted to use this item to see how the progress would be with all his mind focused on cultivation. Although one round of the item lasted only eight hours, he was sure he would be able to achieve good results if he expended all his concentration on cultivation.


    He closed his eyes and tried to use the cultivation circulation the same way the system provided during skill activation. But unfortunately, he couldn''t. According to the system, it wasn''t an easy thing Wei Jun was trying to do. Such flawless circulation couldn''t be done even by ridiculously high-ranked cultivators.


    Wei Jun didn''t care. He wasn''t like others, he wanted to do this no matter what on his own. With such a flawless circulation technique under his belt, he knew he would be unstoppable. However, he wasn''t delusional. He knew he had just stepped into the world of cultivation, achieving such a feat this soon was impossible.


    Although he was confident in being able to do flawless circulation, he knew he was nowhere close to that point. But, Wei Jun had a simple motto, ''A person needs to have a goal in life.''


    For him, any reason was enough, no matter how small, no matter how big, all there had to be was a reason. A reason to keep going.


    Ever since he came to this world, he was stuck. He didn''t know what to do and how he should proceed. He knew what he had to do but he didn''t know why. So he began to find a reason. At first, it was just money, then it became a little more than money in the presence of a girl. A feeling he still didn''t quite fully understand.


    And when it came to cultivation, it was that flawless circulation that he couldn''t help but feel drawn to. That piece of perfection, he wanted it. Not just possess it and make its own, but even make it better, become better along with it.


    For him, it was just a reason, a reason to keep going. And right now, feeling that hot strand of Qi revolving in his abdomen, slowly but steadily traveling with his blood, nourishing his entire being and filling him with power and a refreshing feeling.


    He couldn''t feel anything else. He was so absorbed that he couldn''t even feel the tingling on his skin, he couldn''t even tell where he was, he just was. And while his mind was focused on that little strand of Qi, a change began to happen to his outward appearance as well.


    His skin began to turn red, and smoke began to emit from his being. Of course, he was oblivious to it. He was also oblivious to a small bead forming in his abdomen. All he knew, was that little strand of Qi that kept circulating, circulating, and circulating through his system following his will.

 Chapter 107: No limit but one (Bonus P.S)

    I totally forgot to check the power stones this week because I was too focused on something personal. I didn''t know I owed you guys a bonus chapter but here it is now. Sorry for the delay.******


    The night soon turned to the light of day. The actor team awaited Wei Jun in the gym at dawn but when he didn''t come for a while, they were overjoyed, but also a little afraid. They were worried Wei Jun would pop up at any time and make them relive the hell from last evening.


    Fortunately for them, he didn''t. The actor team also got very angry at Xia Lu when she worriedly made her way to Wei Jun''s room. They stopped her with words until they could but when she didn''t, Quan Li apologized and knocked her out.


    Though she had hit a bit too hard since now Xia Lu was staring daggers at her while they sat at the dinner table. However, she had another worry in her mind because Wei Jun was still in his room.


    Lao Chen had assured them that he had checked on him himself and that Wei Jun was safe and sound. However, he couldn''t come out for the time being.


    While he hid the fact that he had witnessed Wei Jun cultivating, he didn''t do the same when it came to someone else.


    "Master, you would be happy to know that young master Ruan has awakened and now embarked on his journey as a cultivator." Lao Chen informed someone on the other end of the phone. In the first place, Lao Chen wasn''t Wei Jun''s butler but the butler of the Ruan family, and he was there to report on his doings to the patriarch of the family, Sun Ruan, to whom he was talking to at the moment.


    "Hahahahahaha." A boisterous laughter came from the other end of the phone as Sun Ruan spoke up with pride but a hint of arrogance, "My blood had once again prevailed. After my daughter, now my grandson is also a cultivator."


    There was no happiness in that laughter. Lao Chen, who had served the Ruan family for some time, could tell that Sun Ruan wasn''t happy in the least for Wei Jun. He was just happy because his bloodline had continued as a cultivator. And now, he would also use Wei Jun to the fullest of his potential for the sake of the family and himself.


    After all, that was the truth of Sun Ruan. Lao Chen continued for a moment, reporting on other things before he hung up the phone. He then turned to the villa and headed in and made his way to Wei Jun''s room.


    It had been quite some time when he saw Wei Jun cultivating so he must have finished by now. He knocked on the door but received no reply, he just entered after a few minutes and saw Wei Jun still on his bed, sitting cross-legged. The phenomenon of change in Wei Jun had been finished so there was no red skin or smoke coming out of him.


    Still, Wei Jun was emitting light heat that Lao Chen could feel with his senses. He couldn''t help but notice that Wei Jun was fully immersed in cultivation and not one cell of his mind was focused on his surroundings.


    It was an amateur move but Lao Chen knew that Wei Jun was new to the cultivation. Otherwise, it was unwise for a cultivator to just focus on cultivating without taking appropriate measures for his surroundings.


    ''I will be sure to tell the young master that.'' Lao Chen thought inwardly and simply stood guard. However, even after an hour, Wei Jun didn''t wake up. If he counted the time, Wei Jun had been cultivating for three hours now. No one could do that.


    Although he was oblivious to the fact that Wei Jun had been doing it since long before that, he was still impressed by the ability to be able to cultivate this long. However, Lao Chen wasn''t the system. He took this fact as a sign of worry after a few minutes. If he was impressed before, now he was a bit terrified of the consequences.


    Just as he was about to rush out of the room and contact Sun Ruan along with emergency services, Wei Jun slowly opened his eyes and stared at him with cold eyes that sent a chill down Lao Chen''s spine.


    He had seen those eyes before. The eyes of a predator, a killer. The same eyes that Wei Jun had two months ago. Only this time, there was something else in those eyes. Something burning. A perfect harmony of cold and blaze, making Lao Chen more afraid than facing a cultivator.


    "What are you doing here?" Wei Jun asked in a chilled voice as if the answer of Lao Chen would decide his fate. Well, that was how it felt for Lao Chen, Wei Jun on the other hand was just mad that even after expending his effort completely into cultivation, his Qi stat hadn''t increased by much.


    [You''re jesting, right, host?]


    The system asked as if the current thoughts of Wei Jun were ridiculous to the point of blasphemy.


    ''The increase, it isn''t much different from the last time.'' Wei Jun inwardly replied while Lao Chen was still to utter a reply.


    [ARE YOU CRAZY?!!!!]


    The sudden outburst from the system stunned Wei Jun and his eyes involuntarily widened.


    [In my days, one who could increase their cultivation by this much in a day was considered a god, A GOD OF CULTIVATION]


    The system explained loudly for Wei Jun''s every orifice to hear even though the message was being directly transmitted to his mind.


    However, Wei Jun was still stunned at the system''s outburst.


    [What more do you need?]


    [You''re a fu*king prodigy]


    [NO!]


    [You''re a monster]


    [What is this?]


    [Is it that, ''I made a terrible mistake. I got all answers correct but missed one on an entry test to Harvard'']


    [IS THAT WHAT YOU''RE TRYING TO SAY?!!!!]


    Stunned, Wei Jun remained seated on his spot even though his cultivation had ended a while ago.


    ''The system knows Harvard?'' Wei Jun incredulously thought.


    "¡­.ster!"


    "¡­ng master!"


    "Young master!!" Lao Chen yelled to get Wei Jun''s attention who sat stunned, with his eyes widened, unresponsive to Lao Chen''s calls.


    Wei Jun snapped out of his reverie on Lao Chen''s yell and turned to him. "Oh, what?" Wei Jun confusedly asked.


    "I have been calling for a while now, young master." Lao Chen regained his confidence seeing the coldness in Wei Jun''s eyes was nowhere to be seen anymore.


    "Ah, yes. Nothing. Just prepare a hefty breakfast. I have to finish my scenes today." Wei Jun instructed the curious Lao Chen who had hundreds of questions but he decided not to ask them and replied, "As you wish, young master."


    He turned around and was about to leave when he remembered something that he had forgotten after seeing Wei Jun''s chilly eyes and said, "The patriarch wishes your presence this evening. He says your presence is a must and if you are not there, he will send his men to kidnap you and bring you to him by force." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The way Lao Chen delivered such a strange message was so natural that Wei Jun suspected that it was nothing new. The old man Ruan might have done this before as well.


    Wei Jun simply closed his eyes and nodded in assent. He knew he couldn''t keep ignoring the issue of his previous host''s grandfather. From what Wei Jun had observed so far, Sun Ruan was an opportunistic bastard who wouldn''t hesitate to sell his family for the sake of his own, and in doing so, the family''s benefit.


    Of course, Wei Jun didn''t mind. Although not his own family, he had destroyed many families for his own business and goals as well. It didn''t matter that all of them deserved it but the fact remained that many children became parentless because of him.


    Lao Chen left and Wei Jun turned back to the system which had seemed to calm down after its earlier outburst. Wei Jun didn''t know the system could talk back but earlier, the system wasn''t talking back, and the system was genuinely angry.


    Wei Jun could guess why.


    [Qi +11]


    [Qi 46]


    It was just an eleven-point increase and his Qi stat was currently at forty-six, he was sixteen points before he hit his limit because of his level. However, there was one thing he was curious about. As far as his knowledge of cultivation went, Qi had breakthroughs even in the minor realms. Yet, Wei Jun had faced no such issues. He had that question because of the next notifications.


    [You have crossed the realm of Qi sense with sheer effort and have stepped into the realm where Qi gathering becomes possible]


    [All physical stats +2]


    [All noncombat stats +1]


    ''You know anything about it?'' Wei Jun calmly asked, forgetting about the system''s previous outburst since he could tell he was somewhat at fault.


    [Yes]


    The system replied, back to normal from the sound of it.


    [That''s because of the system]


    [A limit doesn''t exist for you]


    [The only limit you are plagued with is your level limit]


    [Other than that, you will never feel any other roadblock]

 Chapter 108: Skill increase

    [Status]


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 22


    HP: 31\\31


    QP: 230\\230


    Cultivation realm: Qi gathering realm]


    [Strength: 67]


    [Agility: 86]


    [Stamina: 83]


    [Defense: 56]


    [Qi: 46]


    [Charm: 41]


    [Luck: 19]


    From the stat increase because of his realm increase, Wei Jun''s stats had increased by a bit except for his Qi stat. But that wasn''t what Wei Jun was focused on.


    Wei Jun''s main focus was on what the system had said earlier. All of his combat stats except for defense were above sixty, the current limit of his stats which would be lifted once he reached level thirty. Even then, he wouldn''t feel his stats fully because they would still be higher than eighty. It meant that Wei Jun needed to increase his level to forty to reach the limit of one hundred stats.


    According to the system, the Qi sense realm ended at forty Qi stat points and the Qi gathering realm would end at eighty. Exactly the double of the first main stage of cultivation. Similarly, the requirement would also increase by double each time.


    The problem at hand was his level. Even if he managed to increase his Qi stat to 100, with the help of ''Qi empowerment'' skill, he would still just be able to face a cultivator at the third main stage of Qi.


    [You would still have an edge though]


    Of course, Wei Jun knew that as well. Wei Jun not only had the Qi stat of a Qi gathering realm cultivator, but he also had physical stats currently at the same level, making him stronger than usual cultivators who would only last against him using a skill for a limited time. This meant that against an equal opponent, he didn''t need to use the skill ''Qi empowerment.''


    And that edge was what the system talking about. Wei Jun could not only last longer, but he wouldn''t even need to use the skill ''Qi empowerment'', just Qi armament, to protect himself from the Qi of another person and in doing so, save a good amount of Qi, granting him another edge in terms of Qi against an opponent.


    However, what if he met a higher-ranked opponent? He needed to increase his level no matter what because so far, the fights with cultivators hadn''t been easy for Wei Jun. In the first one, he almost lost his life and in the second and third, he had to use equipment and ammos of tens of millions.


    Wei Jun shook himself out of these thoughts and checked the last bit of notification that appeared because of his cultivation advancement.


    [Skill ''Qi armament'' has leveled up]


    [Skill: Qi armament Lv2]


    [Lv2 Effect: Still an unstable Qi barrier but the duration of the skill has slightly increased]


    [Cost: 55 QP. Additional usage requires 35 QP per 70 seconds]


    [No cooldown]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has leveled up]


    [Skill: Qi empowerment Lv2]


    [Lv2 Effect: All combat stats +25]


    [Cost: 70 QP per use]


    [Cooldown: 5 minutes]


    [Skill ''Qi Discharge'' has leveled up]


    [Skill: Qi Discharge Lv2]


    [Lv2 Effect: The maximum discharge output has been increased by 5. The user now has slight control over his discharged Qi]


    [Cost: QP]


    [No cooldown]


    Wei Jun wasn''t overly pleased with the skill level up. Although the effects of the skills had improved a bit, the cost had also increased proportionally. He wasn''t disappointed, but he wasn''t happy with it either. As his Qi increased, the skill usage cost also increased, keeping him in check so his Qi increase didn''t matter that much.


    Of course, the improvements in the skills couldn''t be ignored, especially the effect of the Qi discharge skill. He was happy to know that he could now control his Qi slightly inside of a human being. Of course, the plans in his head were far from friendly.


    After checking everything and being done with everything, Wei Jun made his way to the bathroom to shower and then change. He didn''t take a bath once again because he didn''t need to. He already felt very refreshed and warm thanks to the long cultivation session earlier.


    After he was done, he dressed up and left his room. He headed to the dining room to find a sizzling hot meal prepared for him, that was enough to feed at least thirty people. He dug in and chowed all of it down quite ungracefully in just six minutes.


    Once he was done, he checked the time. The clock ticked a little past eleven. He was late but there wasn''t much worry. The movie was almost finished. Wei Jun was sure that in just two weeks if he pushed the staff and cats to the limit like he always had, the movie would be finished.


    *******


    "And, CUT!" A staff member directed as Wei Jun watched from the sidelines. Xia Lu, on the other hand, had the most disgusted expression ever seen on her face.


    Her problem remained the same, she would blush whenever she filmed with Wei Jun, increasing their takes by a lot so the cast had to use a double. But that wasn''t all, she would also make the same mistake with Xiao Heiling as well, making a disgusted face whenever she filmed with him as the hero, making the movie quite a bit difficult.


    The double left heartbroken faced with such a clear disgusted expression from a beauty, he would be traumatized for sure was what everyone there thought.


    Xia Lu on the other hand, shyly looked at Wei Jun who was just staring at her all the time. He wasn''t even hiding his gaze or shying away, he was outright looking at her all the time. Although he wanted to be with her while filming, he knew priorities had to be set.


    With Xia Lu back on track, they had been able to film four major and thirteen minor scenes in just eight hours.


    Wei Jun was quite happy with the progress. He was sure that the time needed for movie finishing would decrease by a lot with this progress and he didn''t have to push them yet. Though he was thinking of shortening time by doing so.


    But in the end, he decided not to. Rushing everything wasn''t a good thing. Although there was the process of editing to deal with any mistakes, it was still going at a good pace so it was all right.


    Not to mention, he had to be somewhere today. The appointed time for his presence at the dinner in the Ruan villa was nine pm and it was still just seven thirty. He decided to guide the wrap-up and then left for his car. He didn''t need to head home to suit up because his suits were in his inventory and he took a shower after the shooting so he was fine at the moment.


    He got into his sedan and started it up. He really missed the touch of a sports car but a sedan was a car that blended in and Wei Jun prioritized low detection over catching all the attention with a flashy car and giving away his presence.


    There were still a few sports and luxury cars in Wei Jun''s villa, but Wei Jun was wise enough to go with the safe choice. To fill up his addiction to race cars, he would just take them for a spin sometimes.


    Wei Jun arrived at the Ruan mansion after a slow drive at exactly eighty-forty-five. He didn''t want to be there before dinner because he didn''t want to deal with Sun Ruan too much at the moment. After all, Sun Ruan was a potential enemy who was out of Wei Jun''s range for now, and Wei Jun might have to level up to level 100 to be able to deal with him.


    As Wei Jun got out of the car, he heard a beautiful voice echo in his ears. A voice he had heard before just once. At the dinner of the Ruan family.


    "I get me being late because I don''t want to be here, but the young master of the house being late doesn''t make sense, now does it?" Wei Jun turned around to look at a beautiful dark-haired young woman whose dark eyes just sucked souls in.


    Pity, Wei Jun''s soul was very immovable, and quite a bit dark so he didn''t need the darkness in the eyes of the woman before her.


    "Does it mean you don''t like it here too?" Liu Yu asked with a smile that was in no way a smile. But Wei Jun was sure of one thing, if he were to cast her in a movie, she would be an even greater actress than Xia Lu. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The way she masked her expression, her real emotion behind a curtain of fake expression and emotions perfectly, she was a woman that even seasoned and experienced old people wouldn''t have a hard time reading.


    Even Wei Jun, with his enormous experience dealing with several types of people, had to admit that this woman was something else. Of course, that didn''t mean she was unbreakable. He knew how to deal with this type as well. To see her true emotions, all he had to do was poke that one place that made her tick.


    A complex that every woman like her who was powerful but bound had, her strive for independence.

 Chapter 109: Mana?

    I know that today''s chapter may seem like I am just pushing things in but I am not. I have decided to go on a little experiment and also lay the groundwork for when Wei Jun gets out of the current nation he currently is in.


    Let me know what you feel. Looking forward to hearing from you.


    *******


    "I thought this was a family dinner." Wei Jun asked, ignoring her earlier remarks.


    "Aren''t we family?" Liu Yu asked with a smile, referring to their engagement, however, Wei Jun could see the war emotions of loathe and despise clearly in her eyes.


    They were anything but family. However, Wei Jun also didn''t care about that. He simply nodded and said, "Then let us not waste any time here."


    "Oh." Liu Yu lightly exclaimed and said, "Does talking to me feel like a waste of time?" She pretended to be playfully offended.


    Wei Jun could see through her every fake action. Of course, it would be very difficult for someone else but Wei Jun was experienced with all kinds of people.


    He perfectly knew what Liu Yu was and what her goals were. He didn''t hate her for it but so far, her actions had been very unfriendly to him so he was not going to have a friendly conversation with her as well.


    "Yes." Wei Jun curtly replied, a reply that even Liu Yu wasn''t prepared for. Wei Jun simply turned after his reply and left for the front door, leaving Liu Yu stunned.


    When Wei Jun finally entered the house, he came to know that it wasn''t a dinner he was attending, it was a gathering. The lobby of the house was fully lit, with some soft music playing, and waiters moving around and offering drinks, shrimps, and other delicacies to the guests dressed in formal outfits.


    Of course, as Wei Jun entered, all eyes turned to him. First of all, they were surprised by his looks. Wei Jun was good-looking before, but he was also scrawny, creating an inharmonic combination. However, his current visage was of a perfect human male. Tall, lean, fit, and handsome than all the men combined in the room at the moment.


    Of course, they would be taken aback. Especially the women''s class, some even forgetting about their partners standing next to them.


    The second reason everyone was surprised was his presence. As far as they knew it, Wei Jun was supposed to be banished after he created some trouble for the family business, making them suffer a huge loss. The details of the matter were still not entirely known, however, what they were sure of was that Wei Jun wasn''t welcome in the family anymore.


    However, his presence at the moment suggested that he was back, or there were chances that he would soon be back. This wasn''t a banquet for her mother''s birthday, this was a private gathering to which Wei Jun would never have been invited.


    However, he was. What that also meant was that he wasn''t useless anymore. That also meant that some people present could potentially make contact with him, preferably offering the women members of their families.


    Wei Jun examined everyone and found his current body''s father, mother, and sister engaged with the guests. Wei Jun didn''t go to them but instead made his way to the corner of the hall.


    While people wanted to approach him, they couldn''t do so because of the cold wall around Wei Jun. Something was just telling them that they shouldn''t go near him.


    Liu Yu entered shortly after Wei Jun which also implied some hidden meaning to the guests, well, a misunderstanding but they didn''t know that. To them, it was like Liu Yu came just a minute after Wei Jun, potentially, they had come together.


    There were rumors of their strained relationship but from the looks of it, it didn''t seem to be the fact.


    If only they knew the truth. But, they didn''t, and that made them assume what their eyes were seeing.


    As for Wei Jun, he examined everyone at the gathering and what he was surprised about was finding a foreigner. A blonde man. Wei Jun hadn''t checked the geography of the world so he didn''t know how many consistencies this world had with his world.


    ''I should check that out soon.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly as it should have been one of the basic moves he should have done but he didn''t.


    If there was a chance that the world''s nature was the same as his own world, then he needed to mold his plans according to that.


    Just as Wei Jun was observing everyone, he heard a voice from beside him, "You should talk to someone, you know."


    He recognized the owner of the voice so he didn''t bother turning his head and said, "Why bother? They''re all useless to me at the moment. On the contrary, I''m more in demand at the moment. I should make my presence unique so that not everyone comes to me to waste my time."


    Lin Ruan sighed and couldn''t help but think that it was her same brother. Just a year in exile, and he had changed so much that she couldn''t even recognize him, both internally and externally.


    "But shouldn''t you at least try? These people can help you with your movie, you know?" Lin Ruan argued.


    Wei Jun simply turned to her and said, "And why would I need that? I can do that myself, and with no strings attached. Besides, I can guess the intentions most of them have. And also, they are yet to be completely sure of the situation that I have with my family."


    Wei Jun wasn''t sure of the situation with the Ruan family. But he did know that he was banished from Lin Ruan''s words. If that was the case, then these people would have no reason to talk to him. Although there was a chance that he was back because he was there, it wasn''t confirmed yet. So they would wait and see how the night goes after the entrance of the Patriarch of the family.


    She was about to say something else when a woman made their way to them. From her brunette color and her face, to her dressing sense and especially her tall build, she didn''t seem Asian. A western woman stopped in front of Wei Jun and said in English, "Nice to meet you, Mister Ruan."


    She extended her hand for a handshake. Lin Ruan on the other hand was about to reply because she knew Wei Jun couldn''t speak any foreign language since he hadn''t even finished school properly.


    However, before she could, Wei Jun spoke in flawless English, "Yes, nice to meet you. But forgive me for not knowing who you are."


    The woman was taken aback by Wei Jun''s flawless English but that wasn''t all, his accent sounded so natural that she couldn''t help but doubt if Wei Jun was Chinese.


    However, soon her attention changed to the subtle diss Wei Jun had hit her with. She didn''t have the courtesy to properly introduce herself, that was what Wei Jun subtly said.


    "My apologies," The woman said with a smile and a slight blush as if embarrassed and said, "I am Melissa Edward. I come from the city of Midnight, Britain."


    Wei Jun blinked slightly. The British Empire, a giant of the past from his previous world. The sole nation in the whole history of the world to have ruled over the entire world. However, the new state of Britain, which was later known as America revolutionized itself from the Britain empire.


    However, it seemed like the same hadn''t been done here. Although the woman was speaking in an American-like accent, she still introduced herself as a citizen of the British Empire.


    Wei Jun decided to hold on to this information but not dig anymore since he needed information about it anyway.


    Wei Jun smiled and replied, "Wei Jun Ruan. I have to say it is a pleasure to meet you." Wei Jun even kissed the back of her hand to confirm something. As expected, the woman reacted positively. That was the tradition of the British noble households. If that was the case, then Wei Jun could somewhat guess what the story was.


    "It seems you have read some of our traditions, Mister Ruan," Melissa replied.


    Wei Jun smiled and replied, "I do have some knowledge. But I hope to learn more."


    Melissa smiled and said in a hushed voice, "And I will be happy to help if you would like." Her tone was far from friendly and fell straight into the boundaries of flirting.


    Lin Ruan, who had started to feel like a third wheel, couldn''t help but admire how natural the conversation had rolled to that point.


    "I will be sure to remember that." Wei Jun replied. However, just at that moment, Melissa came closer and placed her hand on Wei Jun''s shoulder. Wei Jun felt something as if something had entered his body. It wasn''t Qi since Wei Jun couldn''t feel any from the woman.


    That answer of Wei Jun was answered by the system as multiple notifications appeared in his view.


    [Mana has infiltrated the body of the host] S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Utilizing Qi to counter the mana]


    [Mana has been neutralized]


    ''Mana?'' Wei Jun frowned at the unfamiliar term.


    However, as unfamiliar as he was, he still knew that it was a rude act, although it may not have been an act of hostility, it could still be considered one. His expression turned ice cold and he prepared to let some of his Qi inside Melissa.


    However, before he could, the entrance of a person left him dumbfounded. He hadn''t felt it before because he wasn''t a cultivator but now that he was, he couldn''t help but go wide-eyed at the enormous presence coming down the stairs.

 Chapter 110: Melissa

    Wei Jun turned to see Sun Ruan coming down the stairs. But that wasn''t what he just saw, he saw what looked like flames around his body. A majestic display that was giving off an amazing feeling of power. The power of a master in the Qi master realm, Wei Jun couldn''t help but feel awe of that power.


    However, the threat of Sun Ruan equally increased. He was too strong for Wei Jun at the moment. Hell, Wei Jun doubted he would be able to take care of him even at the hundredth level.


    [Of course, you wouldn''t be]


    [Stat wise, just his Qi stat would be over 320]


    [Not to mention I sense a high-level cultivation technique]


    [Not as high as yours, but better than normal so his Qi must be quite a bit pure]


    Wei Jun nodded internally to the system''s explanation while he also thanked him. The system had been very helpful when it came to information. Of course, Wei Jun would sometimes have to ask for it but even then, the information from the system had helped him many times.


    Wei Jun turned his attention back to Sun Ruan who, after coming down, greeted some important people, all cultivators from the looks of it.


    Wei Jun once again examined the entire hall. Before, he didn''t pay this kind of attention but now that he was, he sensed that almost half of the guests were cultivators. The banquet of the Na family only had one cultivator, Run Long. However, the Ruan family had the power to invite this many cultivators spoke volumes of the power of the family.


    [They must be members of the same sect]


    [It looks like all of them have learned the same cultivation technique]


    Wei Jun now understood why there were so many cultivators there, this was a gathering of a sect. Wei Jun turned to Lin Ruan next to him and asked, "You''re part of a sect?" His voice was low but the surprise in it wasn''t hidden.


    "Yes." Lin Ruan replied like it was obvious. "Aren''t you supposed to know? Since we took the entrance test together." Lin Ruan asked as if Wei Jun was blabbering stupid things.


    Wei Jun had no reply to that. What he thought was a hidden fact was apparently known by everyone there. Wei Jun hadn''t heard anything in passing so he just thought Sects were something secretive that no one knew about.


    "Is everyone here a sect member?" Wei Jun asked.


    Lin Ruan scoffed and said, "Of course not. Do you think anyone can become a sect member? Only one out of a hundred is chosen every year. The rest just have to go somewhere else. The cultivators are rare anyway, the people to get admitted are even rarer than that." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun now understood somewhat of the processing of these sects. He still had many questions regarding the sects but Wei Jun didn''t want to dig deeper at the moment and raise suspicion. It would be better if he did that digging on his own.


    However, the matter of Sun Ruan''s massive Qi still made Wei Jun a little amazed but it also made him cautious as well.


    ''So I need at least 320 Qi to do what he''s doing with his Qi.'' Wei Jun wondered inwardly.


    [No you don''t]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun was taken aback by the unexpected reply.


    [You already have the ''Qi Discharge'' skill, all you need is control like that]


    [Sun Ruan isn''t doing anything fantastic]


    [He is simply leaking, letting out low amounts of Qi but controlling it to remain around him]


    [It will still dissipate slowly but while it doesn''t, it will give off the enormous power it has]


    Wei Jun understood the process and didn''t understand it at the same time. Still, the system assured him that even Wei Jun could do it at the moment with his low control over Qi, it just wouldn''t be as fantastic as Sun Ruan.


    However, Wei Jun''s current Qi control wasn''t that amazing. The system only allowed slight control, for further control, he needed the skill to level up which according to the system would only level up when he advanced in his cultivation.


    So, at the moment, that wasn''t what his attention should be, that was what he decided and turned back to Sun Ruan, who after meeting the important guests, made his way to Wei Jun. Wei Jun wasn''t an idiot, he could tell what was about to come and for that, he would be facing a lot of headaches in the future.


    "Ahh¡­ My dear grandson, I am thrilled that you joined us today. And I see you have met Melissa as well." Sun Ruan greeted Wei Jun with a smile and then turned to Melissa and said in Chinese, "I hope he wasn''t rude to you."


    "Oh, he was anything but rude. On the contrary, he was quite charming." Melissa replied in fluent Chinese but her western accent was still present.


    Wei Jun turned to look at Melissa with a small glint of cold in his eyes. He still didn''t know what she did earlier and he was sure if he were to do the same with his Qi, she wouldn''t appreciate it.


    [I don''t think you should act rashly at the moment, host]


    [Maybe after you have gathered some data]


    [Besides, she was just checking your strength]


    Wei Jun decided to listen to the system''s advice and let the matter from earlier go for the moment. Also, he realized that the system knew about what Melissa had done earlier, which meant he knew about mana as well, another strange power of this world. Wei Jun made sure to ask him about it.


    "Haha! I see, I see. Well, then, I will let you two youngsters have a nice chat while I meet the rest of the guests." Sun Ruan said before he stepped away, and headed to another group that came in the senior citizen category.


    However, even before he took ten steps away, the surrounding people had launched themselves at Wei Jun. Now that it was known that he was welcomed back, there was no way they would treat him as before. Now, he wasn''t the banished prince anymore but the crown prince of a medium to high-sized business empire.


    Not to mention, he was also a direct connection to Sun Ruan, a power not easily dismissible even in higher-grade cities.


    "Young master Ruan, I am Ru Shi, the mayor of the Hao Tu city." One man introduced himself.


    "Young master, I would be delighted to invite you to my company. Be sure to pay me a visit when you visit my Yu Hon city." Another woman invited Wei Jun.


    "Young master Ruan, when you come to visit my Shi family, I would love it if you meet my daughter." Another man openly offered his own daughter. But he wasn''t alone, Wei Jun received offers not only for daughters, and sisters but wives as well. These people were desperate and opportunistic on a whole other level.


    However, Wei Jun wasn''t overwhelmed. His mind was focused on something else at the moment. The woman standing next to her. Melissa stood next to him with a smile adorning her face.


    Wei Jun wasn''t an idiot; he knew what Sun Ruan''s real goal was. Melissa. The connection with these trivial people didn''t matter, he wanted Wei Jun to have a connection with Melissa, more than just a connection. A connection that stretched to the bed.


    Wei Jun didn''t like that. Of course, Melissa was an otherworldly beauty, rivaling that of Xia Lu, but for Wei Jun, she was a potential enemy. Besides, he also didn''t like the fact that he was being forced to do something.


    Of course, it wasn''t to the point that he would be offended greatly. He just simply had to keep Melissa at arm''s length. Of course, her mysterious power was interesting and Wei Jun was curious to know more about it, but if she brought headaches with her, then Wei Jun would have to get his experimentation done from somewhere else.


    Wei Jun glanced at Melissa once again who was still smiling beautifully but now there was a difference, she also understood the insinuations of Sun Ruan. No, she was aware of them even before then, right now she was annoyed by the people who were trying to forcefully get themselves known to Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun turned his attention back to the people and began to deal with them one by one. Professionally, and with a charming smile, he dealt with all of them amicably and took everyone''s contact cards, of course only to throw them in a dustbin later but for now, that would be enough to get these annoying people off his back.


    As for the important people, they had yet to make a move to introduce themselves. Of course, in their case, Wei Jun would have to be the one to introduce himself, but at the current moment, he could do neither.


    Because in their eyes, Wei Jun wasn''t valuable yet. The word yet came with one simple explanation. They intended to test Wei Jun, another thing Wei Jun didn''t like as his expression turned a little bit more cold.

 Chapter 111: Cosmic powers (Bonus P.S)

    It might be a little confusing right now because the geography of my novel is a bit unique but think of it like a new idea.


    Enjoy!


    ***


    "I guess you understand what''s happening here, don''t you?" Melissa asked in English. Lin Ruan had left them alone to meet with other guests because she also understood what Sun Ruan wanted.


    "And? Should I fret over it needlessly?" Wei Jun asked, not really interested in what was going on. Of course, he knew what Sun Ruan wanted but his wants weren''t Wei Jun''s. Wei Jun had always done what he wanted, he was taught to do so. First by his father, and then by his brother. All he was taught was to sit at the top and he did.


    At the top, his wants were his and his alone, no one else''s wants were ever his priority.


    ''Nothing had changed. My situation is just a little weak at the moment.'' Wei Jun''s plans, nature, desire, nothing had changed. All that changed was that he was powerless at the moment.


    ''But, not for long.'' Wei Jun thought with determination. He had taken his first steps. Now all he needed to do was learn how to properly walk and then run and in no time, he would be at the finish line, faster than anyone else. Even those who began decades before him. He just needed some time and stick to his goals.


    "Enjoy your evening, Dame Melissa. May we meet again under better circumstances." Wei Jun said before retiring to the balcony to have a good conversation with the system.


    Melissa was stunned by how Wei Jun completely dismissed her. She wasn''t someone to dismiss so easily. Still, she decided not to take any offense, after all, she had also been rude earlier when she tried to gauge the strength of the man whose child she might have to sire.


    Wei Jun arrived on the balcony and the first thing he asked was, "What the hell is mana?"


    [Mana is another cosmic power of this world, this universe, this reality]


    ''What? I thought Qi was the only cosmic power of this world.'' Wei Jun asked incredulously.


    [And who told you that?]


    The system retorted. But Wei Jun replied, ''Isn''t it so because you are the overseer of this world? If you were a Qi cultivator, then wasn''t Qi the power of this world?''


    [¡­]


    [Host, have you never heard of a predecessor?]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked, a little flabbergasted by the question that had nothing to do with the conversation.


    [The position of the overseer didn''t just create itself and I was lucky enough to have it]


    [The position of the overseer was made by someone to watch over this world and I just happened to be the latest overseer for the last 103,512 years]


    [There have been many before me]


    [The powers of this world aren''t just Mana and Qi, there is also spiritual energy, soul power, and the most dangerous one that evil people often turn to, the power of darkness]


    It was a lot to take in. First, the system wasn''t the only overseer in history, there had been many before him, and from his explanation, it looked like not all of them had Qi as their power.


    Second was the duration of the system''s tenure to the position of overseer. And last but not least, the existence of many other powers.


    [If you''re wondering whether or not you can practice the other powers as well, then the answer is no]


    [The core in your abdomen will fight off any other power]


    [Except for the power of darkness of course, because that is the only power more violent than Qi]


    [However, then the power of darkness would fight off Qi and reject it from your system]


    Wei Jun admitted he had a small thought about that but he didn''t entertain it fully. However, now that the system had explained the risks, and if he was just guessing, then rejection meant his death, Wei Jun wasn''t going to attempt anything like that.


    Besides, he could tell that his role was designed to be a cultivator since the beginning given the items in the system''s shop.


    ''Is mana dangerous? Are all of them dangerous?'' Wei Jun asked about his next points of concern.


    [Everything is accompanied by advantages and disadvantages]


    [No power is all powerful and without any drawbacks]


    [When it comes to combat, think of it like an archer facing a swordsman]


    [If the distance between them is greater, then the archer wins]


    [If not, then the swordsman wins]


    [In this scenario, mages, mana users, are archers and swordsmen are Qi cultivators]


    [Like I said, every power comes with advantages and disadvantages]


    [Qi makes the body of the cultivator strong, granting them power and endurance beyond normal humans to levels you wouldn''t even imagine]


    [As for mages, their attacks and skills become stronger with mana, but their bodies remain weak]


    [Of course, there is an extension of mana, known as aura that works almost similar to Qi, but isn''t as destructive and powerful as Qi]


    [The same goes for other powers as well]


    Even after a very long and precise explanation, Wei Jun still had a ton of questions left but before he could ask them, he felt someone stepping onto the balcony, "Grandfather wishes to see you." A familiar female voice informed him.


    Wei Jun knew he couldn''t avoid this at the moment so he turned to Lin Ruan and simply nodded, making his way back to the hall where the gathering was held.


    "Ah, my grandson, come and meet Elder Zhiang. He is a very respectable figure in our sect." Sun Ruan introduced Wei Jun to another white-haired old man.


    Although Wei Jun didn''t want to go far with this farce, he still had enough patience to see Sun Ruan''s efforts to the end. Besides, the more he knew about him, the better his cards would be.


    Of course, at the current moment, Wei Jun had no cards and even if he did, he knew he wouldn''t be able to use them because of his low power.


    "A pleasure to meet you, elder." Wei Jun knew that in ancient China, an elder was a title given to respectable and powerful figures. It was a tradition used in the Mongolian race though Wei Jun didn''t know if the Mongolian lineage was also in this world or not.


    So he treated the old man with respect, bowed slightly, closed his eyes, and called him by his appropriate title. The old man, Elder Zhiang was taken aback by the courteous bow of Wei Jun and couldn''t help but let out a pleasant laugh, "Haha! What a marvelous young man! Young people nowadays don''t even know how to properly greet their elders." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun nodded inwardly as his guess hit the spot. From his earlier guesses, this world hadn''t gone through some major changes. The nation of England, the ruler of Britain was still in the old ways.


    Mongolian China wasn''t also divided into China, Corea, later known as Korea, Japan, and so on. It was still one untied nation.


    He had a strong hunch that the same must be true for the other old nations that split up after industrialization and the modern age. However, this world had achieved modernization but still, the old nations were the same, and the traditions also seemed to be the same. Like English noble houses bow, kiss on the back of the hand, and mostly Melissa''s fashion sense.


    And now, greeting an elder like they used to be greeted in old China was also the same.


    Wei Jun remained quiet to that remark. It wasn''t meant for him anyway. Elder Zhiang was loud enough for everyone to listen. One because he wanted them to know that that was how they should greet their elders, and the second because of their earlier ploy of elevating Wei Jun''s worth.


    It was simple for Wei Jun to see even if many in the hall didn''t understand. Just like that, the introductions to various old men, old women, middle-aged men, middle-aged women, young men, and especially young beautiful women.


    Sun Ruan paid extra attention to the last category. Wei Jun on the other hand couldn''t help but feel annoyed every time he would do that. It wasn''t the playful type of annoyance, but someone trying to control your life annoyance. And that was what Sun Ruan was doing.


    Finally, the gathering came to an end. The guests began to leave one by one by midnight. Wei Jun stood in a corner, watching everyone leave one by one, after greeting the patriarch of the house.


    Once everyone was gone, it was time for the wrap-up. Of course, that was the task of the staff. The last to leave was Melissa who winked at Wei Jun before she left. That wink was nothing but trouble for Wei Jun because Sun Ruan was watching. And not only that, Melissa meant nothing romantic by it.


    Finally, the family was also excused by Sun Ruan but before Wei Jun could even leave, Sun Ruan''s voice entered his ears, "Meet me in the study room, Xiao Wei. Join me for some tea."


    Wei Jun sighed. He had thought that this matter wouldn''t come up since it was almost one in the morning, but it seemed like what he suspected was about to some. The talk of his marriage, or the lack of it.

 Chapter 112: Child

    Like every reader, I hate info dumps.


    But I feel like just an appropriate amount is necessary. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Also, I don''t know if some readers would be comfortable with the content up ahead or not, but please try to look past it.


    *******


    Sun Ruan poured Wei Jun piping hot green tea into a special ceramic cup from the looks of it. Wei Jun quietly sat opposite him, trying to cope with the pressure Sun Ruan was emitting.


    Wei Jun didn''t ask for the tea and even when asked, Wei Jun declined, but Sun Ruan poured it anyway. The reason was simple, Sun Ruan was trying to throw him off. Showing him that Wei Jun didn''t have the power to refuse him.


    And that was what the subtle waves of Qi around him also suggested. However, Wei Jun could only accept whatever was given at the moment. That was the only option after all.


    "I heard you had a pleasant meeting with Melissa. How is she?" sun Ruan said and asked.


    "She seemed fine when she left." Wei Jun replied. He knew that wasn''t what Sun Ruan had asked but that was to show that he was off the balance just like Sun Ruan was hoping.


    "What I meant to ask was how did you find her? Was she alright for your taste?" Sun Ruan repeated his question.


    The subtle smile on his face showed he was happy with his work. However, Wei Jun could also spot some tension in his words. As if Sun Ruan had no power over Melissa.


    "Good, good. She''s a good woman. You will like her." Sun Ruan said and leaned back with his cup in his hand.


    "Are you suggesting something, grandfather?" Wei Jun asked. Being thrown off was one thing, being entirely stupid was another and Sun Ruan was hoping for the former, not the latter so Wei Jun showed a little bit of intellect.


    "Of course, I am." Sun Ruan said before he added with a serious expression, "Make a child with her."


    "What?" Wei Jun was taken aback. Making a child and marrying were two different things. Still, Wei Jun asked just to clarify, "You mean to marry her?"


    "No. Just make a child. You don''t have to marry her. Of course, you will have to seduce her for that first." Sun Ruan elaborated.


    Wei Jun''s expression turned cold but only on the inside. He made sure to keep his expression of that of shock on the outside as he said, "But¡­ how can I do that? I''m already engaged."


    Wei Jun was confident in his acting and he was sure he could act the way Sun Ruan expected him to.


    "No need to worry about that. It''s not like you would be marrying her, just make a child. Your fianc¨¦e won''t have any issues with that." Sun Ruan replied, not bothered by the morality of the situation.


    Now Wei Jun understood where the drive of Liu Yu''s obsession was coming from. However, it still didn''t matter to him. What only mattered was the fact that his will was being undermined, being controlled by someone else.


    Still, Wei Jun kept up the act, "But¡­ Still¡­" He was speechless and acted that way to show his hesitation to Sun Ruan, to show him the ridiculousness of the situation.


    "No need to be surprised. It''s nothing new and it''s nothing last as well." Sun Ruan replied.


    The first part of the sentence meant that this had been done before, almost as if it was a norm and the second part suggested that Sun Ruan wasn''t done yet with his commands. There was still something more.


    So Wei Jun waited for Sun Ruan to speak and finally, after a few tense moments, he finally spoke up, relaying his command, "Also, make a child with Lin."


    Wei Jun''s eyes widened. This time, he was truly surprised. No acting of any kind. After all, wasn''t Sun Ruan asking for something super taboo?


    "What? What is there to be so surprised about?" Sun Ruan asked seeing the expression of pure shock on Wei Jun''s face.


    Wei Jun composed himself and asked, "Lin, as in my sister?" Wei Jun asked just to be sure because, of course, there could be many named Lin out there.


    "Of course, who else would I be talking about." Sun Ruan said it like a fact and then added, "Also, she isn''t your sister. She is just a soul I saved so she could repay me for this day. Her purpose since she came to this house was to bear your child. Her having a good talent in cultivation was just a blessing on top."


    Sun Ruan couldn''t have sounded more inconsiderate but magnanimous in one sentence. He was acting like he had done Lin Ruan a favor in her life like he was a messiah to her, a deity whose commands were absolute to her. As for how inconsiderate he was, could be seen by how he talked about her. He didn''t even consider her a human being. Just a breeding machine.


    "So you brought her in this house to be your breeding puppet?" Wei Jun asked coldly. There was no hesitation in his voice, no acting, just pure, chilling coldness.


    Sun Ruan was momentarily taken aback before he smiled and said, "No wonder your replies earlier felt fake. They were fake."


    Wei Jun had been caught since the beginning, of course, there was also a possibility that he wasn''t and Sun Ruan was making sure of that.


    "There''s nothing to be surprised about. Make as many heirs as you can. Now that you''re a cultivator, your child would be all the more special. And a child with a mana user would be all the more amazing. Of course, that was if she managed to bear it and not die like all the others before her." Sun Ruan began to talk but he wasn''t interested in listening to what Wei Jun had to say.


    "Marry who you want, knock out who you want. Just make sure to make as many children as possible. No need to worry about the useless matters of morality. No need to worry about seducing Lin as well, just make a child with her tonight." Sun Ruan continued while Wei Jun just coldly stared at him.


    Inwardly, he was also having a conversation with the system about this.


    [He is right; you know]


    [This isn''t the first time it has happened]


    [Even I had seventy-three wives but only two children out of all of them]


    Putting the point of seventy-three wives aside, Wei Jun was more interested in two children. How was that possible with all that?


    [Logically speaking, that''s how it goes]


    [Cultivators have very low birth rates]


    [Male cultivators practice the power of yang which is hot]


    [Although it makes your virility tenfold, it also burns your essence clean]


    [The same goes for women who practice the power of yin]


    [The more they practice, the more their womb becomes inhabitable for children]


    [There are unique cases when men practice yin but for that, they have to cut off their yang organ]


    [I mean their manhood by that]


    [Same goes for women]


    [That is why it is better to stick to the logic of the world]


    [Yang for men and yin for women]


    [Also, the fact that male cultivators can only have children with female cultivators is also another problem]


    [You see; a normal womb won''t be able to bear your essence if it didn''t manage to burn all the way clean]


    [If you were to have a child with Xia Lu, it would kill her]


    [The greater your power, the greater your yang burns]


    [Just look at what happened when you discharged your Qi into that human yesterday]


    [What do you think would happen when you let something from your inside, hot as hell, inside a normal woman who doesn''t have a yin agent to cool it off?]


    [She would melt from the inside]


    While Sun Ruan sat silently after he had said his part and left Wei Jun to process everything, Wei Jun received a lengthy and precise explanation from the system. The fact that he was being asked to screw his adoptive sister and that he would have to make a child with a mana user wasn''t still answered.


    [That is nothing to be surprised about]


    [In my time, marriages between siblings or even other relatives as your brother''s daughter or your aunt were normal]


    [It was to keep the bloodline pure]


    [It wasn''t just between cultivators but a practice all around the world except for a few religions]


    [As for the matter of the hybrid with a mana user or with any other power user]


    [There has only been one case of a hybrid throughout history]


    [Other than that, countless lives had been lost, mostly women while trying to make a hybrid]


    Wei Jun digested all the information and simply asked, ''Is it possible?''


    [Like I said, only one case ever]


    [Even the hybrid''s children weren''t hybrids but one was a cultivator while one was a mage]


    [In your case, I don''t really know]


    [Melissa might survive if her power increased a bit and her body was made stronger through various means]


    [But I doubt the child would be able to receive the necessary power to survive in the womb]


    Done with receiving the lengthy information from the system, Wei Jun simply sighed to all of that. Most of the information to Wei Jun was useless. He didn''t need to know whether interfamily marriages were okay or not. He didn''t need to know whether he could have a child with another power user or not.


    All that mattered was how it affected him and it didn''t affect him positively at all. His life was his and his alone. That was the principle of his life. He turned his eyes to Sun Ruan after some time.


    Sun Ruan didn''t expect anything but a yes but he was surprised to know when Wei Jun simply uttered. "No."

 Chapter 113: Meeting

    Super early chapter, I know. But there is maintenance on the site and I don''t know if I will be able to upload the chapter or not so, I''m uploading it now.


    Also, I know that many of you want Liu Yu dead but I have some other plans for her. Give it a read and tell me what you think.


    ******


    Sun Ruan was taken aback by the straight no at his proposal. A young man like Wei Jun should have been overjoyed to have as many women as he wanted, to attempt all his debauched fantasies, however, a clear and simple no relayed all his intentions.


    And from the looks of it, it didn''t look like he would be changing his mind anytime soon. Sun Ruan calmly leaned back and said, "Think about it. There''s no need to be so hasty."


    However, instead of backing down, Wei Jun replied in a clear voice, "If I want to sleep with as many women as I want, I will do so. If I don''t want to, I won''t. There''s nothing to think about."


    Wei Jun knew that he was making an enemy he couldn''t afford but he couldn''t give in as well. It was his whole life''s rule, never to be under someone else''s rule. And if it was a reasonable request, he would have temporarily listened because he wasn''t an idiot, however, the request was too unreasonable.


    Wei Jun knew full well the implications of heeding this request, he would have to live for the sole purpose of the family Ruan.


    And the Ruan family was Sun Ruan. The answer was as clear as the day, there was no need to even think about it.


    "Make sure to think of the consequences of your answer before you do anything else." Sun Ruan said and pointed at the door. The conversation was over but it was far from over from Wei Jun''s perspective.


    Wei Jun stood up and left the room without another word. He made his way out of the mansion without stopping to see anyone.


    As he came out of the mansion, he was about to get in his car when the headlights of another car turned on. He turned to see a luxurious Sedan, resembling Audi from his world. The car slowly began to move and stopped next to him. The window of the back seats opened and the face to peek out was none other than his lovely fianc¨¦e, Liu Yu.


    "Husband," she calmly said and then added after a short pause once she saw Wei Jun didn''t reply and was just looking at her, "Have you decided on the restaurant for our meet tomorrow?"


    Wei Jun raised an eyebrow but still didn''t reply. Liu Yu chuckled which sounded very melodious but all Wei Jun could see was the poison emitting from the laugh. "We''re meeting tomorrow. Sect elder''s orders."


    Another glint passed through Wei Jun''s eyes. It was clear who she meant by sect elder, but what surprised him was that Liu Yu was also part of that sect.


    [Qi empowerment realm]


    [Strength 41]


    [Stamina 42]


    [Agility 38]


    [Qi 153]


    Wei Jun was taken aback by the basic information about Liu Yu. Her physical stats weren''t anything special, if Wei Jun wasn''t under a limit, he would have been two times stronger than her in terms of physical capabilities.


    However, in terms of Qi, it was almost three times more than his.


    [She''s talented]


    A remark coming from the system spoke volumes of her strength. Wei Jun didn''t care and spoke, "I didn''t know anything about that. But I won''t be able to meet you tomorrow."


    Wei Jun had an appointment with Li Wei in the morning but he had to reschedule because of this dinner. However, he didn''t want to reschedule so much. His priorities were those who were useful to him first. Although he didn''t mind meeting Liu Yu because he had some questions for her as well, he was still going to focus on the more important person.


    "That''s hurtful. I feel like you have been ignoring me. You were so cute when you used to follow me like a dog." Liu Yu said with a smile and love on her face but her words were anything but that. Wei Jun didn''t mind, if he didn''t mind her attempts to kill him, he wasn''t going to mind some verbal abuse either.


    But when it came to verbal abuse, no one was better than him, "Well, you had a sweet big as*. But I have found a bigger one now."


    Stunned, Liu Yu couldn''t reply. As for Liu Yu''s driver, her butler, he yelled as he got out of his car, "YOU!!!"


    "Get back inside." Liu Yu calmly spoke while Wei Jun just calmly stared at the butler who he didn''t know but had seen before during the gathering.


    The butler begrudgingly got back in and Liu Yu once again said, "That''s not something you should say to a lady."


    "Oh, did I hit the spot of a lady I shouldn''t have?" Wei Jun asked, acting playful. Liu Yu was fully well capable of understating what that meant. Wei Jun was pointing at her gender problem.


    "Watch your words, husband." She once again said with the most charming smile on her face that only made Wei Jun let out a slight laugh as his reply was very simple, "I think we''re done here, dear wife."


    Liu Yu''s expression turned cold when she heard the term used to address her but she repressed her anger and said, "Tomorrow 3 pm. I will inform you of the address later. Don''t be late."


    Without waiting for a reply, the car drove off. Wei Jun saw her leave the gate before he smiled and got into his own. Wei Jun''s current worry wasn''t her. Even if she was surprisingly powerful, Wei Jun wasn''t worried about her attempts to kill him. So far, they were childish.


    Of course, she had shown hostility but Wei Jun didn''t blame her for it. After all, he also hated being suppressed and would do anything to the suppressor. It was childish that she just wanted to kill her suppressors because Wei Jun would have done a lot worse.


    However, the fact didn''t change that she had indeed shown clear hostility and for that, Wei Jun would surely pay her back. Just not anytime soon. He had a bigger headache to deal with after all.


    Wei Jun got into his car and drove off to his villa. He had a lot to think about and a lot to do. But, he had very little time as well so he wanted to deal with this as soon as possible.


    And the first issue on her agenda was Li Wei''s revenge problem.


    *******


    "I apologize for yesterday." Wei Jun said as he picked up Li Wei from her residence which he had provided. Although Wei Jun had apologized yesterday over the phone, he felt like he should do so once again.


    "It''s alright, boss. The word busy flows in the word businessman." Li Wei didn''t take it to heart because she also didn''t want to deal with the issue so soon. She needed to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to do.


    Soon, they arrived at an empty warehouse on the edge of the city. It was one of the secluded properties and under one of the affiliates to avoid Wei Jun''s involvement.


    Wei Jun opened the door to reveal a group of men appointed by Lao Chen to watch over their captives. In cages in the middle of the room, lay five men of different age groups. A few things common in them were their malnutrition, their parched lips, and the various bruises all over their bodies.


    Four of these individuals were cultivators, with two at the first rank and two at the second rank. Nie Quan, the Quan family head wasn''t a cultivator so he was in a worse shape than the rest.


    However, he had enough strength to ask Wei Jun when he saw him, "Who are you?"


    "I guess everyone wants to live." Wei Jun remarked before he turned to the rest of the four individuals and took a step forward.


    He touched one of them through the cage and let out five points of Qi inside him. The result was as he had suspected, the man began to tremble, as if he was fire, and yelled and screamed and scratched his own skin.


    After a while, the man finally died. Wei Jun ignored the notifications that pooped up in the corner of his vision and one by one killed the rest. The last two tried to protect themselves but they couldn''t because Wei Jun was stronger than them.


    In the end, they died too while everyone just watched. Wei Jun ignored everything, even the terrified Nie Quan who kept begging for his life and checked the notifications he had received, however, as he read them his mood was quite a bit soured.


    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been obtained] sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Strength +5]


    [Agility +6]


    [Stamina +9]


    [Defense +11]


    [Qi +14]


    Wei Jun had received too less of an amount from four individuals. Wei Jun had received somewhat the same from Yao Tian and he was only at the first rank of the cultivation.


    ''Oi?'' So Wei Jun turned to the only person who had even a little idea about this, the system.

 Chapter 114: Li Wei

    [I would usually say I don''t know since you know that function isn''t part of the system]


    [However, if I had to guess, then I would say your life force itself has become too strong]


    ''What do you mean?'' Wei Jun still didn''t understand and asked. He was somewhat relieved that the system wasn''t just saying ''No idea'' like before and had a working theory at least. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You see; Qi is basically a force of life]


    [An extension of it]


    [The more you have it, the more potent your life force is]


    [If we apply the same theory in your case, then it''s like you absorb the life of the people you kill]


    [The condition seems to be only the people with Qi though]


    [Anyway, when you first absorbed the life force of someone else, you weren''t a cultivator yourself]


    [So your life force wasn''t that strong]


    [However, now, technically you have a stronger life force than these guys]


    [So you''re receiving less life force]


    [It is actually quite simple if you look at it]


    Wei Jun nodded, he didn''t know why he absorbed others'' stats yet but he at least had a theory about how that worked. He also learned that Qi was the force of life so with the help of Qi, Wei Jun could theoretically live for a longer time. Or at least that''s what he thought.


    He didn''t bother asking the system because he had another issue to attend to at the moment.


    "WHO ARE YOU?!!" Frantically, Nie Quan yelled again and again, while trying to merge into the back of the cage as if he was safe there. Wei Jun turned to Li Wei who stood a few steps behind him, her expression not that comfortable.


    Wei Jun turned back to Nie Quan and answered, "That''s not what you should be asking. You should be thinking instead. Thinking why you''re here? What sin could you have committed for you to be here?"


    Nie Quan however, still didn''t shut up about mercy and such, and for that, Wei Jun stepped forward and ripped the cage that Nie Quan thought he was safe in. Wei Jun stepped forward and grabbed him by his collar and threw him at Li Wei''s feet.


    "Ask for mercy from her." Wei Jun said as he dismissed everyone else in the warehouse. He had shown them that he was strong so there was no need to keep them there. If these were Lao Chen''s people, then they were Sun Ruan''s people, this display should be enough to buy him some time.


    The men left and it was just four dead guys, one lady, one handsome, and one sniffling middle-aged man in the warehouse now. Wei Jun once again stepped forward and stepped on Nie Quan''s left leg and crushed it, making him let out screams of pain and horror. And that wasn''t all, he was also clinging to Li Wei''s feet and begging for mercy like he was told to.


    After a while, when the pain somewhat subsided, Nie Quan quietly asked, "Why¡­ why are you doing this¡­ this¡­ to me?"


    "Right. Why am I doing this to you?" Wei Jun asked as he stared into Li Wei''s eyes. He wasn''t asking Nie Quan but he was asking her. He wanted her to step forward and do what needed to be done.


    Li Wei understood the message delivered by Wei Jun''s words and eyes and she knelt in front of Nie Quan, "You really don''t remember me, don''t you?"


    Nie Quan confusedly looked at her but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t come to a realization. Li Wei chuckled and raised her shirt, showing various bruises and marks of cuts Wei Jun had never seen before.


    There was a pattern to those bruises, and the cuts were also made for fun. Wei Jun should know; he had done so many times himself before. As for the burn marks, they were properly branded as if someone was leaving their mark on her body.


    "You¡­" However, that was enough to jog Nie Quan''s memory. Shocked, he looked at Li Wei as if seeing a ghost.


    "That''s¡­ not possible¡­ you''re dead." He said, still not believing what his eyes were seeing in front of him.


    "Is that all you have to say?" Li Wei asked, looking like she was tired.


    Nie Quan, on the other hand, accepted the terms of everything happening to him. He accepted the woman before him and accepted why this was happening to him. It was all because of this woman before him.


    "You¡­ even after all these years¡­ you''re nothing but a curse. Should have killed you¡­ killed you with your mother." Nie Quan slowly said, his words overflowing with hate. Wei Jun couldn''t help but shake his head but Li Wei on the other hand looked relieved.


    "That''s right. I am a curse. But I want you to know this," Li Wei said as she leaned in closer, "Everyone you loved is dead. All your sons, all your daughters, all your lineage is gone. Gone, consumed by this curse. What did I say then?


    That day when you burned me? Do you remember what I said?"


    Li Wei said her piece and waited, waiting for Nie Quan to reply. He laughed, laughed like a madman, and said, "You said you would return one day and take everything away from me."


    He slumped back to the ground, lost and tired. He was ready to accept death from the looks of it. Wei Jun only shook his head at the drama and waited for it to end.


    Li Wei also shook her head but she didn''t say anything. She simply stood up and turned to Wei Jun, "Thanks, boss. You delivered on your promise."


    Wei Jun nodded while Li Wei simply smiled and turned to leave the warehouse. As for Wei Jun, he knew what to do.


    He simply waited for the men to come in before he said, "Let him live. Let him for the rest of his life behind a cage. That seems like an appropriate punishment."


    Wei Jun left the warehouse and made his way to his car to see Li Wei standing outside it. She seemed refreshed as if liberated from a long-term responsibility.


    Wei Jun opened the door for her to get in. She smiled and got in. Wei Jun got into the driver''s seat and drove off. His destination was her apartment, not her workplace. She had a leave for about a week, depending on work.


    On the way, Li Wei didn''t say anything about her past, and Wei Jun, like always, had no interest. All Wei Jun knew was that she was helpful to him, to make his goals become easier, and that was all he needed.


    The quiet drive came to an end when they arrived at Li Wei''s apartment building. After that, Wei Jun left without saying a word just like she didn''t say a word instead of just a smile.


    Wei Jun went back to his office, he still had some before the decided lunch so he decided to get some work done. His scenes were scheduled for the day after tomorrow and those were his last scenes. Although they were a bit much for a single actor, he was confident he could finish them.


    As the time for the lunch ticked closer, Wei Jun finally stood up at 2:30 pm and made his way to his car. Wei Jun had already received a message on his personal phone from Liu Yu where the restaurant was. As he drove to his destination, he once again thought about his upcoming lunch.


    He didn''t want to be there but he couldn''t avoid her for long either, lest have risk her ordering another attack on him.


    As Wei Jun reached the restaurant, he was greeted by the manager himself who said with a smile, "Please this way, Mister Ruan. Lady Yu is waiting for you."


    Wei Jun deliberately drove slowly and arrived fifteen minutes later than the agreed time. After all, he wanted to assert his position. If she said 3 pm, and he was there at 3 pm, then that only sent a message of him being an obedient little dog.


    However, he had asserted his stance by just being fifteen minutes late that he wasn''t going to be pushed around in this conversation up ahead.


    As expected, when he was guided into the room where Liu Yu was, the expression on her face was anything but happy. "You''re late." She made sure to remind him of that. Her smiley act was nowhere to be seen on her.


    Wei Jun just smiled in response as he took his seat opposite her. The food had already gone cold from the looks of it so that meant Wei Jun wasn''t eating anything from there. Besides, he couldn''t trust her to eat either.


    Knowing her, and her past actions, there was a good chance most of the food was positioned or all of it was and she had a neutralizer for it.

 Chapter 115: Liu Yu: Threat

    Wei Jun''s charming smile only angered Liu Yu even more. However, she knew she had to hold it in. This was a battle of wits, the one to erupt first would be the loser.


    She exhaled, heaving a sigh to calm herself before she said, "You''re not eating."


    Wei Jun simply smiled, which was all the answer she needed. "I see. You want to get straight to the point."


    There were no pretend emotions on her face, she was for real now. In a calm and collected voice she gave her suggestions, "I want you to break our engagement."


    Now it was Wei Jun''s turn to heave a lengthy sigh. Only his sigh was accompanied by slight anger, ''That''s what she wanted to talk about. Couldn''t she have just used a phone?''


    [I think she''s trying to use you]


    ''How so?'' Wei Jun curiously asked. Wei Jun knew what she was doing but Wei Jun didn''t know why she was doing it. What did she stand to gain from it? That question gnawed at the back of his consciousness.


    [If I have to guess, she''s trying to use the sect against you]


    Wei Jun still didn''t say anything and waited for the system to explain properly while he ignored whatever Liu Yu was saying and adapted a contemplative expression on his face as if he was thinking so Liu Yu would shut up for a minute.


    [In my time, the laws of the world weren''t so strict]


    [However, the laws of the sect were everything]


    [If such a tradition is still kept, then there is a good chance the sect Liu Yu is in has the same set of rules]


    ''Which are?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [In sects, marriages between prospects were normal]


    [I think this marriage isn''t about you but the position of Sun Ruan and the elder who is in charge of Liu Yu]


    [If I have to guess, it would be that Elder Zhiang]


    [In other words, it is an attempt for an alliance]


    [However, if you were to break the engagement, it would be an insult to the elder in charge of her]


    [The alliance would be a pipe dream then]


    [Not having a mortal enemy on your back would be a blessing instead]


    [So, she''s trying to have you break off the engagement]


    Wei Jun understood the cusp of the matter. However, he still didn''t know what Liu Yu stood to gain by making Sun Ruan and Elder Zhiang an enemy.


    [I don''t think she stands to gain anything]


    [I simply think she wants to gain her freedom from both of them]


    Wei Jun also had an idea along the same lines though he didn''t know that the bond between Liu Yu and her master was so fickle.


    [Maybe it was fickle from the beginning]


    [Like I said, Liu Yu is talented]


    [If she were to show good progress, it would make Elder Zhiang look good]


    [However, there is a good chance Elder Zhiang doesn''t care about her opinion at all]


    ''So she''s being forced.'' Wei Jun concluded


    [That seems plausible]


    Wei Jun chuckled now that he understood the entire matter. Liu Yu didn''t like the fact that he suddenly laughed but she was also curious so she asked, "Is there something funny about what I said?"


    "No." Wei Jun said before he looked at her and continued, "I was just thinking if I didn''t have this guy I would have agreed with you."


    Liu Yu was confused by such an answer and couldn''t help but ask, "What''s that supposed to mean?" What friend was Wei Jun talking about?


    She didn''t care. All she wanted was to get this over with before Wei Jun could enter the sect. Once he did, he would become familiar with the laws of the sect, and the nullification of this engagement would be a pipe dream.


    ''I have to make him say it now.'' She thought inwardly but all Wei Jun was doing was speaking gibberish.


    "You know, you almost had me there for a moment." Wei Jun said as he stood up and buttoned his jacket as he added, "I think we''re done here, dear wife. If you want to nullify our lovely and happy engagement, then be heartless and do it yourself."


    Wei Jun acted hurt and his expression was that of heartbreak but even an idiot could pick up the ridicule in his voice. Liu Yu broke the fork in her hand as she said, "Consider your words carefully. You have no idea what I''m capable of."


    Wei Jun smiled and asked, "Was that a threat?"


    "Yes." Liu Yu blatantly answered.


    The smile on Wei Jun''s face was replaced by a cold expression as he put his hand on one side of the table and threw it all away to the wall on his left. He stepped forward and came directly on top of her. He leaned down a little and said, "Then do it. Do whatever you want and whatever you can but know this, just like I always have, I will use it against you every time."


    He straightened up and left without another word. Once he was a little distance away, he could hear a scream that shook the entire building. That only made Wei Jun smile as he entered his car and drove off. He had to prepare for any moves Liu Yu could use against him.


    Wei Jun could only think of one thing, his movie. With so close to finishing, his movie was a prime target for someone who wanted to hit him and make him face loss.


    However, Wei Jun was also quite a bit prepared.


    ******


    He had to retract his statement after two weeks when his movie was ready for launch. He never thought it would be this.


    "Seriously?" Wei Jun remarked as he saw Quan Kui crying nonstop while Xia Lu and Quan Li consoled her. The problem was simple, Xiao Heiling was arrested for attempting to rape a waitress at a bar.


    There was everything, except video evidence of course. Witnesses, a crying waitress, a hero, the whole shebang. However, there was no video of the incident, like, were the phones of everyone that day not working? The instinct of a person when everything happens around them is to record them. Why was there no such a thing? And why were the CCTV cameras of the place under maintenance that day?


    "He didn''t do it. He didn''t do it, boss. You have to believe me. I was there with him. We were on a date. I just left before him because he was paying the bill.


    And while I waited in the car, a few cars of police showed up and arrested him. And then I heard what happened. It''s not true." Quan Kui explained everything while sniffling and between small breaks.


    ''I know it''s not. It''s because of me.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly but he didn''t say his inner thoughts. However, he still wasn''t worried. Of course, this was something he didn''t expect, but that only meant that he could play an even bigger card.


    Thinking about it, a chuckle instinctively escaped his lips. The others in the room were stunned by the laugh and Xia Lu even looked at him with anger. However, he still laughed and stood up, "Don''t worry. I will take care of everything."


    He then signaled Xia Lu to follow him which she did. Once they were outside, Wei Jun grabbed her by her arm gently and took her with him to a corner. She was flustered when Wei Jun suddenly touched her but made no attempt to set herself free. She was even disappointed when Wei Jun let her go when they were in a secluded corner.


    However, being in a corner made her even more flustered as she didn''t know what Wei Jun going to do.


    ''Is he going to confess?'' She thought, panic setting in her entire being.


    However, she forced herself to calm down. Right now, they were in a crisis and she couldn''t be having such thoughts. Besides, she didn''t want to have expectations only to be disappointed later.


    Wei Jun said in a slight tone and despite her earlier decision to not expect anything, she couldn''t help but be attentive. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, what she was afraid of was exactly what happened.


    "You remember how we acted to get your uncle off our back?" Wei Jun asked. Xia Lu was disappointed so she asked in a cold tone, "What do you mean?"


    ''It was my fault to expect anything anyway,'' She thought inwardly before she heard Wei Jun''s reply, "You will receive a phone call in an hour. I need you to answer it, record it, and act like any other girl would. Understand?"


    Xia Lu was confused but she couldn''t help but nod in assent. She didn''t know what this was about but she knew that Wei Jun was going to get them out of this mess, no matter how so she agreed.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "Thanks. I knew I could count on you." Before he leaned in and kissed her cheek. He swiftly turned around and left, leaving a stunned and frozen Xia Lu behind.

 Chapter 116: The phone call (Bonus P.S)

    The newly appointed mayor of Yuan Yin City was having wine in his office peacefully that evening. He had just had an exhausting day at the office and he wasn''t going to exhaust himself even more by going to his wife at home. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chin Shu wasn''t a corrupt official but he wasn''t squeaky clean either. He was somewhere in the middle. His good deeds were almost equal to his bad deeds. Of course, the amount of lives he had destroyed could never be compared to how many good deeds he did but it was all from a justified point of view. If the price of a life can be some bills in donation, then it was justified.


    Or at least that was how he believed it to be. So when it was said that he was good and bad equally, it was from his own justified view, not from those whose lives were destroyed because of him or those whose lives were saved because of him.


    After the blunder of the previous mayor, who had made the mistake of involving himself with the prince of the Yuan Yin city, although banished, still a prince, the image of the seat of the mayor wasn''t that good. For that, Chin Shu had some ideas.


    Many people had come to him for that, to be in his good books. There were many from the major families. Even the princess of Yuan Yin City, Lin Ruan, and beauties like Liu Yu had contacted him to congratulate him and construct good relations with him.


    He felt proud of himself for that. There were two mayoral candidates for this seat and he was the one selected and he needed to keep it if he wanted to remain successful. So, no involvement with the politics of the families would have been a good idea, however, earlier today he received an offer from Liu Yu that he couldn''t help but accept.


    The task was simple, widespread news of some actor attempting to r*pe a woman. He had to keep the legal aspects of the matter clean. The reward for such a simple task was too much, possible admission of his child to a sect. Although his son hadn''t awakened yet, there was a chance he might or he could purchase elixirs to do so.


    So he agreed, without knowing anything about it, without getting too much involved, he agreed to do it. Now, he had a good life ahead. The future of his child was promised and his position in the city would also become better if he were to actively support against such a criminal.


    Dreaming of such a better future, his eyes felt heavy and he fell asleep right there on the sofa. A figure in the corner of the room moved and came in front of him. The figure wore a biker suit along with a helmet. The figure didn''t look at him for even more than a second before he picked up Chin Shu''s phone and dialed a number on it.


    ********


    Xia Lu had just exited the bath after drying herself. She had had an exhausting day at the office today. At first, there was the matter of dealing with several interviews to testify against the claims against Xiao Heiling''s charges. Then it was consoling Quan Kui who was crying nonstop.


    Then it was the matter of what Wei Jun had asked her to do. However, her focus wasn''t entirely on that. Her focus was mostly on the last part of her day. The part that left her more confused than bashful.


    Although she didn''t deny she had fallen in love, she also didn''t deny the fact that the man she fell for was already committed to someone else. Although there were rumors of them not being on good terms, it wouldn''t necessarily be true. So she was left to ponder, what to do. Should she bury her feelings or should she be open about it? She didn''t know.


    All she did know was that she wasn''t willing to share him. Many marriages for successful people weren''t something rare even in these modern times. Her own grandfather had married twice for the sake of many children.


    But although she leaned on the side of the norm, she also didn''t want to share the love of that man with anyone else. But looking at herself, wasn''t she doing something somewhat similar? She had fallen for a man who was already engaged. In a way, she was the intruder in their story. She was the villain. That fact couldn''t be denied no matter what so did she have any right to be so selfish?


    Such thoughts were what took most of her time these days. And she didn''t know what to do. She didn''t have the courage to straight up go to him and confess her feelings. But she also didn''t want to lose him. So many things plagued her mind that she was at a loss.


    Her feelings didn''t change, but they didn''t change in all aspects. ''I should talk to him.'' She thought inwardly. In the worst-case scenario where she did have to share him, she felt she could cope with it. However, that was the problem for later. The first thing she was the most worried about was the reciprocation of her feelings.


    Wei Jun''s kiss earlier suggested many things. Either he was also interested in her, or he just saw her as another plaything. Or maybe he was interested, but she wasn''t her first priority. Many, many thoughts came together and plagued her mind, leaving her restless and confused, most of the day.


    As she was feeling more and more puzzled, confused, and stressed, her phone rang. She turned to see the phone number and failed to recognize the caller. She suddenly remembered the task she had been given before the kiss that left her to ponder a plethora of things. She collected herself and turned on the record function.


    She picked up the phone and said, "Who is this?"


    Instead of a reply, she received a question from a voice she didn''t recognize, "Who I am does not matter. What matters is your opinion."


    "What opinion? Who is this? I will report you if you waste my time." She threatened, just like a normal person would because she reminded herself about the act she was supposed to put on.


    "You might want to know this before you do that. Your coworker might not survive the night in the police station." The voice on the other side.


    "What? What''s that supposed to mean?" Xia Lu asked, acting confused but she understood who the voice was referring to.


    "Tell me, how did you like the show?" The voice on the other end asked.


    "What show?" Xia Lu asked.


    "The show of your friend being arrested. How was it? Did I cover all the aspects?" The voice asked, sounding amused by Xia Lu''s confusion.


    "I knew it. Xiao Heiling is an idiot but he isn''t the type to do that. So you did something." Xia Lu deduced that acting too stupid would also be detrimental to her so she pointed out the voice''s intentions.


    "Of course. It wasn''t difficult you know. When you have all the resources like me, instigating such an incident is easy." The voice bragged.


    "Cut the sh*t. what do you want?" Xia Lu asked.


    "Oh, now you want to know what I want. You weren''t so enthusiastic last week." The voice at the other end said.


    "Last week?" Xia Lu said as if she was trying to remember before she added surprise to her voice and said, "You! You did this!"


    "Of course, I had to get your attention somehow, now didn''t I?" The man on the other end said before he stated his demand, "Now if you want your friend to be safe and released, you better do what I say. You and your costars, invite them to my private gathering of friends this weekend."


    "You! How could you be so disgusting when you are the mayor?!" Xia Lu pretend yelled and revealed the identity of the caller as if she was sure of it.


    "Haha. I may be a mayor but I''m also a man with a heart. Every man wants to share a drink with a beautiful woman. Or in this instance, many beautiful women." The mayor said on the other end.


    "You, do you really think you will be safe after this?" Xia Lu asked.


    "You do anything, and I will make sure your friend doesn''t survive the night. After all, accidents happen. Just be obedient and bring your friends to my gathering this weekend. Make sure to dress a little to a man''s taste. In other words, try to wear as little as you can. Hahaha!" The mayor once again stated his demands and ended the call.


    Xia Lu chuckled once the call ended. She wasn''t a genius but even she knew what this call meant.


    She couldn''t help but marvel at the methods of her boss. All that was left to do was hand over the recording. After that, her task would end.


    ''Still, that man''s a devious genius.'' Her feelings aside, she couldn''t help but be genuinely surprised by her boss\\ crush.

 Chapter 117: Core

    Liu Yu sat in her room, staring at the big TV, listening to the news anchor delivering the news of the new mayor''s corrupt act in just the first week of his term. His biggest act against corruption, or just his own personal vile act was revealed to be his blackmail to the renowned actress, Xia Lu by instigating the arrest of her colleague.


    There was a clear recording of their conversation, the lab report admitted the voice to match by 98.7% and Xia Lu herself testified.


    The testimony would have been considered invalid and just an attempt by the Rising Star agency to prove the innocence of their actor, however, most of the public was in Xia Lu''s opinion anyway, the nail in the coffin was the discovery of the mayor''s various corrupt acts, most of which he had claimed to have never committed.


    "Haha," Liu Yu laughed suddenly, startling her butler behind her. Her butler stared at her and asked, "What should we do, young miss?"


    "Nothing." Liu Yu simply replied, "He''s won this move. I don''t know how he did it but he has revealed that he can mimic the voices of others. That''s how he managed to get out of his case too."


    The butler thought the same. There was nothing to prove Wei Jun''s involvement in this case. Even if such an issue was raised, not many would be willing to believe it unless there was definite proof of it.


    "Don''t worry about it. For now, just shut him up, if he yapps of my involvement, my dear fianc¨¦e would have something to use against me." Liu Yu said as she sipped wine from her glass.


    "Understood." The butler replied but didn''t move from his spot. The instructions weren''t done yet.


    "Also, deploy a task force. He''s alone in his office on Sunday, the perfect time to give him a gift." Liu Yu said, her instructions ambiguous but clear at the same time.


    "I will have it done." The butler replied before he left. Liu Yu thought back to her conversation with Wei Jun. She knew Wei Jun wasn''t done yet. There was still a move that was yet to come.


    And she was right as the next news was the news about the selection of a new mayor, the other candidate for the Yuan Yin city. ''An ally with connections, huh? What are you planning to do?'' Liu Yu thought inwardly as she took another sip.


    ******


    "I hope you know what this means." Wei Jun said as he took his teacup and leaned back in the sofa seat.


    "Now you''re just embarrassing me, young master Ruan. How would I dare to not acknowledge your act of kindness that you selflessly did?" The new mayor, Chao Hu, flatteringly said. Wei Jun ignored the clear flattery and said, "Just support the campaign with all you got. As for money, don''t worry about it."


    Wei Jun''s blatant mention of money that he had technically bought the mayor. It was an insult but Chao Hu didn''t care. The seat he had been given, and the power that came along with it was worth every insult and even more.


    "Of course, of course, young master Ruan. Your every command is my wish." He said with a flattering smile. Wei Jun scoffed. He hated this type the most but he also knew that this type was easiest to control.


    All bark behind the back but a meek cate at the front. Wei Jun didn''t care what this man said about him behind his back, all he cared how he acted when he was in front of him.


    Also, there was another thing, "I hope you know what this means though, don''t you?" Wei Jun made sure his position was as clear as the sky to the new mayor.


    "Of course, young master Ruan. I only take orders from you." Chao Hu replied, a little apprehensive by how it was said but he couldn''t say anything against it.


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but laugh, the scorn in his laugh visible to even the secretary standing behind the mayor. Wei Jun put down the teacup and stood up while leaving his last set of instructions, "Know this, I will be keeping an eye on you. And the insinuations on you might be worse than your predecessors."


    Chao Hu kept his head down, not out of anger but out of fear. Wei Jun left the office without a word and made his way out. Coincidently on the way out, he bumped into a familiar figure he hadn''t seen for quite a while now.


    "Come to bribe the new mayor?" Zhao Hui asked. Wei Jun chuckled and replied, "One thing you need to know about me, detective, I don''t do bribes." Wei Jun said before he passed Zhao Hui and made his way to his car.


    Wei Jun made his way back to his office. For now, his movie was finished and all that was left was for the movie to be edited.


    After that, the movie was set to be launched next Sunday so Wei Jun had quite a bit of time on his hands. His side hustles such as his actors doing commercials, some broadcasting, some modeling, also some businesses he had as a front for some of his dubious purposes, earned him quite a bit of a penny. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All in all, the business was going well. All Wei Jun had to focus now on was his cultivation. He didn''t have any appointment until Monday so he was free for four days now.


    Wei Jun arrived at his warehouse downtown after making sure he wasn''t followed. He also informed Lao Chen, Xia Lu, and Li Wei of his going off the grid for a few days. Of course, they didn''t know what he was doing. Xia Lu did bug him a little thinking he was going to meet girls but after a lot of promises of not doing such a thing, he was able to calm her down.


    After he entered the warehouse, Wei Jun began to cultivate. This time, he was going to test the limit of his cultivation. He had done so for a whole day but he wanted to know where his limit while cultivating was.


    According to the system, a mind couldn''t do that for more than a few hours a day. Even closed-door cultivation was accompanied by the practice of many techniques and a lot of rest so the mind could be fresh for daily cultivation.


    As Wei Jun sat down on the floor, he made sure to remove his clothes via the inventory, leaving him only in his underwear. He sat in a lotus position and began to feel that small core in his abdomen.


    He was very busy these last few weeks so he hadn''t done even a little bit of cultivation. So just until a few days ago, when he was practicing his Qi for a few hours which didn''t yield him any results, he found something in his abdomen.


    Not something physical but like a mass of energy, combined together to form a small ball but it wasn''t really a ball. He couldn''t tell what it was nor could he really find a good term to define it.


    However, his support was useful in such a matter as always.


    [That''s a core]


    ''What a core?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [A core is like a condensation of your Qi]


    [It takes place in your abdomen]


    [Thousands of strands of Qi combine together to make a core]


    ''What''s the use of a core?'' Wei Jun asked as he had received no proper upgrade of any kind due to a core.


    [You know the skill, Qi discharge right?]


    ''Yes.'' Wei Jun replied to the system''s question.


    [In the description it says it allows you a small amount of control over your Qi]


    [The control is a benefit of a core]


    ''So how does that benefit me?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [A skill would only upgrade if you increase your cultivation]


    [However, the control of the skill, or in doing so, the control of your Qi can be increased in tandem with your core''s stability]


    ''What''s that mean?'' Wei Jun somewhat understood but he still wanted to confirm.


    [It''s like this]


    [You have a skill at level 1 at rank E]


    [At rank E, the maximum that skill can go to is level 10]


    [In this instance, the rank of the skill is your cultivation realm, and in that realm, a skill, or in this instance, your control can reach up to a certain point]


    [It won''t make it so that you can jump like that guy from Shannau City]


    [But it will still grant you a more polished control over Qi, making sure it doesn''t dissipate too much when used]


    Wei Jun had the gist of the usage and he wanted to focus on that before he moved on to his next realm of cultivation.


    The system also mentioned that it was a good idea. The more stable his core would be, the easier ascension to the next realm would be. Of course, that only applied in normal circumstances because the breakthrough setup didn''t apply to Wei Jun.


    Still, he decided it would be a good idea to cross every aspect of each cultivation realm before moving to the next realm.

 Chapter 118: Core (1) (Bonus: Review)

    This is a chapter to thank Dennis_junior for his review and also as an apology for uploading it so late.


    Thank you very much and I hope you continue your support for my novel.


    Enjoy!


    ****


    According to the system, the core condensation was kind of like cultivation circulation but also not cultivation. Each cultivation stage had a limit for core condensation. Usually in cultivation, when the core of a person condensed to a certain condensed stage, that was the sign that the person was ready for a breakthrough.


    However, for Wei Jun, who didn''t require core condensation to increase his Qi seemed to be an unnecessary step but the system stated many more advantages that Wei Jun couldn''t help but look past.


    Following the system''s guidance, Wei Jun mentally entered the same space where he had entered when dealing with Hui Ying.


    Only this time, the scenery was a little different. It was like a ball of yarn, not organized at all as if Qi like strands were leaking from it. Wei Jun''s task was simple, to gather all those leaking strands in one place and polish it like a ball. It was kind of like strands of cotton candy and Wei Jun had to compress those strands so they weren''t disheveled anymore.


    It was a technical thing and even Wei Jun didn''t understand it much but Wei Jun knew that he had to make it so that the strands come together as a ball.


    Done with the theoretical part, Wei Jun moved on to the practical part. He approached the core with his mind because according to the system, that was the only part he could see, and feel, the Qi with.


    Wei Jun started simple and focused on just one out of the thousands of strands and began to control it to his will. It didn''t even budge. It wasn''t like last time Hui Ying where Wei Jun felt like he had no control over the yellow Qi strand. He had control over this yellow Qi strand; he just couldn''t move it no matter how hard he tried.


    He began to put in more and more effort but it only became harder for him until he felt like he was about to pass out so he moved away and exited that space-like realm.


    Wei Jun slowly opened his eyes while a massive headache assaulted him. His head felt like it was splitting apart, literally as he felt blood coming out of his ears.


    [HP -17]


    He could feel a massive internal bleed so he hurriedly consumed a healing pill from the shop.


    [You have consumed a healing pill]


    [HP 31\\31]


    [You cannot consume another healing pill for an hour]


    Wei Jun sighed as blood ceased to flow out of his orifices and his headache began to disappear. In just a minute, he felt as if new but the pain from earlier was still fresh in his mind. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun sat up straight once again and analyzed his earlier movements. Since the system didn''t intervene, it wasn''t something that much of a life-threatening situation since the system only helped when Wei Jun was about to go down the wrong path.


    In other words, it was up to Wei Jun to figure it out. He had to experiment with different approaches. He had already gone hard, now was the turn to go soft. Wei Jun sighed and waited. He opted to wait an hour just to be on the safe side. The healing pill was magical, but cool down time was an hour and Wei Jun couldn''t risk it with how things had happened.


    Once an hour passed and Wei Jun had done some Qi circulations and felt refreshed, he once again entered the realm of the Qi and focused on the core. This time, he opted for a simple and soft approach. He began to feel the strand, a single strand, ignoring the rest of them. As expected, he could.


    As he began to feel the strand of Qi, he could feel the heat emitting from it. It felt like a scorching hot pan radiating heat even after the flame underneath was turned off. Not the best analogy but Wei Jun wasn''t there to make the analogies. He was there to feel.


    He could feel the heat radiating from it, the power generated from it. The amount of Qi in the strand was way less than the strand of Qi he had let out in Hui Ying.


    After a while, the strand of Qi that felt like it was like a wriggling eel in the ocean began to straighten out. It wasn''t long before it became soft like a silky soft strand of hair. Wei Jun then gently guided the strand back into the core. The strand began to merge with the core and soon enough it was gone.


    Wei Jun sighed internally but didn''t continue. Instead, he opted to come out. Now that he knew the method, he wasn''t going to speed through it, he still needed to properly analyze the situation. Also, the fact that his headache had returned but only slightly this time. He didn''t even feel it after some minutes.


    And his HP hadn''t taken a hit also so he assumed that was the safest way to go. Now was the last concern.


    ''How long did it take?'' Wei Jun asked because when he began, it was bright outside but currently, it seemed to be getting dark.


    [A little over six hours]


    ''That long?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Why do you think it takes cultivators decades to advance?]


    [Just having a good a high ranking technique isn''t everything]


    [If you just want to disregard the matter of control, then it won''t even take five decades for a cultivator to become a cultivator at the last realm, given that they have a good technique]


    [However, then, if you want to use the Qi armament, you will have to expend thousands of Qi points for just one use]


    [But with good control, like the control of the system, when a skill activates, can lower the cost by 50%]


    Wei Jun somewhat understood the advantages of Qi control. Of course, when he activated skills, he didn''t need to have good control, but he wasn''t going to be entirely reliant on the system.


    The Qi discharge could be used in many ways and that required control. Wei Jun needed to learn control for that. Deciding not to waste time anymore, Wei Jun got back to the task. He was just going to do one more Qi strand and then eat a hefty amount.


    When he entered the Qi realm again, he began to control a strand just like before but he felt as if this time, it was easier. Not a whole lot easier but if it was a 100 difficulty before, it was now 99.9. It was a minor difference that a normal person wouldn''t even notice but a man like Wei Jun was sure to focus on everything related to cultivation. Even something as minor as that.


    Similarly, the next time he did, the difficulty became 99.8, then 99.7, and then 99.6. Over the course of the next four days, until Saturday night, when Wei Jun felt that it was enough, the difficulty was around 89.7. He had done exactly 103 strands and his control wasn''t perfect, but he was getting used to it.


    According to the system, his progress was very fast for someone who didn''t have any talent for cultivation. Wei Jun didn''t know how that worked but he didn''t care. As long as his power increased, he was satisfied with it.


    Getting up, Wei Jun felt different. Not like sup*rman different, but different. He couldn''t tell exactly what it was because of how minor it was so he let it go for now.


    Wei Jun didn''t experiment any more with his Qi. He had gotten used to the slight headache for the past few days and even when it accumulated to a slight migraine, he could still manage.


    Wei Jun left the warehouse after he was dressed and made his way to his car. He drove straight to his villa and as he entered, he saw the group having dinner. The one who was happiest to see him couldn''t help but smile which she was quick to wipe off her face.


    "Did you¡­ Did you have a safe trip?" Xia Lu asked, getting up from the dining table. Wei Jun stopped her and simply replied, "All the work was done."


    As far as others knew, Wei Jun was out of the city to scout prospects for his next projects. He didn''t tell anything otherwise, even to Li Wei, and kept it as simple as he could.


    Once done with that, Wei Jun excused himself to his room where he took the much-needed shower. He didn''t get close to anyone before so they couldn''t quite smell but Wei Jun could smell the stench of sweat wafting off of him during the entire drive.


    After the shower, Wei Jun came out and called Li Wei to get updated on the situation. So far, there was nothing concerning and after a brief report about everything, Wei Jun ended the call.


    ''I guess I will go to the office tomorrow and deal with the piled-up work.'' No doubt in his absence, a lot of work would have been accumulated, Wei Jun was just going to deal with that tomorrow since he worked on Sundays as well.

 Chapter 119: Ju Bai Lu (Bonus: Review)

    The bonus chapter thanks to Claqiooo''s review. Enjoy!


    ****


    While Wei Jun sat in his office, busy with the paperwork, his sensitive ears picked up the sound of a footstep. Ever since he started cultivation, Wei Jun could feel every small detail, like his senses had been enhanced so much that he could count the number of ants on the floor.


    Wei Jun perked up but he didn''t panic.


    [''Qi armament Lv2'' has been activated]


    [Qi -55]


    [Qi 175\\230]


    He still activated the Qi armament though, an advice he had given Hui Ying when she came into the hotel. Wei Jun didn''t activate the Qi empowerment though because that wasn''t needed at the moment. His Qi was already limited and he had yet to check up on the effects and limitations of the Qi restoration pills.


    Wei Jun calmly attended to the paperwork as the door to his office opened up and a man in a black outfit walked in. It was like a special ops suit, just like the one the people who ambushed Wei Jun were wearing while he was going through his trial.


    The man was about five foot nine with a lean build, he didn''t seem intimidating at all but like a friendly gentleman who had never hurt a person. He calmly took the seat opposite Wei Jun and said, "You might wanna stop doing that."


    "Give me one good reason I should?" Wei Jun asked as he kept his head down and remained focused on the paperwork.


    "Your life, for once." The man said as he waved his hand, signaling behind Wei Jun''s head, out the window behind Wei Jun, and soon, a bullet pierced his desk. Wei Jun remained calm as he said, "That''s it?"


    The man chuckled and said, "So you''re the bastard that''s giving my junior sister trouble. She told me you were one stubborn man."


    Wei Jun chuckled and asked, "Does Elder Zhiang know you''re here?"


    The man chuckled in response as well, "It seems you''re not as idiotic as you''re made out to be. You know, after your embarrassment in the last admission test, we have a name for you, the ''End of Ruans''."


    "You have a terrible naming sense." Wei Jun remarked.


    "But you have to look at it from my viewpoint. For centuries, the Ruan family has been a crucial and strong pillar for our sect yet that seemed to have ended with you." The man said.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "So getting rid of me is not just making Liu Yu''s life easier but also removing a strong competitor." Wei Jun was spot on as the smile on the man only deepened at that. He repeatedly nodded and said, "Yes, it does. It wouldn''t have been much of a problem but ever since Sun Ruan''s advancement in cultivation, he has become ever more important to the sect."


    Wei Jun nodded but didn''t make any comment on that situation. He couldn''t prolong the talk anymore; he was running out of time. His minute was almost up and he would have to use another 35 points of QP to recharge ''Qi armament.'' sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With how low his Qi was, chatting and wasting time wasn''t an option for him. He wanted the gist of the situation and he got it. Now all that remained was to kill these guys. Since Wei Jun wasn''t aware of this attack, there wasn''t much he could do to prepare. If he knew about it, he would have asked Hui Ying to be on the outside, dealing with the outside interference.


    However, now that he was the only one to deal with this issue, he would have to be a little smart about it.


    "You do know that if you kill me here, it would be very easy for Sun Ruan to find out." Wei Jun pointed out a fact that the man himself knew. He laughed and said, "True. Which is why I would be magnanimous and let you have a painful death in a peaceful and quiet environment."


    [Qi empowerment realm]


    [Strength 39]


    [Agility 51]


    [Stamina 48]


    [Qi 132]


    Wei Jun could understand why the man hadn''t used his Qi until now despite being in the fourth stage of Qi, it was because he didn''t want to leave a trace behind.


    After Wei Jun''s encounter with the mysterious cultivator in Shannau City who jumped at his helicopter, Wei Jun pondered why that man managed to find Wei Jun so quickly. His first guess was the presence of a spy but the system helped and informed him that the man must have followed his Qi traces before Wei Jun could begin to torture Hui Ying.


    Precisely for the same reason, the man couldn''t use Qi otherwise he risked leaving a trail behind that could be picked up by Sun Ruan. According to the system, a Qi grandmaster could easily hide his traces but this man was far from that level.


    Wei Jun chuckled as he replied, "Thanks for the generous offer, but I''m gonna have to decline."


    Wei Jun didn''t even grant the man a second before he leaped at him. His speed was greater than the man''s and in other aspects of stats, except for the Qi, he was stronger.


    However, Wei Jun wasn''t that much faster than the man. The man could follow Wei Jun''s movement although he had to expend his full effort and barely managed to raise his elbow to block Wei Jun''s fist which might have been a bit of a bad move.


    Although his agility wasn''t that lower than Wei Jun''s, his strength was. The fist strike along with proper technique managed to shatter the forearm of the man, not to a very startling degree, but it was safe to assume that Wei Jun''s opponent now only had one arm.


    Wei Jun''s plan was to let them do their thing. Take him someplace else and kill them all at once.


    However, Wei Jun couldn''t resist the surprise attack and went in. Not to mention he wanted the man to leave a trace of the man''s Qi behind. It was a perfect opportunity to make sure that Sun Ruan was occupied somewhere else for a while which might have been his goal in the long term but his short-term goal was to just kill this man as soon as possible.


    "Gahh!!!" The man grunted in pain as he instinctively activated the Qi armament skill which was defensive Qi skill and attack skill combined. Just as he activated Qi armament, he realized swiftly that he had made a mistake but it was too late for that.


    "You!!!" He yelled as he let out a punch accompanied by proper power at Wei Jun. Wei Jun knew he wouldn''t be able to dodge that so he did what he had to.


    [Qi empowerment has been activated]


    [All physical stats +25]


    Power rushed through Wei Jun as he swiftly used his left arm to block the incoming strike.


    The man''s fist collided with Wei Jun''s and everything in their surrounding was blown away. The furniture, all of it collapsed, and the glass in the room, like windows, mirrors, and decorations all shattered.


    The floor beneath their feet cracked as well but it still managed to keep itself intact. As for the assailant, he was surprised by the fact that his target had only slightly winced in pain.


    As for the target himself, he was wincing in pain, but he winced a lot less than the actual pain in his forearm at that moment.


    [HP -5]


    The man''s fist was covered in Qi and that had managed to scrape off Wei Jun''s Qi armament to a great extent, delivering a great deal of damage to Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun, however, learned a valuable lesson. Inevitably he had lesser Qi than the man but that didn''t mean he should be stingy with its usage. Had he used Qi discharge in his first strike, his advantage would have been many times greater than the current moment.


    Of course, Wei Jun didn''t waste another second and immediately used the discharge skill using his right fist and let out his own attack. Easily, the man was able to block this one as well and unfortunately, the intended effect wasn''t received.


    For some reason, instead of penetrating the man''s Qi armor, it dissipated on the armor like a shockwave being reduced by a shock absorber.


    Still, that didn''t mean the man didn''t notice this small detail.


    "You! How did you do that?" He asked, incredulous at the feat Wei Jun had pulled. With his experience, he could tell that Wei Jun was just at the Qi gathering realm, somewhere in the middle of it. Not a match for himself yet the skill he had just used was used by masters, Qi master level cultivators.


    Before he could dwell on it even more, Wei Jun continued with his barrage of attacks, relentlessly and kept letting his Qi into the man''s armor.


    Although the man wasn''t receiving any damage, it could also be seen that his armor was turning slightly yellow.


    The man noticed that as well and he could tell that he was consuming almost 20% extra Qi to keep the Qi armament maintained.


    However, before it could get to that point, Wei Jun ran out of Qi. All of his skills canceled and his speed became visibly slower.


    The man didn''t miss that opportunity and kicked Wei Jun, throwing him at the wall behind Wei Jun. Wei Jun''s body broke through the wall and landed somewhere inside the building after going through many more walls.


    [HP -21]


    Wei Jun coughed blood as he noticed the drastic decrease in his health. The man hadn''t had the chance to properly kick him otherwise the damage would have been a lot more. Wei Jun could have even died.


    The man slowly emerged from the hole that Wei Jun left and said, "You should have used your Qi sparingly."


    Wei Jun coughed blood once again but he still chuckled.


    [A health pill has been consumed]


    [A Qi replenishing pill has been consumed]


    "Fu*k, I''m loving this." Wei Jun said as he slowly stood up.

 Chapter 120: Ju Bai Lu (1)

    "I''m very thankful you came all the way here, senior brother." Liu Yu politely said as she handed a teacup to a gentle-looking man. The man, named Ju Bai Lu smiled and said, "When you said it was an important matter, I had to drop everything and come to see what it is that could bug one of the greatest disciples of our sect."


    "That would be my fianc¨¦e, senior brother." Liu Yu replied, annoyance flashing in her eyes that she didn''t bother to hide.


    "Your fianc¨¦e? You mean that ''End of Ruans''?" Ju Bai Lu was curious as to what that waste could trouble Liu Yu with.


    "That''s a terrible name, senior brother." Liu Yu didn''t shy away from stating her opinion.


    "Hey, I''m not the only one who came up with that." Ju Bai Lu replied, slightly offended that his naming sense was being judged.


    "¡­Right. The problem I have with him is simple, he is problematic to me by simply living." Liu Yu chose to let go of the naming matter and got to the main point. Since everyone was aware of the situation, she didn''t need to elaborate for Ju Bai Lu.


    "I see." Ju Bai Lu simply replied as he added, "It is quite indeed a problem. Not to mention that ever since Sun Ruan''s advancement, some of the elders are being neglected."


    "It isn''t only a matter of that, senior brother." Liu Yu added, "Since his main blockage to advancement is removed, Sun Ruan is steadily advancing and it won''t be long before he reaches the peak of the Qi master realm. Then, whether Wei Jun lives or not won''t matter. Our position along with many others would be in jeopardy."


    Although Liu Yu made it seem like the problem of the sect, in reality, she didn''t care. She just wanted Wei Jun gone so she could spread her wings without being tied down. Although she knew that if not Wei Jun, then it would be someone else. She would eventually be used for her master''s greed to advance in rankings.


    Which was why she needed more time. Time to make it so that she could accumulate enough power to deal with any trouble, even her master.


    "So I just have to kill him?" Ju Bai Lu asked.


    "Yes, senior brother." Liu Yu replied.


    "What of any dangers?" Ju Bai Lu, being ever so cautious, didn''t forget any other circumstance that could be disadvantageous to him.


    "Lao Chen, his butler but that would depend on whether he would be with him or not. Otherwise, my fianc¨¦e himself is only at the Qi gathering realm. Given how long it has been since he started, even with quality elixirs provided by Sun Ruan, it would be at most the initial stage of the Qi gathering realm." Liu Yu gave her opinion on the matter.


    "I see. You are right, that''s what I think as well." Ju Bai Lu said before he asked, "And if I remember correctly, you also contacted some inner disciples, right?"


    Liu Yu nodded as she said, "I couldn''t risk any variables."


    "That''s good." Ju Bai Lu agreed. He was confident in killing Wei Jun but he was still a cautious person by nature.


    "Well the, I think I should prepare. Although I doubt I would need that much for this pipsqueak." Ju Bai Lu said confidently as he stood up and prepared to leave to make preparations.


    *****


    He had to retract his statement very soon though because his encounter with Wei Jun was anything but what he had expected it to be. That one punch that neutralized one of his arms was proof enough that he wasn''t dealing with some nobody waste.


    Not only that, but the peculiar abilities Wei Jun had showed. His strength and speed were as strong as him, even stronger than him. Of course, that was before his Qi was applied but even when it was, it was still somewhat an equal match with Ju Bai Lu in lead in regards to damage.


    If he was better than Wei Jun, it was only in one aspect and that was his amount of Qi. As for the quality of Qi, even though his rank in cultivation was higher, and his Qi was more stable, it was still a far cry compared to the potent and scorching hot Qi of Wei Jun that even turned his own Qi armament hot red.


    Not to mention the ability to discharge Qi. Even he could just coat his fists in Qi, he was a far cry from emitting Qi out of his body however, Wei Jun had ignored that very principle and discharged Qi, something that wasn''t possible for a cultivator of his rank and it didn''t make any sense in the least.


    But, the advantage of more Qi was more than anyone could have expected. It was obvious that Wei Jun soon ran out of Qi and Ju Bai Lu, even with his increase in consumption of Qi, was still on the way to a win.


    However, that changed soon enough as well. Ju Bai Lu wasn''t prepared and delivered a half-baked kick that didn''t kill Wei Jun. It did severely injure him though, the kind of injuries that even elixirs would have a hard time healing.


    However, the man stood in front of him as all the wounds on his body disappeared. Not only that, Ju Bai Lu could feel the heat enveloping him as ''Qi armament'' was activated for Wei Jun again. That meant his Qi had been replenished but that was another impossible thing since Qi could not be replenished so quickly.


    The complete depletion of Qi took at least an hour to just fill it by ten to twenty percent and if they had a good technique, then forty percent at most. No technique in the world could replenish Qi in a matter of seconds.


    "Fu*k. I''m loving this." Wei Jun said, a sentence that was accompanied by a smile. Although the smile seemed charming, it was the most sinister smile to exist. The smile of a maniac, that even made Ju Bai Lu a bit apprehensive.


    Ju Bai Lu couldn''t help but take a step back as he activated his Qi circulation to the fullest to replenish any little bit of Qi he could.


    Meanwhile, he engaged in a conversation with Wei Jun, "How did you do that? Did Sun Ruan get you a magical elixir? No, that''s not possible. Even heaven-grade elixirs aren''t capable of replenishing Qi. You must be using some forbidden treasure. So you''re a heretic."


    Ju Bai Lu asked on his own and then drew several conclusions on his own. He thought that Wei Jun might say something in his defense or that the mention of such things might make Wei Jun a little bit hesitant.


    He thought wrong. Wei Jun simply widened his smile and said, "So what if I am?"


    Before Ju Bai Lu could get into the moral matters of that statement, Wei Jun jumped at him and once again their fists collided.


    The shockwave this time was stronger and the floor caved in, dropping both of the figures down one floor. Wei Jun didn''t stop and shot the rubble away with his hands before delivering a spinning kick that Ju Bai Lu was forced to stop with his functioning and damaged forearms.


    Obviously, it hit him hard and the pain traveled through his entire being, making him wince in pain but he was able to calm himself down. He let the momentum of the kick tilt him a bit so as to dissipate it and throw Wei Jun off balance as well.


    It didn''t work. Wei Jun swiftly retracted his kick and a punch followed as soon as he turned around. Ju Bai Lu didn''t dare block it because he could feel the heat of the fist coming at him and sidestepped to dodge it.


    Wei Jun chuckled before he jumped back, picked up a desk, and threw it at Ju Bai Lu. Ju Bai Lu guarded his head with his arm, shattering the desk on contact but just behind that desk was another piercing kick from Wei Jun that was aimed straight at the damaged forearm of Ju Bai Lu. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The contact this time outright shattered the forearm even though it was shrouded in the protection of Qi armament. Even in the midst of the pain, Ju Bai Lu clearly saw what had caused that.


    Wei Jun had been clearly holding back on the amount of Qi he could discharge. It was true as well as Wei Jun kept the maximum amount of Qi discharge at 3 but this time, he jumped it up to five and made it so that it was like a piercing needle just like a spear piercing instead of spread out like a hammer strike.


    Immediately after this exchange, Ju Bai Lu hurriedly stepped back because in just a minute, he had lost an arm and his Qi was down by half. Whereas, Wei Jun not only seemed kicking and well, his Qi was also a serious matter he needed to worry about.

 Chapter 121: Ju Bai Lu (2)

    [You have consumed a health pill] sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Health has been fully restored]


    [You cannot take a health pill for the next ten minutes]


    [You have taken a Qi replenishing pill]


    [Qi has been fully restored]


    [You cannot consume another Qi replenishing pill for the next hour]


    Wei Jun had obtained ten pills from when he completed his first-ever side quest. But he didn''t use it, those pills were without a limit, so he couldn''t test the limit of Qi replenishing pills through those pills.


    As Wei Jun felt full of power, he shot forward and hit his opponent. Wei Jun intended to break the arm of the man he had managed to damage before. The hit connected but it didn''t break. However, Wei Jun had managed to deliver quite a bit of damage.


    Since it worked, Wei Jun moved forward without giving his opponent another chance and delivered a piercing kick to the same spot, successfully shattering the arm of his opponent even through the Qi armament''s armor.


    "FU*K!!" Ju Bai Lu cursed and winced in pain, he backed off but he couldn''t as his opponent wasn''t giving him a chance.


    "Don''t get too full of yourself!" Ju Bai Lu yelled as he also spun and delivered a kick to Wei Jun but Wei Jun guarded himself with both of his arms crossed in front of him. Unfortunately, the power through the kick was strong enough to still throw Wei Jun back once again.


    Although Wei Jun wasn''t hurt much, his Qi had decreased significantly but it was still left by a half amount. Wei Jun decided to stay back and start the game of cat and mouse. Wei Jun wasn''t confident in terms of stats and he couldn''t afford to lose his already minuscule Qi compared to his opponent.


    Ju Bai Lu didn''t chase however, being cautious as ever, he pulled out a radio from his pocket and said, "Get in here, all of you!"


    Wei Jun heard that loud and clear and tutted. His plan to agitate his opponent failed so he opted for a different approach and headed straight in to deal as much damage as he could. Wei Jun that once the people from the outside came in, he wouldn''t be able to deal with this guy and he was the one Wei Jun needed to kill the most.


    Ju Bai Lu saw Wei Jun throw caution out of the window and come at him head straight. Ju Bai Lu didn''t make the same mistake as earlier and stepped back to create some distance between himself and Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun pulled a gold explosive out of his inventory and threw it at Ju Bai Lu. Ju Bai Lu didn''t know what it was but he wasn''t curious enough to find out. He kept creating distance but Wei Jun wasn''t counting on hurting him with the grenade in the first place.


    The explosive went off, creating a small visual blockage that was all Wei Jun needed. He pulled out the RPG launcher from his inventory and as soon as he was done aiming, the residual effects of the explosive disappeared, letting Ju Bai Lu what was in Wei Jun''s hand.


    "What the¡­" Ju Bai Lu couldn''t help but say but he didn''t have enough reaction time when Wei Jun pulled the trigger.


    Ju Bai Lu wasn''t worried about the launcher''s effects because he knew he wouldn''t be harmed, however, he knew that quite a good chunk of his Qi would be gone for good.


    And as he expected, his Qi after getting shot by the rocket was gone by a good amount but that wasn''t the worst part of it.


    Somehow a belt of grenade next came to his feet and¡­


    Boom!


    Before the team on the outside could get in, the building exploded, leaving rubble in its wake. The team from the outside didn''t move and remained in their spot because the embers of fire were still strong.


    Just as they were thinking what to do, two figures jumped out from underneath the rubble, unscathed from the effects of the explosions but one of them had a visible scowl on his face while the other one had half an assault rifle in his hands.


    Wei Jun didn''t bother to aim at Ju Bai Lu because he knew it would be useless and instead aimed at the team that was a bit distance away. He wanted to get some of them while they were still stunned and confused from their plans going awry.


    The team on the outside noticed a gun being aimed at them but they weren''t fast enough for a cover as bullets rained down on them. Four of the mercenaries were caught in fire and killed on the spot while some others were shot in miscellaneous spaces.


    Seeing his support being gunned down, Ju Bai Lu also chose to be a little reckless and shot himself at Wei Jun while he was still busy shooting at the mercenary team.


    Ju Bai Lu bashed into Wei Jun but Wei Jun seemed to have been prepared for that as he let out a wave of Qi from his body infused with five points of his Qi. It didn''t hurt Ju Bai Lu but his Qi armor had had enough and crumbled down. Though Ju Bai Lu''s Qi reinforcement didn''t annul, Wei Jun wasn''t after that anyway.


    Wei Jun grabbed Ju Bai Lu by the arm, intending to let some Qi into his system. Ju Bai Lu saw that and he wasn''t just going to sit around and do nothing. He redirected all his Qi into his other arm and brought it down on Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun also didn''t back off but he could only let two points of Qi inside Wei Jun before he was struck by a strong hit that threw him at least 100 meters away from his spot.


    As for Ju Bai Lu, he couldn''t help but yell as he felt something burning his arm from the inside. He put everything aside and focused on restraining the Qi that was inside his system.


    He could feel his arm going lethargic and was worried that if he did nothing, his arm would be gone so without intending to take a risk, he decided to abort the mission and turned around to leave but Wei Jun wasn''t just going to let him leave.


    Wei Jun''s Qi armament was gone and he had been dealt some damage but he still had half of his health and enough Qi to activate Qi armament and for some discharge. He didn''t have enough for Qi empowerment but that wasn''t needed since his opponent was out of one arm for good now. Wei Jun wanted to let Qi into Ju Bai Lu''s other arm but he couldn''t and had to choose his already shattered arm.


    Still, Ju Bai Lu was busy trying to restrain Wei Jun''s blazing hot Qi so he wouldn''t be able to give his hundred percent to the fight anymore. Wei Jun wasn''t going to let him escape after so much damage so he shot at him but unfortunately, his path was blocked by two men in black ops outfits, the same as Ju Bai Lu.


    [Qi gathering realm]


    [Strength 32]


    [Agility 33]


    [Stamina 39]


    [Qi 56]


    [Qi gathering realm]


    [Strength 35]


    [Agility 31]


    [Stamina 30]


    [Qi 61]


    Both of these blockers seemed to be cultivators but even with their Qi armaments activated, their stats were still lower than Wei Jun so Wei Jun wasn''t worried about them. However, these two didn''t seem to be worried about their lives. They were trying to buy time for Ju Bai Lu to get away and were going all out from the beginning.


    They focused all of their power in their fists, although their Qi wasn''t on the outside which would deliver good damage, it was on the inside but it still made their body very strong and the power in their first and final attacks wasn''t something Wei Jun could easily ignore.


    "Tch." Wei Jun could feel the power in their attacks and he knew he wouldn''t come out unscathed after this attack. This was an attack of desperation, a final attack like the man he had faced back at the Tian family compound.


    He had also gone out in the end by delivering one final attack that was strong enough to turn the area around them into a wasteland. These attacks, however, were more polished, refined, and more destructive than that one.


    That meant that Wei Jun was not going to be fine after this attack and no doubt, Ju Bai Lu would have escaped by then. But Ju Bai Lu was the last of his concerns. His primary concern was surviving this attack and he couldn''t do it by solely relying on Qi armament.


    That only left him with one choice, use Qi empowerment to increase his attacks and tank the attack but unfortunately, his Qi wasn''t enough for that, and he didn''t have enough Qi to use the skill to increase his stats.


    "Fu*k." He murmured annoyingly as he opened the inventory and searched for the red pill he had received thanks to his torture side quest.

 Chapter 122: Battle end (Bonus P.S)

    [You have consumed a Qi replenishing pill]


    [No limit detected]


    [Time limit lifted]


    [Qi has been fully restored]


    [Qi empowerment Lv2]


    [All stats +25]


    Wei Jun immediately felt the difference in stats but he didn''t have the time to revel. Wei Jun hurriedly focused all of his power on his fists just like the two cultivators before him.


    His defense was great and all his stats were three times that of the cultivators before him however, Wei Jun wasn''t exhausting all his Qi using the strange phenomena the two cultivators before him were using.


    And in the end, they all came in contact. Wei Jun''s fists struck each of the fists of two cultivators and in the blink of an eye, a massive explosion ensued that enveloped everyone in the vicinity. Whether it was the mercenaries, the cultivators, and finally, Wei Jun himself was covered in a massive smokescreen.


    The building was now fully gone and the explosion''s force spread to the surroundings, damaging many more buildings as well.


    Luckily it was Sunday and the sun was starting to go down so there weren''t many people, if at all in the buildings around Wei Jun''s.


    As the dust began to settle, Wei Jun stood where he was however, his condition was anything but good. He bled from each of his orifices and his eyes were bloodshot.


    [Warning]


    [Warning]


    [All functions heavily damaged] sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Qi below three percent]


    [Employing emergency healing]


    [The healing cost has been decided to be the Qi]


    [HP has been restored by six percent]


    [Qi has been fully used]


    [No further treatment possible]


    [Please consume elixirs to replenish health]


    [You will lose 10% of your health every second]


    His mind was still conscious but his body was barely holding on. He hurriedly opened the inventory and consumed a healing pill because luckily for him, ten minutes had just barely passed when he consumed the healing pill.


    If not, he felt like he wouldn''t be able to take another step, let alone live for a long time with how seriously damaged he was. His internals were screaming when he was struck with the massive potent Qi he had never felt before.


    That Qi wasn''t the Qi he had felt before but something else, something different and potent to the point that it seemed like a gel form of Qi, whereas the normal Qi was just simply liquid like Qi.


    [I will explain to you later]


    [For now, it seems like you have a situation to attend]


    As Wei Jun''s condition became better, he could now observe the surroundings a little more clearly. First and foremost, his eyes fell on the two pairs of legs that were all that was left of the cultivators from before.


    Then he saw all of the others, well, what was left of others. If cultivators weren''t left with their full bodies, the mortal people wouldn''t be left with anything at all obviously.


    All of the events, from beginning to the end must have lasted only fifteen minutes and the explosions began somewhere midway through. The property damage by those explosions alone was worth millions but that wasn''t the main point.


    The main point was the simplest of all points, the sound. The noise of those explosions must have alerted the entire city and he stood corrected as he heard the sound of many sirens in the distance. However, before any of them could get close, a figure landed by his side and yelled, "Young master!"


    Wei Jun turned to see Lao Chen accompanied by Hui Ying who was also being trained by Lao Chen to obviously fatten her up.


    Lao Chen didn''t say anything else and Hui Ying simply glanced around the area to see the destruction. It wasn''t something she was seeing for the first time since she had seen such destruction many times before in the sect but the problem was that the scale of this destruction only happened when a fight between strong and high-level cultivators ensued.


    The destruction of this scale wasn''t something possible when low-level cultivators fought.


    "Good thing you''re here. Deal with the aftermath." Wei Jun simply said as he stood back. His clothes were bloody but he couldn''t change using the inventory before both of his spectators. He was already cursing inwardly that Ju Bai Lu had witnessed him using inventory.


    He couldn''t do the same in front of these two as well since he didn''t fully trust either of them. Hui Ying was nothing short of a slave and Lao Chen was loyal to Sun Ruan rather than him so he especially couldn''t afford to reveal any cards of his in front of Lao Chen.


    It wasn''t long before the sirens closed in and at the forefront, it was none other than detective Zhao Hui. What was a homicide detective, correction, a sergeant doing there was strange. For sure, there were dead bodies around but the cause of the distress was an explosion, not a murder.


    "Detective," Wei Jun didn''t bother to correct the rank of Zhao Hui and said, "It feels like you''ve been following me lately. Have you fallen for me as well?"


    Zhao Hui didn''t respond, he was too busy looking around after all. "What¡­ happened here?" He asked, a small pause in between because he couldn''t make anything out of it.


    "Some people attacked me, luckily my butler was here to protect me." Wei Jun said. Wei Jun didn''t want to get involved but it would be inevitable because all clues pointed at who was the one who truly fought.


    Zhao Hui also noticed Wei Jun''s state which was miles different from his usual prim and proper state.


    "Is that so?" Zhao Hui asked, knowing that Wei Jun was lying but he didn''t have any authority to exercise any control there. Clearly, it looked like a fight between cultivators and the matters belonged to the cultivator''s special forces then. That also meant that Wei Jun was a cultivator and out of his jurisdiction.


    Wei Jun knew that too as he smiled and said, "Maybe you should contact the cultivator special forces."


    Zhao Hui''s expression changed a lot but all he could do was follow the protocol. He couldn''t help but remember the words Wei Jun had said to him at Yao Tian''s funeral. He was bound and it was becoming apparent to him at every moment of his life.


    Wei Jun smiled at the face Zhao Hui made but didn''t say anything anymore. Instead, he turned to Lao Chen and said, "Contact grandfather. Tell him everything I just said."


    Being a cultivator himself, Lao Chen knew what Wei Jun wanted to do and just nodded. Wei Jun smiled and left the place as he headed to his car.


    While walking, he checked his new and improved stats.


    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been obtained]


    [Strength +21]


    [Agility +20]


    [Stamina +11]


    [Defense +30]


    [Qi +32]


    To say the least, Wei Jun was not happy with his new stat gain. He had gained more when he killed the cultivator mercenary during his trial yet he had killed two of the same rank, and their power was even more polished yet all he received was that, stats even less than then.


    But considering his stats were locked, and his stats would be difficult to raise from now on, he could somewhat understand the system that came with the stat absorption.


    Wei Jun sighed as he once again lamented the fact that he couldn''t get the biggest bait of tonight but he also understood one thing. His opponent was not prepared during this fight.


    Ju Bai Lu had underestimated Wei Jun from the beginning and that was why their preparations for this operation were mediocre. Ju Bai Lu had no treasure, and no weapons on himself, not to mention the first hit that gave Wei Jun a tremendous advantage. Even with all that, if Wei Jun didn''t possess the pills to replenish his health and Qi, he would have died in that battle.


    But now, Wei Jun had lost the element of surprise when it came to Ju Bai Lu and possibly all the future comers sent by Liu Yu in the future. Wei Jun had just lost many surprises and with his stats locked, he wasn''t much of a threat to a prepared Ju Bai Lu either.


    ''I need to level up.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly.


    Since Wei Jun didn''t know how to work on Quan Li and Lin Ruan, that only left him with one option to level up. His last option.


    The treasure plundering of the protagonist which raised his power. In the entire novel, there were only three such treasures. Wei Jun had destroyed one while one was in his inventory. The other one and the last one was a cultivation manual that he needed to get his hands on and level up as well.


    Wei Jun sighed as he came up with several plans to deal with the situation up ahead. His headache wasn''t just the protagonist but many more problems revolving around him, one of whom was the one he had himself created, his grandfather.

 Chapter 123: Problems of tomorrow

    Had Wei Jun not healed Sun Ruan, things would have been much more difficult for Wei Jun. Although they were hard now as well, they were hard in a different sense. If Wei Jun had been interrupted and harassed when he was accumulating power in the beginning, he would have had no way to fight back.


    At least now he was prepared and had ample breathing space to accumulate enough power to defeat Sun Ruan one day. So he didn''t regret his choice but he was still annoyed by the fact that there was no peaceful option. He would have been in danger had he not healed Sun Ruan, and he was in danger now. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no third option that he would have liked like killing Sun Ruan then and there while killing the rest as well.


    ''Haaa¡­ Killing people without this fancy power used to be so much easier.'' Wei Jun lamented inwardly. Although the Tian family wasn''t a cultivator family, they had many subordinate families that did. A good example would be the Na family. And not only that, they could also afford to hire cultivators so killing them wouldn''t have been easier for Wei Jun.


    "Haa¡­" Wei Jun sighed once again.


    He couldn''t help but count the ridiculousness of the situation. Once he was at his villa, he headed straight to his room to shower and clean himself. He then saved the clothes in his inventory so they couldn''t be found by anything in the world.


    Although he didn''t want to, he was going to be involved in the investigation of the recent incident. He wanted to have as many cards on his side as he could. In the first place, he intended to deny every claim of his involvement but if somehow the cops managed to prove he was there, then he would have to just portray himself as an innocent bystander.


    It was his word against theirs and with no clothes as a piece of evidence, there was nothing proving his involvement and just looked at him like a bystander.


    However, if somehow the cops managed to give the evidence of his clothes, then he would simply use the investigations of the cultivator''s forces that he couldn''t logically face a higher realm cultivator and then also some more cultivators.


    However, Wei Jun, better than anyone, knew that no perfect crime existed. He had even left some evidence behind in his other crimes before.


    The only difference was that he made sure to leave behind what couldn''t be traced to him. Even now, he was trying hard enough to lose the insinuations of him being there but if they were proved because of something he had failed to notice, he would simply use the aspect of logic to wiggle out of this incident.


    Once he was done with his plans and his clean-up, he lay on the bed in his nightwear and thought back to that finishing move from earlier. The two cultivators somehow increased the potency of their Qi and managed to almost kill him while dying themselves. It wasn''t Wei Jun''s attack that had wiped them out legs up, it was their own.


    Wei Jun''s own power had barely managed to keep him alive. All that destruction didn''t come from him; it came from the potent Qi of those two cultivators. Rather than horror, Wei Jun marveled at the purity of Qi and intended to possess that.


    He had questions regarding that Qi and there was only one person who could answer those questions of his.


    [That was the pure life Qi]


    [Also known as innate Qi]


    [Except for the power of darkness, all other powers come from life]


    [Mana users have mana core that they can overload]


    [Spiritualists have spiritual overcharge]


    [Similarly, Qi users have innate Qi that is also known as the Qi of life]


    [A pure and raw form of power]


    [Remember this host]


    [There is no higher power than the power of life]


    [The greater the rank of a person, no matter what the power, the higher their life force]


    [For example, if the innate Qi of two cultivators was enough to bring down a building and damage many others]


    [Then the innate Qi of a ''Qi empowerment realm'' master would be enough to reduce a block to rubble]


    [Just imagine what the scale of destruction from the overcharge of higher realm Qi users would be]


    Wei Jun couldn''t even imagine properly. If a block, then it was a fraction of a city next. Could there be a level of Qi users that could take an entire city down with them?


    But, his curiosity in that matter didn''t last for long because he wanted to have the same potency of the Qi as the innate Qi.


    [That is not possible]


    [Some of it is]


    [But not the entirety of it]


    [Let''s say, you can make your Qi about half as potent if you really put a few decades into it]


    Clearly, the time perception of Wei Jun and the system was different. Wei Jun wanted such a thing done in a matter of months, a year at most yet the system was telling him that it would take him a few decades so nonchalantly.


    The system had either forgotten the fact or it was just theoretical, but Wei Jun only had five decades in this world, literally a few decades, and even in this time frame, not only did he have to advance his cultivation, perfect his Qi core, make fu*k ton of money and last but not least, kill a few special people of this world along with many others who would stand in his way during his entire journey.


    He sighed once again and closed his eyes. Any problems of his would have to wait until tomorrow. Until then, he would just sleep because he hadn''t slept nicely for some time now.


    *****


    "Fu*k!" Ju Bai Lu screamed as pain assaulted his body. He was having a very hard time controlling the foreign Qi inside his body that came from none other than a person who was nothing more than a waste in his eyes.


    Liu Yu, who watched this spectacle couldn''t help but think how useless the man in front of her proved to be but she kept her thoughts to herself. To her, Ju Bai Lu still had some uses, not to mention his status in the sect was still higher than hers even though she was more talented and higher in terms of cultivation.


    But the fact that Ju Bai Lu was the son of the sect master''s brother and fairly talented, not monstrously like Liu Yu, kept his status quite a bit high.


    "I will kill him!" He yelled, for the umpteenth time and once again, Liu Yu swallowed the urge to say that he ran away from the very person he was threatening to kill behind his back.


    Thinking that the sooner she got rid of this problem of his, the sooner this waste of time would leave so she stepped forward and grabbed Ju Bai Lu''s arm, making him wince in pain. She disregarded his hiss of pain and said, "Grit your teeth, senior brother, this will hurt a lot."


    Before Ju Bai Lu could even speak, he felt something cold and chilling enter his arm, and that frosty element began to fight off the burning hot strand of Qi inside his arm. Some of the power of Liu Yu proved ineffective against that Qi strand but soon, quantity took over quality, and using about 5% of her entire Qi, she managed to snuff the hot strand of yang Qi.


    She then retracted her own and stepped back, letting Ju Bai Lu circulate his own Qi to mend his arm back. While he did that, he said, "Your intel, no, our intel was completely wrong. He wasn''t a powerless waste but a seasoned warrior. It seems Sun Ruan has raised a good hidden card."


    Since Ju Bai Lu thought that such growth was only possible if one was trained from an early age, it was possible that all the rumors and actions of Wei Jun were a front to let the world think that he was a waste and now that he was strong enough, Sun Ruan was going to let him out at once when everyone''s guard was down.


    Liu Yu, on the other hand, however, thought differently. She wasn''t someone who had seen Wei Jun once or twice. She was practically raised under the shadow of his name so it was inevitable that they would have interacted many times. In all those times, she never felt anything from Wei Jun, not even a flicker of masculinity let alone power.


    However, just recently when she met him, Wei Jun appeared to be the perfect definition of a man. Handsome, headstrong, and powerful. All of the qualities he didn''t have just a few months ago.


    This only meant something foreign had occurred. Wei Jun seemed to have caught someone''s eye. Someone powerful that could change Wei Jun to that extent.


    ''It seems I need to look into it more deeply before making another move.'' Liu Yu thought inwardly as she returned to her room, leaving a groaning Ju Bai Lu by himself.

 Chapter 124: The final preparation

    I feel like I had involved the Mc in quite a bit of mess of his own and ignored the protagonist fully. But now, that all of his problems have been busied, it is time to destroy the life of the protagonist.


    *****


    Wei Jun entered the small gang bar that led to Zi Huan''s shop. Wei Jun got a call from Zi Huan ten minutes ago telling him that his order was ready. Now that Wei Jun had gotten a lot of problems off his back like his grandfather and his fianc¨¦e, he could now focus on his real target who was honestly easy mode compared to the other two.


    Sun Ruan was busy investigating the matter of the attack on him. Although he knew whose Qi it was, he didn''t go to the sect guns blazing which Wei Jun guessed was because of his assailant''s special status which Wei Jun didn''t know what it was.


    As for Li Yu, she wouldn''t attack him any time soon because now that he had revealed he could go against ''Qi empowerment realm'' cultivators, even she would need to redo some of her plans.


    That only left one more headache and that was Run Long. Wei Jun had done all that he could to prevent him from meeting the heroines. He himself kept Liu Yu busy so she would only remain focused on him, he also kept his eye on Lin Ruan who had now successfully figured out who attacked her once he gave her the unlocked phone of the mercenary.


    As for Xia Lu, he didn''t even want to think about her being with Run Long because it made him angry for some reason so he paid special attention to her.


    That only left the four side heroines. Quan Li was almost in the bag so he didn''t need to worry about that. Chen Na already hated Run Long to some extent, and Wei Jun simply helped intensify that hate instead of love brewing between them.


    That only left the two other heroines who Wei Jun had arranged to be in Lin Ruan''s company, keeping them so busy that they didn''t even have time to properly have a bathroom break. Still, he was careful enough to assign some guards to them in case they came even close to Run Long for any reason.


    And today, his preparations were complete. There was nothing left to prepare. All he needed was to execute all of his plans at once and Run Long would be finished in just a few days.


    As Wei Jun entered the shop, Zi Huan, who was tending to some weapons smiled and said, "Welcome, my number one customer. I am happy to see you are as eager as I am for the beauty of the century."


    Wei Jun simply smiled and went over to the counter.


    Zi Huan, without saying a word, first took out a wooden box. He placed it on the table and said, "It wasn''t easy but I managed to do what you wanted me to."


    Wei Jun opened the box and couldn''t help but smile. Inside the box was a set of needles, acupuncture needles to be exact, and the same pair along with the box belonged to none other than the protagonist.


    Wei Jun had swiped this box from the Na family banquet when he bumped into Run Long, taking his class and this box as well.


    "And, will it do what I want?" Wei Jun asked as he picked up one of the needles.


    "Touch it however you want, no reaction. But slight contact with the bloodstream, and paralyzes the person for a few hours. The person wouldn''t die but the poison would still hurt a lot. No danger to the person as long as there are no preexisting problems." Zi Huan explained. Wei Jun smiled and put the needle back in.


    He then turned to Zi Huan, waiting for the main attraction. Zi Huan understood his intentions clearly and sighed. He took out another, flatter wooden box and opened it while he said, "This took a fortune to be made but I assure you, you wouldn''t be dissatisfied."


    *******


    Wei Jun left the shop and took out his cell phone. He called Noh Tian and the call was connected immediately. Before Noh Tian could even speak, Wei Jun said, "Tell him where to find her tomorrow."


    As soon as his instructions were finished, he ended the call and entered his car. He left for the studio, the substituted one since the last one was destroyed. Everyone was curious as to why they had to change the workplace so suddenly but no one asked any questions.


    As Wei Jun entered the small ten-story building, that belonged to the Ruan family and Lin Ruan was kind enough to lend it to him, he headed to the lift and made his way to the top floor where his office was.


    He entered the office to already find all the necessary people there. The cast, the producers, the editing team, and everyone else connected to the movie.


    The movie was done and all that was left was to launch it. Wei Jun quietly took his seat and said, "Be prepared to launch the trailer tomorrow. The actual launch would be a month later."


    Wei Jun didn''t even see the movie that everyone was prepared to show him and barked his orders. The others were a little tense about this new set of institutions since they weren''t prepared for a global launch. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun could see the tension and the cause of the worry on their faces and said, "I will deal with that. You must be prepared. Now leave, except for the cast, everyone leaves."


    They all exchanged stares but in the end, did what Wei Jun asked them to do. Once they left, Wei Jun turned to the rest and said, "I have an interview scheduled for all of us tomorrow. After three hours of the trailer release, we do a show and advertise our movie. Everyone, have your best smiles on your faces. Praise each other, and even the crew.


    If they ask you a negative question that probes the work ethics, I will deal with it so just direct it to me."


    They all nodded and Wei Jun dismissed them as well. Once they were all gone, Wei Jun busied himself with work but made sure to keep his earpiece active.


    There was one problem that directors or movie owners often faced and that was the movie pirating. Wei Jun kept an eye on everyone who had access to the movie with the help of Li Wei and the intelligence team.


    The crew earlier wasn''t just worried about the short time frame for the launch, some of them were also worried that with just one month until the launch, there wouldn''t be much time for them to smuggle some copies and make them copyrighted.


    Of course, Wei Jun had faced that problem many times before and kept his set locations a secret until the last day so none of them would be able to arrange for any external factors and recordings.


    And now that the movie was in the building, and many had access to it, there was a strong chance that some would try to sell it to copyright the movie. Wei Jun didn''t want that so he kept his eye on everyone. Even the editing team because that team had the most access to the movie.


    Sure enough, his suspicion stood corrected as he picked up four individuals, two from the editing team and two others from two different teams trying to download copies from the sole servers but from different locations.


    Wei Jun simply smiled and let them do what they wanted. Soon, when they were done and left the buildings at different times, Wei Jun also left to follow one of them. He had Hui Ying follow one more while the rest of the two would be dead even without Wei Jun''s interference because of the people they were dealing with.


    As Wei Jun arrived at the location of his target''s meet. He entered a coffee shop and saw the chief of the editing team meeting a man. They began to watch the movie but they were surprised because the downloaded movie wasn''t the movie Wei Jun had filmed.


    The chief editor panicked while the other man became angry and began to yell at the chief editor. They drew attention from the caf¨¦ and the scene went on for quite a while.


    Once they were finished, and the chief editor left the caf¨¦ distraught, Wei Jun followed him. As soon as the chief editor approached his car, Wei Jun silently approached him and tapped him on his back.


    The chief editor turned around in a panic only for a knife to pierce him by the side of his neck as Wei Jun grabbed his mouth with his other hand.


    Soon, the man bled out after slowly falling down. Wei Jun grabbed him before he could and placed him in his car. Wei Jun then used a C-4 charge and set the timer to forty seconds before he quietly left the area.


    As soon as his car left the area, an explosion was heard and many people were alarmed by the situation. Before the authorities could get involved, Wei Jun was miles away from the scene.


    He received a call from Hui Ying, telling him her job was done and she made sure to not use Qi. Then he received a call from Li Wei telling him that the gangs, with whom the last two thieves were dealing, had decided to spare them and told them to get the real recording.


    Wei Jun sighed and turned his car around to make his way to the last of the thieves.

 Chapter 125: Encounter: Again

    "So how do you find it working with such a big actress?" The show host asked Zhan Yi who smiled and replied almost naturally, "It is all thanks to our director. Whenever I would make a mistake, he would guide me with care, allowing me to be very comfortable with the work."


    Zhan Yi praised Wei Jun but the show host felt that his reply was somewhat forced. But she didn''t dwell on it and moved to Quan Li and asked, "Except for Miss Lu, everyone else was new, yet your acting seemed so affluent, can you tell me what secrets you have?"


    "Oh, I have no secrets." Quan Li nervously replied and added, "It is all thanks to our boss who was kind enough and patiently guided us throughout the whole process."


    "I agree," Two more voices came to meet Quan Li''s that belonged to Quan Kui and Xiao Heiling. Their smiles were wide but just like the earlier two, they also felt they were forced. Xia Lu who was sitting at the forefront couldn''t help but chuckle while Wei Jun didn''t have any sort of expression on his face.


    The host decided to question Xia Lu because she was getting nothing but praise out of these two so she asked her, "And how was it working with these new actors?"


    "There were hiccups, naturally," Xia Lu replied naturally as she was used to this and elaborated, "Even I am not impervious to mistakes so it was inevitable for these newbies to make mistakes.


    However, what they say is also true, if not for our director, their performance would have been what you expect from newbies but they could only work on such a big project for their first time because of proper guidance and patience. And the fact that they were talented themselves cannot be ignored."


    Xia Lu''s answer wasn''t forced and she didn''t just mention Wei Jun but kept the answer about everyone. The host nodded and turned to Wei Jun who sat with Xia Lu and asked, "Mister Ruan, how did you come up with such an idea and how did you find these gems for such a big project?"


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "The idea isn''t something new, you can simply say it is the amalgamation of old ideas with some new theories added to it." Wei Jun first took the humble approach and then added, "But, no movie, even copied ones, can be forced. A proper cast has to be appointed. For this show, for example, Miss Xia was inevitably to be a hit."


    Wei Jun first of all praised the most important one and he also subtly showed that he was on first name basis with Xia Lu which no one missed but the host chose not to dwell on it even though it would be a big scoop because if she somehow offended these two people with a massive reputation and power, she wasn''t sure of the consequences.


    Wei Jun continued and said, "However, the bigger surprise was the discovery of Miss Kui. She was a natural, more natural than any other. I never had to take more than two takes with her, and even those two takes were very rare."


    "As for the rest, although they were rough around the edges, their talent was very good for newbies so although they had trouble at the beginning, they became affluent somewhere in the middle of the shooting. And as Miss Xia had said, everyone pinched in and gave proper guidance to all these actors, making working with them very comfortable."


    The host nodded and finally asked, "Mister Ruan, are there any future projects you are thinking of?"


    Wei Jun smiled and nodded while he said, "There is a serial I intend to make, one involving office melodrama, with sneaky romance and all, with a tinge of comedy. I promise you, you will all love it."


    "And who would be the cast in this drama?" The host asked.


    "Well, at first we wanted to keep the cast as is but then our couple asked that they wished to be together in a role," Wei Jun pointed at Quan Kui and Xiao Heiling and then said, "So we had to make some changes. Aside from that, Miss Song Li, the famous actress has also decided to play an important role in the serial."


    At Wei Jun''s explanation, the host couldn''t help but marvel but when he got to the end, she was a little stunned as she asked, "How¡­ did you manage to recruit such a legendary actress?"


    "Haha." Wei Jun chuckled and replied, "Unfortunately, that is a trade secret. I don''t want any competition after all."


    "Haha, you''re right." The host agreed and that peaceful interview continued. The interview came to an end after an hour and everyone was dismissed. The others were a little worried because of their performance in the interview and were worried about Wei Jun''s reaction but he didn''t say anything about it and simply left the building with everyone else.


    As they parted ways, Wei Jun spotted someone from the corner of his eye and couldn''t help but smile. The protagonist of the show had arrived.


    ***


    Run Long was with Noh Tian since his business had come to a halt and there was nothing else he could do. That was when they talked about life partners and Run Long mentioned his first love. When he mentioned Quan Li, Noh Tian asked with a stunned expression, "That new and upcoming star, Quan Li?" S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, her." Run Long replied before he added, "However, I haven''t been able to find her."


    "I know where she is." Noh Tian said before he pointed to the TV and said, "She is currently giving her interview along with the rest of the team at the studio world."


    As Run Long turned to the TV, he saw Quan Li among the six individuals who were talking about their various experiences.


    He hurriedly became attentive and asked Noh Tian, "Bother Tian, do you know where that place is?"


    "Of course. Want me to take you there?" Noh Tian asked.


    "Yes please!" Run Long hurriedly exclaimed which garnered them some attention from their surroundings.


    "Haha. Sure, let''s go." Noh Tian said as he paid the bill and led Run Long to his car. After that, they arrived at the news station where the interview was held and they arrived just in time for the stars to exit.


    Run Long spotted Quan Li and made a beeline for her straight away. Quan Li, who was chatting with Zhan Yi, also spotted him and froze in her tracks. She didn''t know what was happening but the person in front of her was none other than her former orphanage companion.


    Zhan Yi saw her frozen state and asked, "What is it?"


    Before she could reply, a man came out of nowhere, whom he had never seen before, and hugged Quan Li. Everyone stopped in their tracks as they couldn''t tell what just happened. Well, everyone except for a certain individual kind of got the story for another serial of his, one with a love triangle.


    As for Zhan Yi, he hurriedly panicked seeing Quan Li stunned and frozen so he hurriedly pushed Run Long away who wasn''t prepared and was pushed away before he could utilize his strength.


    "What are you doing?!" Zhan Yi yelled, obviously angered by the sudden hug, not to mention he remembered their previous attack and couldn''t help but be wary of the strangers.


    "Who the fu*k are you?!" Run Long was also equally, or even more angered. Without any warning, he sped forward and pushed Zhan Yi who couldn''t bear the attack of a Qi gathering realm martial artist, and was thrown back like a ragdoll.


    That action pulled Quan Li out of her trance as she yelled, "What are you doing?!" And she wasn''t the only one to yell, Quan Kui and Xiao Heiling were also ones to join.


    Xia Lu left Wei Jun''s side to check on the situation while Wei Jun simply called the police. He was going to use the same tactic on Run Long but with a little twist.


    "Hey! Who are you and why are you making a ruckus here?!" Xia Lu yelled at Run Long who finally took notice of everyone. He simply scoffed and said, "He was the one to push me first."


    "Yeah, because you suddenly came out of nowhere and assaulted one of our employees. This could be considered harassment you know." Xia Lu countered to which Run Long simply replied, "Why would I need to explain myself to anyone when I am simply hugging my love?"


    "What!?" Everyone exclaimed together, even Zhan Yi who slowly got up with the help of Xiao Heiling froze when he heard such a claim.


    They all turned to Quan Li for confirmation of such a claim who herself was panicking as she couldn''t find words to explain herself.


    Wei Jun who was standing on the side said with an amused smile, "Drama at its peak."


    ******


    Do not forget to show your support in any way possible. Your support is all the motivation I need to keep going.

 Chapter 126: Encounter: Again (1)

    All eyes turned to Quan Li who was panicking, not because her secret was revealed, but because she didn''t even know what this maniac was saying so when she collected herself, she yelled, "WHAT BULLSH*T ARE YOU SPOUTING?!!!"


    Stunned, everyone in the vicinity was left stunned by the loud voice laced with foul language. Wei Jun on the side couldn''t help but nod with pride because he was sure that Quan Li had picked those words from him.


    As for the rest, they were stunned because never had they ever heard Quan Li speaking in foul language. This was more of a surprise than before when Run Long called her his lover.


    "What¡­ What do you mean, little Quan?" Run Long asked, a little taken aback by her outburst and couldn''t help but be a little confused.


    "I said stop saying things that can be misunderstood!!!" Quan Li yelled and added, "And don''t call me little Quan, it''s embarrassing."


    Run Long was even more stunned and couldn''t help but say, "But you loved that name."


    "When I was four!!! I''m twenty-two for goodness sake!!!" Quan Li yelled in repose before she added, of course, while yelling, "And what do you mean your love?!!! When did ever become your lover?!!!"


    Imaginary lightning fell behind Run Long who couldn''t help but open his mouth in shock. He muttered, slowly and said, "But... But you said that we would marry when we were children."


    "I was four, for fu*ks sake!!!" Quan Li yelled.


    Wei Jun chuckled but no one heard it as he was still a little distance away. As for the rest, they didn''t know what was going on anymore but they came to know the fact that Wei Jun had corrupted Quan Li with his foul language, unaware of the fact that they would themselves sometimes spout many profanities when angry.


    As for the most unfortunate person there, who was being bombarded with imaginary lightning again and again, was so stunned that he couldn''t even think what he should say in a reply.


    Zhan Yi, seeing the situation going nowhere came forward and held Quan Li''s hand and said, "You shouldn''t yell like that, or your voice would be affected."


    Quan Li also knew of that fact so she took a few deep breaths and said nothing. However, Run Long didn''t fail to notice that she didn''t free her hand from Zhan Yi. It was easy for him to put two and two together and easily blame the person for his current unfortunate predicament.


    "You¡­!" He said as Qi began to circulate inside of him. Since Quan Li and Zhan Yi were cultivators themselves, they could understand what was happening, however, before they could react, Run Long appeared before Zhan Yi and punched with all his power while he yelled, "This is all because of you! You seduced my innocent little Quan!!"


    Wei Jun sighed because he couldn''t let this go on any longer. Just as Run Long disappeared from his spot, Wei Jun did as well and appeared just next to Zhan Yi and stopped the punch that could have severely injured Zhan Yi if not killed him.


    The punch with a significant amount of power of Run Long was stopped but not effortlessly. Wei Jun had to use all of his body strength to stop that punch. At first, Wei Jun thought that his stats would be enough but he was wrong. Run Long was strong, not too strong, but strong enough for a Qi gathering realm cultivator in the initial stages.


    Not to mention, there was the element of Qi which hurt Wei Jun regardless of the power.


    [HP -3]


    But, Wei Jun had managed to stop his punch and did a spinning kick for which, Run Long was unprepared. As a kick prepared with five points of Qi fell on Run Long, he was thrown quite a bit away from the spot.


    "Now, now, talking and yelling is fine. Pushing and shoving are also bearable, but I can''t have you hurting my prospects. Only I have the right to beat the sh*t out of them." Wei Jun said as he circulated his Qi through his hand, and his hand which was red because of the hit earlier began to heal visibly.


    "Who the hell are you?" Run Long asked, bewildered, as he hadn''t expected a cultivator to be able to do that to him. Run Long didn''t like to brag but he was stronger and more talented than all of his peers.


    Although he was hit, that was simply because he had let his guard down. He was sure he could beat this cultivator in front of him. Wei Jun knew that he wouldn''t be able to win but he had the element of surprise on his side. Run Long didn''t survive every time just because of his illogical luck but also because he was strong and could easily fight against cultivators of high rank.


    One such good example was the cultivator Wei Jun faced for the first time after the Na family banquet. At that time Wei Jun was confused as to why he obtained level up from killing that guy but later as he read the novel, he found out that that man was the main villain of the novel.


    So if Run Long could defeat him in the novel, then it was correct to assume that he wasn''t weak. However, every fight was decided by many factors, not just strength. Wei Jun knew of every move of Run Long but Run Long knew nothing about him.


    Wei Jun had surprise on his side, many of his cards didn''t make any sense for him to possess, but he did so he was sure that the result of this fight would be undetermined.


    "Shouldn''t I be asking you that? Who the fu*k are you and what metal of balls do you have to attack one of my prospects? This is assault you know? I could have you arrested." Wei Jun asked and threatened at the same time.


    Run Long scoffed and said, "Hah! I don''t care what you do. It''s not like you can stop me."


    "Don''t be too sure of that." Wei Jun said as he stepped forward, raring to fight. Run Long didn''t look like he was going back away and stepped forward as well. Wei Jun and Run Long both came face to face and the atmosphere didn''t look too good.


    However, before the tension grew too much, Wei Jun raised his hand with a box in his hand and asked curiously, "What''s this?"


    When Run Long saw his acupuncture box in Wei Jun''s hands, he hurriedly touched his jacket pocket only to find it empty. "YOU! Give it back!"


    Run Long yelled and attacked Wei Jun who simply sidestepped and attacked Run Long once again with a spiking kick but this one was stopped by Run Long''s hand as he pushed Wei Jun, making him spin mid-air. Wei Jun controlled himself and delivered a kick once again but his leg was also stopped by Run Long with ease. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Instead, he grabbed Wei Jun''s leg and pulled him, spinning him around and throwing him to the ground. Wei Jun extended his arms and began to accumulate Qi in his hands. He didn''t use the discharge skill because that was a card.


    As soon as his hands came in contact with the concrete, his hands went in by an inch but he was unharmed. Wei Jun pulled his leg and spun with his hands on the ground before he once again went with a kicking motion and struck Run Long straight in his biceps, throwing him away a little but he too was unharmed.


    Wei Jun pushed himself up and after a flip, he landed on the ground, dusted his hands, and smirked. Run Long also massaged his arm a little and smirked. Both of them were equal in terms of power, maybe Run Long was higher but Wei Jun made up for it with his techniques.


    After all, Run Long''s main profession was a doctor, not a fighter. He knew some martial arts but he wasn''t like Wei Jun who had mastered hundreds of different martial arts, not only hand-to-hand but also weapons martial arts.


    However, one fact that both of them knew was that neither had used their full power, and neither had used Qi empowerment yet.


    Run Long smirked and asked, "Now where the hell did you pop out from?"


    Wei Jun simply scoffed but didn''t reply. To be honest, he was also a little surprised. He hadn''t given his all but even if he had, he felt like he wouldn''t be able to defeat Run Long.


    ''I need to level up.'' Wei Jun thought. His stats were limited and only through that did he stand a chance against Run Long.


    They both stared at each other for a while before they thought that was enough of a break and were about to move in again when Quan Li yelled, "Enough!"

 Chapter 127: Trust

    Some may find this chapter unnecessary but do keep in mind that this tells you a little bit about the MC''s past. So do give it a read and let me know what you think.


    Also if you think that Xia Lu''s reaction is unreasonable, then I would like you to understand and look at it from a woman''s perspective. the reference to that reaction is taken from a tragedy in 1976. I won''t go into details but I believe her reaction is reasonable.


    ******


    Wei Jun and Run Long both stopped in their tracks when they heard Quan Li''s voice. Wei Jun didn''t turn to look at her and kept his eyes on Run Long. As for Run Long, he stopped to gaze at Quan Li and as he watched her panicked expression, he couldn''t help but tut as he turned to Wei Jun and say, "Consider this your lucky day."


    Wei Jun scoffed but said no provocative remarks unlike his nature because he didn''t want to push this drama any further. His goal was complete and he didn''t need to push things too far for Quan Li as well.


    Just as Run Long was about to turn around, a police car came in their direction but none of them noticed as they turned the siren at the last moment.


    Wei Jun turned to look at them as he realized that he was the one who had called for the police. He also made sure to instruct Noh Tian on what to do next so he could get ready for the next phase of his act.


    "We got a report of assault from here." The policeman said as he came out of the car along with his partner.


    "Boss," Quan Li came forward as she saw that things wouldn''t be good for Run Long.


    Wei Jun turned to her and she said, almost as if she was pleading, "Although he was rude, this is my friend. Please¡­" She didn''t need to complete her sentence to relay her intentions. Not to mention how ashamed she was at the moment.


    Wei Jun, however, made no change in his cold expression so no one could tell what he was thinking when Noh Tian stepped forward and said, "Young master Ruan, although things didn''t progress very well, but I''m sure there is no need to get the authorities involved."


    Noh Tian''s tone was that of an equal and authority wise, he was. If he wanted, he could easily have the charges dropped on Run Long but helping him now, in front of Wei Jun, and helping him then in front of the police were two different things.


    Wei Jun exhaled deeply and addressed the police, "It was nothing. It was just a squabble that we have solved between us."


    He then turned to Noh Tian and said, "But I will appreciate it if you can keep your friend in control, young master Tian. Also, we will be filing for a restraint order."


    "What did you say?!" Run Long yelled angrily as he was being ignored all this while. He remained quiet because he didn''t want trouble with the police but this guy was trying to make it difficult for him to approach Quan Li again.


    "Brother Long! Not now." Noh Tian was fast enough to calm Run Long down to which he reluctantly backed off but not before he said, "We will meet again."


    Wei Jun smirked and said, "I''d rather we didn''t. I''m not into men you see."


    Run Long gnashed his teeth but said nothing in return. Instead, he extended his palm towards Wei Jun. Wei Jun smiled and retrieved the wooden box of Run Long from his pocket and threw it at him. Run Log caught it and without another word, turned to leave.


    This small episode came to an end when Wei Jun turned to Quan Li and said, "I thought I already mentioned it in the contract, no public relationships, and once they are formed, you have to keep them up like those two," He pointed at Quan Kui and Xiao Heiling who weren''t just a secret couple but a TV couple as well.


    Quan Li became flustered as she said, "No! Boss, you got it all wrong. He is just a friend." Quan Li tried to defend her.


    "He didn''t look like a friend." Wei Jun commented with a raised eyebrow.


    "No, no, he really is. You have to believe me." She desperately said to which Wei Jun simply nodded but it didn''t look like he really believed her. Quan Li panicked even more when Xia Lu disapprovingly said, "If she is saying he''s not, then he''s not. Why can''t you just believe her?" S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She didn''t look happy with Wei Jun so he simply smiled and said, "I believe her. I just want her to make it clear because this could affect her career."


    "She knows that. She isn''t a child." Xia Lu defended Quan Li once again to which Wei Jun couldn''t say anything but just simply nod.


    The others stood tensed because arguments between Xia Lu and Wei Jun were mostly like fights between ''mommy and daddy.''


    Since they didn''t know what to do in this scenario, they simply held it in and said nothing. This had long stopped about Quan Li but now was about Xia Lu and Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun sighed and turned to Quan Li, "I apologize for doubting you. I hope you can forgive me."


    Quan Li panicked and hurriedly said, "NO, NO, BOSS! You were just----"


    "Don''t forgive him." Xia Lu interrupted Quan Li mid-speech, freezing everyone. The atmosphere was awkward, to say the least, and the tense pressure was weighing down on the four innocent bystanders.


    "If he can''t trust you, then there is no need to be considerate of him either." Xia Lu added after her interruption.


    Wei Jun was at a loss about what to do when he suddenly remembered a few questions he asked his brother when he taught him about flirting and women, ''What do women want?'' Once asked his brother.


    At that time the child Wei Jun simply said, ''Love.''


    ''Oh, my sweet and innocent little brother. That''s the third thing they want. The first and foremost thing is actually pretty simple.''


    ''What is that?'' Wei Jun curiously asked.


    ''They want what they want.'' His brother replied.


    Wei Jun didn''t understand so he asked for elaboration to which his brother explained, ''If a woman asks for a man to choose between something good or bad, and the man makes a choice for her, there is a ninety percent chance she would do the exact opposite because she would feel like you are trying to undermine her opinion, and in doing so, her freedom.


    If there is one thing women desire the most, that is their independence.''


    ''Let them do what they want, and they will ninety percent do what you wanted.''


    The young Wei Jun didn''t understand such a complicated thing and asked, ''Is that why dad always fears mom so much?''


    ''Nope, that''s for a whole different reason.'' His brother replied, ''Anyway, never undermine a woman''s authority. That is not only an unethical thing as a man, but not doing so is the form of greatest trust.''


    ''Remember, trust is one of the pillars of a relationship. If you want a woman to trust you, trust her.'' His bother said.


    Wei Jun nodded and when he remembered those words in his current situation, he sighed because he had offered the wrong type of apology. This wasn''t just about Quan Li, it was also about him and Xia Lu, and she needed to know whether he trusted her or not.


    He once again addressed Quan Li and said, "I apologize. Ignore my earlier words because they don''t matter. I trust you."


    Everyone was dumbfounded and stood frozen in place. Well, everyone except one individual. Xia Lu smiled subtly and the strict gaze she held softened immediately.


    Quan Li didn''t know what to do so she turned to Xia Lu, who immediately removed the smile from her face, but not before everyone saw it, and assumed her strict expression as she said, "That was better. You can now forgive him."


    Wei Jun sighed and inwardly thanked his brother for imparting knowledge of women to him, something he believed to be useless before today.


    "It''s okay, boss. I can tell how anyone can misunderstand such a situation. If you want to file the restraint order, I would understand." Quan Li said, a little tensed but a little relieved as well.


    "There''s no need. If you say there''s no problem, then there''s no problem." Wei Jun learned his lesson so he made sure not to use any words or tone that could suggest he still doubted Quan Li. From the corner of his eye, he saw Xia Lu nodding in approval and couldn''t help but smile slightly.


    When everyone thought it was over, Xia Lu spoke, "Remember Quan Li, although his words were harsh," She glanced at Wei Jun before she continued, "He wasn''t wrong either."


    "There may be nothing but remember, you are now a celebrity, and you soon will be a big time given your talent and hard work. Anything like this can be a permanent stain on your character. People don''t look for the good things about us, especially female celebrities, they always look for the bad things. So protect yourself as much as you can.


    Understood?" Xia Lu''s tone was strict but also like she was guiding a junior.


    "Yes, sister." Quan Li hurriedly replied.


    "Good, now, let us celebrate the completion of our first work." She said before she turned to Wei Jun and said, or more like ordered, "You''re joining too."


    Wei Jun quirked his eyebrow but he instinctively nodded which even he found strange. He wasn''t the one to follow orders. And it was then that he understood his brother''s expression when he inquired about their parents, ''Nope, that''s for a whole different reason.''


    He shook his head and smiled while he made his way to his car, he subtly patted his pocket where a wooden box that was the same as Run Long''s acupuncture box was.

 Chapter 128: Dragon tear (Bonus: P.S)

    Similarly, as the last chapter, this chapter is a little about the MC discovering his feelings. It may seem cheesy now, but you will definitely understand in the future so do not skip it.


    ******


    "Calm down, brother Long. You know it isn''t a simple matter, right? If it was anyone else, I could have used my influence, but Wei Jun Ruan is different. Although he is banished, his sister, who practically runs the Ruan family business is still on his side.


    It would be better if you could reign in your anger and think about this rationally." Noh Tian advised and informed Run Long of the circumstances while they were in the car, going back after the studio incident.


    It wasn''t that Run Long wasn''t aware of the situation. Had Noh Tian hadn''t intervened, he could have been arrested and he was the one who started the assault was also true in a way. Given the influence of the other party, not to mention his strength which Run Long was very surprised about, there was a good chance he would be caught in a web of matters leading to his arrest.


    "I know, brother Tian. But I need to do something about it." Run Long said.


    "Well, there is not much you can do about it but wait for a while. Let the matters cool down for a bit and then approach them without any hostile intentions. Although Quan Li is a subordinate of Wei Jun Ruan, I doubt he would restrict her life so you can still meet her." Noh Tian once again advised.


    Run Long nodded. He knew that unlike him, Noh Tian was a level-headed person. And it was also because of him that he wasn''t arrested so it was safe to trust him.


    "I will do as you say, brother Tian." Run Long replied but kept his gaze out the window, watching the city pass by in his view.


    Noh Tian didn''t say anything and simply focused on driving. But he made sure to remind himself that he was still to report back to Wei Jun about their conversation and every move of Run Long.


    *****


    Wei Jun wasn''t a drinker, no alcohol was something not only his father, but his father taught him too. So when they were celebrating and he was the only one with a glass of water while saying a toast, it was very awkward.


    However, when offered drinks, he rejected them. Even from Xia Lu which spoke volumes of his determination about his no alcohol motto.


    "Would it kill you to drink just once?" Xia Lu asked.


    "It is not about drinking just once. It is about respect." Wei Jun replied but he didn''t elaborate. In his previous life, with the scale of the business he ran, alcohol was a usual thing whenever he would make business deals but even then, he never drank even one drop of alcohol.


    All because his father and brother said so. His father would say that a man makes questionable decisions while drunk while his brother didn''t drink because of his profession. He was a doctor and as a doctor, he needed a clean head. Alcohol, even a drop of that went against that. Although Wei Jun knew it was an excuse. His brother didn''t drink because he also respected their father''s decision.


    He just didn''t admit to it because he was a little rebellious.


    So by not drinking, Wei Jun showed respect to his father. Although his father never expected anything like that from him, Wei Jun felt it to be his obligation and duty to make his father proud.


    He still remembered the day of his first kill. His father was immensely proud of him while his bother wasn''t much, saying that he had made a mess. But his father defended him saying that that was how a man learned, from his mistake. So he didn''t make the same mistake and properly erased any sign of his involvement with his next victim.


    He made his father proud by not making the same mistake. He still remembered that face and made sure to never do anything his father wouldn''t like.


    His father didn''t like alcohol, so he didn''t like alcohol. Even if it came from a girl he had some unknown but complicated feelings for. Wei Jun apologized for her sake, something he rarely had to do in his lifetime, yet he didn''t drink, because even though Xia Lu was important to him, he knew clearly that she didn''t come before his father or his parents.


    Eventually, Xia Lu gave up. As Wei Jun had respected her wishes earlier, she was going to do the same because what they had was not a one-way bridge. She knew that just as he respected her, she needed to respect him as well.


    The party went on for quite a while. Although usually Wei Jun would have skipped it, but seeing Xia Lu become intoxicated again due to her weak alcohol tolerance, he didn''t leave her side even for a minute.


    Soon, the party came to an end and just like last time, Wei Jun carried the hiccupping Xia Lu to her room. However, while he put her down on the bed, she was already out of it. Wei Jun chuckled seeing her like that and cleared the locks of hair blocking her face.


    He then took off her heels and covered her under warm covers while turning on the AC. Once he was sure she was comfortable, he left the room and made his way to his own. He had many things to think but none of those were about his life in that world.


    No Run Long who he needed to kill. No fianc¨¦e who was trying very hard to kill him. No grandfather who was trying to use him for his personal gain.


    There was only one thing on his mind, or to be more precise, one person. Xia Lu. As he lay down after a short shower and slipped into his nightwear, he remembered his actions earlier today.


    In the olden days, Wei Jun only ever had to apologize to his family. However, today, he apologized, not once, but twice. It was something he had never done before. Yet he didn''t feel bad about it. On the contrary, he was relieved.


    And that worried him.


    Weakness. Something Wei Jun never had.


    To him, all his life, his family was everything and his family wasn''t his weakness. Instead, whoever targeted his family thinking they could get to Wei Jun suffered a fate far worse than what he would have done to them.


    However, now, he had a weakness. It was a new feeling, having a weakness. And that scared him. Fear, it was a feeling he had never had for anyone other than his mother, not even for his father who he respected so much, or his brother who practically raised him.


    Yet, today he feared something could happen to Xia Lu if he got any closer to her. That didn''t mean he was going to stay away from her. He was going to follow her, follow however his heart wished.


    ''Destroy the world. When someone targets someone you love, destroy everything. Their world, destroy it.'' His brother once said. His benevolent brother who was kind to people, especially children, once said to him with a strange expression on his face.


    The expression of a maniac.


    Wei Jun didn''t know what that was about but he didn''t care. He imprinted that teaching in his being, just like he did about every other teaching.


    So all he had to do was make sure he was strong enough to destroy the world, destroy everything.


    He didn''t have that, that strength yet. Today he realized that there wasn''t that much of a difference between him and Run Long. Wei Jun had become conceited after facing cultivators of higher rank and winning over them. He thought he would be easily able to win against the protagonists as well.


    He thought wrong. The protagonist, the favorite child of the world, the title itself was different. They weren''t the same as the other scrubs of this world, they were special, just like him.


    And his current power was not going to be enough to fight them. He needed more.


    He stood up and summoned an item from his inventory. The green gem-like stone he had retrieved from the motel; the first treasure he had robbed Run Long of. He didn''t know what it was then because he couldn''t feel anything from it but right now, he could feel immense power overflowing from it.


    It wasn''t world-destroying power, but for a cultivator at the Qi Gathering realm, it was indeed a treasure and it was the same for him.


    [Tear of the green dragon (Diluted)]


    [Tier B-]


    [Description: Green dragons are beings known for their vitality and strong healing powers. A characteristic unique to them. Not even the great red dragons, the kings of the dragon race possess such strong healing powers]


    [Effect: Upon usage of a cosmic power, you can heal yourself or others]


    [A.N: This is not a skill


    The amount of health recovered is five times the power used]


    [Would you like to absorb the tear of the green dragon (diluted)?]


    [Yes\\No]


    Wei Jun first understood the entire description. In the novel, when Run Long obtained this, he only received a boost in Qi which Wei Jun thought would be the same for him. So why was he getting something different?


    [Because of your soul]


    [The body may belong to Wei Jun Ruan]


    [But the soul is different]


    [And I felt this before too, but wasn''t sure of it, but you possess a dragon imprint on your soul] S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''A dragon imprint?'' Wei Jun asked, not really understanding the meaning behind that statement.


    [The imprint of the dragon race]


    [An imprint that is given when a race considers you to be worthy of their loyalty]


    ''¡­What?'' He still didn''t understand.

 Chapter 129: Instigator

    Same as last time. Try to read it fully to understand the future content.


    *******


    ''¡­What?'' Wei Jun didn''t understand. But what he did understand was how absurd it was.


    ''Isn''t that how Run Long gets lucky with things?'' Panic began to set in when he thought he was also turning into one of those illogical beings who get something for no reason at all.


    [You can look at it that way]


    [But no one can do anything when there is an imprint on your soul]


    ''What is this imprint? Explain properly.'' Wei Jun asked because he refused to be one of those protagonists so he decided to get as much information as he could.


    [All I can tell you is when a race pledges loyalty to a person, not out of fear but respect, that person gains the title of being their race''s guardian]


    ''When did I ever get close to the dragon race? I have never even seen a dragon except in GOT before.'' Wei Jun countered because he still couldn''t make sense of this.


    [You didn''t]


    [Your father did]


    [The imprint you have comes from your blood]


    [Not from you]


    [To be honest, you should consider yourself quite lucky]


    [The dragon race is picky and arrogant]


    [The fact that they won''t turn you away is just too much for a person]


    [In my days, dragon riders were called ''Different breeds'']


    [They were in a different class from others]


    [Yet, they had subdued dragons]


    [You possess the respect of the dragons]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun didn''t say anything because the system explained everything except for the important question.


    ''Why do I have it?'' He asked.


    [I wouldn''t know]


    [Ask your father]


    [It''s clear it must have come from him]


    ''¡­ Why not from my mother?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [¡­]


    [Could be]


    [Anyway, I cannot answer that question of yours]


    [All I know is about imprints]


    [How your family got one]


    [I have no clue of that]


    Wei Jun nodded and asked, just to be sure, ''Do I have an imprint for anything else?''


    [Yes]


    ''For what species?'' Wei Jun asked.


    However, no reply came. He waited for quite a while but when he received no answer, he asked once again.


    [I don''t know]


    [There''s suddenly a block on your soul]


    [It looks like I was only allowed that piece of information]


    Wei Jun went silent after that. He didn''t understand what was going on but he understood from the system''s last statement that there was a higher power than the overseer of the world who could even hide things from him.


    Who was he? He had no idea. But he had a strong hunch that that being was the one who brought him to this world.


    But since there was nothing more to gleam from there, he decided to move on to the next matter at hand. The crystal that held the dragon tear. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''What would happen if I absorbed it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [As the description said]


    [You will gain an ability that will allow you to recover your HP by 5 at the cost of 1 QP]


    No matter how Wei Jun looked at it, it seemed too good to be true. And the fact that he was getting it risk-free was also somewhat worrying.


    ''What do you think?'' For the first time, Wei Jun asked the system for advice. He had never before because he didn''t need to but this didn''t seem as risk-free as it looked. He could not help but feel that there was something more to it.


    [I think you should absorb it]


    [Although you possess a strong concentration of yang energy and that heals your wounds very fast]


    [It won''t still be as fast as this ability]


    Wei Jun nodded as he had the same conclusion but just like earlier, he couldn''t shake off the feeling that there was something else to it.


    But since there was no answer, he decided to just absorb it. But the question was, how would he?


    Since the system was giving the option of Yes and No, there was no need to overcomplicate things so he pressed on Yes. However, as soon as he did, he understood what that feeling from earlier was. He was relieved to know that things were indeed not as easy for him, unlike those protagonists.


    [Warning]


    [You are attempting to absorb one of the treasures of the world''s will]


    [There will be a severe backlash]


    [You will be detected by the world''s will]


    [It is recommended to not absorb the treasure at the host''s current level]


    [Otherwise, the host runs the risk of becoming detectable by the world''s will]


    [Minimum requirements for the absorption of this treasure]


    [#1: Must possess the title ''Invader'']


    [#2: All Physical stats must be +200]


    [#3: The Qi stats of the host must be at least 300]


    [#4: The host should have taken at least 2 strands of the world''s will]


    Wei Jun patiently read through all of the information provided. He especially focused on the requirements of the absorption of this treasure and also the warning from the system.


    ''What would happen if I do become visible to the world''s will?'' Wei Jun asked. From the wording used, he could tell that he was hidden from the world''s will for now but what did becoming detectable to it mean?


    [Let''s just say if you become visible to it as you are now]


    [You will be torn apart]


    No other words came but Wei Jun didn''t need to know any more about it. the answer was clear; he wasn''t strong enough to resist the world''s will at the moment.


    That left the ''requirements'' part, especially the last one.


    [As I said before, you will gain the title when you do something invader worthy]


    ''Such as kill a protagonist?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Yes]


    [Though I have no idea how many you will have to kill for that]


    [You might gain it by killing Wei Jun]


    [Or you kill half of them and still don''t get it]


    [Depends on how strongly you wound the world''s will]


    [As for the last one]


    [The strands of the world'' will obviously represent the people it has made a connection with]


    [The protagonists]


    In summary, it all came down to killing the protagonists. Wei Jun rubbed his head at the dump of information he had just been bombarded with but there were many questions that formed in his head.


    But those questions were for another day. At the moment, the urgent issue he faced was his level up. He had thought that by taking this opportunity from Wei Jun, he would get some levels but he couldn''t do that now.


    And since it was too precious to destroy, he didn''t consider that, unlike the medical scripture.


    ''Would the same problem arise with the last treasure?'' Wei Jun thought inwardly but since the system didn''t know the answer to that, there was no input from it as well.


    ''But I need to get it regardless.'' Wei Jun said as he stood up and headed to his room window. Using the same method, he left under the cover of the night but not before wearing an outfit that made it difficult to recognize him.


    This time he didn''t go downtown but towards the Ruan building. He had work to do. Since he couldn''t get the third and final treasure yet, all he could do was wait and focus on other ways to level up.


    The easiest would be to create enmity between two individuals.


    *******


    Sirens wailed. The scene, it looked like hell on earth. Everything was on fire. Six buildings were brought down at the same time, taking the city by surprise and a loud explosion like lightning had fallen from the sky and shook the entire world.


    "Get the fire under control!" One of the firefighters yelled.


    "There''s too much! We need additional support!" One of the other firefighters yelled.


    "Call the city! Get as many Port-a-Tanks as you can get. We need to stop the fire from spreading! Also, call for air support! Tell them to authorize Halon 1301." The captain of the firefighters, seeing the scale of destruction yelled orders.


    "It has been three hours yet the fire has not been tamed. The city is expending all efforts it can. The mayor has authorized all equipment regardless of the costs, yet it is still estimated that the fire would still rage for a few hours." A TV reporter reported live from the scene.


    "So far, the cause of the fire has not been determined but the earlier witnesses claim that it was an explosion." The reporter still continued and added, "It is also believed to be a terrorist attack but all the details are yet to be investigated."


    Sun Ruan sat in his room, staring at the gigantic TV in front of him. Similarly, to him, many of the city''s families were also looking at the TV, just not as calm as Sun Runa because Sun Ruan didn''t care for the loss he incurred, yet the rest of the city did.


    "Let Lin handle this matter," Sun Ruan said before he added, "And schedule a meeting with the sect leader. I cannot just have them touching what''s mine." Sun Ruan said, focused on an entirely different matter, not caring about the fire still spreading throughout the city.

 Chapter 130: Instigator (1)

    I know it is going slow but stay with me here, it will all make sense soon enough.


    ****** sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Report." Lin Ruan asked, solemnly, as she skimmed through the damage report but still wanted to know the summary of the situation.


    After two days, the fire had been put out and after an investigation, it was pointed out that it was a terrorist attack. The explosives used were untraceable so no record was found. The investigations were still going on but there was no solid lead at the moment.


    Lin Ruan herself had mobilized her networks after an attack of such a scale. She didn''t believe the police would be able to find anything legally so of course, she took the illegal route as well.


    However, even that was still going on and no lead was found at the moment. So all she could do was deal with the damage. The damage of this scale wasn''t a big deal for her nor was it for the Ruan family. The rest of the families were distraught by the loss but not the Ruan family.


    Sun Ruan didn''t even say anything about the loss and gave full control to Lin Ruan along with all the resources she needed. She wasn''t even asked to find out the person who did this to them or turn their losses into profits again.


    Still, Lin Ruan wanted to find out the person who did this so she mobilized her own networks. And while they worked, she would make sure to work on the losses incurred.


    "The total damage is almost 487 million yuan. Fortunately, the underground bunker of the building where all the data and important things are unaffected by the destruction, it would also easily be cleared in a few days. As for the construction, it will have to be halted until the police complete their investigation.


    And as for the insurance, there has been some snag but we will surely hear from them as well." The secretary of Lin Ruan gave a full summary of the report, leaving nothing out. She only stated the total amount of loss, not showing which department and which thing incurred more loss because that was what the report was for and she wasn''t asked for a full report either.


    "I see." Lin Ruan said, without raising her head from the report she waved her and said, "You can leave now."


    But the secretary didn''t leave and said, "Actually, young master Ruan has been waiting to meet you. I told him you were busy so he said he would wait. When should I send him up?"


    Rip!


    Lin Ruan ripped the report as she raised her head, a cold look in her eyes as she said, "I thought I was clear he wasn''t to be stopped. Especially not by the likes of you or anyone in this building."


    The employees of the Ruan family looked down on Wei Jun, which was a fact that she couldn''t get rid of for a few years but now that Wei Jun was capable of many things, and definitely not a waste, she wanted the others to change her view as well.


    However, her own employees looked down on her brother and she didn''t like that.


    "But madam---" The secretary was about to speak in her defense when Lin Ruan interrupted, "Now you''re going to go out and send my brother in. After that, you''re going to inform the H.R. and get your pay, and then get out."


    If her subordinates looked down on Wei Jun, she needed to make an example out of it. Once everyone saw what happened to the ones who looked down on Wei Jun, the others would definitely not do it.


    "You can leave." While the atmosphere was tense and the secretary was about to beg, they heard a voice.


    Both of them turned to look at the door to find Wei Jun standing there with two coffee cups in his hands. "I asked her to not disturb you and only let you know once you weren''t busy."


    Wei Jun wasn''t a kind person, but he also wasn''t a bad person. He knew the work ethics and he was the one who had asked the secretary to only inform Lin Ruan after she was finished with the important work. He couldn''t let the innocent woman take the fall for his instructions.


    "You can take the day off. I''m sure my sister can manage without you." Wei Jun said to the secretary who glanced at Lin Ruan only to receive a curt nod. She sighed inwardly and turned to Wei Jun, slightly bowing, "Thank you, young master."


    Wei Jun nodded and the secretary left without further ado. Wei Jun took the seat opposite Lin Ruan and saw the ripped-out report in her hands. He smirked and asked, "Would you be fine without that?"


    "It''s nothing important." Lin Ruan said while discarding the papers and asked, "What are you here for?"


    "I was hoping to see if you needed any help. Although I doubt things are hectic for you unlike the rest of the city, you might still want an extra set of hands." Wei Jun said.


    "Sure." Lin Ruan said without any reservations and said, "Although grandfather gave me all the resources needed to deal with this, I''m still only one person and many of the problems are complex and I can''t let these people deal with it." Lin Ruan explained the situation.


    "In other words, you need someone you can trust to handle this well." Wei Jun simplified her explanation to which she nodded with a smile.


    "I will deal with what you need. You just tell me what it is." Wei Jun said before he curiously asked after a short pause, "You found out who did this?"


    "No." Lin Ruan replied exasperatedly while she leaned back in her chair and said, "But I will find out soon. There aren''t many illegal arms traffickers in the city. The explosives must have come from there since such a level of explosives cannot be brought from the outside."


    Wei Jun nodded in agreement and asked, "And what about the attack on you? You found anything about that?"


    "I have. But I''m not too sure yet. I don''t want to make a hasty move because the backer of the said person isn''t someone I can deal with. I need to make sure it is him before I make a move." Lin Ruan replied without leaving anything out.


    Wei Jun could understand her concern. The master of Run Long was a peak cultivator at the Qi master realm. Even with Sun Ruan on her back, Lin Ruan couldn''t recklessly mess with Run Long. That was why Run Long was so fearless.


    However, even Run Long wasn''t impervious to the law. That was why he was so worried about getting arrested. If Lin Ruan could somehow pursue this matter through legal means, the threat of Run Long''s master wouldn''t matter.


    ''But¡­ That''s exactly what I want.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly as he had a little different plans than Ling Ruan.


    He stood up, buttoned his jacket, and said, "How about I deal with that insurance issue of yours first? Then we can take it from there."


    "Are you sure?" Lin Ruan asked because the insurance matter was a little tricky. There were too many legal loopholes related to terrorism that the insurance companies could use to not pay the Ruan family.


    Wei Jun smiled and said nothing. He turned around and left the room to deal with this matter.


    ******


    "How¡­ did you do that?" Lin Ruan was simply speechless about how Wei Jun had convinced the insurance company to pay them. Wei Jun smiled and said, "That''s a trade secret."


    Lin Ruan didn''t pursue the matter and said, "Well, that''s all the more blessing for me then. How about you deal with these as well?" Lin Ruan pushed a stack of papers to Wei Jun with a charming smile.


    Wei Jun chuckled but remained quiet as he was the one who needed Lin Ruan more than she needed him. He nodded and took the stack of papers. He would have to interview some people and then also check the survivors.


    Oh yeah, the survivors.


    Five buildings were blown to smithereens but not a single life was lost. The people in the buildings, mostly security staff were found unconscious in several trucks a few blocks away from the incident, all unconscious, and no one knew how they got there and what happened to them.


    That was why, the first thought of the police and everyone, except for the obvious bombing, was towards terrorism because only that explained the meticulous planning of the incident.


    The cameras of all the buildings and all the cameras around the place that had a camera were hacked and put on a loop. The security staff and everyone were found with compounds of drugs in their system that they seemed to have inhaled and that compound was let in through the buildings via their vents and cooling systems.


    All in all, it was a meticulous planning with already no window for a clue but if that wasn''t enough, there wasn''t any trace of the material used as well. That was why the city was on a state of high alert and the police were at a loss in their investigations.


    And the instigator of all that was currently dealing with the problems he had caused and making a good name for himself.

 Chapter 131: Instigator (2)

    "Is there no other way?" Run Long asked Noh Tian.


    "No. For now, all we can do is wait for clearance. It still belongs to you, Brother Long, so we will get it for sure but we don''t know how long it will take." Noh Tian informed Run Long who was very worried because health services raided his warehouse where all his readied products were and confiscated them because Run Long didn''t possess a License.


    "I see." Run Long could only say that since there was no other way. Nothing was going his way recently. Not only was he losing the girls he liked, but he was also losing a sh*t ton of money.


    For now, all he could do was wait. Seeing that there was no other way to this, all he could do was see if any opportunity arose.


    "Actually, Brother Long, there is something I would like to recommend if you are interested." Noh Tian hesitantly said.


    Seeing Noh Tian so hesitant, Run Long couldn''t help but ask, "What is it, brother Tian?"


    Noh Tian still hesitated and said, "It''s not that I don''t believe in your medical skills, it''s just that the person who wants to be healed is a little too influential. If anything were to go wrong, the confiscation of your product would be the least of your concerns."


    Run Long nodded solemnly. Usually, he would have said yes in a heartbeat, but since nothing was going his way, he wasn''t very confident in pursuing this matter.


    "What is the risk?" Run Long asked.


    "These people are directly associated with the immortal special forces. We don''t know what they would do if things went south." Noh Tian explained.


    Run Long nodded solemnly and began to ponder the matter at hand. It was indeed a problem and Run Long couldn''t take a risk.


    "What do you think, brother Tian?" Run Long asked Noh Tian who solemnly replied, "Usually, currying a favor with the cultivator''s special forces would be an opportunity too good to pass but if anything went wrong, they are also a very tough opponent to face. After all, they directly come under the emperor."


    The power of sects was undeniable until it didn''t come to the emperor and everything under him. There were two wings of the emperor. The government and the military. The military was something complicated and a sole organization for the sake of the empire. So no power in the empire could go against the military.


    However, the government was a different thing. The politics of the empire didn''t remain the same as the ancient times. To placate the people of the empire, martial law, the law of the military wasn''t something wise.


    Even the past emperors made sure not to give military the control over the people. So for that, the government was created and every power structure was the same as any other presidential country only the empire didn''t allow for a president and that role was given to the emperor.


    Unfortunately, the immortal special forces didn''t come under the government but the military. No sects could go against the military, even the strong ones because no one could go against the emperor.


    It was a complex structure but all Run Long knew was that he could get in trouble with the police, however, since he was a cultivator, the case would be handed over to the cultivator''s special forces and in doing so, to the military.


    No one needed to tell him what would happen then. Although his master was strong, his influence wouldn''t work much in the military. Of course, it wasn''t like his master had no influence in the military since he served the military, but there was a chance those connections might not help him in this case where a direct person involved in the immortal special forces was concerned. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So you say I shouldn''t do it?" Run Long asked.


    Noh Tian simply nodded in reply which helped Run Long come to a decision. "Very well then. I won''t do it."


    "That''s a good decision, Brother Long. It is always better to be cautious than a risk of this magnitude." Noh Tian said as a praise to Run Long.


    Run Long nodded and leaned back in his chair. However, he had a feeling that this matter wasn''t as simple as he thought it would be. He had a nagging feeling at the back of his head that there was something he had missed but he couldn''t tell what.


    ****


    Wei Jun smiled as he read the report sent by Noh Tian. He came out of his car and he simply replied, "Good work."


    He headed to his warehouse where his bike was stored. He made sure to hide his traces before he equipped his biker suit and boarded his bike. While the city was distracted by the fire three days ago, he was going to do what he really needed.


    He had managed to convince Run Long not to take an unnecessary risk, making him believe Noh Tian all the more. Now he just needed to make it so that Run Lon had no choice but to go his last hope, only the risk factor involved would be a bit much higher.


    Wei Jun just needed to make him desperate enough for that. And all that would remain would be to just sit back as Run Long would self-destruct himself. If Lin Ruan needed to pursue Run Long via legal means, he was going to help her in that condition as well.


    Wei Jun made his way to the warehouses of the government under the cover of the night. He made sure to avoid the guards because he couldn''t leave a trace behind. Even if they were found unconscious or they just woke up themselves, it was a trace that could be used. Wei Jun wanted to make sure there was zero trace of his presence.


    He hid his bike in the woods and entered the area where several containers and warehouses stored illegal contraband or confiscated stuff of the government. Wei Jun had used his connection at the new mayor''s office to confiscate Run Long''s stuff.


    But he didn''t ask where that stuff was held so as to not give the new mayor any leverage against Wei Jun. From the outside, it simply looked like Wei Jun was trying to halt a competition.


    As for what Wei Jun really wanted was a little tedious task but he was still going to do it. He opened the container that held Run Long''s stuff and he opened it up.


    Once he was inside, he locked himself inside and sighed as he saw many boxes containing Run Long''s readymade product. Wei Jun sighed once again as there were thirty vials of cream inside each of the boxes giving him a total of almost 10,000 vials to work on.


    Wei Jun sighed as he opened the first one only to sigh once again because it was sealed by a sheet.


    ''Why did they have to go through so many troubles?'' Wei Jun annoyingly remarked before he tore off the seal of the cream. He pulled out a vial containing greenish liquid from his inventory.


    He dropped just one drop from the vial into the cream and watched as the drop sizzled for a while before it mixed with the cream. Seeing that there was no change to the appearance of the cream, Wei Jun sighed in relief and pulled out another machine from his inventory.


    Wei Jun came prepared for anything, even something minute, a detail many might have missed so of course he prepared plastic sheets that could act as seals for the cream container.


    Once he sealed the cream container, he moved on to the next one. By his estimate, this all would take him at least three days and that was about all the time he had. He had left Li Wei in charge of many matters and focused entirely on the matter at hand.


    Wei Jun finished the first box and then moved on to the other one. He used almost one vial for each of the boxes, for thirty cream containers.


    ********


    While Wei Jun was busy on the inside, many people were also busy on the outside. One such person was a beautiful but cold black-haired girl who sipped tea from her teacup.


    She stared at the man in front of her who had an irritated expression on his face as he complained about several things.


    "Don''t worry about anything, senior brother. For now, the sect master wouldn''t do anything. Please remain hidden and out of sight. This whole matter would soon blow away." Liu Yu placated the man in front of her.


    Ju Bai Lu, who knew it wasn''t as easy as she said, said in return, "I know but it isn''t so easy. For now, I want to just gut that bastard."


    "And we will." Liu Yu said with a smile, unbeknownst to Ju Bai Lu, he had fallen into a trap of hating Wei Jun and now, Liu Yu didn''t need to be involved in this any longer.


    No matter what happened now, Liu Yu would be clean of all matters. Just like a simple bystander.


    *******


    Finally, from the next chapter, begins the downfall of the protagonist.


    It won''t be very fast but I am confident I will finish it by chapter 145-150 at most.


    Hope you guys stay tuned until then.


    Enjoy~~

 Chapter 132: Run Long: Rise

    "Haa¡­ Fu*k. I''d rather fight for two days than do this." Wei Jun said as he finally sealed the last container and then sealed all the boxes. After he was done, he came out of the warehouse, under the cover of the night.


    Wei Jun had finished his task but it took him three days to do so. He had to wait for a half day for the night to come so he could leave undetected.


    He also hadn''t eaten for two days and his stomach was rumbling thunder for the world to hear, that was how hungry he was.


    As Wei Jun left the grounds, he made his way to the woods where he had hidden his bike under the cover of leaves and branches. Wei Jun boarded the bike and left the place.


    He left in the night and in the morning, a car came to the container and the person inside it opened it up followed by Noh Tian and Run Long, who seemed to be the most anxious person there.


    "Sign here, here, and here." The official who came with them asked them to leave their signs. Since it was Run Long''s stuff, he nodded and signed the papers. After that, the official checked everything and said, "Everything seems to be in order. You have three hours to clear the container."


    "Thank you." Noh Tian said while Run Long hurriedly ran inside and checked on his merchandise. Seeing that all of it was in good condition, he sighed and said, "That fu*ker had to die at that moment. I would have been raking in millions if not for him."


    "For now, let us head home, Brother Long. You can start your company tomorrow." Noh Tian said with a smile to which Run Long nodded and said, "That''s a good suggestion, brother Tian. Let us head home and celebrate. And tomorrow, we take this city by storm."


    ********


    Chow! Chow! Chow! Gulp! Gulp! Chow!


    A starved animal wouldn''t eat like that; the way Wei Jun was eating. If before, he had no class, now, he was outright animalistic, even worse than that. the food that could easily feed a hundred people three times, was chowed down to the endless pit Wei Jun called his stomach.


    Madam Lim and the kitchen staff had been working overtime since the morning. They hadn''t left the kitchen in four hours and they were still cooking for Wei Jun, who showed no signs of stopping.


    Wei Jun had returned at dawn after almost three days. The first thing he said as he entered the home was, "Don''t stop making food unless I say so."


    And that was how the pantry that was supposed to last them the whole three weeks was about to be emptied. Finally, after the last round, Wei Jun asked the kitchen staff to stop and eat the last round of food themselves or they could take it home to their families.


    Technically, it was leftover food but they couldn''t even dream of eating such food even with their pay so they were obviously happy. They thought it was compensation for their overtime but they became even more happy when Wei Jun handed each of them a check of 100,000 yuan while Lady Lim received a million.


    The rest of the servants of the house were quite jealous of the kitchen staff but none of them could imagine working four hours nonstop making food full of cow meat.


    As Wei Jun finally finished his meal, he turned to Lao Chen and said, "Make the healthiest vegetable juice." Like he had asked for the most famous and oldest wine to be prepared, but he didn''t look cool at all while saying that.


    All the alcohol in the house was reserved for parties and such but even then, Wei Jun didn''t drink nor did he let anyone drink in the house except for events. His drink of choice for the last three months had solely been vegetable juice. He drank about three jugs of them a day.


    Wei Jun left everything and retired to his room. As he entered his room. He sat in a lotus position and began to solidify his core. For the last three weeks, he didn''t have much time to do it but he had still managed to get it to twenty percent of the way.


    Now that he was finished with everything and just needed to sit back and watch, he was going to give his full attention to cultivation. He couldn''t increase his Qi because of the level limit but he was sure that that would soon be solved as well.


    The item that carried the last treasure, the cultivation technique Run long obtained in the third volume, would soon be coming to the empire from abroad.


    Once he had obtained it, and with Run Long''s reputation plummeting and his bad deeds coming to light, bad deeds Wei Jun created, Run Long''s image in the eyes of Quan Li and Lin Ruan, who already suspected him to a great extent, would come down to the rock bottom, skyrocketing his level at once.


    However, the solidification of the core didn''t require a level limit. He could do it freely because he would technically be improving his control. His control was sh*t when it wasn''t being controlled by the system.


    He sighed and immersed himself in the cultivation. He had eaten, and done everything that was needed to be done. Run Long wouldn''t make his move today so Wei Jun was simply going to solidify his core until tomorrow morning, skipping everything else.


    *******


    Today, the Yuan Yin city was taken by a storm. A claim, that was made on open channels, supported by many families of Yuan Yin City, took the residents of the city by shock.


    The claim was simple. Disfigurement. A problem many people in the world were afflicted with and not all were cultivators, mana users, or spiritualists. There were normal people, powerful normal people, who suffered from this problem as well. And if they didn''t suffer from it, someone close to them did. And if no one to them, then it was simply a business opportunity.


    Run Long, stood on top of the stage behind the podium with pride. His stature was perfect and coupled with his handsomeness, he was a dream man many women wanted.


    The cameras were going wild taking pictures and flashes filled the entire space. All of them focused on the man on the stage whose claim had caused unrest throughout the city. Not only that, his status was revealed by the backing of many prominent families such as the Na family and many more officials.


    ''Weird, brother Tian hasn''t arrived yet.'' Run Long thought as he saw that Noh Tian''s seat was still empty while almost all the families that supported him had arrived. ''Maybe he''s running late. Unfortunately, I cannot delay this any longer.''


    Run Long thought and took a seat on the stage beside Ouyang Na who was his staunchest supporter.


    It was the beginning of the event and the media was allowed to ask questions for the first five minutes. After that, the reporters were instructed to only listen.


    A female reporter raised her hand among many but of course, Run Long''s gaze went at her straight because of her beauty and he allowed her to ask her question, "Mister Long, is it true that you are the disciple of the esteemed miracle healer, Li Wang Lan?"


    Run Long smirked and replied, "I am. And not only that, I am his only disciple. And he has imparted all of his knowledge to me, and sent me here to serve this city with that knowledge."


    The next reporter asked, again a woman, "Mister Long, many people out there doubt the fact that you are indeed the disciple of the esteemed miracle healer. Do you have anything to say to them?"


    Run Long nodded with a smile and replied, "Why would I need to prove anything when my actions are enough for that."


    It was a cryptic answer and not really what the reporter was hoping for but that was all she got.


    "Mister Long," A male reporter stood up and asked even though he wasn''t allowed, making Run Long frown but he made sure that frown didn''t appear on his face, "Many people believe that your claim is outlandish. Do you have anything to say to them?"


    "They will soon see the greatness of my product. Unfortunately, they wouldn''t be able to get it then." Run Long cursory replied, moving on to the next reporter, again a female. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mister Long, the Ruan family claims that your product is a scam and it hasn''t been approved by the authorities. They urge people to not purchase your product because it could cause adverse effects. Do you have anything to say about those claims?" As soon as the reporter asked her question, the entire hall froze.


    The name Ruan was enough to cause unrest in the room and the claims provided by them were also not easily dismissible. No doubt, some people would look into them.


    And a hundred percent chance, those people would use it against him.

 Chapter 133: Run Long: Rise (1)

    "What nonsense is this? When did we ever claim such a thing?" Lin Ruan angrily said as she and Wei Jun, who had come to visit and help her, sat in her office and watched the live television broadcast.


    "We don''t need to claim such a thing. It''s simply a publicity stunt. They''re trying to show that they aren''t afraid of the Ruan family." Wei Jun explained. For once, he really had nothing to do with this.


    As he said, it was a publicity stunt. If things went as he expected, then Run Long would call such claims outlandish and publicly turn the Ruan family into villains. It was a good move, something Wei Jun was actually impressed by.


    ''However¡­'' Wei Jun thought with a smile. However, he was dissing the same family where a primary heroine was. Run Long was doing a good job for Wei Jun and he didn''t even know it.


    And as expected, on the TV, Run Long said after a brief pause, "This blend of mine, a revolutionary product, authorized by none other than my master, the miracle healer, can help hundreds and thousands of people. If the Ruan family simply looked at it from a business point of view, then they would be destroying many lives.


    I urge the people who are listening at the moment that they should not believe such outlandish claims that form out of these greedy people who are only interested in making money."


    It was a nice speech and a tough claim. Dismissing the claims of the Ruan family so easily was something not many could do and certainly not in this way, calling them greedy and all.


    Run Long''s words were a direct insult to the Ruan family and for sure, it would cause a lot of problems for him. However, Run Long was sure that once his product came out, the people would be on his side. Then the fact that the Ruan family was after him wouldn''t matter.


    "This bastard!" Lin Ruan crushed the glass of wine in her hands in anger. It was a straight-up taut to the Ruan family and a big insult. The fact that he was pushing the public against the Ruans would also deliver a big hit to their business.


    However, the person next to Lin Ruan smiled and praised Run Long in his heart. Wei Jun was sure that Run Long''s hate for the Ruan family came from their recent encounter. Also, the Ruan family was a behemoth Run Long needed to suppress if he wanted to dominate the business of the Yuan Yin city.


    But, none of that mattered to Wei Jun. He smiled as his eyes went to the panel in his vision that only he could see.


    [The connection between Lin Ruan and Run Long has been significantly weakened]


    [You are now level 28]


    ''Tch, so close.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly. He was level 22 but now he was level 28. But the restriction on his stats still didn''t lift up after that level-up. He needed two more levels to increase his power.


    But, he wasn''t in a rush. He knew that his goal was very close and all he had to do was hold it in for now. And then, he would reap all the benefits by himself.


    On the TV, after such a statement, Run Long sunk back in his seat, feeling immensely proud of himself. Those next to him were also all smiles because it was their own plan.


    Ever since the advancement of Sun Ruan, their position had been greatly threatened. But now, with Run Long, and his master backing him up, they could finally talk back to the Ruan family.


    Of course, they were happy. And soon, it was time for the demonstration. A girl with a burn mark was called to the stage. She seemed to be in her mid twenties and the burn mark on her cheek was quite severe. There were also medical reports that showed that her burn mark was authentic.


    Many doctors present at the scene, provided by the powerful families, also admitted that the woman was indeed gravely burned.


    As Run Long stood up with pride, he sauntered to the girl and said, "This girl had been unfortunate enough to be burned at the age of twenty-two by her husband. Although the husband was arrested; she was scarred for life. But no more!"


    After his exclamation, he directly applied the cream from the container on the woman''s face and said, "The cream takes about ten minutes to take effect. After ten minutes, we will wipe it off."


    Cameras began to flicker and flashes filled the room. The reporters began to ask the girl how she felt which she described as a cool feeling on her face.


    A few more questions were asked and soon enough, ten minutes passed away. "And now, we will witness a miracle never seen before."


    Run Long took a cloth and wiped the cream that had turned a little black and wiped it off. What appeared underneath was clean flawless skin.


    Cameras flashed nonstop, not stopping even for a second as they hurriedly captured the moment on camera, in pictures and videos. The live broadcast was all over the Yuan Yin City, creating a storm so big that the whole city threatened to be swept by it.


    "Tch¡­" Wei Jun tutted, not too happy with what was happening. Unfortunately, Run Long hadn''t used the cream from the container that had been confiscated. He had used another cream that wasn''t sabotaged by Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun wanted to create a public scene but it seems it was still good. Where one girl had to be hurt, now there would be thousands who would be hurt. It was a little disappointing, but Plan B would still do what he wanted.


    Just that the headache it would create would be a lot bigger than he initially hoped.


    Still, ''The bigger the headache, the bigger wave from the people.'' Where one person was supposed to get hurt on a live broadcast, now hundreds and thousands of people would get hurt. The backlash would be equally, if not higher, to Run Long.


    ''Now, how to turn this into an opportunity¡­'' Wei Jun thought next.


    Before a cultivator, before a villain of the world, before an invader or anything else, Wei Jun was a businessman. He saw an opportunity. He was going to utilize this opportunity.


    ''But that troublesome old man¡­'' However, Wei Jun had a problem on his head. Sun Ruan. Wei Jun had barely turned Sun Ruan''s head away from him for now, but if he were to involve himself in this incident, attention was bound to be followed.


    Sun Ruan would no doubt take full use of this opportunity and use the fame given to Wei Jun to enhance his own position. But that wasn''t all, he would also turn his attention back to Wei Jun, something he didn''t need right now.


    [Some things are best left to the future]


    The system gave a piece of advice in a long time. Wei Jun sighed but he didn''t say anything in reply. The system was right. Some things he would just have to leave to chance. However, an opportunity like this wouldn''t come again. Why worry about something that would happen in the future?


    He would deal with it like he had dealt with every problem. By himself.


    "Publicly support it." Wei Jun said to Lin Ruan who was fuming in anger because of the statements uttered by Run Long on TV.


    "What?" She couldn''t understand what Wei Jun meant.


    "They say we claim their cream to be a fraud and would bring problems to the public later on. Let''s agree." Wei Jun said in simpler terms.


    "You haven''t gone insane, have you? Do you even know the extent of backlash that would cause us?" Lin Ruan asked.


    "I know." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "No, you don''t. We won''t just be bad guys; we will simply be villains if his cream turns out to be a success to the public." Lin Ruan explained the severity of the situation and the consequences that followed if they were to indeed do what Wei Jun saying.


    However, she couldn''t see the opportunity hidden beneath. Because she didn''t know what was underneath. Unlike Wei Jun, who knew of it, and was confident about it, she didn''t know of that one hidden piece, and that caused her to see Wei Jun as irrational. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But it wasn''t like Wei Jun could explain that hidden piece to her. He couldn''t reveal what he had done. He couldn''t tell her the truth anyway, later on, Lin Ruan would devise her own scenario, and Wei Jun was happy enough to go with that.


    So, for now, all he could say was, "Heroes fall. That''s when villains rise. We just need to wait for the hero to fall."


    "And how can you be so sure that he will fall?" Lin Ruan asked.


    Wei Jun smiled but didn''t answer that. "Just do it. Trust me." He simply said and stood up while buttoning his jacket, "I will be out of touch for the next two days. Block the circulation of the cream as much as you can. There would be riots but you can control them with the help of the police. Be the evilest witch in these two days and then, we would rise as heroes.


    You just have to be patient, my sister."


    Lin Ruan looked at the retreating back of Wei Jun with a conflicted heart. In the end, she just sighed and picked up the phone, "Block it." She simply said to the person on the other side. She had decided to trust her brother.

 Chapter 134: Run Long: Rise (2)

    "It turned out to be very good, young Long." Ouyang Na said as he and all the others, all those who supported Run Long and his campaign, gathered in a luxurious restaurant, celebrating the success of the miracle cream.


    Some government teams wanted to analyze it so as to placate the public, but since there was a risk of formula leak after analysis, Run Long didn''t authorize such an inspection.


    The rest of the people in the room supported that decision of his since they couldn''t risk losing the formula especially since there were many after it. Now that they had proven the fact that this cream really worked, many companies and even politicians were using the public card and were forcing Run Long to publicize the formula for the public good.


    It was all bullsh*t and all they cared about was their own profit. Everyone knew that hence why everyone on Run Long''s side used all the influence they had to stop such people.


    "Everything else is good, but the Ruan family is thwarting our progress." One of the individuals said.


    "How so?" Ouyang Na asked.


    "They have publicly declared that this cream is a fraud and are actively opposing against it. not only that, they have blocked many channels through which the cream could be sold." Another man replied.


    "Are they insane? Don''t they care about the public backlash?" Another one asked.


    "That''s the thing. The public backlash has been severe. So severe even that they are forced to temporarily shut some of their businesses down. But they are still doing it, they haven''t backed down even after such a loss." The man replied.


    "Why would they do that?" Ouyang Na wondered.


    "Who cares why. All we know is that we used their name and they ended up falling for it. We expected them to deny but since they have accepted it, it is all the better in our favor." Run Long condescendingly said.


    Many at the table agreed because that was the case and it appeared to be so as well. However, Ouyang Na wasn''t like everyone else. He had seen Sun Ruan, not only that, but he knew of the Run family.


    "I still can''t help but be worried about it. The Ruan family isn''t in its current position due to power alone." Ouyang Na solemnly said.


    It was a fact well known. If it was just power, then someone else could have risen as well in their competition. However, the brains of the Ruan family were also very well known.


    Sun Ruan''s cunningness was well known to everyone and not just that, his granddaughter, Lin Ruan was equally good when it came to business. She had singlehandedly done what Sun Ruan had to do with a full team and his son-in-law.


    But that wasn''t the source of his worry. He still couldn''t help but remember the birthday banquet of his granddaughter. The young man he had met then wasn''t some waste from the rumors, but an actual cunning and wise man who could see through everyone there.


    Ouyang Na had never met a young soul that had so much experience under its belt. He couldn''t help but worry about it.


    He wasn''t alone who thought that though. Run Long also remembered the only individual of the Ruan family he had come across.


    He still remembered the moves of that man he had met outside the studio. Upon further research, Wei Jun came to realize that the rumors regarding that man were nothing even near the truth.


    His technique, composition, and most of all his strength, none of them were unpolished that even Run Long, who was trained by his master all his life wasn''t confident about winning without using all his strength.


    "Uncle Na, please help me increase the security on the cream. Not only that, please make sure the channels through which the cream is sold are properly under our control and there is no chance of outside manipulation." Run Long stated as many securities as he could.


    "I will see to it personally," Ouyang Na said and the rest also nodded.


    *********


    The target of the conversation of the people above was simply eating while reading the news. It had been two days since the launch of the cream and today was the day it would be made public.


    It would be available to the public by three pm after several checks. From Lin Ruan''s sources, he came to know that the security had been increased and Ouyang Na had used his personal contacts to make sure there was no outside manipulation of the cream.


    "What do you intend to do?" Lin Ruan asked. She had come to Wei Jun since the Runa family had to close many of their businesses for the day because of the public riots. The Ruan family was currently at the number one negative ranking of the public and they were bearing the brunt of the damage.


    The losses in these two days alone were in millions and they would soon reach a billion if nothing was done.


    "Just trust me, and be prepared. We go public as soon as the first case emerges. And when it does, make sure to exaggerate it as much as you can. Don''t sting on resources, put as many in it as you can." Wei Jun said as he bit into his steak, no class apparent in his act.


    Lin Ruan was a little taken aback when she witnessed Wei Jun eating but she didn''t comment on it no matter how crass it was. Her focus was on something else, the girl sitting opposite her.


    Xia didn''t act like a guest, unlike others who although made themselves at home, their gestures still suggested that they were guests. However, Xia Lu was treated as a member of the house and she sure as hell acted like that as well.


    Lin Ruan wanted to ask what that was about since there were some rumors circulating about Wei Jun''s affair with Xia Lu.


    She didn''t know what to believe since they had a previous history but now that she was seeing it for herself, she couldn''t help but admit that the rumors regarding them were the truth.


    "Umm¡­ boss." A timid voice entered their ears while they were eating.


    "Yes?" Wei Jun gave permission to Quan Li who was nervous ever since the topic began.


    "Is Brother Run causing you problems?" Quan Li asked.


    "Your so-called brother Run has caused us loss in millions." Lin Ruan curtly replied, obviously dissatisfied.


    "It isn''t about the impact on us, Quan Li," However, Wei Jun took the benevolent approach and said, "It is about what is right. Your friend is putting the public and people at risk. He has no license nor has he approved his product through proper means. This is a clear disregard to the people and it can do anything to them."


    Quan Li lowered her head because of her conflicted feelings. All said and done, Run Long was her friend who had been good to her while she was in the orphanage. She appreciated Wei Jun for the job he had given her and for changing her life, but she also wanted Run Long to not have any enmity with her savior.


    "Don''t worry. If what he is doing is indeed for the public good, we will retract all our campaigns and apologize publicly, also properly compensating him." Wei Jun said, seeing Quan Li''s drooped head.


    Lin Ruan turned to look at Wei Jun with surprise and glared as well because that wasn''t what they had planned. Wei Jun shook his head subtly to signal her to stop. She coughed and swallowed the complaint she had.


    "If there is nothing else, then I will excuse myself now." Wei Jun said as he stood up and left the dining table. Lin Ruan saw his retreating back with a conflicted expression and turned to Lao Chen and said, "Prepare a room for me. I''m staying the night."


    "Certainly," Lao Chen hurriedly replied and left to make preparations.


    As for Wei Jun, he returned to his room and began to solidify his core. He had nothing else for the past two days but this. He would spend the entire night doing it and also do it between meals and gym sessions.


    [Your core solidification has sped up considerably]


    Wei Jun nodded to the system''s remark because where he needed hours to pull in one strand, he could do it now in an hour or even less if he was in good condition.


    Not only that, he could now focus on more than one stand but he chose to focus on just one and do it one at a time than split his focus.


    ''Tell me, can I practice the technique that is coming?'' Wei Jun asked. Soon, Run Long''s secret technique would arrive in the Yuan Yin city. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That technique was the reason for his fast rise in cultivation using Lin Ruan and Quan Li''s special bodies.

 Chapter 135: Talent

    [Whereas I do recommend a dual cultivation technique]


    [And you can learn one as well]


    [I wouldn''t recommend using this one]


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun asked the system for the reason.


    [Because it is too low ranked]


    [All said and done]


    [This is just the first novel]


    [Beginner level stuff]


    [Easy mode]


    [The strong ones are yet to come]


    ''How strong?'' Wei Jun asked


    [I can''t give you a definite answer]


    [But they would be a lot stronger and talented than Run Long and you already know how good he was from your small exchange]


    The system was right. The brief exchange Wei Jun had with Run Long was, described in just one simple word, strong.


    Wei Jun was also under the impression that the first protagonist who in the novel only managed to reach the peak of the Qi gathering realm wouldn''t be a strong enemy but he was wrong.


    Run Long hadn''t even deployed his full strength yet the fight was more than even. Wei Jun was slightly weaker than him. Granted Wei Jun didn''t use everything he had, but even if he did, he wasn''t sure to be the victor.


    ''I see,'' was all Wei Jun could reply before another question entered his mind. ''What are the uses of a dual cultivation art?''


    In the novel, the dual cultivation art that Run Long possessed was called ''Yin Yang harmony'' art. It was a technique solely dependent on intercourse and Lin Ruan and Quan Li were prime targets of that. Run Long still had s*x with the rest, but he benefited only from these two.


    But, if all that did was s*x, then Wei Jun wasn''t so sure about that. so he asked the system because the system possessed the knowledge more than anyone else.


    [That is wrong]


    And the answer from the system was somewhere along the lines of Wei Jun''s thoughts. Wei Jun nodded and asked, ''How so?''


    [There are many types of Ying and Yang harmony techniques and not all of them involve sleeping with women]


    [In the first place, the sleeping trick was discovered by people]


    [A shortcut if I have to say]


    [I should tell you that like every shortcut, this technique is very unstable and not recommended for those who want a stable core and cultivation]


    ''So it is not good for me?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [If you go through the sleeping route]


    [Then yes]


    [It isn''t]


    [However, if you were to follow the original course, the course it was made for]


    [You will simply become unparalleled]


    ''How so?'' Wei Jun asked, very much intrigued at the mention of becoming the strongest.


    [You will possess Yin]


    [Not just Yang but Yin as well]


    [Like I told you before, Yang is for men while Yin is for women]


    [Men can practice Yin but at the cost of their precious treasures, the golden balls]


    [And women can practice Yang at the cost of their increased craving for the golden balls]


    [So it is recommended men stay in Yang lane and women stay in Yin lane]


    [However, what if a man could possess Yin without losing his treasures]


    [The answer was simple]


    [Dual cultivation]


    [Cultivation of two different types of energies]


    [Or more]


    [But no such human exists who could go farther than two types of Qi''s]


    ''Wait a minute,'' Wei Jun stopped the system mid-explanation and asked, ''There are more types of Qi''s than just Yin and Yang.


    [Of course]


    [There is dark Qi, holy Qi, other element of Qi''s like lightning and such]


    [But Yin and Yang are mostly used]


    [Those are for special physiques]


    [Not everyone can possess them]


    [Anyway, as I was saying]


    [In case of dual cultivation]


    [A person can practice more than one type of Qi]


    [Making them twice as strong as their peers]


    [But it comes with a risk]


    ''Slow progress,'' Wei Jun didn''t have to be told the reason. It was clear from what the system had explained so far. As the system said, humans discovered a shortcut in dual cultivation. A shortcut was always needed when one hit a wall.


    [precisely]


    [Two Qi''s means two different types of circulations since harmony between them was very difficult]


    [Not to mention the risk]


    [It was better to circulate them at two different times, one at a time]


    [So it took more time]


    ''Then why would you recommend me a dual cultivation technique?'' Wei Jun asked. if what the system had said, wouldn''t it be very difficult for him and he would only waste time?


    [Your mind]


    [I will be blunt and tell you]


    [You have no talent but you have incredible control thanks to your mind]


    [However, that will soon run out of host]


    ''What will?''


    [The progress from control]


    [When it comes to cultivation]


    [Talen it a must requirement]


    [You have none of it]


    [Concentration can only take you far enough to a certain extent]


    [After that, your Qi won''t increase]


    [You must have felt it, don''t you?]


    Wei Jun pondered on the system''s words. It was right. Wei Jun didn''t do much circulation before he hit his limit on the level side but he could feel, the circulation was becoming different with each point increase. It was becoming forceful.


    [Exactly] S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Soon, your talent will show]


    [And you will hit a wall]


    [But your mind is a great asset]


    [If you were to possess the Yin Qi or any other]


    [You will fare well in fights]


    ''Then, is there a way to increase my Qi as well?'' Wei Jun asked. If there was a problem, there was bound to be a solution. The solution was what Wei Jun needed more than the explanation.


    [Elixirs]


    [There are thousands of elixirs that can help you with that]


    [Both in the shop and in the world outside]


    ''And they''re expensive.'' Wei Jun remarked


    [You will be practicing the power to conquer the world]


    [Do you think it would come cheap?]


    [The fact that it only costs you money is a blessing]


    [There are many who would give all of their wealth for just awakening of Qi but they don''t have any way of doing so]


    [You do]


    [If you were to tell people that, they would worship you]


    ''Or kill me,'' Wei Jun added


    [Or that]


    The system agreed.


    ''So to clear it all up, the protagonists aren''t something easy for me. they are strong and I need an equivalent power to face them. An option for that is to possess dual elements.'' Wei Jun surmised all of the explanations given by the system.


    [Yes]


    The system simply concluded.


    Wei Jun rubbed his head. No wonder things were going so easy for him. He thought the protagonist would be a piece of cake but he was wrong. And the system was telling him that Run Long was on the weaker side of the protagonists.


    If all of that wasn''t enough, then the fact that his talent wasn''t enough was also a problem. The system didn''t need to tell him. Wei Jun could tell himself. Although he was going smoothly because he could focus and because he focused that well, he could also tell that the circulation was becoming forceful like the Qi from the outside didn''t want to enter his body.


    ''Does core strengthening also have anything to do with that?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [No]


    [Core strengthening depends mostly on concentration]


    [Not talent]


    [So you''re good to go in that region]


    Wei Jun nodded and decided to focus on everything complicated later on. For now, he needed to focus on core strengthening because that was all he could.


    Wei Jun once again entered the world of the Qi, where he could see the shining core that was a lot more lustrous than he had first started. The Qi strands separated from it were also very less.


    Wei Jun focused on that and that was all he did. He didn''t know how long had passed outside but once he immersed himself in doing that, that was all his focus was on.


    He had solidified his core by half. His goal this time was to complete it by seventy percent. He figured it would take him a week to do that and until then, Run Long''s reputation would have hit rock bottom.


    However, just as he was somewhere around sixty percent, a swarm of notifications flooded his view, causing him to let go of the strand he was holding and abruptly exit the world of Qi.


    [The connection between Lin Ruan and Run Long has been completely severed]


    [You have leveled up]


    [You are now level 34]


    [Your stat limit has increased by twenty]


    [Locked stats until 80 would be unlocked]


    [Run Long''s fate has gone down significantly]


    [Run Long''s fate has decreased significantly]


    [Run Long''s fate is changing]


    [The connection between him and the universal laws is weakening]


    [The connection between Run Long and the world laws has decreased considerably]


    The notifications stopped, and Wei Jun felt the surge of power from his abdomen as his Qi core increased in volume and he began to feel a significant power increase in his body.


    However, his focus was quick to shift from all of that when he felt a Qi wave sweep throughout the entire area. He knew who that Qi belonged to. Lin Ruan.


    Soon, he felt another one. He knew who that belonged to as well, Run Long.


    ''So he''s here,'' Wei Jun thought with a smirk as he calmly stood up from his bed and left for the front entrance from where he had felt the Qi.

 Chapter 136: Home invasion

    The extra chapter for the power stones will be shifted to tomorrow.


    Thanks and Enjoy!


    ***********


    Shu Hui was an ordinary housewife. She was perfect in every sense. She was diligent, devoted, and hardworking for her family. Her husband cared for her and her children loved her.


    However, if she had one burden to bear, that would be the burn mark on her hand that she had gotten in her childhood. Her husband didn''t genuinely care for that and loved her still.


    The same went for her children. However, that changed a few months back when her youngest daughter saw her burn mark, which she usually covered, and screamed.


    It wasn''t like that Shu Hui hadn''t tried to get rid of it but no matter what she did, she couldn''t get rid of it. she had to accept that it was with her for life until her youngest daughter saw it and cried.


    She vowed to try and get rid of it but no matter what she did, no surgeon could get rid of it for her. But, a ray of hope emerged in the name of ''Miracle cream'' that was claimed to get rid of all abnormalities on a person''s skin.


    It was difficult, but Shu Hui managed to get it on the day of its release. She had to spend a fortune on it but her family didn''t lack money so it wasn''t much of a problem.


    She had just arrived home. It was still around seven in the evening and she had decided to wait for her husband to come home. Her husband came, she informed him of the good news and he was happy for her.


    They ate dinner, put the children to sleep, and finally, both husband and wife gathered in their room to apply the cream on Shu Hui''s hand.


    "Here we go," Shu Hui nervously said as she scooped some of the cream and gently applied it to her hand. As soon as she did, she felt a pleasant and cooling sensation on her hand and on the fingers she had used to apply the cream.


    Soon, though, that cooling sensation was slowly replaced by the sensation of something familiar. Something she had felt in her childhood. Her hand and her fingers began to burn. It was bearable at first but then it got to the point that she couldn''t bear it anymore and yelled for her husband to wipe it off.


    Her husband hurriedly took a towel and wiped it off of her hand and her fingers only to be worried by what he saw. The skin on her wife had also come off with the cream.


    "Aaahhhhhh!!!!!" A scream emitted from Shu Hui who felt tremendous pain while her husband hurriedly called for an ambulance.


    That night, Shu Hui''s home wasn''t the only one awakened by screams of pain. Throughout the city, reports of acidic burns came to the hospitals and people flooded them, because their loved ones had been victims of the ''Miracle cream''.


    **********


    Run Long was enjoying himself, watching the screen that showed the sale of just the first day. He had made close to seven hundred million as almost all of his products were purchased from various people.


    It was a new record in the sales history and he couldn''t be more proud of it. He wasn''t alone, there were several more people with him, reveling in the success they helped to bring.


    However, one person in the room still had a worried expression on his face. He felt as if he had missed something. Something of crucial detail but what it was, he couldn''t quite put his finger on.


    However, with each passing moment, the nagging feeling at the back of Ouyang Na''s head got increasingly stronger.


    Ouyang Na tried to ignore that feeling, multiple times, but it would return each time, stronger than before. It was as if some unknown entity was telling him that something was wrong but his feeble mind couldn''t figure out what.


    But he was soon helped with that as a secretary barged in the room, panic written all over her face. Before the men in the room could yell at her, she said, "Sir! It''s an emergency!"


    Seeing her like that, the people in the room became a little unsettled and Run Long hurriedly asked, "The cream. The cream is burning people."


    "What?!" Run Lung exclaimed but before the secretary could explain, the TV in the room ran an emergency broadcast.


    {Citizens beware!}


    {Do not buy and apply the ''Miracle cream''.}


    {People throughout the city are being burned by it and their skin is falling off along with the cream}


    {I repeat!}


    {This is an emergency}


    {DO NOT purchase and apply the ''Miracle cream''.} S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The report continued and the room remained frozen. Out of everyone present, Run Long was the one who was shocked the most. He couldn''t believe what he was hearing and that his dream had ended before it even began. He couldn''t even make any sense of it let alone accept it.


    It was then that his mind involuntarily brought up a face in his mind. A face he had faced off a few days ago and that same face was somehow the reason this was happening to him.


    "Wei Jun Ruan!" Run Long said while girting his teeth hard as a powerful wave of Qi emitted from him. Even for a Qi empowerment realm cultivator like Ouyang Na, that wave felt very powerful.


    Before Ouyang Na could do anything, Run Long had run out of the door, heading to the place where he could only guess.


    ********


    "It''s been two days, why hasn''t the boss come out of his room yet?" Zhan YI curiously asked.


    All the actor''s team along with Lin Ruan sat at the dining table, having dinner. Lin Ruan knew why Wei Jun hadn''t come out so she was about to reply before Xia Lu replied, "He''s busy cultivating. Who knows when he will be out."


    Lin Ruan stared at Xia Lu for a while. The fact that Xia Lu knew that meant that she had been in his room. Not everyone was permitted in Wei Jun''s room.


    "I see you and my brother are very close. Seeing that you entered his room without much thought," Lin Ruan commented.


    Xia Lu smiled and replied, "We are. Very."


    Xia Lu didn''t back down and made sure to rub it in. Xia Lu wanted everyone to know that she was after Wei Jun even though he was committed to someone else. She wasn''t prepared to share him, but she wasn''t going to lose him as well.


    "It is not correct decorum to enter a committed man''s room. Strange rumors might circulate," Lin Ruan still pointed out that fact.


    "It''s all right. We''re not committed or anything." Xia Lu replied with a smile before she added, "Yet."


    Lin Ruan squinted her eyes at Xia Lu but had no reply to offer.


    However, she didn''t have to because, after just a few moments, their peaceful dinner was interrupted by a loud voice that reverberated in the surroundings, "Wei Jun Ruan! Come out, you bastard!!!"


    Lin Ruan turned to look at the servant standing near the table and asked, "Where''s Lao Chen?"


    "He¡ªuh¡ªHe went to the main house to report to the head," The servant nervously replied.


    Lin Ruan nodded and stood from her. She made her way out of the villa where she saw many knocked-out guards and a man standing above them, emitting the Qi of a Qi gathering realm but it was much stronger than that.


    "Who are you?" Lin Ruan asked. Many soon followed and by the time they did, Lin Ruan had also recognized the man. It was the same man who had made and sold the ''Miracle cream''.


    She knew of the update and mobilized her networks against the ''Miracle cream''.


    "Me?! ME?! I am the one who''s going to kill that cowardly bastard! Bring him out!" Run Long yelled in anger.


    "Brother Run, what are you doing?" Quan Li worriedly asked but Run Long wasn''t in the right state of his mind.


    "You shut up! You''re on their side as well!" He yelled at her and jumped at her, his fist brandished in Qi.


    Lin Ruan wasn''t prepared for that attack and by the time she did, Run Long was already above Quan Li. However, one more person had acted at the correct time and managed to block that strike, however, at a great price.


    Zhan Yi had managed to block Run Long''s strike with all of his Qi but still ended up losing his left arm. However, that act of his gave Lin Ruan enough time to retaliate.


    Lin Ruan struck Run Long on his side, throwing him away from everyone as she yelled, "Everyone inside!" As she said that, she also applied her Qi to Zhan Yi''s severed arm to stop the blood flow.


    "HOW DARE YOU!!!!!?" Run Long yelled and launched himself at Lin Ruan with his full power. They both collided and lightning fell from the sky, increasing the impact of their collision that pushed everyone away from them.

 Chapter 137: Home invasion (1)

    As Lin Ruan and Run Long collided, the shockwave from their exchange shook the surroundings. The actor''s team that hadn''t managed to make it inside was struck by that shockwave and stumbled. Xia Ly fell along with the rest, but she hurriedly managed to collect herself and helped Quan Li to carry Zhan Yi.


    There were scratches on her knees and hands but she gritted her teeth and pushed through. Right now wasn''t the time to worry about small injuries.


    They came inside and put the injured Zhan Yi on the couch in the living room. Zhan Yi was knocked out cold but it wasn''t the worst because Xiao Heiling checked his pulse and it was still strong.


    "It''s dangerous here. We need to make it deeper inside. Try to go out the back!" Xia Lu yelled orders but no one moved. They were all too frozen in fear seeing the state Zhan Yi was in.


    "Snap out of it!" Xia Lu yelled. It had the intended effect but Quan Li still hadn''t snapped out of it. Xia Lu grabbed her and shook her, "Remember what Wei Jun said that day in the gym? Snap out of it and face your fear!"


    Her wake-up call was accompanied by a slap, of course. Quan Li snapped out of it but asked in a trembling voice, "But sister, what am I supposed to do?"


    Her expression wasn''t good, she was lost. "For now just survive," Xia Lu said, pointing at the unconscious Zhan Yi.


    Quan Li managed to pick up some courage and carried Zhan Yi with shaking hands. Xia Lu turned to the other two and said, "Evacuate from the back along with the servants."


    Xiao Heiling nodded and said, "I will go get the servants. You go with them," He instructed Quan Kui who wasn''t very keen on leaving without him.


    "Don''t worry." He said before he moved deeper into the villa along with everyone to help with the evacuation.


    Xia Lu, who was left alone, felt another tremor that pushed her slightly but she managed to pick herself up. She then turned to the stairs and without hesitation, made her way up the stairs to the room of the master of the house.


    ''I need to wake him up,'' The situation was urgent and didn''t call for cultivation. He could do that later but right now, Wei Jun needed to deal with a more urgent problem.


    As she arrived at Wei Jun''s room, she felt that the tremors on the outside had lessened quite a bit. That meant one of two things. Either Lin Ruan was prevailing, or¡­


    She didn''t want to think ahead because that wasn''t something she could even afford to think of right now. As she opened the door of the room, she sensed something that made her freeze in her steps. Chilling cold eyes. That''s what she saw.


    The chill she felt was so severe even though those eyes weren''t aimed at her. The owner of the eyes blinked, a little longer than usual and when he opened them, there was no coldness in his eyes.


    "What are you doing here? It''s dangerous here," Wei Jun said as he slowly stood up, his muscles cracked with each of his movements as if woken from day-long sleep.


    Xia Lu, seeing the coldness was no more there, collected herself and said, "It''s even more dangerous outside."


    "Hmm. I didn''t expect him to attack us like this," Wei Jun said as he slowly made his way to her and said, "Sit on the bed. Don''t move. I will be right back."


    Before Xia Lu could say anything, she felt her senses dull, and soon, her eyes were covered with darkness. Wei Jun had pressed a few of her acupoints, a trick he learned when he learned about acupoints.


    Xia Lu fell unconscious and Wei Jun gently placed her on the bed. Wei Jun made his way down the stairs but he didn''t go to the front door but made his way to the back of the villa where the servants were evacuating.


    Xiao Heiling, the person Wei Jun expected the least to stay behind, was actually doing the evacuation. It was impressive so Wei Jun approached him. Xiao Heiling saw him too and was about to say something when Wei Jun threw something at him and said, "Take it to Zhan Yi. He needs it."


    Saying so, Wei Jun turned and left for the front door which was very much gone thanks to the tremors of Qi from the outside. The tremors Wei Jun felt now were a lot less than when he woke up.


    However, he didn''t feel happy because his enemy wasn''t injured in the least. On the contrary, it was Lin Ruan who was on her knees, panting with blue spots on her face and exposed arms.


    ''Poison, huh?'' Wei Jun thought as he purchased another one of the same things he had given Zhan Yi because it had been the most effective thing in the system shop against injuries.


    **********


    As others ran inside, Lin Ruan fought against Run Long. At first, it was bearable but then suddenly, things got a lot worse.


    ''Is this the power of a Qi gathering realm cultivator?'' She couldn''t believe what she was witnessing. It was clear that the man before her was in the Qi gathering realm, at most in the middle rank, yet she, a Qi empowerment realm cultivator, couldn''t hold herself against him.


    She was on the losing side. And that wasn''t the worst part. The man was conserving his strength while she was going all out. ''This doesn''t make any sense,'' She thought as she dodged a strike to her abdomen and delivered a palm strike covered in a blue hue.


    Run Long didn''t bother to dodge that strike and blocked it with his arm, covered in his own Qi of a yellowish hue. Of course, he had taken that strike because he had something up his sleeves. He pulled a special needle from a box that he would usually keep hidden and stabbed Lin Ruan with it.


    The needle ignored the Qi barrier around Lin Ruan and penetrated her stomach. She felt nothing but a slight sting but still jumped back while pulling the needle out. It could have been anything and she wasn''t going to take a chance.


    But, she felt something. Something lethargic. She felt her strength slowly waning. It wasn''t going down slow enough for her not to be able to feel it but not so fast that she couldn''t process her own Qi to locate whatever she was injected with. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s useless," Run Long stopped attacking her. He stood back with a cold look on his face and said, "The poison infects your Qi. The more you supply to it to contain it, the faster the poison would act."


    When Lin Ruan heard the word poison, she scoffed at Run Long and said, "Some man are you. Using such underhanded tactics in a fight."


    "You dare talk to me about fairness?! When you were the ones who started this?! You think I don''t know it was your work?!" Run Long said with anger overflowing in his words as yellow Qi swerved around him. His power began to change.


    Something was changing inside him.


    ''Peak of Qi gathering realm!'' Lin Ruan thought inwardly. She had seen a lot of things in the world of cultivation but she had never ever witnessed even the greatest of talents to break through in front of her without anything special.


    Lin Ruan hurriedly stepped back and following the advice of Run Long, she stopped using her Qi to contain the poison that actually slowed down her power deterioration.


    She gathered all of her Qi in her hands for one final attack. Although the Qi was making the poison spread faster, it was also able to protect her innards but with her Qi out of the way, she felt her insides churning by the poison but she didn''t care.


    It wasn''t to the point that she wouldn''t be able to make it out. She focused back on her full and probably final attack as she launched herself at Run Long with both of her palms extended forward.


    Now a sane person would dodge given the time but Run Long didn''t dodge. Instead, he also extended both of his hands but he didn''t use Qi to reinforce them. he simply stood there with the power of simple Qi armament.


    Lin Ruan and Run Long''s palms collided with each other and a shockwave stronger than ever assaulted the area, destroying the front entrance of the villa and many other things.


    The dust cloud that was raised due to that began to settle as Lin Ruan came into view, on her knees and coughing blood. Her skin had purple spots in many places, the poison she thought wouldn''t spread so fast was spreading faster than ever.


    But that wasn''t her main concern as she laboriously spoke, "What sort of monster are you?"


    The dust around Run Long settled as well and when he came in view, there wasn''t a single sign of injury on him. Run Long chose not to reply to that and slowly walked forward as he gathered Qi in his hands and said, "I didn''t come here to kill anyone else but that fu*ker, but you forced my hand."


    He raised his hand, ready to bring it down on Lin Ruan when he was suddenly struck in his chest by something. Run Long was thrown away, all the way to the walls of the villa.


    Wei Jun, who stepped forward and stood next to Lin Ruan said, "Now, is that how a guest should act?"

 Chapter 138: Home invasion (2) (Bonus: P.S)

    Wei Jun stared at Run Long, who, even after being hit with a strong strike was fine and dandy. Wei Jun stared at Lin Ruan who didn''t look so good and gave her the phoenix''s tear and said, "Get inside. Don''t call the police yet."


    Lin Ruan took the vial and drank the liquid without hesitation but she still asked, "Why?"


    "Because I want to see where I stand," Wei Jun said before he turned to Run Long who was slowly walking in his direction, and added, "And it wouldn''t be fun otherwise."


    Lin Ruan felt the scorching essence of the phoenix''s tear and the next moment, all her injuries had been healed, her condition had improved, the marks of poison were nowhere to be seen, and one more change inside of her that made her feel immensely surprised.


    ''My Qi has improved and increased,'' Her Qi had become more potent, and not just that, her Qi had increased by a considerable amount as well.


    She looked at Wei Jun who had provided her with that elixir. Not only had she ever heard of an elixir that could do that, she didn''t even know that this could be done. ''Another monster,'' She couldn''t help but think.


    Wei Jun ignored her pricing gaze and kept his eyes on Run Long who was also showing strong emotion of surprise on his face as he asked, "How did you cure that poison? That''s a blue leech poison. An antidote doesn''t exist for that."


    [Wow]


    [That was some drastic measure]


    ''What do you mean?'' Wei Jun asked.


    Discover magic on m_v_l_e_m_p_y_r


    [Sun Ruan was afflicted with the same poison]


    [Just so you know]


    Wei Jun smiled as he turned to Run Long. He was amused because the system understood his intentions but right now wasn''t the time for that. He first needed to take care of the problem in front of him.


    Although Wei Jun had said he wanted to test his limits, what he really wanted was to push Run Long enough so that he would retreat. There was still something to gain from Run Long and for that, Wei Jun couldn''t kill him yet.


    "That''s not what you''re here for," Wei Jun said as he activated [Qi empowerment].


    [Status]


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 34


    HP: 43\\43


    QP: 175\\300


    Cultivation realm: Qi gathering realm]


    [Strength: 72(+25)]


    [Agility: 92-> 80(+25)]


    [Stamina: 92-> 80(+25)]


    [Defense: 67(+25)]


    [Qi: 60]


    [Charm: 41] S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Luck: 19]


    His Qi had gone down by leaps and bounds but he still had Qi replenishing pills as a backup. And with the [Qi empowerment] skill, he was almost in the realm of a Qi empowerment cultivator.


    Run Long nodded. That was all the answer he needed. Since Wei Jun knew why he was there, then Wei Jun was involved in this matter all along.


    Run Long dug his feet into the ground and launched at Wei Jun. However, he was immensely surprised when his full power launch was stopped, although not effortlessly, by Wei Jun who smiled and directed his momentum to the ground while also spinning himself and delivering a strike at his abdomen, pushing Run Long into the ground.


    Run Long hadn''t taken any damage but his Qi had taken a slight hit and lower a little than before. However, Wei Jun didn''t give him the option to get out as he began to rain down punches on Run Long, pinning him down on the ground without a chance to retreat.


    Seeing that there was no way out, Run Long decided to use his Qi and blasted Wei Jun away. It gave him the time he needed to get up and jump back but just as he was midair going back, Wei Jun was already upon him.


    Run Long crossed his arm in front of him and was hit by another strong attack but this time, there was a little something mixed in.


    [Discharge -5QP]


    Run Long''s Qi barrier had taken a strong hit and the place where Wei Jun had hit, was now cracked. Run Long was astonished and hurriedly reinforced the barrier with his Qi and focused on the incoming attacks. His attacker was relentless and proficient at fighting.


    All Run Long had was speed and power while his fighting techniques were at most basic. However, Wei Jun was fast, precise, and followed a proper technique, his damage was doubled while his Qi usage was halved than Run Long.


    Run Long couldn''t help but admit that his opponent, while lower than him in terms of Qi, was very much stronger than him in other aspects.


    Wei Jun delivered a piercing kick to the same place where he had struck him with the discharge skill fist but this time, there was no Qi discharge because he was running low of it.


    [Qi empowerment has ended]


    And then there was this problem of his. Qi empowerment skill ended after five minutes and then there was a five-minute cooldown. However, from what he had observed so far, the cultivators didn''t have the same problem and they could keep it up as much as they wanted.


    [You are welcome to use it on your own]


    [But I won''t say anything about the cost]


    ''Shut up.'' Wei Jun replied, annoyed by the system''s remark.


    It was true that Wei Jun could activate the skills on his own through the circulation of his Qi, however, one, he couldn''t do such a perfect circulation so the same effect wouldn''t happen and two, the amount of Qi he would take might be doubled or even more because his control wasn''t that good.


    So all in all, all he could do was injure Run Long as much as he could in these five minutes so that they could have a five minutes'' break, talk like in movies and figure out each other''s motives.


    ''Yeah, right!'' Wei Jun said as he dodged a strike from Run Long. It was difficult to dodge and if Wei Jun didn''t have experience and predicted Run Long''s trajectory, Wei Jun wouldn''t have been able to dodge that strike.


    Run Lon had felt that there was something wrong with his opponent. With the slight decrease in speed, there was something about it.


    However, Wei Jun''s Qi armament was still up so how come only his power decreased was something Run Long couldn''t understand.


    But, he didn''t need to understand as long as he could have the upper hand. Run Long stopped his charge by digging his feet into the ground and launched at Wei Jun once again. Wei Jun once again made an effort to dodge however, Run Long had learned from his mistake as he somehow changed the course mid-launch and struck Wei Jun square in the abdomen.


    Wei Jun wasn''t harmed but his Qi armament had taken a big crack, he didn''t have the time to reinforce it because Run Long''s fist was about to come down again.


    Wei Jun extended his palm on the left side and discharged two points of his Qi. The discharge propelled him also, pushing to the right side, outside of Run Long''s charge but Wei Jun didn''t miss this chance and with his right hand, he delivered a full powered fist infused with five points of Qi.


    It struck Run Long straight in his left bicep, once again cracking his Qi armament but not to the extent like before. It was still a crack and Run Long had to step back, to avoid further risks.


    This allowed Wei Jun time to breathe as well. His Qi armament had already been used four times, for each minute taking a hundred and forty points of his QP and then he had to reinforce the cracked part along with the discharge skill, bringing his Qi down to single digits.


    [QP: 2\\300]


    Luckily, it didn''t seem like Run Long was planning on attacking again but Wei Jun still had four minutes down on his cooldown to the empowerment skill.


    As for the armament skill, his Qi was being used constantly every minute for it so that skill took a great amount of his Qi as well.


    [A ''Qi replenishing pill'' has been consumed]


    [QP has been fully restored]


    [You cannot consume another pill for an hour]


    Wei Jun didn''t consume the special kind but he did consume the one that had an hour-long cooldown between each consumption.


    As his Qi began to fill up, Wei Jun this time tried a little something. Instead of just empowering all of his body, he tried to focus on his hands and feet.


    [I wouldn''t recommend that]


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun, keeping his eye on Run Long who also was attacking, looking at Wei Jun with his eyes wide open.


    [This is not an experiment, host]


    [This is a battle]


    [There''s a reason why cultivators don''t empower just their limbs]


    [Please wait until this battle is finished]


    Wei Jun stopped. He had come to trust the system when it came to cultivation. He shifted his gaze back to Run Long who was looking at him strangely.


    He asked, "How did you do that?"

 Chapter 139: Death?

    It was the universal law. Once depleted, one couldn''t restore Qi unless through a natural process which was circulation, attraction, and absorption of Qi.


    Run Long should know that because of his upbringing, he was familiar with every medicine to existed. There were elixirs or treasures deep in the spiritual mountains that increased one''s Qi recuperation speed but there was none that could do that instantaneously.


    "How did you do that?" Run Long couldn''t help but ask. If there was something like that that existed and helped his enemies, his enemy would be unstoppable in the future.


    ''And if I can obtain such a thing?'' Run Long couldn''t help but wonder what he could accomplish if he had the power to constantly replenish one''s Qi. The second biggest weakness of a cultivator.


    The first one being was one''s invulnerability while breaking through to the next stage in cultivation.


    "Do you really expect me to reply to that?" Wei Jun asked with an expression that said, ''You''re the biggest idiot of the century.''


    Run Long only shrugged and said, "You will when I beat it out of you."


    "Oh? You seem confident." Wei Jun said.


    "And you''re stalling for time," Run Long said before he got into a stance again.


    "Tch," Wei Jun clicked his tongue because Run Long wasn''t as stupid as he thought he was. But, it wasn''t like Wei Jun was out of cards.


    [Blue Fang dagger


    Tier: E


    Effect(s):


    Attack +30


    Agility +5


    50% chance of ''bleed'' effect applying


    50% chance of ''poison'' effect applying


    5% chance of a critical hit


    Additional information: The poison effect would depend on the opponent''s Qi level. If the opponent has Qi, the special effects will apply every time]


    It was just a tier E dagger but it would do the job for now. Of course, Wei Jun made sure not to reveal his inventory idiotically as he did with Ju Bai Lu.


    He put his hands behind his back and pretended to take it out from his back. He held the dagger in his left hand and crossed his arms in front of him with some distance between them. A classic stance of someone who was on defense and offense with a small weapon.


    Run Long looked at the dagger in Wei Jun''s hands and took out his own needles as well. Even though he had used them subtly against Lin Ruan, there was no need to do that because his opponent was constantly on guard.


    Wei Jun didn''t let run Long took the initiative and firmly planted his feet on the ground, pushing himself to his opponent with all his agility and strength allowed.


    Wei Jun was happy to notice that the dagger enhancements worked even with his agility stat well beyond the limit. So with 85 points of agility, he was slightly faster than before.


    But that wasn''t his main focus. The main ability of the dagger was the poison ability and that was what he really needed against Run Long.


    Wei Jun hurriedly opened his palm and discharged some of his Qi to move aside as a needle passed his place, Wei Jun nodded, although barely but he did.


    However, his momentum had been broken and that was what his opponent was aiming for as Run Long also lunged at Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun once again discharged Qi from his hands but this time not to jump sideways but to up so his body was propelled just enough that he was about four feet off the ground.


    Wei Jun managed the rest with a flip in midair using just one point of Qi once again and just avoided Run Long who passed underneath him, not having the option to stop his advance midway through.


    But Wei Jun didn''t miss that opportunity and put Qi into his dagger, bringing the poison chance to a hundred percent.


    All he needed was a little nick while he was flipping in the air and Run was passing beneath him. Wei Jun managed to nick Run Long in the shoulder, surprisingly ignoring threw Qi barrier in the way.


    As Wei Jun returned to the ground and Run Long stopped, he turned around but didn''t attack again. He looked at his shoulder where there was a dark purple spot, spreading fast.


    Run Long hurriedly brought his Qi to that point, captured the poison before it could spread anymore, and pushed it out. Wei Jun didn''t attack at that time because that was what he needed. Time.


    Wei Jun had figured out from this small exchange that he wasn''t strong enough to face Run Long, not without deploying some hidden cards and he was slowly revealing all of them.


    As soon as Run Long had discharged the poison, he lunged at Wei Jun once again but this time, a little slowly because he was wary of the dagger. Wei Jun decided that even that was enough because Run Long was slow enough for Wei Jun to keep track of. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, he was quick to change that decision when Run Long sped up almost a few feet away from him, catching Wei Jun off guard so all he could do was use Qi to reinforce the place of impact and some impact it was.


    Even with the Qi barrier from Qi armament, the hit was strong enough to shake Wei Jun''s internals.


    [HP -17]


    Wei Jun placed his hand in front of him, touching Run Long''s barrier, and discharged five points of Qi at him, trying to ignore the massive pain that assaulted him.


    It worked, slowing down Run Long''s charge by a lot but Run Long had other plans when Wei Jun felt a bunch of needles penetrating different parts of his body.


    Wei Jun understood he was poisoned so before it took complete effect on him, he also drove his dagger deep inside Run Long''s abdomen.


    It was a desperate struggle from both sides however, the winner of the scenario was clear.


    Wei Jun fell to the ground, feeling sluggish as system messages bombarded his vision.


    [Warning]


    [The host has been gravely injured]


    [The host has been injected with paralysis poison]


    [The host has been injected with blue worm''s poison]


    [The host has been injected with a thousand-year scorpion poison]


    [The host has been injected with red flame venom]


    [The host has lost basic sensory functions]


    [The host has lost his eyesight]


    [The host''s internal organs have been infected]


    [Warning]


    [Warning]


    [All systems failing]


    ''Consume phoenix tears.'' Wei Jun thought and commended the system however, the result was something not in his favor.


    [Phoenix tears have been consumed]


    [Condition is too severe]


    [Drastic measures are required]


    [HP below ten percent]


    [Blue worm''s poison has been neutralized]


    [HP below nine percent]


    [Paralysis poison has been neutralized]


    [HP below seven percent]


    [Emergency systems activated]


    [The host will lose half HP from this point on]


    [Thousand-year scorpion poison has been neutralized]


    Your source is m-vl|emp,yr


    [HP below three percent]


    [Effect of phoenix''s tear has been neutralized]


    [Remnants of red flame venom found in the host''s system]


    [HP below two percent]


    [¡­]


    [.]


    Wei Jun couldn''t understand what was happening. Even though the phoenix tear had done its job, the progression of the other poisons was way too fast so while Wei Jun was healing, the other poisons were doing their damage before the phoenix tear could get to them.


    Now there was nothing else to do. Wei Jun didn''t have enough power to command the system. His eyes could see nothing but darkness, nothing but darkness. He couldn''t feel anything as well.


    ''That was embarrassing,'' He could think though. He couldn''t talk to the system but he could think himself.


    ''Dying at the hands of the first one. Never expected that,'' Wei Jun thought. He was sure he would be able to win against an opponent of that level but he was wrong. He had been too ill-prepared.


    ''Well, there''s no use thinking about it now,'' Wei Jun thought before he felt his consciousness slip away. He knew that once this was gone, he wouldn''t be waking up again. Or maybe he would be back in his original world.


    ''That¡­ wouldn''t¡­ be so¡­ ba---'' Wei Jun thought his final thought before his consciousness slipped away.


    [HP has reached zero]


    [The host has died]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    [All the conditions have been met]


    [Innate title ''The spawn of death'' has been activated]


    [The element of ''Death'' has been awakened]


    [the element of ''Death'' has mixed in with your Qi]


    [Error]


    [Assimilation not possible]


    [Power of Qi insufficient to sustain ''Death'']


    [A new source would be created]


    [Power of death would be locked behind levels]


    [The power of death has been locked away]


    [current composition of death at 10%]


    [The current power of death has been assimilated with Qi]


    [Assimilation has begun]


    [Assimilation at 10%...50%...99%]


    [Assimilation has reached 100% percent]


    [Congratulations]


    [You have awakened death Qi]


    [The death Qi has eliminated everything foreign in the host''s system]


    [Good luck]


    Wei Jun opened his eyes, no pain, nothing in his consciousness. All he felt was the ground underneath his body. He hurriedly stood up, expecting to be somewhere else but he was where he was before.


    The only difference was the man in front of him wasn''t triumphant but a look of horror was replaced by it, a strong one.


    "Ev¡ªEvil Cultivator," was all Run Long said.

 Chapter 140: Evil cultivator

    I made a mistake and published the chapter twice. I will fix it in tomorrow''s update.


    And now I have fixed it. the bonus chapters thanks to the golden tickets would be coming soon.


    Also, many might think that I am giving the MC the golden fingers but don''t worry. It won''t make things any easier for him. You will see.


    **********


    "Sir, you have a meeting in an hour with Houston Productions." A woman in a standard office suit informed the man who had his head buried in a file.


    "Ahan," The man replied but said nothing more.


    The woman waited for another reply. She had dressed up that day, specifically, for the man who had his head down. She had done her hair and eyelashes and tried a new deodorant and different shades of makeup than before.


    She looked different than her usual self and everyone at the office, whoever knew her, had informed her of that fact.


    However, the one man she wanted to notice her, didn''t. "Is there anything else?" The man asked as he raised his head from the files, and looked at her with his piercing dark eyes. Eyes that hypnotized her.


    She really was hypnotized by that gaze as she failed to reply. "Is there anything else?" The man hated repeating himself and when he did, there was no benevolence the woman expected in his voice.


    "N¡­No," She quickly replied and lowered her head. She clutched her skirt with her hands but remained in her place.


    "Then you can leave," The man replied, lowering his head back into the file.


    The woman nodded and left, a tear at the corner of her eye. When she was leaving, she almost bumped into another man, who was as handsome as the man at the table.


    However, the second man had a smile on his face as she said, "Be careful Deborah, I have a wife."


    "Oh! I''m sorry, sir. I didn''t see you there," The woman named Deborah hurriedly apologized.


    "It''s fine. But why are you crying? Your eyelashes are getting messed up because of that." The man said before he turned to look at the man at the table. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It was just¡­" Deborah began to reply but the man waved his hand and said, "Why don''t you take the day off? It''s not nice to work in a stressful environment for too long."


    "But, sir¡­" Deborah tried to argue but she was once again interrupted, "Deborah, I insist."


    Deborah went silent and after a while replied, "Yes, sir."


    "Good," The man said as Deborah left. He turned to the man at the desk and made his way to the desk, taking the seat on the other side of the desk from the man at the desk.


    "You have to stop doing that," The man busy with the file said.


    "And you need to start treating your employees better," The second man replied.


    Embark on a journey with m-vl-em,pyr


    "That wasn''t what she wanted," The first man said.


    "You would know what she wanted, wouldn''t you?" The man asked rhetorically before he said, "She dolled up for you. Did her hair, makeup, eyes, suit, the whole shebang. The least you could have done was give her a compliment."


    "And how do I know what''s really in her mind? How do I know she isn''t Maxine all over again?" The first man asked raising his head.


    "Hey, come on. Just because one girl was after your status, doesn''t mean all of them." The second man said.


    "Right. So wasn''t Julia, Alisha, Monica, Rebecca, Laurel." The first man counted a few names, associated with the one he took earlier.


    "Wow. For a twenty four year old, you have fallen in love an awful lot of times." The second man said with a smirk.


    "That''s all you have to say," The first man said and dug his face back in.


    "Just because you had a few bad experiences doesn''t mean no girl out there loves you," The second man argued.


    "All of them! All of them were after the name Smith. Mine didn''t matter to them." The first man said out loud, putting down the file.


    "You can''t expect them not to. I mean look at you, you can shower in money, bathe in money, and swim in money every day with a new set of bills for the next, what, hundred years and wouldn''t run out of it. Not to mention the girls in our circles aren''t raised for love, they''re raised for their own family''s benefit." The second man said.


    "Either way. I''m not having this conversation." The first man said, ending the discussion but the man had other plans as he said, "But this is the conversation I want to have."


    The first man didn''t say anything. That was a sign he wouldn''t stop the other one from saying whatever he wanted.


    "What if you were to lose all of this?" The second man asked.


    "What?" The first man stopped, raised his head, and asked with an incredulous face.


    "What if you were to lose the Smith name? Look at things from a different perspective." The second man said.


    "And what would that do?" the first man asked.


    "You''ve fallen in love easily before. Just do the same. See how easy it is. Falling in love. For a man, that''s something very easy. You will see." The second man said.


    "What do you mean? What will I see?" The first man asked.


    "Oh, wait. Not will, you already have." The second man replied while slightly hitting his head as if he just remembered something.


    "What?" The first man couldn''t make heads and tails of the conversation.


    "What I am trying to say, brother, is that you cannot lose the name Smith. It will always remain with you. It is you, who has to look at yourself from a different perspective." The second man said.


    "What? I don''t get what you''re saying--" the first man said but was interrupted by the second one who said, "Oh, and before you go. The power of death is strong but it comes with a price. The price of your emotions. Try not to lose them."


    Just as the second man finished speaking, the first man began to lose consciousness and before he could even mutter a single word, darkness covered his eyes and he lost his consciousness.


    He fell asleep in the world of darkness.


    ********


    [Death Qi has been assimilated]


    [Death Qi has been incorporated]


    [Death Qi has been infused in the core]


    [error]


    [The core has rejected the power of death]


    [Cause of rejection detected]


    [Two different power natures detected]


    [Creating a secondary storage source for the death Qi]


    [A second source has been successfully created]


    [The second source has been fully incorporated]


    Wei Jun looked at the changes within his body. There were none. However, in his system panel, there was one thing that was different.


    [Status]


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 34


    HP: 43\\43


    QP: 0\\300


    Death Qi: 100\\100


    Cultivation realm: Qi gathering realm]


    His health was fully restored but that wasn''t what his focus was on. He focused on the term that wasn''t there before.


    [Death Qi: An innate Qi only unique to the user. Skills activated by Death Qi are two times stronger than normal Qi]


    Wei Jun only got that as information but nothing more. He turned his attention to Run Long who was looking at Wei Jun in horror, however, Wei Jun picked up something else deep inside. Hate. Unbridled hate that flooded the gates Run Long had erected to keep it locked so it wouldn''t affect his rationality.


    Wei Jun saw the Qi around Wei Jun trembling, increasingly getting dense with each passing second.


    [Warning]


    [Warning]


    [The weakened fate between Run Long and the world has been strengthened]


    [A chain reaction has occurred]


    [The fate of the world has changed]


    [Run Long has surpassed his limits]


    ''What the hell does that mean?'' Wei Jun didn''t understand one thing about what was written in the new messages.


    [He is breaking through to the next stage]


    [the impossible stage because Run Long''s destiny ended at the Qi gathering realm]


    [But now he''s advancing to the Qi empowerment realm]


    Wei Jun didn''t need to hear anymore and lunged at Run Long who was getting scarier by the minute.


    However, before he could get close to Run Long, Wei Jun was pushed back by an enormous wave of Qi.


    It wasn''t just that; a crater was formed around Run Long as his massive Qi began to destroy everything in its way. The villa had been fully evacuated so there was no problem other than one, Xia Lu was still in there.


    So Wei Jun ignored Run Long even though there was a good chance to thwart his breakthrough and made his way inside the villa. The villa was collapsing and Wei Jun straight away made a beeline to his room.


    He opened the door and saw cracks in the ceiling. It was coming down. Wei Jun hurriedly jumped at Xia Lu and got on top of her body just before everything came crashing down on them.


    On the outside, the breakthrough of Run Long was finished but before he could move inside, the villa began to collapse. He still didn''t want to leave but he could hear sirens in the distance and not only that, he could also feel the enormous presence of a Qi master, someone he was sure he wouldn''t be able to face so he did what was the next best option. He ran away.

 Chapter 141: Buried (Bonus: G.T)

    The next bonus chapters would be in a few after a little rest.


    *********


    ''Fuck!'' Wei Jun cursed as the weight of the rubble was on his back and something seemed to have penetrated his thigh.


    [Are you okay, host?]


    ''Given the circumstances, I should be but I am,'' Wei Jun replied and asked, ''What happened to me back there?''


    [You died]


    [But you didn''t really die]


    [It seems to have met the prerequisite of some condition that awakened death Qi inside you]


    ''Is that why you asked me not to activate Qi armament with that Qi?'' When Wei Jun returned to his room and protected Xia Lu, he was abbot to create Qi armament but since he was out of normal Qi, he decided to use the other one.


    However, the system had advised against that, or it wasn''t just a simple advice and a warning.


    [Remember Run Long''s reaction?]


    [Outsiders won''t know it is death Qi]


    [To them it is evil Qi]


    [If you are categorized as an evil cultivator]


    [No matter who you are, the entire world of cultivation would band together to kill you]


    [At your current level, you cannot even defeat Run Long let alone the entire world]


    Wei Jun hated to admit it but he was indeed weaker than Run Long. Especially now that Run Long had broken through to the next rank in cultivation. It was all the more dangerous for Wei Jun to face him.


    As for the death Qi, he was well aware of the Qi trace so if he were to use it here, he would be ousting himself to the world.


    [For now, there are no traces of death Qi outside even when you awakened]


    [But if you use it, there are bound to be]


    ''I see,'' Given that, Wei Jun''s only option was to bear this burden and wait the time left for when he could consume another Qi pill.


    ''Shouldn''t have left her here,'' Wei Jun thought. He regretted leaving her there but he had no way of knowing that Run Long would end up breaking through to the next level.


    Xia was still unconscious underneath him and the weight of the rubble on his back was increasingly getting harder to deal with by the moment. He couldn''t even use the Qi empowerment skill to make it bearable so all he could do was hold it with his back as long as he could.


    *********


    On the outside, Sun Ruan arrived with Lao Chen and examined the surroundings. "I sense Lin, Wei Jun, and another person''s Qi. Go follow that one," Sun Ruan ordered Lao Chen who swiftly carried it out.


    As for Sun Ruan himself, he scanned the surroundings with his Qi to see if there was anything left. To his surprise, he sensed two life forces, still alive, buried under the villa. One of them was none other than his grandson who Qi could be traced to him and as for the other one, he didn''t who it was but given his grandson was atop that person, protecting them, it must be someone important.


    "Grandfather!" Sun Ruan heard a familiar voice and saw Lin Rian running at him.


    "Oh. Lin, what a surprise, you have reached the pinnacle of the Qi empowerment realm," Sun Ruan said, not interested in saving Wei Jun at all.


    "What?" Lin Ruan said quietly but she hurriedly shook her head and said, "There''s trouble. I can''t find Xiao Wei."


    "He alive." Sun Ruan said to placate Lin Ruan.


    "He is?" Lin Ruan beamed and asked, "Where?"


    "Underneath there," Sun Ruan said, pointing at the ruined and fallen villa.


    Lin Ruan''s face fell when she heard that. From the looks of it, the battle wouldn''t have been easy since the opponent was someone who had even given her a hard time. Wei Jun must be low on qi if not out of it. He wouldn''t be able to survive in there.


    "We need to get him out then!" Lin Ruan said and was about to move when Sun Ruan stopped her, "Not now. He is buried too deep. Not only did the ceiling cave in, but the floor did as well. If we move the unsettled rubble even a little bit, it would be dangerous for him."


    "But can''t just do nothing!" Lin Ruan said out loud.


    "I know. However, even if Xiao Wei survived, the mortal with him would not survive," Sun Ruan said.


    "Mortal? What mortal?" Lin Ruan asked. "He is protecting a mortal underneath him," Sun Ruan said while pointing to the place where Wei Jun was.


    Lin Ruan wasn''t at a level where she could scan the surroundings with her Qi so she asked, "Who is it?"


    "I don''t know," Sun Ruan replied.


    Lin Ruan bit her lower lip. Her brother was important but she couldn''t say that they should disregard the other person and just focus on saving Wei Jun. She wasn''t that heartless yet.


    "Who was it?" Sun Ruan asked.


    The scale of destruction was not normal so it was bound to be someone strong. The problem was, Sun Ruan couldn''t recognize that Qi pattern.


    "It was the creator of the Miracle Cream," Lin Ruan replied.


    "What enmity would that boy have with Xiao Wei?" Sun Ruan asked.


    "Xiao Wei sabotaged his operation and destroyed it completely," Lin Ruan replied.


    "Hahahahahaha!" Sun Ruan erupted in boisterous laughter as he said, "Now that''s a descendant of the Ruan bloodline. Good. Good. Maybe it is time to hand some business responsibility to him."


    If not for the circumstances, Lin Ruan would have been very happy to hear that but now she wasn''t too sure. Cultivators weren''t inhuman. No cultivator would be able to survive under a fallen building without Qi and even if Wei Jun had Qi, it would soon run out.


    "What do we do, grandfather?" Lin Ruan asked but Sun Ruan remained quiet. He just kept looking at the place where Wei Jun had fallen and decided to see what he would do.


    **********


    "Why the hell is it not happening?" Wei Jun asked out loud, annoyed by the fact that he couldn''t restore his Qi normal way.


    Since he would have to wait for the pill cooldown to end, he thought he would try it the normal way but even that wasn''t working. The only one who had an answer was the system and his body was failing so he had to ask.


    [It''s the death Qi]


    [As long as you have that, no type of Qi in the world would get near you]


    [Even the core inside you rejected the death Qi]


    ''What does that mean?'' Wei Jun asked, getting his emotions under control.


    [It means you wouldn''t be able to cultivate normally now]


    [Even the Qi core inside you would require force instead of smooth flow now]


    ''Why? Is the death Qi that evil?'' Wei Jun asked because, from the words of the system, the other types of Qi were sort of disgusted by the death Qi.


    [No]


    [They''re afraid]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun couldn''t understand what the system meant.


    [No human is supposed to have death Qi] Read further adventures at m vl_em|p_yr


    [Death Qi is the strongest form of Qi]


    [No one in the history has ever had it]


    [Except one thing]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [The dragon of death]


    [But that''s another story]


    [What matters right now is that the other types of Qi are too scared of the death Qi]


    [So they are rejecting it while it is still weak]


    ''What happens when it becomes strong?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Death Qi absorbs other types of Qis]


    [It will absorb everything in the world]


    [Just like you absorb the life force of others and increase your own stats]


    [Host]


    [I don''t think you awakened the death Qi]


    [I think it has always been inside you]


    [That was why you grew stronger everything you killed a cultivator]


    Wei Jun thought back to everything. It was true that he was puzzled about all of that. Why would he gain stats when he killed a cultivator?


    The system had said it was impossible and it wasn''t the function of the system. So now it meant that it was a system of him. Wei Jun''s.


    Wei Jun had something inside of him that was different than the rest. Something dark and strong.


    ''Death.'' Wei Jun said.


    [Precisely]


    [Somewhere in there]


    [In your soul]


    [You have the element of death]


    [Since you don''t know how to control it]


    [It has manifested on its own]


    [And it has taken the form of Qi]


    [Host]


    [I don''t think you will ever be able to cultivate normally]


    ''Is there any way to get rid of it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [No]


    [If it was a cultivation technique, then you simply had to delete it from the cultivation techniques window] Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [But it still only has one cultivation manual registered]


    [This is not something of the outside]


    [This is inside of you]


    [Inside your soul]


    [You cannot rip out a part of your soul no matter what you do]


    "Ugh¡­" Wei Jun was about to continue when he heard a groan from underneath him.


    "What the? Where are¡­ we?" Xia Lu woke up and asked, finding herself in a cramped space.


    "Morning beautiful," Wei Jun uncharacteristically made a joke.


    "What?" Xia Lu was more puzzled by that than her surroundings.

 Chapter 142: Buried (1) (Bonus: G.T)

    This is the chapter I couldn''t post yesterday. I won''t make any excuses so all I can do is apologize. Hope you guys don''t mind.


    *********


    "Where¡­ are we?" Xia Lu asked as she had trouble adjusting to the darkness of the cramped space.


    "We''re safe, wherever we are," Wei Jun didn''t want to worry her for no reason. For all he knew she could be claustrophobic and that would be bad for them in their current condition.


    "Are we?" she asked as she still felt very disoriented after waking up. Wei Jun wanted to put her back to sleep but not only were his hands busy supporting his body, he wasn''t sure it would be a good idea in the current situation.


    "Yes, we are," Wei Jun replied before he focused on the time left for the pill duration to run out. There was another worry that plagued his mind but he wasn''t focusing on it right now because it was bearable.


    "Hmm¡­ That''s good," I had a dream where the house was coming down and I was almost buried underneath," Xia Lu spoke, her eyes still unfocused, a sign of her dizziness.


    Wei Jun awkwardly smiled but his worry turned out to be true. Xia Lu wasn''t getting enough oxygen. It wasn''t difficult for him but for some reason, Xia Lu couldn''t make any sense of her surroundings because of the lack of oxygen.


    ''Is there anything in the shop?'' Wei Jun worriedly asked.


    [Yes]


    [Give me a moment]


    [Oxygen mask]


    [Tier: E]


    [A mask that supplies pure oxygen to the wearer]


    [Possible side effects after use include shortness of breath, and shrinking of lungs]


    [Prolong usage isn''t advised]


    [Cost: 100 coins]


    Wei Jun hurriedly bought it and a small canister appeared in his inventory. He willed it to appear in his hands and when it did, he tightly clutched it because he was still supporting himself on the ground.


    His hands still weren''t free so he had to instruct Xia Lu to put it on herself.


    "Xia Lu, can you hear me?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Hmm? Is it morning already? No~ It''s still dark outside," Xia Lu said.


    "Xia Lu, I need you to pick that thing up," Wei Jun said but Xia Lu didn''t respond for a while but then asked, "What thing?"


    "That." Wei Jun tried to touch it with his face but it was a little far away. Xia Lu turned her face to the right and saw the canister clutched in Wei Jun''s hand.


    "This?" Xia Lu asked.


    "Yes, that," Wei Jun said.


    "Okay," Xia Lu said but she didn''t put it on. Instead, she went lethargic and dropped her hands.


    "Fuck!" Wei Jun said as he had no choice but to put more pressure on his back and stirred some of the rubble but Wei Jun still managed to free one of his hands for just a few seconds which was enough to put on the mask of the canister on Xia Lu''s mouth.


    He turned it on before he hurriedly returned to his position because it was getting very hard for him to bear the burden of the rubble.


    Fortunately, the damage wasn''t too much but the rubble had come down by a bit when his back couldn''t bear it and it had now settled in that position meaning Wei Jun was just inches above Xia Lu.


    However, Wei Jun sighed in relief when Xia Lu opened her eyes after a few moments, clarity evident in her eyes.


    She looked around and was about to panic when Wei Jun said, "It''s all right! We''re all right."


    She looked at him but didn''t open her mouth because of the mask on her face. She looked at it and was about to take it off when Wei Jun once again exclaimed, "Don''t take it off!"


    She was startled by his response, but she did what he said and didn''t take it off.


    Wei Jun sighed and said, "We''re trapped underneath the villa. We will need to stay here for a while."


    Xia Lu looked at her questioningly but didn''t say anything once again. "Just bear it. We will soon be out," Wei Jun said. There was still some time before the cooldown on the pill ran out but Wei Jun was sure they would be able to make it until then.


    Now that he had the oxygen canisters, he didn''t need to worry about anything urgent. Except for the rubble on his back that was getting increasingly harder to bear.


    Just when Wei Jun thought there was nothing to worry about, Xia Lu once again began to lose consciousness.


    "What''s happening?" Wei Jun asked.


    [Her lungs cannot handle such pure oxygen]


    [In the first place the item was for cultivators who could purify their lungs]


    [A mortal who has lived in the modern polluted world without cleansing wouldn''t be able to bear something so pure]


    Wei Jun didn''t focus on such a lengthy explanation and just heard the first part. He once took his hand off but this time without preparation so the backlash was very strong.


    Still, he managed to take it off her face and threw it away where it began to leak oxygen in small amounts. Wei Jun couldn''t do anything about that so he just let it be instead, he hurriedly supported himself again because his body was almost touching Xia Lu''s and the rubble had become ten times heavy.


    "Just hold on a little longer," Wei Jun said.


    He tried very hard to stabilize himself and in the end, he managed to do so but his position was greatly misaligned, unlike the beginning.


    Fortunately, Xia Lu came to after a while, her breathing a little constrained but not like before when she couldn''t either breathe or there was too much to breathe. Discover adventure at m-vl-em-py-r


    Wei Jun sighed in relief when Xia Lu looked at him, deep into his eyes. That gaze made him a bit comfortable since it was his fault she was in that predicament.


    "Why didn''t you just leave me and run away?" Xia Lu softly asked.


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but chuckle. Was that what she was worried about than their current situation?


    "I didn''t. No reason." Wei Jun lied. There was a reason, he just couldn''t remember what.


    "You''re lying," Xia Lu said. Wei Jun chuckled but he didn''t say anything in response. Instead, he said, "I did what I wanted. You can sue me about it later on."


    She looked at him deeply before she said, "I''m thirsty."


    "Haha," Wei Jun again chuckled. She was terrible at changing the topic.


    Where was he going to get water in that situation after all? But Xia Lu didn''t know he had a magical thing called the inventory. Although Wei Jun only used weapons and explosives in there, for long cultivation sessions, he also stored food and water in there.


    He once again willed a water bottle to appear in his hand and said, "There it is. Drink up."


    Although it was an attempt to change the topic, Wei Jun still did it anyway even when Xia Lu wasn''t expecting him to.


    She took the water bottle from under his hand, although a little difficult, but she managed to do it and opened the top. She drank a few sips and then saw Wei Jun wasn''t getting any.


    "I''m fine," Wei Jun said.


    She nodded and just drank a few more sips but saved the water, not knowing how long they would be down there.


    Wei Jun could read her intention but he knew that they would soon be out. His Qi would soon be replenished and he would be able to make it out.


    [¡­]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [What about her?]


    ''What about her?'' Wei Jun asked as he didn''t understand.


    [You will soon understand]


    Wei Jun didn''t understand what that meant but he didn''t focus on it. The cooldown soon came to an end and Wei Jun hurriedly consumed a pill from his inventory. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have consumed a Qi replenishing pill]


    [Qi has been fully restored]


    [You cannot take another pill for an hour]


    Wei Jun felt full of power and the first thing he did was activate the Qi empowerment skill. He didn''t bother with the Qi armament because the rubble wasn''t that dangerous to him anyway.


    When he felt power coursing through his veins, Wei Jun began to rise up slowly, the rubble of course reacted along with his movement.


    And that was when Wei Jun realized what the system meant. The rubble was coming down and it would soon overwhelm him. Overwhelm them. because of his power, he would be able to make it out but Xia Lu wouldn''t.


    ''Tch.'' Wei Jun tutted inwardly and stopped just as he had risen a few inches. At least he was back to his comfortable position of perfect balance but other than that, he found out that he wouldn''t be able to make it out of there.


    ''I guess we will have to wait for those on the outside to do something.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly as he looked at Xia Lu who had panicked slightly when the rubble moved but now that it settled down again, she heaved a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 143: Buried (2)

    Today''s chapter. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    **********


    Wei Jun had no idea that on the outside, no rescue operation was underway. The teams were clearing the surroundings, but they couldn''t get in deep because of how unstable it all still was.


    "I will help stabilize it with my Qi. You people do it one at a time," Sun Ruan offered a suggestion and a slow but dangerous operation began. It was dangerous for those buried underneath as well because of a little mistake and they would be bombarded with the full strength of all the rubble of the fallen villa.


    Sun Ruan would stabilize the rubble before the other would remove it. Lin Ruan bit her fingernails as she anxiously saw everything. She wanted to help but she couldn''t because she couldn''t endanger Wei Jun who could be buried with the slightest of mistake.


    However, the time frame given for the operation was at least ten hours. She wasn''t so sure they would be well down there until then. If only she knew that the things were a hundred times worse than she thought. Wei Jun and Xia Lu weren''t sitting in some cave made of rubble like she thought, but Wei Jun was supporting all of it with his own body.


    Wei Jun on the inside was able to hold himself even when the Qi empowerment skill ended. It was difficult for him to bear the brunt but soon it settled down and the weight on him lessened considerably.


    They continued to look at each other, well, Xia Lu did most of it, while Wei Jun was more focused on bearing the weight of the rubble.


    "You need to use your cultivator skills and get out of here," Xia Lu said.


    "The more you speak, the sooner we get out of the oxygen," Wei Jun said. Although he could purchase more canisters, it was still getting dangerous for them and there were chances of CO2 poisoning.


    Xia Lu went silent but she kept looking at Wei Jun. As for Wei Jun, he wasn''t just bearing the weight of the rubble, there were other problems too such as sweat, dust, and everything.


    However, he could bear it, but not Xia Lu so he was also protecting her with his body. Time passed slowly, with Xia Lu telling Wei Jun to leave in between small breaks.


    Fortunately, their oxygen didn''t run out but it had already been five hours so Wei Jun was very worried for Xia Lu.


    "Drink some water," He said.


    "No," She replied.


    "Drink it," He said it again.


    "No," She replied again.


    "Either you drink it, or I will be shoving it down your throat while I let this go and let myself be buried underneath," Wei Jun threatened.


    Xia Lu looked at him, deep in his eyes and she could tell he wasn''t kidding. She reluctantly took the bottle of water and began to take small sips. She was thirsty and her lips were parched but she refused to take it more than necessary.


    "Drink more," But Wei Jun was adamant. Xia Lu let go of the bottle and said, "Only if you drink more," She said.


    Wei Jun sighed and said, "I have a lot more. Just drink it," He said.


    Xia Lu, however, didn''t believe him. She took a big gulp and then another but didn''t swallow this time. She took the bottle off of her mouth, her mouth swollen like a balloon.


    She raised her body a little, practically pasting herself with Wei Jun, and planted her lips on his. She began to shove water in his mouth, even when he was reluctant and half of the water in her mouth was wasted on the ground.


    However, even when she was done feeding him, she didn''t stop. Wei Jun kept his eyes open and kept looking at her. He couldn''t understand what was going through her mind but what he did know was that she was loving this.


    So Wei Jun didn''t mind. He let her kiss him and he also began to enjoy that kiss. Although Wei Jun never had a girlfriend before, he had experience when it came to kissing at least but he didn''t go all the way. He only kept it limited to the lips. It was evident from Xia Lu''s kiss that she hadn''t even experienced that much because she couldn''t even move her lips very well.


    Of course, it was the gesture that mattered. Gesture of her seriousness so Wei Jun focused on that more than her clumsy kiss.


    Powered by m_vl_em_p_yr


    ''Besides, we can learn later,'' He thought but didn''t break the kiss. Only when Xia Lu struggled to hold her breath did she break the kiss and slumped down on the floor, breathing heavily.


    Wei Jun looked at her current image and she looked intoxicating as well as she was beautiful.


    Wei Jun smiled and kept his eyes on her. She looked at him, but there was no blush on her face. Only determination. Wei Jun didn''t know what inhibitions she had before but even he could tell that she had some of the before. But right now, she had lost all of them.


    She just kept looking straight into his eyes and Wei Jun kept doing the same. He forgot about the predicament they were in and focused on just each other. Wei Jun just kept using the Qi empowerment skill and continued to support himself, holding back all of the rubble, not even knowing that with the passage of time, it was getting easier for him to hold it back.


    ********


    "We are going through the lower levels!" A rescuer yelled while Sun Ruan stabilized the surfaced level rubble. The rescuers carefully removed the rubble.


    A rescuer said to another, "Would the people inside still be alive? Wouldn''t they have long perished due to the lack of oxygen?" The other rescuer just looked at him and said, "Down there is the prince of Yuan Yin City. Even if he is dead, we have to bring him out."


    Sun Ruan heard the conversation of the rescuers but he didn''t say anything. He was more focused on the matters down there. Unlike others, he could make almost all of the things out with his Qi.


    He could sense that not only both of the people under the rubble were alive, but they were also doing better than ever.


    ''What are you doing? What are you hiding?'' Sun Ruan thought inwardly.


    Soon enough, almost 75% of the way was cleared. It would take at most an hour to clear all of it now.


    *******


    Back inside, Wei Jun could now clearly feel the pressure reducing on his back. So much so that he didn''t even need to use Qi empowerment to hold it back and it was easy enough even with his base strength and stats.


    However, his focus once again wasn''t on that.


    "Take this," Wei Jun said as he leaned forward and fed a healing pill to Xia Lu. Xia Lu didn''t reject but instead, hungrily took whatever was being tongued into her mouth, mainly Wei Jun''s tongue.


    After the water-feeding incident, they both found an excuse to kiss each other and it was their tenth time when they were kissing. Wei Jun fed her a healing pill because there were scratches on her forehead and some other places. However, after that, he just kept feeding it to her for no reason. This was the fourth pill that had no effect on her but they still kept the excuses up.


    It was just small pecks in the beginning but now, they were becoming deep. Xia Lu wasn''t an amateur anymore and could kill very well. Not expertly, but it was something better than before.


    Now that they were in a deep and passionate kiss, they didn''t realize that there were voices of the people very close by. Well, Wei Jun did but he couldn''t care less about them.


    He didn''t stop until once again Xia Lu was out of breath. However, this time, he had to put a stop to it because although Xia Lu was okay with just the two of them, she would die of shame if she saw someone else watch them doing it.


    He didn''t know that Xia Lu also couldn''t care less but he couldn''t read minds, now could he?


    Soon enough, the voices became apparent to even Xia Lu and she said, "Rescuers."


    "About time," Wei Jun said, annoyance on his face but deep down, he wanted to remain here for a few more hours.


    But, he couldn''t prolong this situation any longer. They were already trapped underneath for almost twelve hours and not just that, he had other issues to worry about as well.


    Such as his main and most urgent issue, Run Long.


    "We found them," Suddenly the rubble on top of them was lifted and fresh air entered their nostrils which they both missed very much.


    "They''re alive! Get the medic!" Another rescuer yelled as they saw the man on top of the woman, his back laced with injuries, and a rod in his leg but he kept supporting the rubble with his body to protect the woman underneath.

 Chapter 144: In motion (Bonus: Reveiw)

    Bonus chapter thanks to the review of ''Eldrik_craddle''


    ************


    "Why isn''t he on his way to the hospital?" Lin Ruan worriedly asked because Wei Jun was still being checked on the spot while Xia Lu had long been taken to the hospital.


    "Because there''s no need to," Wei Jun said. "I''m perfectly fine."


    "There was a rod in your leg," Lin Ruan said.


    "Which I took out and it healed soon enough. Nothing to worry about." Wei Jun said while placating Lin Ruan. Lin Ruan looked at him incredulously but refrained from saying anything.


    "It seems you have angered someone you couldn''t handle yourself." Sun Ruan said, actually mocked by his tone because clearly, Wei Jun had lost.


    Wei Jun said nothing. He was sure he could still win even though Run Long had become even stronger than before. He hadn''t used that one thing he had Zi Huan custom-made. A cultivator of Run Long''s level wouldn''t be able to survive against it.


    "It won''t happen again," Wei Jun said before he stood up. Actually, he was all better ever since he was taken out of the rubble. Even Xia Lu wasn''t injured, she was just taken to the hospital because of oxygen deficiency but it was nothing dangerous.


    All these events just showed either how lucky they were, or how strong Wei Jun was who had held up the rubble of an entire building on his back. Find adventures on m v l e m p y r


    "Any news on the attacker?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Lao Chen managed to capture him. He is in the custody of the cultivator special forces though." Lin Ruan informed Wei Jun.


    "Why them?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Old man Ouyang Na involved them. Since it was logically their job to deliver justice, there wasn''t much we could do," Lin Ruan replied.


    "I will contact some of the people on the inside. No one can attack my family like this and get away with it." Sun Ruan said while combing his white beard.


    "He''ll still get out so don''t bother." Wei Jun said before he turned around and walked away while saying, "I need to sleep for a while now."


    "If you think I will stop, then you''re delusional," Lin Ruan said, referring to Run Long''s case.


    He looked at her, with a smile and said, "You''ve already done me a big favor."


    "What?" Lin Ruan asked.


    Wei Jun just smiled and turned around to leave. He couldn''t tell her that because of her he was able to get so strong so fast.


    Wei Jun was provided with a car since his collection was destroyed along with the villa. Wei Jun got into it but didn''t go anywhere else but to the hospital where Xia Lu was admitted. He wasn''t going there for Xia Lu though. He was going there for Zhan Yi.


    He wanted to see if his arm had regenerated or not.


    As he arrived at the hospital and made his way to the hospital room, he saw Zhan Yi and Quan Li chatting with each other. Zhan Yi didn''t have any resentfulness on his face while Quan Li looked a lot guilty.


    However, Wei Jun turned his eyes to Zhan Yi''s arm which hadn''t regenerated. It had, but only halfway through. Wei Jun suspected it was because Zhan Yi wasn''t only damaged on his arm but somewhere else as well and most of the phoenix''s tears went there to fix that just like in his case.


    They both noticed Wei Jun and said, "Boss!"


    Zhan Yi tried to sit up straight but he couldn''t because there was pain in his arm. Wei Jun remained quiet and moved to Zhan Yi. He purchased another Phoenix''s tear, spending eighty million yuan on just that but it was worth it.


    He gave it to Zhan Yi and said, "I want you to know what you did was stupid."


    Zhan Yi''s head dropped from that sentence but Wei Jun wasn''t finished, "But I did the same stupid thing so I''m one to talk."


    Wei Jun turned and walked out of the room and then from the hospital. He made his way to the downtown garage and went straight to his bike locker.


    For him, there was still a lot of work left to do.


    *******


    "Where is the family head Na?" A potbellied man asked.


    "He is off cashing his favors with the cultivator special forces." Another man replied.


    "Do we need to worry about anything?" Another man asked.


    "Other than our reputation at the rock bottom, riots against us for further disfiguring tens of thousands of people, we''re doing just fine." A man sarcastically replied.


    "We didn''t know it would turn out like that. We believed in the name of the miracle healer," A man replied.


    "In the name, not in himself. It wasn''t him was it? It was his disciple, a young and inexperienced man and we bet everything we had on him," Another man replied with an angry red face.


    "For now, let us not escalate this issue any longer." A man advised.


    "We don''t need to. The Ruan family is doing that for us," Another man said.


    "Those opportunistic bastards!" A man said in anger.


    "Can you blame them though? We took full advantage of their fallout with the public too." Another man said.


    "It won''t help to discuss all this. We need to see if there are any solutions to our problems," Another man said.


    "I don''t there is one." A man replied.


    "Yes. The boy would be able to save his neck by cutting a deal with the cultivator''s special forces. But we won''t be able to. Our losses are permanent." Another man said with regret.


    "There must be something we can do," A man said.


    "Yes. We can wait for the young man to not forget our favor or we can change sides and go beg the Ruan family," Another man suggested.


    "Will they even accept us?" A man asked.


    "They would have to. Because if they don''t, we can still hinder whatever they are doing. Our cooperation will be helpful to them." A man said.


    "Yes, that does make sense," Another man said.


    "Or we can just kill you all," A voice entered their ears. Before any of them could react, gas began to emit from their feet and encased the entire room.


    "Luckily the old man Ouyang isn''t here. Otherwise, things would have been difficult," The man who was standing behind them said, stepping into the light from the shadows.


    As they all saw the man, they couldn''t do anything. Because they were paralyzed. They didn''t even cough under the influence of the gas. They simply went limp.


    "Don''t worry. The gas isn''t permanent. It will wear off in an hour at most. Not only that, its traces would also be erased." The man said as he began to set something in the room.


    "Of course, that would also mean no one was here and the explosion that happened here would be natural," The man in the helmet said as he finished setting everything up.


    "Oh, as for these explosives, they won''t leave any traces behind so the police would be stuck between an accident or intentional. But they won''t be able to move past that," the helmet man said as he tapped the shoulder of a man and stepped out of the room.


    Then he simply snuck out of the place as he entered, not alarming anyone because the explosives would go off in just two minutes.


    With his speed, he was easily able to make it out of the blast radius when it went off.


    He looked at the scene of fire for a second before he turned around and left. He made his way to the bike and dialed a number.


    "Yes, boss?" Li Wei asked from the other side.


    "Find him. Let Noh Tian know," The helmet man said in the microphone before he hung up the phone. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then made his way to a few of the factories all over town and did the same to them.


    It wasn''t the fire like a few days before when the Ruan building and its surroundings were targeted by a terror attack. But it was still something and the entire Yuan Yin city came to know of the rivers of fire all over the city.


    Alas, the police were too busy taking care of the issue to look into who it was but the suspect was still the same, the terrorist group who had done the same thing to the Ruan family building.


    As for the so-called terrorist, he finally received a call after the whole night. He checked the caller ID and picked up the phone.


    "Speak," He said to the other person on the phone.


    "I managed to convince him," The man on the other side, none other than Noh Tian replied.


    The helmet man smiled and said, "Make sure it is the right box. There would be a small D on the bottom corner of it." The helmet man instructed.


    "How am I supposed to take things from the cultivator''s special forces?" Noh Tian asked.


    "He trusts you, doesn''t he? Make it happen." The helmet man hung up the phone and decided to end it for the night as dawn was approaching the city.

 Chapter 145: Awry

    "Where have you been, brother Tian?" Run Long asked when Noh Tian came to meet him.


    "I''m sorry brother Long. I had to go out of the country for a few days. But as soon as I heard about you, I returned," Noh Tian apologized and explained.


    "You should thank him, young Long. It is because of him that we even get to meet the director," Ouyang Na said.


    "It''s the least I can do after not being there for my friend, elder Na," Noh Tian said.


    "So, what do they say?" Run Long asked.


    "since it was too risky getting caught by the Ruan family, I exchanged a favor with the cultivator special forces to arrest you. That way, we can keep you out of their reach. However, that doesn''t change the fact that you attacked the Ruans. But, remember the director of the cultivator forces I told you about? The one who''s sick?


    They have promised to take you out of the city and away from the records for a few years if you were to cure that man." Noh Tian explained.


    He paused for a second before he continued, "Now normally, I would have advised you against such a procedure and I still don''t think it is the right thing to do. However, I think you should cure this person. It helps you out."


    Noh Tian stopped to let the information sink in. Run Long processed all of his words before he asked, "What do you think, elder Na?"


    Ouyang Na looked at Run Long for a while before he said, "Like young master Tian said, I wouldn''t also recommend you dealing with them. they are the second most powerful force after the military. If anything were to go wrong, the consequences would be dire. Unsalvageable."


    After Ouyang Na gave his opinion, Run Long asked, "So should I do it or not?"


    "No. You shouldn''t." Ouyang Na said which troubled Noh Tian a little but before he could speak, Ouyang Na continued, "But given the circumstances, you have no other choice."


    "Not to mention your talent is good in cultivation as well. They might even offer you a position if you were to do well." Noh Tian chimed in, stating benefits that would make Run Long accept the offer.


    Run Long contemplated for a while before he nodded and said, "They have confiscated my stuff. Tell them to return it and we can begin."


    "Of course. I will get on it right away," Noh Tian replied and went away. Run Long looked at Ouyang Na and said, "You should go now, elder Na."


    "I ought to stay," Ouyang Na replied.


    "I have already dragged your name down. I don''t want to do it again. If anything were to happen, I wouldn''t want you to be incriminated as well," Run Long said.


    "But--" Ouyang Na started, probably to complain but Run Long interrupted him by capturing his hands and said, "Please. I will come to you as soon as I am free. But for now, I need you to go."


    Ouyang Na looked deep into Run Long''s dark eyes and nodded. "I will wait for you," Ouyang Na said before he added, "The entire Na family will."


    "That will make me happy," The touchy departure ended with Run Long''s gratitude for everything the Na family had done for Run Long. He would never forget that favor, not until his dying breath. Just he won''t forget his enmity with the Ruan family, especially Wei Jun Ruan until his end.


    ***********


    "Make sure nothing goes wrong," A man in a black suit told Run Long, rudely grabbing his shoulder.


    Run Long held back his words. The man was much stronger than him, he couldn''t run his tongue there. So he chose to remain quiet and went inside the room where an old man was lying on a bed.


    Run Long could sense power from the man but he could also sense something else. Miasma. There was evil power coming from the old man. It wasn''t his own but he was infected with it.


    He was trying to suppress it with his enormous power but was still failing. Run Long, first and foremost, examined the old man to see if he could even withstand the treatment. As if he could, what kind of treatment it should be.


    "I can treat him. But he will lose his left arm," Run Long said to the man in the suit. The man looked at the old man worriedly and after a while closed his eyes for a moment before he replied, "Do it."


    To a cultivator, their arm was very necessary, however, if that was the only way to save the old man, the man was willing to do it because he believed the fighting days of the old man were over. He figured if the old man didn''t have an arm, the emperor wouldn''t enforce his decisions on him anymore.


    Run Long nodded and began to press several acupoints on the old man''s body to make his body numb. The man kept an eagle''s eye on the old man and Run Long to make sure nothing went wrong.


    Once Run Long was finished pressing the points, his Qi had almost run out but he managed to finish the blockage technique before it did.


    "I need to replenish my Qi for a while before I can continue," Run Long said to the man.


    The man looked at Run Long, making sure he was out of Qi, and then at the old man to see his breathing was very much stable so he replied, "Very well. But hurry." Discover what''s next on m-vl-em,py-r


    Run Long nodded and instead of leaving, he moved to the corner of the room and began to restore his Qi. His Qi pool was now much larger than before. So it took him a few hours but he made sure to be as fast as he could.


    The man didn''t hurry him because he could see the old man was still stable and he didn''t want any mistakes due to the healer''s low Qi. So he didn''t bother the healer and let him recuperate properly before he did anything else. He could risk his job, but he couldn''t risk the life of the old man.


    Run Long stood up, feeling refreshed and full of power. He made his way back to the old man and began to guide the miasma of the old man to his arm. It was a tedious process and since he didn''t have much time to stabilize his new cultivation realm, he had some trouble controlling his Qi.


    He still managed to pull through and succeeded in transferring half of the miasma to the left arm before he once again ran out of Qi. Run Long was now sweating hard and breathing laboriously.


    It was difficult for him to control the miasma but he managed to trap half of it in the old man''s arm. It wasn''t just him as well; the old man was also helping him deal with the miasma although he was unconscious.


    Run Long once again excused himself for rest and was allowed to do so. This time, Run Long wasn''t looked over like a hawk by the man but he still didn''t let his guard down, even though he was a little lenient now seeing the condition of the old man had improved a lot.


    Run Long once again took a few hours to rest and once he was fully refreshed again, he got back to work. This time, he managed to finish gathering the miasma in the old man''s arm. Once he was done, he took out his acupuncture box.


    "What are you doing?" The man asked, cautiously since the needles could be used as a weapon.


    "I need to isolate the miasma otherwise, if even the smallest amount of it remains, it would spread once again in a few years and he would be like this again. He might not be able to bear it then." Run Long explained. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man nodded and stepped back but not much. He still remained close enough to react in case things went south.


    It wasn''t long before Run Long managed to isolate the miasma in the arm of the man and entrap it with his needles. The old man wouldn''t need to supply Qi that way to keep it trapped.


    Just as everything was going smoothly, the old man suddenly began to tremble. It was a small tremble at first but then it intensified to the point he looked like he was having the strongest of seizures ever seen.


    "What''s wrong with him?!" The man hurriedly asked before he held the old man down with his hands. Some men from the outside also came in hearing the commotion and saw the old man seizing.


    "What happened?" A woman asked while she helped the man hold the old man down.


    "I don''t know. He suddenly started to act like that." The man replied but then, their eyes went to the needles. Or more like to the spot where the needles were embedded. The spots were turning blue slowly.


    "You! You poisoned him!" The man yelled and was about to lunge at Run Long when the woman stopped him and said, "Not now! Tend to him first!"


    Run Long, on the other hand, couldn''t make out what was happening either. One moment everything was going okay and the next moment, everything started to go wrong.


    "Take him away!" The woman ordered the men holding Run Long. That was the last thing Run Long remembered before everything went black.

 Chapter 146: Attack

    "Envoy en route. ETA 30 minutes to the base," A man spoke on the radio, informing the other side of their status.


    "Copy that," A voice came from the other side, confirming their message.


    The envoy consisted of three vehicles, one on the front, one on the back, and a van in the middle.


    "You screwed up big time, huh," A man mocked Run Long while they were inside the van. Run Long didn''t look so good but he wasn''t out of hope yet. There was still his master and he was sure he would come to help him.


    Run Long didn''t reply to the man and kept his head down. The man scoffed and he was about to say something when a feminine voice entered his ears, admonishing him, "If you wanted to make small talk, at least ask him out first."


    The man swallowed the words on his tongue and said, "Sorry, captain."


    "Keep your eyes peeled, everyone. There could be a rescue attempt," The woman said. If Run Long was sent by a proper assassination organization, there was a chance they would try to rescue him.


    Run Long scoffed inwardly because he had wasted his breath telling them that he didn''t belong to a criminal organization. But no matter what, since they wouldn''t believe him, he decided to remain silent about it.


    But he also knew that no rescue attempt was coming. No one was coming to rescue him. He would have to wait for his master to contact the cultivator''s special forces through proper channels.


    As the envoy was silently going to its destination under the cover of the night, the brakes were suddenly hit by the car in the front. That forced the van to hit the brakes as well, catching the car behind off guard and it collided with the van from behind.


    All those in the back of the van were caught unprepared and fell forward.


    "What is it?" The woman hurriedly asked on the radio.


    "Captain, there is a man in front," the man replied.


    "Who is it?" the woman asked, thinking the rescue attempt was here.


    "It''s a biker¡­. Without a bike," The man replied.


    "What? Get him out of the way for now." The woman said while preparing to get out herself. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, you! Get out of the way," The man in the front car came out and yelled to the biker standing on the road.


    The cultivator slowly approached the biker, cautiously preparing to attack if anything went south when suddenly, he was grabbed by his neck. The biker had moved so fast that the man couldn''t even understand what was going on.


    The biker lifted the man in the air and threw him to the woods, but not before pressing a few acupoints that made the man pass out.


    "Attack!" the second man in the car hurriedly came out with his weapon raised and began to shoot the biker. The biker had the Qi armament activated so the Qi barrier stopped the bullets.


    He was alone because the people in the back were still trying to get out due to the car blocking the van''s back door.


    The biker instantly moved once again and grabbed the weapon of the man, effortlessly bending its muzzle before he struck the man in the face, making him pass out as well. The biker hurriedly moved to the back and stopped the car that was about to move away from the van''s back door.


    The biker kept the car in place from the back of the car. No matter how much the driver pressed the accelerator, it didn''t work.


    The other one came out and pointed his gun at the biker and began to shoot. The biker still didn''t budge but out of nowhere, a weapon appeared in his hands with which he shot the man''s arm.


    It didn''t work. Just like the biker, the man was also a cultivator. The biker then shot the gun in the man''s hands and then shot the driver.


    The driver also had the Qi armament activated so he wasn''t hurt. The second man lunged at the biker, giving him no choice but to let go of the car and deal with him.


    The car moved backward, opening the back of the van. Three people came out of it and two others joined from the front of the van. The driver in the car also came out making their number six.


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    As for the one engaged with the biker, well, he wasn''t as strong as he appeared to be so the biker was able to effortlessly dispatch him.


    However, the biker was careful that he didn''t kill any of the cultivators lest he create more problems for himself.


    "Fire!" The woman didn''t share the same thoughts as she authorized her men to shoot at the biker. In that continuous barrage of bullets, even the biker had to run a bit and take cover in the woods.


    "Flank him." The woman quietly said and the cultivators slowly spread out, making their way to the woods from different directions.


    Just then, an object fell at the feet of one of them, "Grenade!" The man yelled as an explosion overtook him. He wasn''t harmed but it managed to distract the rest and when they turned to look at the woods again, they saw a biker with what looked like a gun.


    A small silver gun with intricate patterns on it. It glowed even in the dark and gave the weapon a pristine look. The woman saw the weapon and a bad feeling overtook her, "Cover!" She gave an order without thinking.


    Alas, she was too late. Two of the cultivators were shot in their legs and strangely enough, their Qi barriers were penetrated and they were shot in the leg.


    "What the¡­" The woman couldn''t understand what was happening. There were weapons that could penetrate a Qi barrier but none of the weapons were so small and without a speck of Qi in them.


    The biker swiftly moved to the two injured guys so the other wouldn''t shoot him. He hurriedly knocked them out too. He then moved to the one behind the cover of a tree and dispatched him as well.


    Since he was too close to their companions, the other didn''t shoot him.


    "Attack him!" The woman threw her gun on the ground and sped up at the biker. The biker dodged her attack and similarly attacked another man and knocked him out in a swift move, leaving only the woman and another one.


    The woman once again turned, only to be met by a black golf ball that exploded in her face. It didn''t hurt her but it hindered her vision just long enough that she couldn''t see the fist that was planted in her stomach.


    But it was the biker''s turn to be surprised as the woman didn''t budge from that strike and struck the biker with a fist of her own.


    The biker managed to stop the hit with his open palm effortlessly. The biker didn''t budge and so didn''t the woman. They were both at a standstill, trying to exert pressure on each other to move the other one.


    The biker sensed something from behind and let go of the woman. The biker hurriedly opened his palm and discharged Qi from his hand propelling him to the side, barely avoiding the fist that was headed his way, striking the woman instead.


    The woman was caught off guard and instinctively hit the man who was about to hit her.


    "Ah¡­" The woman lightly said, recognizing her mistake as her subordinate was thrown away and struck the van, unconscious from the looks of it.


    As for the biker, he didn''t miss that chance and struck the woman but she managed to once again guard herself from the biker with her forearm.


    However, this time, there was something different in the hit. It struck her a bit more strongly than usual and her forearm cracked, badly hurting her.


    Before she could compose herself, the man once again struck her in the stomach and then her head, putting 5 points of Qi in each to increase the damage a lot. She was struck by a powerful force and she was knocked out.


    Just in time as well because¡­.


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has ended]


    The biker wouldn''t be able to use the skill once again for five minutes.


    [QP: 7\\300]


    The Qi taken to take out the woman was massive. She was the strongest of them all and her strength was on par with the biker, even her physical strength was great but the biker still managed to take her out.


    Although at a great cost.


    The biker stopped looking at her and looked in the direction of the woods where a black-haired man could be seen, fleeing the scene.


    The biker stepped forward and made his way to the woods where the man was fleeing, giving chase to him because that man was his real target after all.

 Chapter 147: The Conqueror

    Run Long ran through the forest while pressing many of his acupoints. His acupoints had been suppressed due to which, he couldn''t use his Qi. Since there was a chance he was the disciple of the miracle healer, destroying his core would lead to other problems that would become a lot of great headaches for the cultivator''s special forces.


    So they instead blocked his core so he wouldn''t be able to use his Qi. Run Long didn''t resist and let them do it because the last thing he wanted was to protest and get killed in the process. Even if his master avenged him afterward, wouldn''t he be dead already?


    However, when he saw the biker who was fighting the cultivators, he knew who it was. He had felt that Qi before. Wei Jun Ruan. As soon as he felt his Qi, he knew that he wasn''t there to break Run Long free but to kill him.


    Once done with the cultivators, he would be the next target, and with his Qi core blocked, he couldn''t even dream of defeating that guy. So the only option was to run away while unblocking his Qi core. The forest helped him hide for some time and gave him the time he needed to unblock his core.


    Just as he finished unblocking his Qi, he sensed the presence of Wei Jun very close to him. He turned and saw Wei Jun in the biker suit pointing a gun at Run Long. Run Long still had to replenish some of his Qi so he decided to stall for time.


    "You''re him, aren''t you?" He asked.


    The biker remained quiet for a few seconds before the gun in his hands disappeared before Run Long''s eyes and along with that, so did his helmet.


    "I really need to learn to mask my Qi traces," Wei Jun said.


    According to the system, he would either have to learn to do that, or there was a skill in the shop that he could purchase, Wei Jun decided to go with the second option because there was already too much on his plate.


    "What are you?" Run Long asked.


    "I''m just an innocent citizen who you attacked." Wei Jun replied.


    "Cut the bullsh*t," Run Long said and added, "You''re the one who attacked me first. You sabotaged my operation," Run Long said.


    "Did I? Do you have any proof of that? Or is that just a hunch?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I know it was you," Run Long said.


    "¡­That''s it? That''s all you got? You know? What else do you know? Do you know that your master was the one who killed your family? Do you know that your family wasn''t a family of cultivators but a family of evil cultivators?" Wei Jun asked a series of questions. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­What?" Run Long was puzzled by Wei Jun''s words.


    "I know you''re trying to stall for time to restore your Qi. To be honest, so am I. So no harm in having a little chat." Wei Jun said before he continued, "Your family wasn''t killed by an evil cultivator. Your family, your parents were part of an evil cultivator''s organization. Your master was the one who killed them."


    "You''re lying!" Run Long erupted.


    "Am I?" Wei Jun asked with a smirk before he added, "That''s the difference between knowing and having proof. You didn''t believe me without proof either, did you? So how can you just say that ''you know'' it was me?"


    Run Long remained silent. he was impulsive but not an idiot. He could tell that Wei Jun was trying to make him agitated, making him lose his edge for the fight to come. But Run Long wasn''t going to give in to Wei Jun''s provocation.


    "Why?" Run Long asked, taking deep breaths to calm himself.


    "Why what?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Why did you do this? Why did you do all this? You and I had no enmity. No reason to clash. Then why?" Run Long asked.


    Silence.


    Silence took over the entire space as Wei Jun looked at Run Long for quite a while before he said, "Even if I were to tell you, you wouldn''t understand."


    Run Long scoffed and was about to say something when Wei Jun continued, "So I will give you a reason that would make more sense. Something that also tells you what kind of person I am."


    Run Long remained quiet as Wei Jun once again paused for a while before he began, "You see, I didn''t know what I was doing at first. Why was I doing this in the first place? Was I afraid of dying? Is that why I was doing all of this?"


    Wei Jun paused and looked at Run Long deep in the eyes before he said, "Excuses. That was all they were. Excuses to admit the real reason. I mean, why was I enjoying it so much if I was being forced to do this?"


    "The system was forcing me. The circumstances were forcing me. I had to do it to remain alive." Wei Jun continued and then added, "It was all bullsh*t."


    "None of that was true. I haven''t been afraid of anything since the beginning. Not the system, not the circumstances, and certainly not death. But I still did this. Why?" Discover worlds on m-v le-mpyr


    "I asked myself that question a lot. And then the answer came to me that day in the Shannau city. When I wreaked havoc in that city, I felt something that I hadn''t felt in a very long time. Satisfaction."


    Wei Jun paused and smiled as if nostalgic as he said, "I still remember when my father put me in charge of my first company. It was hard, the others, thought of me as nothing but a child. They wanted to take advantage of my age. And when I killed them all and took what was mine, I felt that satisfaction. The satisfaction of conquering."


    "But slowly, one by one, that feeling waned. I desperately tried to look for it, to feel it again but I couldn''t. And I found out why." Wei Jun once again looked at Run Long who had nothing but confusion on his face, "It was because there was nothing left to conquer. It was boring."


    Wei Jun said with sadness on his face, but then, it was replaced by a feeling of ecstasy as he said, "But then I came here. An unknown world. An unknown power. All left for me to conquer. And it was amazing."


    Wei Jun looked at Run Long and said, "You asked why it was you? Well, in the words of a new friend I made, ''That was how it meant to be''."


    "Just like you were supposed to kill me, I was supposed to kill you as well," Wei Jun said.


    "What nonsense are you spouting? I didn''t even know you since a few weeks ago." Run Long said, not understating most of what Wei Jun had said but even he understood the last part.


    "Oh believe me. I thought it was nonsense as well but then you came to my house and attacked me without a proper reason. As if you were being guided by something to kill me. I also understood that day that there was a higher power that wanted me dead and you and the others like you were supposed to do that."


    Wei Jun paused while he activated the skill Qi armament and Qi empowerment.


    [Skill ''Qi armament'' has been activated]


    [Qi -55]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    [Qi -70]


    [QP 175\\300]


    "Just like I was destined to be a stepping stone for you, you are also a stepping stone for me. The only difference was that just this much was your stop. My stop is somewhere you cannot even fathom." Wei Jun finished and shot at Run Long.


    Run Long had felt the activation of Wei Jun''s skill and he was quick to activate his own. They both collided as dust shot away from them via the shockwave that was emitted due to their collision.


    The power difference was clear, Run Long was stronger. However, he wasn''t at his full strength and that was Wei Jun''s edge.


    Wei Jun spun and delivered an elbow strike that Run Long stopped with his hands only to feel extra push through the five-point QI discharge.


    Wei Jun spun once again and delivered a piercing kick to the same hand guard Run Long had erected. Run Long was pushed back slightly but not by much.


    Wei Jun followed that up by delivering an open palm strike that was also filled with five points of Qi. In an instant, Wei Jun had used fifteen points of Qi while Run Long had just used a little of it.


    As for Run Long, he saw the strike approaching and stopped his palm strike with his own open palm. Alas, Wei Jun''s strike was still more powerful than his.


    But it wasn''t like there was much damage to Run Long. On the contrary, Run Long managed to take hold of Wei Jun by grabbing his arm, and before Wei Jun could retract his palm, Run Long picked him up off the ground and threw his away with his full power.

 Chapter 148: The Conqueror (1) (Bonus: P.S)

    While still being flung through the air, Wei Jun opened his palm and discharged Qi to halt his body and while still in Run Long''s hand, he pointed his palm at Run Long and emitted another five points of Qi discharge.


    It didn''t hurt Run Long much but the damage was accumulating and even Run Long knew that. While still a little disoriented from the strike, Run Long tried to stabilize himself when he was struck once again by Wei Jun with a sidekick.


    Run Long was hit in his ribs with a five-point Qi discharge and it hurt him a bit because his Qi barrier was thinning out with each hit from Wei Jun.


    Run Long jumped backward before reinforcing his barrier with more of his Qi. He knew that Wei Jun''s Qi pool wasn''t large like his but he also knew that Wei Jun had a miraculous elixir that could restore his Qi so he needed to watch out for that as well.


    As for Wei Jun, his Qi armament was taking a lot of his QP but that wasn''t the worst of it. The difference in purity of Qi was so much that Wei Jun had to infuse five points of Qi in his every strike to deliver an effective strike on Run Long.


    He hated to admit it but Run Long was still better than him in every way when it came to cultivation. His Qi was more stable, larger in quantity, and much more stronger than his.


    Of course, Wei Jun wasn''t disheartened. There were still many tricks he had and he had gained a new weapon since their last exchange. He hadn''t experimented with it yet because he couldn''t afford to leave any traces of it behind, but here, no one was there to track him down.


    Li Wei would hold the cultivator''s special forces for at least half an hour and by then, all his Qi traces that he left on the road when he fourth the cultivators would dissipate.


    As for his own down here, it would take quite a while for cultivators to find that place so it would be very hard to trace his Qi back to him. But that didn''t mean he had all the time in the world. Twenty minutes, that was all the time he had.


    After twenty minutes, whether he managed to kill Run Long or not, he would have to flee because he couldn''t risk getting caught by the cultivator''s special forces. Even Sun Ruan was wary of them given he stopped pursuing Run Long when they got involved. Wei Jun couldn''t even dream of messing with an organization even Sun Ruan wouldn''t.


    So Wei Jun decided to go with the underhanded approach to take another edge on Run Long. Wei Jun shot forward with all his power and without caring for his Qi consumption, he began to land multiple hits on Run Long.


    Run Long could only defend himself under such an attack and before long, his Qi barrier had thinned out a lot once again.


    It was then that Wei Jun opened both of his palms and delivered a palm strike with both of his hands opened and struck Run Long with a second interval difference because he could only emit five points of Qi per hit.


    But it was quite a close call and Run Long was struck by both strikes, pushing the air out of him as he protected himself to the best. Alas, his Qi barrier couldn''t hold under such a strong barrage and before he could even collide with the tree on his back, his Qi barrier dissipated and Run Long was rammed into the tree.


    But that wasn''t all of Wei Jun''s attack. He hurriedly pulled out the silver gun to aim at Run Long only to put it back because Run Long had been prepared for that. He had erected defense once again and stronger than the last time as well.


    Wei Jun could see a slight yellowish layer of Qi on Run Long, that was how reinforced and strong it was.


    [QP 0\\300]


    And Wei Jun had also run out of Qi. Wei Jun still had a minute left on Qi empowerment and Qi armament had also just renewed for a minute, emptying his Qi so he would be okay for a minute but not after that.


    [You have consumed a Qi replenishing pill]


    [QP has been fully restored] S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You cannot consume another pill for an hour]


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    Wei Jun''s Qi was fully restored and Run Long felt that and that was why, even after seeing that Wei Jun was taking a break, Run Long didn''t attack him because he knew he had that card still hidden.


    But he also knew that Wei Jun couldn''t take it in quick progression otherwise, he would have done that constantly in their last battle. No elixir came with no restrictions. This one had some as well and that was the moment Run Long was aiming for.


    Wei Jun could practically tell what was going through Run Long''s mind and he moved in to attack once again since he only had a minute left on the Qi empowerment skill.


    Their exchange continued for a while until Wei Jun ran out of the Qi empowerment skill. It was now his turn to be on the defensive and some defense it was. Each hit from Run Long felt like a heavy rock was thrown at him at full speed. Wei Jun had to constantly reinforce certain areas to avoid serious injuries.


    It wasn''t difficult with his control but he could only move five points of Qi with the help of the system. The one he moved on his own wasn''t fast enough. So he stopped attempting on his own and just used the system like it was meant to be used.


    However, it did nothing for his Qi so Wei Jun began to go deeper into the forest, his Qi armament skill was also a constant Qi consumption so he had to manage not getting hit. It was quite a game, Run Long would chase while Wei Jun would use his surroundings to use Run Long''s destructive power and speed against him.


    It was evident that Run Long hadn''t gotten used to his new power and speed and had trouble steering his body. He couldn''t properly control himself when he would jump at Wei Jun so all his attacks were mostly linear.


    However, they were destructive. Simply too destructive. So much so that Wei Jun wouldn''t even think of taking a chance. With his experience, he could have easily used his speed to his advantage but there was nothing he could do about his power.


    Wei Jun couldn''t risk even one hit otherwise he would be severely injured to the point that this fight would be in Run Long''s bag. Even if he had the health replenishing pill, it still wasn''t enough to take a chance.


    Finally, the moment that Run Long waited for came. Wei Jun''s Qi ran out again due to his armament skill and also because of the defense against strikes.


    Wei Jun would soon also run out of skills he had activated and they would end once they wouldn''t receive any supply. His Qi empowerment was already on cooldown but it was almost over. However, that was the least of his concerns because soon, his Qi armament would also run out.


    Just then, when Wei Jun thought he would be able to stall for some time, Run Long suddenly sped up. Since the beginning of this fight, Run Long hadn''t displayed his full speed. It was still faster than his speed at the Qi gathering realm, but it wasn''t his full speed and that was how he had managed to trick Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun was caught unprepared because he had been under the assumption that Run Long was already using his full speed. Now he knew that he thought wrong.


    Wei Jun was flung across the forest like a baseball after being hit by a baseball bat. His Qi armament ended on the spot while he crashed on the ground, rolling and crashing constantly until he crashed into a tree and came to a full halt.


    [HP -31]


    A whooping 31 health damage. He was lucky the remnants of Qi armament had caught most of it or he would have been dead.


    "Fu*k! Again," Wei Jun cursed as he consumed the health pill. His health began to restore and before Run Long could land an attack again, Wei Ju moved out of the way and waited.


    Run Long had gotten Wei Jun with this trick even in their last exchange so he didn''t think he would fall for it again but Wei Jun was wrong. What he thought was Run Long''s full speed from the start was not actually his full speed.


    Run Long was smart enough to trick him like that. Wei Jun chuckled as he thought about how he was tricked so easily. He shook his head as Run Long slowly approached Wei Jun.


    "Well, now what?" He asked. Wei Jun stared at him and replied, "Now we decide this battle. Like I said before, only one of us can live. That would be me."


    "I don''t see that happening." Run Long said.


    "Oh believe me. You''re not the only one holding back," Wei Jun said as he glanced at the system panel where the newest entry of the system was.


    [Death Qi: 100\\100]

 Chapter 149: End of Run Long

    [Death Qi: 100\\100]


    [All skills used by death Qi are twice as strong]


    [The cooldown of each skill would be twice the normal]


    Wei Jun looked at the new information in his vision. The death Qi enhanced the power of his skills to the next level however, it came with a drawback. The cooldown of the skills. For now, he only had one important skill that needed cooldown time.


    Qi empowerment.


    The usual cooldown of the skill was five minutes but if he were to activate the skill with the death Qi, his stat increase would be 50 instead of the usual 25. However, where the cooldown increased from five minutes to ten minutes, the duration of the skill didn''t. it would still be activated for five minutes.


    Wei Jun turned his gaze to his opponent who was slowly approaching. Wei Jun could tell that Run Long still hadn''t used all of his power. That was why he was still calm even after that display of speed.


    He had something else up his sleeves. Wei Jun could rule out poison because the cultivator''s special forces must have taken his belongings. All Run Long right now was his own power.


    But it was enough to defeat Wei Jun ad so he didn''t need anything extra.


    Wei Jun smiled. That arrogance would be Run Long''s downfall. Although Wei Jun never had a confrontation like this before, he was still adept at fighting. Run Long, who was still getting used to his new power, wasn''t a match for Wei Jun.


    ''I will win,'' Wei Jun thought inwardly.


    [Cooldown for the skill ''Qi empowerment'' has ended]


    As if following his determination, the system informed him of the skill cooldown time.


    [Death Qi has been used]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been used]


    [Death Qi: 25\\100]


    Wei Jun didn''t have enough for the Qi armament so he would have to just go with that for now. Still, the power he felt welling from his inside was enough to make him feel something else. He hadn''t felt like this ever before. No. He was wrong. He had felt that before.


    Just so long ago that his memory took a little while to jog.


    When he took his first life and by doing so, took what was rightfully his. When he conquered. That was when he felt that. The rush of destruction and annihilation. The rush to conquer.


    Run Long felt the darkness of the sinister Qi welling from Wei Jun and stepped back. It was the same pressure he had felt before. It was this feeling that had allowed him to break through to the next stage. Something that was years away, was achieved by that feeling of unbridled anger. That was what he felt right now, anger. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You!" He didn''t think of anything else and launched at Wei Jun at his full speed only to come to a complete halt as Wei Jun''s palm caught his fist, completely ending the momentum behind his fist.


    Wei Jun raised his face, a smile on his face that was as sinister as it was handsome. A smile that made Run Long terrified.


    Wei Jun delivered a palm strike with five points of Qi and struck Run Long straight in the abdomen.


    Run Long felt as if air had been knocked out of him as his internals shook and the next moment, his Qi barrier also disappeared.


    Run Long was thrown back by quite a bit before he clutched his stomach in pain. It wasn''t that the strike Wei Jun delivered was very powerful. He could have still endured it. he could have if it was any other type of Qi.


    He felt as if his own Qi was running wild, becoming unstable with each passing moment. And due to that, his skills weren''t activating fully, dropping their efficiency significantly.


    He didn''t have much time as he raised his hands in a cross to block a strike heading straight at him. This time, there wasn''t damage like before, but it was still something that shook Run Long.


    Wei Jun hadn''t put in any Qi in this attack because he could afford to do so. Wei Jun could no longer consume a Qi restoration pill and the one that he could was too precious for this situation. It wasn''t a life-and-death situation. Wei Jun was confident that if he couldn''t defeat Run Long, he would at least be able to run away.


    But, he wasn''t there to run away. He was there to kill Run Long for once and for all.


    Wei Jun delivered an uppercut and then a spinning kick, both in quick succession, not giving Run Long any chance to counterattack. Run Long has reused his Qi armament and now he was running low on Qi as well.


    Whereas Wei Jun still had five minutes, he had no defense against Qi. If Wei Jun was struck by an attack from Qi, he wouldn''t be able to tolerate the damage even with his high defense because defense only increased his outer resilience. It did nothing for his inside.


    For that, he needed Qi and the only skill that provided him with an overall defense was Qi armament.


    And that chance came soon enough. Run Long managed to find an opening in Wei Jun''s movements and delivered his own punch full of Qi. However, Wei Jun was able to block it with his fist but, his fist burned in the process as Run Long'' Qi seeped into his hand and damaged it from the inside.


    Wei Jun ignored the pain and delivered a five-point Qi attack to his abdomen once again.


    Run Long had his bonkers knocked out with that strike but instead of backing down, he gathered all of his remaining Qi in his other hand and brought it down on Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun also only had fifteen points of death Qi left so he didn''t hold back and delivered a five-point Qi attack of his own.


    Both of their attacks met in the middle and a shockwave, a stronger shockwave than any before in their exchange emitted from that single point that blew both of them and everything in the area away.


    The dust cloud encased the area, blocking everything from view. Slowly it was settled down and both of the individuals came into view.


    Wei Jun was standing, breathing hard as his shoulder and half of his right chest had been burned. And there was no arm. His right arm was gone.


    [HP -41]


    [Warning]


    [Critical damage]


    [Effect ''Excessive bleed'' has taken place]


    [Emergency measures have been taken]


    [Effect ''Excessive bleed'' has been lifted] Powered by m_vl_em_p_yr


    [Death Qi has been fully used to heal the user]


    [Death Qi: 0\\100]


    Wei Jun was still panting heavily. Although the system had used his remaining Qi to stop his excessive bleeding, the Qi wasn''t enough for full emergency service. Wei Jun was injured a lot. His insides felt like they were burning and with no Qi there to protect him, he was in a very bad state.


    Luckily for him, he just didn''t have one elixir in his inventory and shop.


    [Phoenix tear has been used]


    Wei Jun began to feel better and before long, his organs began to heal themselves and it wasn''t long before they were fully healed. Half of his arm had also regenerated but the Phoenix tear wasn''t enough for his arm to fully regenerate.


    However, his other hand was now fully healed. He equipped the special gun he had Zi Huan made and made his way to the unfortunate man who didn''t have the luxury of the system with him.


    Run Long wasn''t as badly damaged as Wei Jun. His limbs were intact and no big damage could be seen. However, the left side of his chest and arm were fully black. As if they were being eaten by something dark and it was slowly spreading.


    "You¡­. cough! Cough!" Run Long began but he couldn''t. he was too far gone to even mutter proper words but with his last breath, he managed to say his final words, "Mas¡­ter will¡­ fi¡­nd¡­ yo.."


    Wei Jun raised his gun and pulled the trigger before Run Long could even finish his last words. Wei Jun stepped forward and pried his hand inside Run Long''s head, digging the bullet out of his skull with his bare hand and letting his body fall. He had done the same to the two cultivators he had shot.


    He didn''t want to leave the trace of the bullet behind. The metal with which the bullet was made didn''t exist in this world. But the idea could be copied on some other stronger metals.


    He didn''t want that. He wanted to keep an edge with himself.


    Wei Jun turned around and left the place while a flurry of notifications swarmed his view. He was too tired to check them and his first priority was to get out of there.


    [You have consumed a stamina pill]


    [Stamina has been fully restored]


    Wei Jun felt refreshed and after making sure there was no trace of his left behind, he began to run and left the area.


    Once he was gone, he couldn''t see what happened after he left. The body of Run Long began to float in the air before a wormhole, a wormhole that was blue on the edges but dark on the inside, began to form and expand in front of Run Long''s body.


    Soon after, a hand appeared from the other side of the wormhole and grabbed Run Long''s body, dragging it inside.


    The wormhole then disappeared, leaving the area as it was. Destroyed.

 Chapter 150: Update

    [The main quest has been completed]


    [You have not absorbed the dragon tear]


    [You have not taken away the cultivation technique ''Yin Yang harmony'']


    [The connection between Run Long and Quan Li hasn''t been fully severed]


    [Main quest I has been completed with 87% efficiency]


    [Efficiency reward would be given upon system update]


    [Rewards for the quest have arrived]


    [All stats +10]


    [You have received a permanent discount on all items in the system shop]


    [All items are now available with a 3% discount]


    [System update will begin in six hours]


    [System shop update will follow the system update]


    Wei Jun read through the notifications in great detail. He was a little upset that he wouldn''t be able to increase his level by taking the rest of the treasures and severing Run Long''s connection with Quan Li.


    [Those chances ended with Run Long]


    That was the simple explanation offered by the system. However, there was nothing he could have done. He had milked Run Long as much as he could. He couldn''t fully sever his connection with Quan Li because of their childhood even though Run Long had tried to kill her.


    As for the treasures, he couldn''t absorb the dragon tear because he couldn''t risk being discovered by the world laws yet and the other one hadn''t even arrived in Yuan Yin City yet and Wei Jun wasn''t willing to waste this chance for a small time technique.


    Wei Jun entered the penthouse building in which he also had given flats to Quan Kui, Xiao Heiling, Quan Li, and Zhan Yi. Only theirs were flats while his was the penthouse. He went straight to the shower room to take a shower.


    Finished with everything, Wei Jun slumped on his bed after a warm bath. Although he hadn''t taken a bath after his Qi awakened, he couldn''t help but want one for an entirely different reason than loosening his muscles.


    A little tired, not physically but mentally, he closed his eyes and fell into slumber.


    After about six hours, he was woken up by the sound of the system notifications.


    [The system upgrade will now begin]


    [Time taken for the first quest to be completed: 3 months 26 days]


    [Additional reward would be added]


    [Efficiency at 87%]


    [Extra reward will be added]


    [The change of the world would be in favor of the host by 61%]


    ''Change?'' Wei Jun thought inwardly and just at that moment, everything began to shake. The intensity of the quake was so much that Wei Jun couldn''t hold on with his stats. However, when he tried to use his Qi, he couldn''t.


    The weird thing was, that in that shaking world, everything else remained still. The lamp on the table wasn''t falling but Wei Jun was shaking like hell and even fell off the bed.


    H managed to take hold of the bed but still kept shaking. The bed didn''t shake with him though.


    Through efforts he couldn''t imagine, he managed to stand up, jumped at the window, and held the wall with all his power. Exclusive content from m,v lem|p,yr


    He wanted to see outside. And he was able to do that successfully. But what he saw left him bewildered.


    The sky split, like a crack in a concrete floor, extending from one end of the sky to the other. Out of it, lightning fell of different colors. Yellow, blue, dark red, black and white. The lightning never harmed the world but wherever it fell, it created a smoke that rose from the ground and mixed in with the surroundings.


    The earthquake became intense with each passing moment and so did the lightning falling on the ground. The smoke became so dense that it spread everywhere until it also covered Wei Jun.


    That was when he felt it. It was Qi. Out of all the types of Qi, the only one that came to enter his body was the death Qi. He began to choke; his innards began to constrict until it got to a point where he couldn''t even breathe.


    But he was alive. He was alive and fully conscious, feeling the pain without a moment''s rest. It only increased with each passing moment and it only became unbearable with each passing moment. But he couldn''t do anything.


    All he could do was one thing and one thing only; endure.


    The process lasted for about twelve hours. Or that was how it felt for Wei Jun. For him, twelve hours really did pass for him. However, the rest of the world was frozen. It was frozen but not just that. Something was changing.


    Not just to them, it was happening in the entire world. However, only one individual was unaffected.


    He was affected, but not by the changes of the world. He was breathing in the dark and black smoke, hurting him so much that he felt like his innards were falling apart.


    And finally, it ended. And he lost consciousness.


    ********** S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Nothing to report. No trace was picked up. It was too late." A cultivator in a black suit reported the man who was also present when his master was being treated by Run Long.


    "Not a thing?" Ywi Lang asked.


    "Not one thing. There were traces of battle, a battle between adequately powerful cultivators. I would have to say they were at the Qi master realm." The cultivator reported. The fight was something he hadn''t ever seen and traces left behind were something no one would have been able to easily make.


    Surely it would have been an epic battle if the scale of destruction was that much.


    "Is there anything else?" Ywi Lang asked the woman cultivator who was escorting the envoy.


    "Nothing. He was just a Qi gathering realm cultivator." The woman contradicted the observations of the cultivator who deduced that it might have been a battle of high rank cultivators.


    "I don''t think so, captain. It could have been that he was just hiding his strength. There are some high-level cultivators who can do that. I mean, master himself can do that." The man stuck with his theory.


    "Yeah. But none at the Qi master realm. It would have to be an at least Qi grandmaster and there''s none in a small city like the Yuan Yin city." The woman once again contradicted the man.


    "That''s also true." Ywi Lang agreed with her before he said, "Examine the area once again. There must have been something. Also, use the master''s name. Contact the miracle healer. Tell him what his disciple did. And tell him, if he is hiding him, the consequences wouldn''t be just anything."


    The man and the woman looked at each other before the woman asked, "Wouldn''t that be a bit too disrespectful to a man of his status?"


    "So what if it would be? He isn''t above the law and certainly not above us." Ywi Lang replied.


    "But what if he gets his sect involved?" The man asked.


    "Then we involve the military. They''re not the only ones with power on their side." Ywi Lang replied.


    If the sects were like a union, the government was what it was, the government. All the law enforcement came under it. if the unions were to make a mess that got out of control, the law enforcers would rain sticks on them, making sure they stayed in control.


    After all, the unions weren''t above the government. Nothing was above the empire in the entire empire. And the one to rule above all else was the emperor.


    Naturally, sects also came under him, not equal to him. If the sects thought they had no one to answer to, they thought wrong.


    They had to answer the empire, and the empire''s only weapon was its stick, two actually. The thin stick, the cultivator special forces, and the thick stick, the military.


    The thin stick was bearable and some sects could act arrogant in front of it. But then the thin stick would bring in the big guns, the military. No power on earth could deal with the empire''s military. Mainly because they had the most Qi grandmasters and a number of Qi commanders.


    However, that wasn''t all. The rumor that kept all of them in line was the existence of a Qi Saint.


    The chief of the military was rumored to be a Qi saint, one level higher cultivator than even the emperor, who was in the initial realm of the Qi commander realm.


    Ywi Lang knew they had the advantage and the upper hand. No one could defy them, certainly not a master-level cultivator like the miracle healer whose main forte wasn''t even fighting but medical.


    *************


    In a room, a man aged between 23-24 lay unconscious on the bed. His attendant had found him like that. The doctor was called, but it only turned out to be due to exhaustion. He was just directed to have a lot of rest.


    Wei Jun slowly opened his eyes but clamped them shut after the light from the window stung his eyes.


    Just as he was getting used to everything, the door to the room opened and a woman with black hair and dark brown eyes entered carrying a tray. The most exquisite feature of the woman was that she was wearing a French maid uniform.


    Wei Jun saw her, his drowsiness gone and he remained in his spot. His instincts to attack her and seize her didn''t kick in and he was more confused than alert.


    "Oh! Young master, you''re awake. I was so worried." The woman said as she came closer to Wei Jun and put the tray on the nightstand.


    Wei Jun looked at her incredulously and asked a simple question, "Who the hell are you?"

 Chapter 151: A new start

    Before I begin the second volume, there are a few things I would like to clear up.


    Thanks a million for sticking up with me until now and I hope you continue to do so. My novel couldn''t have come this far without you and it won''t go far without you as well. Romance is not my forte and many of you have not liked that. What I wrote about romance was disliked by many and I personally think so as well.


    However, I have decided on a twist so there might be a little drama in there with Xia Lu. And finally, there has been the issue of Harem and no Harem. Personally, I don''t think I can choose. Half the readers so far commented on Harem and half of them commented on No Harem. So, I have come to a decision. It will be a slight harem, just three girls.


    Who? One''s Xia Lu, the others may or may not come when we progress with the novel. However, I assure you I won''t make another mistake like I did the first time.


    And lastly, I''m an amateur writer. New in this industry. I have made many mistakes while writing and I hope you can look past them and give me the chance to improve. However, as a reader, if you want to stop reading, I totally understand too.


    Today''s chapter will be almost 2000 words because I have to compensate for the word count for all of this.


    Once again, thank you very much for sticking with me this far and I hope you guys give me a chance to make this work.


    That''s it. Enjoy!


    **************************************


    "You''re up, young master," The beautiful maid giddily came to Wei Jun and began to check his condition. She touched his forehead, and his wrist and then pulled out a thermometer and shoved it in Wei Jun''s mouth. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What did Wei Jun do all that time?


    Nothing. He was just too confused to know who this woman was because he had never seen her before. However, with how naturally she was acting and the tempo she had, even Wei Jun was swept in even though most of that was because he was just confused.


    "You''re very healthy, young master," The woman said with the most sweetest of smiles.


    ''I know,'' Wei Jun thought inwardly because the system HP was full so he was in a prim and proper condition. However, none of that explained the situation he was in.


    He looked around and found everything almost the same. The bed sheets that were there last night had changed. The weather was a little chilly and that wasn''t attributed to the air conditioner.


    "Wasn''t winter a month away?" Wei Jun instinctively asked out loud.


    "what are you saying, young master?" The maid looked at him with a confused gaze and asked.


    "Nothing," Wei Jun replied. "Oh, well, in that case, I think you should hurry up and get ready if you''re feeling all right." The maid informed Wei Jun.


    "For what?" Wei Jun asked. "For the first launch of your movie." The maid replied.


    "What? that''s three weeks away." Wei Jun said.


    "Eh? Are you sure you''re all right, master?" The maid asked worriedly.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Wei Jun asked.


    "The premiere was only postponed for one week due to the unfortunate deaths of some staff members. But the premiere is today. And if you don''t hurry, you will be late to your own movie," The maid informed him.


    Wei Jun didn''t ask for anything else and hurriedly took out his phone. His hunch was right. The date was fast-forwarded. He had killed Run Long on the 3rd of October. It should have been the 4th of October but it wasn''t. It was the 4th of November.


    "What the¡­"


    *********


    [System update has been completed]


    [The world of ''Emperor of Mercenaries'' has begun]


    [You have leveled up by 2]


    [The efficiency of the main quest I was at 87%]


    [Death Qi has increased by 87]


    [Shop level has been updated]


    [A new variety of elixirs is now available]


    [Perk of the new shop]


    [All items at 2% discount]


    [Main Quest II has been generated]


    [Main Quest II]


    [Shao Chen]


    [Description: After the success with the previous quest, you have been greatly awarded. But now is the time to put that reward to good use.


    The first protagonist you defeated was the weakest of the weakest. A child''s play.


    Now the real game begins.


    Objective: Kill Shao Chen


    Reward(s)


    #1: All stats +15


    #2: System update


    #3: Inventory update


    #4: An item of your own choosing from the shop


    Punishment: The world will kill you in 730 days]


    [The levels required to read the first volume of the current scenario are 10]


    [Would you like to use levels 21 to 30 for the reading of the first volume of the existing novel]


    [Yes\\No]


    ''The fu*k is this sh*t." Wei Jun said, very much annoyed, while he soaked himself in a warm bath. He already had a headache as to how one month had passed but not only that, there were some things that were completely different now.


    The biggest of those was an unknown woman whom he had never seen before but she was his maid and apparently for a long time.


    ''Oi, explain.'' Wei Jun ''asked'' the system.


    [It is as it is host]


    ''Fu*k! Do you think I don''t know that?'' Wei Jun said annoyingly before he asked, ''What the hell is all this?''


    [Time rift]


    [The world has changed]


    [The entire scenario has changed]


    [The previous world would exist] Dive deeper into the story on m-vle-mpyr


    [Your actions would exist]


    [However, the beginning of the novel has begun from this point]


    [For you anyway]


    ''So the protagonist of this new world hasn''t begun his journey yet?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [No he has]


    [He just hasn''t gotten to the point where he would amass influence]


    [And you should be feeling lucky this time]


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Because this one doesn''t dual cultivate]


    [His destiny is dependent on his influence]


    [the weaker his influence, the stronger you become]


    ''So I don''t have to meddle in his affairs?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [It would be better if you did as they all fall under the category of destiny]


    [But it wouldn''t be necessary just like the connection of Run Long and all those who didn''t increase his power didn''t matter much]


    [But weakening that connection still had its merits]


    [This one does too]


    [But you will have an easier time leveling up if you were to just decrease his influence]


    [Isn''t that an amazing thing?]


    ''Oi.'' Wei Jun called.


    [Yes host]


    ''Are you trying to calm me down?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [¡­]


    [Pardon]


    ''What is it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [What is what?]


    ''What is it that you''re hiding?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [¡­]


    [Host]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You will find out]


    ''You fu*k.'' The system wasn''t telling him which meant whatever it was, Wei Jun wasn''t going to like it. not one bit. But still, what could Wei Jun. He just sighed and stood up.


    He came out of the bathroom, dried himself, and then dressed himself through the inventory. It turned out he didn''t need to have clothes made. There were suits in the shop as well. And some came with some sort of enhancements so it would also be better for him.


    [Gilliard''s armor]


    [Defense stat +10]


    [Charm +2]


    [Self-clean and self-mending available]


    [Cost: 10000 gold]


    Although the one he currently bought was expensive, there were many cheap ones as well. But he bought this one because of the three functions it provided. It increased his defense by ten regardless of the limit. It also had a self-cleaning system so it would be dirty and according to the description, no matter how torn it became, as long as provided it with Qi, it would fix itself.


    Wei Jun looked at him in the mirror and once everything was set. He left his room. He found food on the dining table as he entered it. it was enough to feed ten people. Wei Jun smiled seeing the food. Although for him, only one night had passed, he was still so much hungry like he hadn''t eaten for days.


    He began to chow down the food when the maid came into the room to see Wei Jun eating.


    "Ah... Master. Are you ready? Would you like me to do anything?" She asked.


    "No. nothing." Wei Jun said while he took a brief break while eating.


    "Oh. You wouldn''t like me to relieve you today?" The maid asked.


    "Cough! Cough! Cough!" Wei Jun lost it and coughed uncontrollably. He hurriedly regulated his Qi and unblocked the food in his throat.


    "Are you all right, master?" The maid worriedly came to him and began to pat his back. She also offered him a glass of water which he took even though he was all right now. He gulped down the water in a second and breathed heavily.


    "What¡­?" Wei Jun asked in a low voice. "Pardon? Master, I couldn''t quite hear you." The maid said.


    "What do you mean by relief?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Oh, you mean a massage. Of course, I can give you," The maid replied and began to massage Wei Jun''s shoulders. Wei Jun felt relieved both from the massage and the clarification of the situation.


    He sighed but that wasn''t long before the maid began to head down to his chest. From his chest to his abdomen but she kept on going before Wei Jun caught her hands and asked, "What are you doing?"


    "Eh? Don''t you always have me relive you down there too?" She asked confused.


    ''What the hell is this crazy chick on about?'' Wei Jun asked inwardly before he hurriedly let her go and said, "You don''t have to do that anymore."


    If earlier was a misunderstanding, this one was clear as the sky. Wei Jun couldn''t believe he had done something like that even though he hadn''t done anything like that.


    "Eh?" The maid let out a cute confused sound before she asked, "But don''t you always complain about your thighs straining after a workout? You didn''t have me relive them last night so I thought you would want it now."


    ''You''re laughing, aren''t you?'' Once again, Wei Jun misunderstood but how was he not supposed given where her hands were going?


    The system snickered slightly and even Wei Jun could hear it.


    [It''s funny, host]


    [You''re flustered]


    ''Fu*k off!'' Wei Jun exclaimed inwardly before he turned to the maid and said, "You don''t have to do that anymore either. My thighs aren''t strained today."


    "As you wish, master." She replied and stepped back. Wei Jun got back to eating and once he was finished, he looked at the time. It was seven in the evening and according to the maid, the event was supposed to start at eight and he was supposed to be there by seven-thirty.


    His entrance would also be arranged there so he left the penthouse, entered the lift, and came straight down to the garage.


    His sedan was parked like he had left it the night before, or a month ago. He got in and made his way straight to the venue.


    As he arrived, everyone greeted him with a smile. Well, everyone except for three individuals. And there were too more who were awkwardly looking at him. Like if they were associated with him, they would gain the title of bad kids.


    Xiao Heiling and Zhan Yi looked at Wei Jun with awkward smiles but maintained a distance. Whereas Quan Li and Quan Kui were looking at Wei Jun like they were disappointed about something Wei Jun had done.


    And as for the last person, she was looking at him coldly but didn''t say a word. She ignored him publicly, in front of all the cameras, and went inside the theatre.


    ''What now¡­?'' That was all Wei Jun could ask because nothing made any sense to him.

 Chapter 152: Change

    "Oi." Wei Ju called Xiao Heiling who was about to bolt inside. "You take one more step, you will be losing a leg. If not both."


    "Yes, boss." Xiao Heiling timidly approached Wei Jun and asked, "What can I do for you?"


    "Why is she mad at me?" Wei Jun asked. "You all seem to know so what is it?"


    While Wei Jun asked, Xiao Heiling looked at him with a strange gaze. "Have you been drinking, boss?"


    "Have you been using both your legs?" Wei Jun asked back.


    "Sorry." Xiao Heiling replied but he still couldn''t help but ask, "But do you really not know what you did?"


    "What did I do?" Wei Jun asked because he was getting tired of this now.


    However, before Xiao Heiling could reply, Wei Jun heard another voice from behind, a voice he was very well familiar with. But it wasn''t the voice that answered all of his questions. It was a sentence, or more like one word in that sentence, "Are you going to stand here all day, husband?"


    Wei Jun saw Liu Yu standing there with a smile and a dress so beautiful that combined, she looked the most beautiful woman there. However, Wei Jun felt anything but love in his heart, all he heard at the moment was a single word that resonated in his head for a long time, "Husband."


    ************


    "Explain." Wei Jun said. Wei Jun had left the venue where his film was being shown for the first time, got in his car, and left for the hillside area. He calmly drove to a hill that overviewed the entire Yuan Yin city and calmly asked the system.


    [That]


    [Host]


    [I''d rather not answer] S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Come on." Wei Jun said with a smile, "I won''t be mad."


    [You will be]


    "Haaa¡­" Wei Jun sighed and said, "How mysterious is life? One moment you''re in your office, working on many things, and the next moment you''re in another world. Truly mysterious."


    [Host please calm down]


    "And then you find out you''re in the body of a person who is useless and nothing but a pawn. But then you take hold of that life. Crush everything in the path and try to leave many problems behind. Made that life a little suitable." Wei Jun continued.


    [Try to look on the brighter side]


    "But then, everything changes. Somehow, the things that I built through grueling effort came crumbling down, and the whole world is once again different. And what excuse do I get?" Wei Jun further said and then asked.


    [You can still---]


    "THAT THE FU*KING FU*K OF THE WORLD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS!!!!! WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO WITH MYSTERIOUS WAYS WHEN EVERYTHING GOES TO SH*T EVERYTHING I DO SOMETHING!!!!!" Wei Jun suddenly went from all smiles to all yells.


    It was a good thing the hill was empty at that time of the night, otherwise, had he been in his home or the city, people from a few blocks would have heard that because he used his Qi in his vocal chords instinctively, spiking his voice in volume by a lot.


    "AND THEN YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!! CALM DOWN?!!! WHAT THE HELL IS SO CALMING ABOUT ALL OF THIS???!!!" Wei Jun continued to yell and that wasn''t just that, he continued to do that for a good hour before he finally stopped, cursing everything around him, especially the world that worked in mysterious ways.


    [Don''t lose hope host]


    Unfortunately, the system, who thought he was trying to placate Wei Jun, only rekindled the flame of his rage as Wei Jun once again began to yell.


    "BR***************"


    "LU******************"


    "DIN**************"


    *********************************


    Wei Jun was in his car, going to a place calmly.


    [Host please calm down]


    "Shut up~" Wei Jun said with an uncharacteristic smile.


    [Host you go there right now; you will die]


    "Better now than later~~~~" Wei Jun once again said in a melodious tone.


    [Please calm down host]


    [You can still salvage the situation]


    "Or I can just kill everyone and get this over with." Wei Jun said once again.


    [Host, you know what you''re about to do would kill you]


    [How about looking at this from another point of view?]


    "What view?" Wei Jun asked.


    [¡­]


    [I have none]


    "You fu*k." Wei Jun replied.


    "Fine. Don''t worry. I''m crazy but not suicidal and stupid. I''m just going to the warehouse to cultivate." Wei Jun said, finally heeding the advice of the system, storing back all the plethora of explosives he had in the back of his car.


    [¡­.]


    [About that¡­ host]


    [Do you remember when I said that as long as you possessed death Qi, the other Qis wouldn''t come near you]


    "I do." Wei Jun replied calmly.


    [Then you''re not angry?]


    "I am." Wei Jun replied. He was angry, but there was nothing he could do about it. For some reason, the death Qi he had was inherent, making it impossible for him to lose it. And as it turned out, the death Qi didn''t increase with the increase in his Qi stat, only the yang Qi increased.


    So he could still only increase his Yang Qi, however, the Qi of the world, in the atmosphere was hesitant to come to him. He could force it but that would result in an erratic behavior of the Qi which would in turn end up with a risk of damaging his internals.


    A safer and better alternative was the use of various elixirs that increased Yang Qi. There were a lot of them in the shop and then there were many of them in the world.


    However, they had one thing in common between them. Money. Whether it was from the system or the outside world, he required money to purchase them. As of now, his personal funds were only about 100 million while the dubious funds were also around the same range.


    He would still earn a lot from the shop but that was the extent of it. After all, no matter how much he was to earn, if to just raised one point of Qi, at his current rank, he would require at least ten million yuan. And as his Qi would increase, so would his elixir consumption.


    "The basic law of this world¡­" Wei Jun said as he entered the warehouse in the downtown. He had left Li Wei a text with instructions on what to do. He didn''t know if anything had changed with her or not but he wasn''t in a hurry to find out.


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 36


    HP: 46\\46


    QP: 350\\350


    Death Qi: 187\\187


    Cultivation realm: Qi gathering realm] Continue exploring at m-vl-em|p-yr


    [Strength: 82-> 80]


    [Agility: 102-> 80]


    [Stamina: 102-> 80]


    [Defense: 77]


    [Qi: 70]


    [Charm: 51]


    [Luck: 29]


    As of now, Wei Jun could only focus on his Qi. He had about two hundred million Yuan in his inventory and he figured it would be enough to max his Qi to eighty.


    [Crimson flame herb]


    [Tier: A+]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Effect: Increases the Yang Qi of the consumer]


    [Minimum point: 1]


    [Maximum points: 3]


    [Cost: 100000 coins]


    Wei Jun wanted to take an expensive one but according to the system, his body wasn''t strong enough for such a strong yang energy yet. He needed to start slow. Even this was not common for Wei Jun''s level but Wei Jun still went with this one.


    Not only that, according to the system, the system would also help regulate Qi in his system so he was looking at the maximum efficiency of the herb if he was just to focus.


    A root-like herb appeared in Wei Jun''s palm. It was glowing as it let out strong waves of yang energy that even Wei Jun could feel his hand burning after just holding it for a few seconds.


    Wei Jun breathed a heavy sigh and gulped the herb down, as a warm current, in the beginning, but then the warm current turned into scorching fire that threatened to burn his internals.


    [You have consumed the crimson flame herb]


    [Regulating Qi in the user to properly absorb the yang Qi]


    However, even before Wei Jun could will his Qi, or even the system could interfere, the second Qi core in his abdomen activated on its own and began to circulate throughout his body, taking the heat and scorching energy of the herb along with it, spreading throughout his body.


    The energy that was threatening to burn him was now fully tame. Wei Jun didn''t even know what was going on due to how fast it was happening.


    He always thought the circulation of the system was the fastest and most efficient. Turned out that he was wrong.


    The speed at which the death Qi was circulating in his system was ten times faster than the Qi circulation by the system. Wei Jun couldn''t even follow that feeling no matter how hard he tried and in just a minute, the process that should have taken hours was done.


    [You have fully absorbed the crimson flame herb]


    [Your Qi stat has increased by 3]


    "What just happened?" [What just happened?]


    Both the system and the user asked at the same time, and both of them were confused.

 Chapter 153: Change (1)

    "Does it matter? As long as it works." Wei Jun said after a while of thinking. For some reason, the death Qi inside of him was helping him absorb elixirs more efficiently than any of his theories, and that too in a very short amount of time.


    "I''ve decided to be done with it anyway. No matter what I do if I get screwed like this, things become a headache anyway," Wei Jun said as he got back to the shop to purchase the same elixir. He was about to buy it but was stopped by the system.


    [You won''t gain anything from eating it again]


    [It''s a one-time consumable]


    "Haaa¡­" Wei Jun sighed and opened and searched the shop for other elixirs that would raise his Yang Qi.


    [Fiery cloud]


    [Tier: B]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Effect: Increases the Yang Qi of the consumer]


    [Minimum point: 0]


    [Maximum points: 1]


    [Cost: 70000 coins]


    This herb looked a little funny and it was a bit lower in price than the earlier one. Wei Jun purchased it and began to absorb it as well. Just like before, he felt his insides burning which was excruciating only for a moment until the death Qi came to his rescue.


    Wei Jun sighed as the pain lessened. Wherever the death Qi would pass, it would heal that place too.


    [Death Qi: 77\\187]


    The only problem was that he had already used 110 points of death qi to absorb those elixirs. By that count, his next elixir would be his last one since the death Qi only restored itself naturally, not by a replenishing pill.


    Once he was feeling a lot better, Wei Jun saw that his Qi stat had gone by one point. Since he couldn''t take the same herb again, he had to search for more and while doing so, he approached the topic that he had been ignoring since earlier because of his anger.


    ''So Liu Yu is my wife now? I wonder if she would still try to kill me seeing as she stands to become a widow out of that.'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Yes she is]


    [And I wouldn''t know what''s going through her mind]


    ''But what happened? Why did I marry her?'' Wei Jun asked. He would have never done that even if he was killed so he didn''t know what was going on.


    [You didn''t]


    [Wei Jun did]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked with a frown, ''Isn''t Wei Jun Ruan dead?''


    [No]


    [Just caged]


    [He only comes out to play the plot]


    ''Of course, that idiot would jump to marry Liu Yu.'' Wei Jun said before he said out loud, "What a simp."


    [You''re not surprised but that]


    ''That''s the only thing that explains what has been going on. But what else? Why would he come out now?'' Wei Jun asked. He now understood why everyone was looking at him strangely and why some even had looks of disappointment on his face.


    [Like I said]


    [He only comes out to fix the plot]


    [After all, the second novel began a lot sooner than expected]


    [You were given a year yet you did it in three and a half months]


    [And you even succeeded 87% of the way]


    ''So some things had to be fixed.'' Wei Jun surmised the explanation.


    [Yes]


    [Everything needs a reason]


    [Unless it is the law of the world that can legally backdoor in any reality] Find joy at m-vl_em|p,yr


    ''Well, that''s fair,'' Wei Jun sarcastically replied when he found another elixir. This time it wasn''t an herb but a pill. There were many of the same type for different kinds of Qis but he didn''t see any for death Qi.


    Wei Jun sighed and purchased the one that increased his yang Qi.


    [Pill of the Yang Clan(mild)]


    [Tier: S]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Effect: Increases the Yang Qi of the consumer by 5]


    [Cost: 1,000,000 coins]


    Wei Jun didn''t wait for another second and consumed the pill that was red in color. Wei Jun didn''t feel any heat coming from it unlike the herbs earlier. There was a change in the description as well.


    Unlike the earlier herbs, there was no minimum or maximum limit in this one. It increased his Qi by five and that was it. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But the system description had never been wrong so Wei Jun wasn''t skeptical, just curious.


    ''Why does it say mild?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Because there are stronger versions of this pill, leading all the way up to the SSS+ tier]


    ''So why aren''t they here?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [This one wasn''t here before you updated the shop either]


    [Some things only have lower tier variants of them in the current level shop]


    [You need to update the shop level for the higher variant of the same pill]


    Wei Jun couldn''t tell if that made sense or not so he decided to just ignore and get on with the pill.


    He consumed it and right away, observed another difference. The death Qi didn''t come to his rescue this time, nor did the yang energy in the elixir cause any damage to his insides.


    [It looks like you will have to absorb this one on your own]


    Wei Jun didn''t waste another second and as soon as the yang energy began to leak from the elixir, Wei Jun began to guide it to his core, doing his circulation like he did with normal Qi.


    Granted that circulation no longer restored his Qi, he could still not only calm himself but also restore his stamina by doing Qi circulation at the cost of a small amount of Qi.


    And while absorbing the elixir, that was the only way he knew to do this. So he did his circulation and guided the Qi from his core to grab the Qi leaking from the elixir and then did a full body circulation coupled with the energy from the elixir, not only energizing himself but also increasing his Qi when it reached back into his core.


    Wei Jun felt a lot of power when he felt his Qi core expand a little. It wasn''t like earlier when the core expanded due to the herbs. But it was bringing along a powerful feeling as his Qi core expanded due to the energy from the elixir.


    Wei Jun began to suppress that energy and saw that it didn''t just make him strong, his aggression was also increasing for some reason.


    [There is a saying]


    [Light is for the calm]


    [Cold is for the collected]


    [Fire is for the destructive]


    [Every Qi has a characteristic, host]


    [The characteristics of the yang Qi is¡­]


    ''Aggression.'' Wei Jun spoke before the system could finish his sentence. Wei Jun had successfully suppressed his emotions which kind of surprised the system but not so much when he figured out the nature of Wei Jun.


    Although Wei Jun acted angrily, even in anger, he never forgot to rationalize the situation. He was always rational, even when he was yelling, and never impaired his ability to make decisions of any kind.


    [That''s an impressive quality of a cultivator, host]


    [Qi usually makes their bearer calm and collected but the Yang Qi and demonic Qi are the only types that make their user aggressive and evil, respectively]


    [Especially when the breathing technique you practice makes your yang Qi so pure]


    Wei Jun nodded and returned his focus completely to the absorption of the elixir.


    One hour, two hours, five hours, ten¡­. Three days later, he had finally finished absorbing the elixir.


    Wei Jun would have very much loved it if he could do that in just a minute like the herbs he had consumed but the death Qi showed no intention of moving in all that time so Wei Jun considered that it would act only when he was in anger or something similar to the lines.


    Wei Jun opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and full of energy. It wasn''t just his Qi core expansion; he was generally full of stamina as well.


    He looked down between his legs and corked his left eyebrow before he shook his head and stood up. He flexed his muscles as they made a crackling sound.


    Wei Jun equipped his clothes from the inventory and stepped out of the warehouse while checking his phone.


    There were some messages from Li Wei, informing him of the situations he should be aware of. There were some from Lin Ruan, worried about his whereabouts, some from Liu Yu, asking and teasing him, calling him bashful, that he was hiding from his wife because he was shy, and making fun of him clearly.


    Among all of them, was a summon from Sun Ruan. He had called Wei Jun but never specified the situation. The summon was sent two days ago and he was supposed to meet him the day before yesterday at night.


    There were some follow-up messages and from the way they were expressed, he doubted Sun Ruan was happy with his absence.


    Wei Jun once again crackled his head and made his way to his car. Instead of going home, he decided to visit Sun Ruan, to see what that geezer was on about again.


    He also needed to cut a deal with him regarding Liu Yu.

 Chapter 154: Change: Dual personality

    Wei Jun arrived at the Ruan mansion and made his way inside. He was greeted by a servant who quickly guided him to a guest room. While on the way, everyone looked at Wei Jun with a strange gaze, their eyes like looking at a lunatic.


    Wei Jun didn''t know why they were like that but he knew the cusp of the situation. It was the original owner of this body, he must have done something.


    Wei Jun ignored them and kept his gaze straight as he entered a guest room and sat down. He only saw a table in the room, the room itself was clean but simply because there were no paintings. This was the room where Wei Jun had his meeting with Sun Ruan when he asked him to marry a bunch of girls and start reproducing.


    There was a pot and a cup on the side. Only one cup. Wei Jun wasn''t an idiot and could understand what the other party wanted. To make him wait. Wei Jun scoffed and sat down. As much as he didn''t want to be there, he had to be.


    He would have much rather increased his yang Qi but unfortunately, he had run out of money for more elixirs.


    He suspected his other self had something to do with that too.


    His bank accounts should have more in there but for some reason, he didn''t. But that also showed that the money in his inventory was safe. Which also meant that the original Wei Jun Ruan didn''t have access to the system.


    [No]


    [But the power you have amassed belongs to the body]


    ''What does that mean?'' Wei Jun asked. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [It means he also possessed the strength the same as you]


    Wei Jun''s eyebrow twitched. He had a feeling something, or everything was far more worse than he thought at first. Xia Lu wasn''t just looking at him in anger, there was something more. And the reactions of Quan Li and Quan Kui must suggest something as well.


    ''Let''s hope that idiot didn''t do anything unsalvageable.'' Wei Jun thought as he began to wait. Since Sun Ruan intended to make Wei Jun wait, Wei Jun tried to utilize his time to strengthen his core. He was two points of Qi away from entering the next realm of cultivation.


    Before that, he wanted to fully reinforce his core so he didn''t have more homework added when he entered the next realm. He began to reinforce his core, however, it proved to be difficult.


    If before it was done smoothly, now, it was taking too much power of his to do so. As if the Qi was rejecting his wishes.


    He remembered the words of the system that all sorts of Qis would now be hesitant to listen to him. He would have to force the yang Qi in his system to do his bidding.


    But since he didn''t see that happening, it would be impossible for him to do that, so for now, he was just going to take it slower. If it took an hour to pull in one strand earlier, the time was now a little extended. However, it was still fast enough for him and as his control got better, he could feel that he was inching closer to his earlier speed.


    He didn''t know for how long he had been going on at that but he had successfully pulled the fifth strand back. He decided to stop there and opened his eyes.


    ''How long has it been?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Six hours]


    Wei Jun nodded and stood up. He opened the door of the room and stepped outside, only to be stopped by a man in a suit who appeared to be a guard.


    "Young master, you must wait in there for the master." He said. Wei Jun looked at him for a moment before he stepped left and began to leave.


    The guard put his hand on Wei Jun and stopped him, "Young master. I am allowed to use force if necessary." A clear threat. Something even an idiot could understand.


    Discover tales at m|vl|e|mp|y|r


    Wei Jun didn''t like that. Not one bit. He was already too annoyed by everything, and now a guard was trying to stop him. All because he had dared to make the master of the house wait. And that only angered him even more. He was being treated like a subordinate.


    Wei Jun turned his head to his left and looked at the guard from the corner of his left eye, his expression was unreadable but the murderous look in his eyes was stronger and clearer than anything else.


    Boom!


    A tremor set off the entire mansion, waking everyone up from whatever they were doing. Pei Ruan, Wei Jun''s mother, was watching a serial when she felt that. Her husband, who was a mortal, couldn''t pick up the wave of Qi in that tremor but she did.


    She wasn''t worried though, the tremor contained so low Qi that she wasn''t even startled. She focused back on her serial. If it was an attack, it hadn''t come to her yet and if it did, she would deal with it then.


    As for her husband, who saw his wife going back to what she was doing without a worry, also immersed himself back in work.


    Though a certain black-haired girl made her way to it. It was because she recognized the nature of Qi that passed throughout the mansion. She didn''t recognize the other one but the one she recognized was enough to get her moving.


    Just as she turned the hallway, her eyes widened as she saw a man on the ground, various signs of damage on him, some of his limbs turned at odd angles. And in all of that, a young man standing on top of him, his breath normal and a cold look in his eyes that even made the girl, Lin Ruan, immensely hesitant to approach him.


    Those were the eyes she hadn''t seen for at least a month. The last time she saw those eyes was when Wei Jun left after his rescue. After that, when she encountered him again, she didn''t encounter that Wei Jun but the Wei Jun before a few months, the one who suddenly disappeared, replaced by a calm and collected one.


    The scientific reason was clear. The man in front of her wasn''t just one. It was two. Two men in one body. A case of multiple personality disorder. More commonly known as¡­


    ***************


    "Dual personality?" Sun Ruan said as Lin Ruan explained the earlier incident to him. He was skeptical because what she was telling him was extremely rare. If it was the case of possession, he would have believed her but even he himself had checked for any possession and found none.


    But the explanation given now made a lot of sense. He found the sudden change in Wei Jun''s behavior alarming and what was even more alarming was finding nothing. But now there was an explanation that perfectly fitted. That would also explain the embarrassment Wei Jun caused on his wedding day.


    Only if Sun Ruan knew that Wei Jun didn''t even know he had a wedding day.


    "Where is he now?" Sun Ruan asked.


    "In my room. Cooling off." Lin Ruan replied.


    "Call him," Sun Ruan said. Lin Ruan nodded and left Sun Ruan''s personal study. She made her way to the room and opened the door. Wei Jun was sitting inside, freshly showered to clean off the blood on him.


    How did he get clothes, however, she had no idea. She shook her head and said, "Grandfather is asking for you."


    "Did you tell him why that poor man had to suffer because of him?" Wei Jun asked as he stood up and made his way to the door.


    "And why would he care?" Lin Ruan asked. Lin Ruan knew what sort of nature Sun Ruan possessed. A ruthless one. He wouldn''t care even if his own children were hurt as long as it benefitted him in some way. Why would he care about a guard who had nothing to do with the situation?


    "Touch¨¦." Wei Jun replied and entered the study, alone, leaving Lin Ruan outside.


    "I heard what you did," Sun Ruan sat on a sofa in the study. He also pointed at the sofa across from him to sit down. Wei Jun did so and flopped down on the sofa in front of him.


    "I wouldn''t have to do anything if you had gotten off your high horse," Wei Jun said.


    "Quite blunt with your words, grandson," Sun Ruan said.


    "And you''re quite cunning with your actions," Wei Jun said, without fear.


    "Hmm¡­ It seems Lin was right. Get yourself checked out. I don''t want any problems to happen to you." Sun Ruan said.


    "What sorts of problems?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Ahh¡­ It seems you don''t remember what you did on your wedding day. As expected it is MPD." Sun Ruan said.


    ''What the¡­'' Wei Jun thought inwardly, however, he was soon to collect himself and didn''t say anything.


    ''Let''s just go with that.'' He thought once again before he went on to ask questions.

 Chapter 155: Change: Motive

    A small note before we begin.


    Dive into the story on m|vl em pyr


    All the bonus chapters of the week that owe you from now on will be uploaded on Sunday at once, whether they were of a review, P.S or G.Ts.


    This is only temporary until my exams are overs.


    *************


    Wei Jun was more than happy to let them think it was a case of split personality. That way, he wouldn''t need to make an unreasonable excuse.


    "Anyway, there is a sect ceremony tomorrow. I want you to be there. be on your best behavior. If anything like the wedding day repeated itself, despite your condition, you will be disowned for good." Sun Ruan said, waving for Wei Jun to leave.


    Wei Jun looked at Sun Ruan for a little while before he stood up and left. As much as he wanted to defy Sun Ruan''s wishes, he also wanted to finally look at what a sect looked like. So he was willing to play along for this one time.


    As Wei Jun came out, Lin Ruan was standing outside the study as he had left her. He only spent a little less than three minutes in there so it wasn''t that long.


    "What did he say?" Lin Ruan asked.


    "He wants me to attend some sect ceremony," Wei Jun replied because it was his clue to gain information on what Sun Ruan wanted.


    Lin Ruan nodded and said, "Well, that''s good. He must want to show you to the sect master and have you admitted to the sect."


    Wei Jun once again wasn''t very happy with that fact but he didn''t say anything about it. He just nodded and asked what had been on his mind for a long time, "Can you tell me what I did on the wedding day the old man was talking about?"


    Lin Ruan stopped in her tracks. She looked at Wei Jun awkwardly and said, "Well, let''s not dwell on the past. What''s done is done."


    "What did I do?" Wei Jun asked once again, making sure she understood that he wouldn''t be taking no for an answer again.


    "Haa¡­" Lin Ruan sighed before she raised her hands in victory and said, "I, the most successful man on the earth, Wei Jun Ruan, had made a movie with hotties in it."


    Wei Jun didn''t need to be told what was going on. Lin Ruan was imitating him.


    "I have mastered the arts of Qi."


    "I will be the strongest man in existence."


    "I will rule this universe and the universe beyond."


    With each sentence, Wei Jun''s stomach churned but Lin Ruan was done as she said once again.


    "I will conquer all the women in this world."


    "No woman shall escape my might and my sight."


    [Pfftt!!!]


    ''You fu*ker.'' Wei Jun said. No, he wasn''t angry at the system for laughing. He was angry at what the original Wei Jun did. If that wasn''t enough, what Lin Ruan said next snapped his rationality into pieces.


    "And then you went on and molest a lot of women with your power. Your actresses as well." Lin Ruan ended the recounting of the incident.


    Wei Jun punched the wall, smashing it to pieces. He trembled, his face turning red and his Qi trembling as he assimilated Qi into his vocal cords and said just one word that for sure, the entire city heard.


    "FFFUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCC********KKKKKKK!!!!!!"


    Lin Ruan covered her ears.


    Pei Ruan was startled and jumped on her husband who was already struck by the wave of Qi but when struck by his wife, he passed out.


    "Honey!!!!" Pei Ruan dramatically yelled.


    Sun Ruan in the study, just nodded at the amount of Qi and the power put in behind it.


    "He might just make it." He said as waves of Qi still passed throughout the entire mansion and its surroundings.


    *************


    [Have you calmed down, host?]


    ''Have I?" Wei Jun asked as he hacked one more person to pieces. The place he was in was a prison. A deadly prison where all those who were, were the worst criminals of all the times.


    Still, he didn''t just kill everyone. He only killed the ones he had definitive data on. Data provided by Li Wei.


    Once the prison was in chaos, all guards incapacitated, hundreds of criminals decapitated, and those that remained never thought of getting out of their cells seeing the cruelty out there.


    Wei Jun wasn''t killing them for no reason as well. It wasn''t because he wanted to unwind his anger. There were too many other logical reasons behind his actions.


    One was because all these criminals were serving time for their bosses, the bosses being the overlords of the Yuan Yin city. They had info he needed and it was the best place to get them without causing any signs of distress.


    He had made sure that no one heard him, using signal blockers to make it impossible to call for reinforcements. All the marshals of the prison and the guards were neutralized and wouldn''t wake up for hours.


    And that was his second objective. Make sure to leave an impact so big that the city will have to take that persona seriously. So far, he only had one known incident to his name as the biker persona and that was the disfigurement incident of Na Tong.


    He wanted to leave his traces behind to mislead the police and the cultivator''s special forces. They weren''t after him yet but seeing his biker persona, they would surely come, and with them, the miracle healer would come as well.


    That was his main objective. Get the miracle healer to the Yuan Yin city somehow.


    As he let the last person fall, headless, Wei Jun left the prison, taking slow steps to cement his image into the survivor''s heads and the cameras as well which he hadn''t blocked.


    Once he came out, it was almost dawn. He had to be prepared for what came next. First of all, he needed to deal with the mess the original Wei Jun made with the actor''s team. After that, he also needed to be at the ceremony of the sect that Sun Ruan wanted.


    Wei Jun calmly walked out of the prison and got on his bike. After that, he simply drove off, leaving the mess behind to remain uncovered for hours.


    *************


    Wei Jun came back to his penthouse since the villa was still under construction. Wei Jun had changed on the way and there were no signs of murder on him. His mood was also visibly much better.


    As he entered, he saw the maid was cleaning the kitchen while a lot of food was prepared on the side.


    "Oh, master. You''re just on time. Please come in." The maid said.


    Wei Jun looked at her. He hadn''t informed her that he was coming. He had checked and his suit didn''t have a tracker. It meant his car did.


    ''Sun Ruan wouldn''t need to surveil me like this so that only leaves one person¡­'' Wei Jun was quick to understand the entire situation. One thing he hadn''t been able to understand was the origin of this woman and now he did. He was left to keep an eye on him and the most likely suspect was his wife, Liu Yu.


    Still, Wei Jun wasn''t deranged enough to kill her without proof so he held back and went to his room without a word. He took a shower and once he was dressed for work, it was still eight in the morning. His work started at eight, he ate breakfast, staying silent even though the maid asked a lot of questions.


    Wei Jun left for work and made his way to his car. He wasn''t stupid enough to check it though. If there was a tracker, there was surely a microphone. Wei Jun knew he hadn''t had any conversation in his car that could cause problems for him.


    He spoke to the system in his mind and to Li Wei in short sentences to avoid his call being traced as well. He never made the call long enough for a trace as well.


    If he were to remove the tracker now, he would lose the maid so he decided to play for a little longer. Also, there was a chance his wife would pull something soon enough. He wanted to be prepared for that.


    Wei Jun drove off to his office. As he entered the building, he was stared at once again, by the guards, the staff, and everyone else. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had asked Xiao Heiling to call for a meeting of the actors. Quan Li still had the option of nullifying the contract. Although he didn''t need Quan Li anymore from the novel''s point of view, he still needed her to play in the serials he had planned.


    As he entered the room, everyone was already there. among them, Xia Lu was looking at him skeptically but didn''t say anything.


    Wei Jun guessed she had been briefed by Lin Ruan and she had briefed everyone else.


    Wei Jun took his seat, girls on one side and boys on the side, all looking at him with curious eyes and waiting for him to say whatever he had on his mind.


    Wei Jun started his first words with what mattered the most, "Let me begin by saying that I terribly apologize¡­."

 Chapter 156: Change: Apology

    "Let me begin by saying that I terribly apologize for what I have done the last month. There are some circumstances that I cannot let you know yet because no confirmation from the doctor has been made." Wei Jun finished his explanation but he kept it as brief as ever. He was going to let them come up with their own explanations.


    "The second agenda, if any of you wants to leave for my offensive acts, you won''t be stopped. I will properly compensate you and also null the contract so none of you have to pay the contract breach fee." Wei Jun once again said and just waited for the others to begin whatever they had on their minds.


    "Is it true?" Xia Lu asked, the others just remained quiet.


    "What is?" Wei Jun asked.


    "That you have a split personality." Xia Lu elaborated.


    "Like I said, nothing has been confirmed. That is up to the doctors to decide," Wei Jun said but then added, "But I will say that I wasn''t conscious during my actions of the last month."


    Xia Lu looked at him with narrowed eyes and said, "How many times?"


    "How many times what?" Wei Jun asked.


    "How many times did we kiss under that rubble?" Xia Lu once again elaborated.


    "Eight times." Wei Jun replied without a hitch. The others looked at each other with wide eyes but none of them dared to say a word.


    Wei Jun and Xia Lu looked at each other for about a minute, the staring contest won by Wei Jun who didn''t blink. Xia Ly sighed and said, "I''m not leaving. I don''t know about the rest."


    [Translation: I''m not leaving but I''m not forgiving you for what happened as well. Work your way into apologizing to me]


    ''Shut up'' Wei Jun said and turned to the rest of them.


    "I''m not leaving either, boss. I''m a bit angry that you touched Quan Kui, and I won''t say that I will forgive you easily either. But if what you say is true, you deserve a chance." Xiao Heiling said, Zhan Yi, nodding along.


    "Get up, both of you." Wei Jun said as he also stood up. He moved to the side of the sofas, in an open space. Xiao Heiling and Zhan Yi did the same and came to stand in front of Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun raised his hand and said, "Five hits each."


    "Both of you can hit me five times each." Wei Jun said, leaving everyone in the room stunned.


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    "But¡­" Xiao Heiling was about to complain when Zhan Yi punched Wei Jun in the face with the full force of his Qi, not pushing Wei Jun even slightly. Even his facial expression didn''t change. It wasn''t so that Wei Jun had used Qi armament or anything, he was just that strong.


    "Fu*k!!!" Zhan Yi grabbed his hand and began to yell in pain. "What the hell are you made of?!" He asked as his hand hurt like hell. Quan Ki stood up and began to examine the hand that was fractured from three different joints.


    "You''re just weak," Wei Jun didn''t care if he was being blunt.


    "Hell of a way to apologize!" Quan Li yelled at Wei Jun as well. Wei Jun''s eye twitched but he held it in.


    ''Just wait until your contract''s permanent. I will make you run around the city.'' Wei Jun vowed and said, "You wanna hit me four more times?"


    "NO!" Zhan Yi yelled as his hand was killing him.


    Wei Jun sighed and threw a healing pill at Quan Li who caught it and hurriedly fed it to Zhan Yi. His pain disappeared instantly and his hand mended itself back to its prime condition.


    "You have more of them?" Zhan Yi asked.


    "No." Wei Jun replied.


    "Then I will keep my four hits when I become stronger," Zhan Yi said. Wei Jun turned his head to Xiao Heiling who was slightly sweating at what had happened just yet. He stammered and said, "I will only hit you if Quan Kui didn''t forgive you."


    "I forgive you, boss! Just don''t break his hand." Quan Kui hurriedly came to Xiao Heiling''s rescue and said.


    "What do you take me for?" Wei Jun asked.


    "A workout maniac," Xiao Heiling said. Wei Jun snapped his neck, looking at him with a threat in his eyes. Xiao Heling and Quan Kui both jumped back, hugging each other tightly.


    "No meeting today. Everyone to the gym." Wei Jun said as he left the room.


    In the room, everyone turned to look at the couple who timidly responded, "What? He''s scary."


    "I just hope he''s okay," Xia Lu''s cold eyes were gone, replaced by a worried demeanor that she hadn''t shown the entire time since she heard about Wei Jun''s condition from Lin Ruan.


    "Umm¡­ sister Xia, can''t you ask him not to do it today? He will kill us in the gym?" Quan Li timidly asked. The other three also looked at her with sparkling eyes but she didn''t play mommy this time.


    She sighed and said, "Let''s do what he says for now."


    The others were deflated but Xia Lu knew she wouldn''t be able to do anything.


    *************


    "Today," Wei Jun began as the actor''s team lined up in front of him, dressed in gym clothes, while Wei Jun himself was also wearing loose trousers and a shirt that outlined his toned muscles.


    The others tensed at that word but Wei Jun continued regardless, "We will be learning how to throw a punch."


    Wei Jun looked at Zhan Yi and said, "I would humiliate you by saying that you hit like a girl but since there are girls among us, I will change that word to sissy. You hit like a womanly man."


    Zhan Yi lowered his head. Wei Jun continued, "It might be my fault anyway. I should have at least taught you how to throw a punch but I figured you would know at least that much."


    Wei Jun spread his legs and said, "The secret to a good punch, any type of punch, a straight, hook, jab, or anything else, the secret is the foundation. If your legs aren''t firmly planted and you don''t exert a similar amount of momentum even when your legs aren''t on the ground, your punch becomes ineffective."


    Wei Jun punched, his arm straight, other than his shoulder, no other part of his body moved. However, the others felt a wave of air hit them as his punch created that much force.


    "The repercussions of a careless punch start from hand and forearm dislocation to the shoulder dislocation. In worse scenarios, if not enough momentum is obtained, the hand and wrist can break as well." Wei Jun stated the warnings and began to guide them on how to punch properly.


    He had Lao Chen prepare wooden figurines for them and they began to punch them. their hands weren''t doing so well, since hitting wood figurines scraped the skin on their fingers.


    Xia Lu bit her lip as blood began to be imprinted on the wooden figure due to the injuries on her fingers. But she didn''t stop. Nor did the others. It would have been easier for Quan Li and Zhan Yi since they were cultivators but cultivators of the Qi sense realm were normal people without Qi and Wei Jun had blocked their Qi nerves.


    The morning turned to noon, noon to afternoon, afternoon to evening. When it was six pm, Wei Jun finally took mercy on them and threw five pills at Lao Chen and said, "Give them each after five hours. Let them get used to this pain first."


    Wei Jun left because he had a ceremony to attend of some kind. Lin Ruan was kind enough to tell him that it would begin at eleven but he had to be ready by eight and she would pick him up since he didn''t know where it was and the distance alone was quite a bit.


    Wei Jun didn''t know what this was about but he was sure as hell curious.


    [I think it would do you well to join a sect]


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [If you can prove to be a valuable asset]


    [The sect would invest in you]


    [Grant you many elixirs]


    ''Would they help me?'' Wei Jun asked. Wei Jun didn''t practice any normal cultivation techniques. His Qi was purer than others and he wanted to know if any other elixir than the shop elixirs would help him.


    [If normally, one pill would raise one point of your Qi]


    [Then you might have to consume ten to increase one point]


    [But for you, that one point is worth more than 20 points for others]


    [And that is counting that the cultivation technique you practice is just B rank]


    [Just imagine the difference if you were to practice an SSS rank cultivation technique]


    ''Then why would I join a sect?'' Wei Jun questioned. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Because only a sect can afford to shower you with elixirs]


    [Why not juice them until you can?]


    Wei Jun nodded at the system''s suggestion but didn''t make any promises. Usually, such an act meant subservience and Wei Jun was anything but a subordinate.

 Chapter 157: Thunder Cloud Tempest

    Wei Jun waited in front of his apartment building, waiting for Lin Ruan to pick him up. His phone rang and it turned out, he was waiting in the wrong spot.


    He was asked to go to the roof of the building and he did exactly that. A minute later, a helicopter was landing on the helipad. Seeing that no one came out, it was obvious that that was Wei Jun''s ride.


    Wei Jun made his way to it and opened the door, hoping to find Lin Ruan, and he did, just not in her usual office attire or casual clothes.


    She was wearing a robe. A pure white robe like an old Korean shaman. Wei Jun looked at her for a while without a word. She finally said, "I know, it''s tacky. But what can we do? We have to wear it."


    "We?" Wei Jun was more concerned about that part than any other.


    "Everyone has to." Lin Ruan replied. Wei Jun sighed and hopped in the helicopter. The helicopter took off and Wei Jun stared outside.


    "Anything I need to know about?" Wei Jun asked while still looking outside.


    "Thunder Cloud Tempest." Lin Ruan said, "That is the name of our sect. Our sect is a high-grade sect, 7th on empire ranking."


    "And being 7th is apparently a good thing." Wei Jun said.


    "Well, it used to be number three but except the top two, all others are almost equal in strength so the ranking changes among the rest of the top ten every three to five years." Lin Ruan said.


    "And what you said still doesn''t make the sect the number one." Wei Jun turned to her as he said before he turned his attention outside again and added, "It''s a disappointment. And arrogance. They cannot take the title of the number one and yet they wish to control me."


    Lin Ruan looked at Wei Jun, no reply in her mind for that. She understood another thing about this brother of hers, the one who wasn''t a lecher. Wei Jun was competitive. And not just competitive but anything lower than one was a no-go for him. His expression wasn''t good when she informed her of the sect''s position.


    "At least you don''t disagree with me," Wei Jun said. "But I didn''t agree either. This sect is the reason why I am able to keep my life and strength. Without this sect, I was nothing and I am nothing." Lin Ruan replied.


    "You''re successful. You run a company two men cannot run alone and you do a great job at it. No one has any contribution to that." Wei Jun praised her.


    Lin Ruan, however, didn''t take that praise as she once again argued, "Without this talent, I would have never been chosen and granted all of this."


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything to that because that was her life. Lin Ruan''s whole life was based on that fact. She was brought into the Ruan family to bear Wei Jun''s child.


    Had her talent not been enough, she would have served no purpose to anything.


    The rest of the travel was quiet. Wei Jun saw that they flew on the ocean for quite a while before they could see an island in the distance.


    "That''s the island where our sect is situated." Lin Ruan said before she added, "Its name is Tempest."


    ''Jeju.'' Wei Jun, however, had a different name in his mind for that. His theory was correct; this world was advanced but the old systems of the world were still there. Although this world was larger than the earth he was from, the geographical structure was the same, it was just bigger than his original world.


    The China he was in was old-day China, ancient China where the Mongolian nation hadn''t split up yet into many different countries, equipping themselves with different languages and cultures.


    However, the island Wei Jun was seeing wasn''t exactly like Jeju. The Jeju island he had been to didn''t have such a towering mountain in its heart. It was so tall that the peak crossed the clouds in the sky.


    The helicopter began to land and after landing, Wei Jun got out. Lin Ruan followed and said, "Welcome to the Tempest mountain."


    She then waved her hand and said, "Come on. We have a long way to go yet."


    Wei Jun didn''t exactly understand what she meant by a long way to go when he saw stairs, leading all the way up in round circles.


    "And we have to climb all these stairs?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Why do you think I asked you to be so early?" Lin Ruan asked. Wei Jun began to climb up the steps when Lin Ruan said, "If you go like this, we will be here all night. Possibly the next day too."


    Wei Jun narrowed his eyes but sped up. Lin Ruan followed suit but she activated her Qi armament which also reinforced her stats. She was apparently faster than Wei Jun and Wei Jun had to exert his full speed to follow her.


    Wei Jun hadn''t changed yet and he decided to change on the way. Lin Ruan had told him that he could do that when they arrived but he didn''t want to be an oddball, showing up in a suit.


    As they waited for a break after about fifteen minutes of constant running, Wei Jun excused himself and entered the woods beside the stairs and unequipped his suit while he stored the robe and pants and then equipped them as well.


    He came out, Lin Ruan looked at him suspiciously but didn''t say anything. Wei Jun and Lin Ruan resumed their journey.


    The ceremony was to commence at 11, they arrived by 10.


    "What now?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Now we find grandfather and stick to him. We are his only official disciples." Lin Ruan said.


    "Is there a sect guide or something I can read?" Wei Jun asked.


    Lin Ruan pulled something from her wide sleeves. It was a phone and she opened up a file on it. she tossed the phone to Wei Jun and said, "Give it back once you''re done."


    Wei Jun gave the hundred-page manual a good read at a fast pace. After half an hour, he was done. He was glad that he had passed that much time.


    Soon, they arrived at what looked like a castle. A giant old Chinese palace. And, more stairs. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The stairs led to the entrance of the palace where eight guards with spikes in their hands stood like British soldiers, unmoving aside from the slight breath that would lightly raise their chest.


    "Name and affiliation." A female dressed in a white robe spoke from behind the guards.


    "Elder Ruan. Lin and Wei Jun Ruan." Lin Ruan said while Wei Jun remained quiet.


    The woman glanced at Wei Jun and asked, "I will conquer all the women in the world?"


    Wei Jun flinched. He looked at her with cold eyes and the women slightly shivered. She coughed and said, "I apologize. You''re a kind of a legend around here."


    [Legend she says]


    ''You want to get punched in the face?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Sorry, host]


    The woman nodded to both of them and they were allowed in. Wei Jun followed Lin Ruan and both of them arrived at the front courtyard of the palace, where at least 1000 people of all ages could be seen from 10 to at least 50. Wei Jun even spotted some old ones in the crowd.


    "These are the outer disciples." Lin Ruan said. Wei Jun nodded because he already knew what outer disciples meant. They were the side trash in a simpler definition. Join the adventure on m-vl-e-mpyr


    Errand boys for the sect or servants, pick one. They were given minimal resources and even for them, they had to fight a lot. There was no discipline until a direct rule of the sect, for which, they would be punished. Other than that, anything else was allowed.


    Lin Ruan took a path that circled around the outer courtyard and arrived at another gate. This time there were only guards. Lin Ruan showed a wooden piece, a plaque, to the guard who nodded and then looked at Wei Jun.


    "He is invited by Elder Ruan." Lin Ruan spoke on his behalf.


    The guards nodded and allowed them in.


    This time, the crowd was less. Very less actually, around 200. And all of these people were young. Between 10 and 25. 30 at most.


    The inner disciples. These were like the students in a classroom, all treated the same by the elders of the sect.


    Their performance didn''t interest the elder but they had the potential to make them interested. Their resources were at least ten times that of the outer disciples and unlike the outer disciples, although they didn''t matter much to the sect elders, they still mattered to some extent so their arrogance was a lot.


    Still, Lin Ruan didn''t head over there but once again circled around them using a path on the left and arrived at another gate. This time, no guard stopped her and Wei Jun and they both entered the core courtyard of the palace.


    The core disciples area.

 Chapter 158: Core disciples

    The core disciples of any sect were treasures of that sect.


    Their status was higher than any other. They were like a class monitor, whose authority couldn''t be questioned in any way because they were the teacher''s favorite.


    Some even had immunity when it came to certain sets of rules. They could kill outer and inner circle disciples and get away with it unless there were some complications involved, such as politics.


    As Wei Jun entered the core courtyard that led to the main part of the palace, all eyes turned to him. He, who had almost zero interaction with the sect, could see some faces he found some familiar faces.


    One of them was Ju Bai Lu, who ran away. That was how Wei Jun had named him since he didn''t know his real name. Ju Bai Lu was looking at him with clear hatred, surrounded by his clique.


    And then there was his lovely newly wedded wife who was looking at him with a smile. But only Wei Jun could see the truth behind that smile.


    Finally, Wei Jun another familiar face standing next to Liu Yu. He had seen her this morning, and also when he woke up to find everything different.


    His maid. Or, to be more precise, his wife''s maid, or servant, whatever fitted the situation best.


    ''I didn''t think she would blatantly show it like that,'' Wei Jun said inwardly before it clicked him inside as to why. The news of his split personality was breached. Liu Yu knew about it.


    Wei Jun just gave all of them a cursory glance before he followed Lin Ruan who made her way to Sun Ruan. Sun Ruan stood along with the elder who was Liu Yu''s master, Elder Zhiang.


    But there were some other old men, along with old women, who were old but pristine, without a wrinkle on their faces. There were also some young men and women about whom when Wei Jun asked Lin Ruan, he came to know that they were newly appointed elders from the core circle.


    When Wei Jun gauged their power, they were strong, at least three times stronger than him, Qi stat wise of course. He was confident as long as it was a pure physical match, he was stronger than many other cultivators. Maybe even Sun Ruan.


    "We greet Elder Ruan," Lin Ruan said. Wei Jun followed suit for the sake of not standing out.


    "Haha! It''s good that you both made it here. Now quickly, greet the other elders. There are some new faces around," Sun Ruan said while pointing at the newly appointed elders.


    Lin Ruan nodded and once done with the old elders, they also greeted the younger ones, out of which, a few men flirted with Lin Ruan which she dismissed with a polite smile and some women made straight moves on Wei Jun whom he just stared at, without any apparent expression on his face.


    "Now, leave us. Go be among your peers," Sun Ruan said. Lin Ruan and Wei Jun weren''t given any special treatment from the looks of it, now were they heavily flattered by the new elders so they could win some brownie points from the old elder.


    Wei Jun made sure to take in every small detail he could. He noticed some elders were hostile, from their gazes to the way they answered to their greeting, Wei Jun could get a hold of the situation.


    He also noticed the absence of a certain person. The sect master. He wasn''t there. The elders were but not the sect master.


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    It was the law of the sect; the elders were of the same rank. So the more elders you had on your side, the more influential you were in the absence of the sect leader.


    Currently, Wei Jun counted a total of fifteen elders, old and new combined. Sun Ruan had four on his side, making him the largest force in there. His haters, or at least those who were hostile to him, were four in number.


    After that were the six new elders who may or may not have chosen a faction yet. Although the elders were equal in authority, seniority mattered. So although the young elders were equal in authority to the old ones, they needed to be careful about who to make enemies and who to not.


    ''Two factions¡­'' Wei Jun thought inwardly, and from the looks of it, Sun Ruan had the leading faction.


    "Elder Zhiang, was he also in grandfather''s faction?" Wei Jun asked Lin Ruan while they were descending the stairs and making their way to the core disciples. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Neutral. Well, almost neutral because he couldn''t recklessly decide on a side. On one side was the sect master''s brother and on the other was the strongest elder in the sect who was adequately favored by the sect master." Lin Ruan whispered, making sure their conversation remained between them.


    Wei Jun didn''t need to know anymore. He understood the gist of the situation clearly from just those words. Sun Ruan was strong but the other party had the advantage of being the sect master''s brother.


    But the reason that Sun Ruan was still in the competition was that he was the strongest after the sect master. So currently, for the battle of succession, there were only two candidates and one of them had the edge of power while the other one had the advantage of nepotism.


    Still, Elder Zhiang, Liu Yu''s master was on the side of Sun Ruan so it didn''t make sense why she was on the other party''s side.


    [Maybe she is on no one''s side]


    That was also a possibility and knowing her nature, the odds of that were pretty high. Wei Jun looked at her. She was chatting with the girl who was supposed to be his maid.


    Wei Jun didn''t know what was going through her mind but she was a power-hungry woman and there was no doubt she would go far, very far, for her goals.


    ''But¡­'' Wei Jun had given her enough warnings. If she didn''t back off now, he wasn''t going to take it easy on her anymore. Until now, all he had taken was materialistic, but now, he was going to take away a lot more.


    Lin Ruan and Wei Jun arrived among the rest of the disciples. Some of the disciples came to them and stood with them, engaging in conversation with Lin Ruan.


    Wei Jun could tell who these people were. They were from the same side of the faction. For some reason, Liu Yu was also with them, along with her maid.


    "How are you, my dear husband?" She asked with an affectionate smile.


    Wei Jun stared at her for a moment while the others remained quiet, looking at their interaction, "I''m doing fine, thanks."


    "Xao Min tells me that you didn''t come home for a few days, where were you?" Liu Yu asked.


    "I was busy sorting some things out." Wei Jun straightforwardly replied.


    "Is that so?" She asked before she came forward, awfully close to Wei Jun, and circled her finger on his chest as she asked, "I don''t have to worry about another woman, do I?"


    Wei Jun stared at her once again, this time, with no pretend in his eyes. Liu Yu chuckled and continued, "I especially hate it when you are with that wench Xia Lu."


    Wei Jun remained consistent, his eyes unwavering. If this level of provocation was enough to make him angry, he wouldn''t have been a successful man in his life.


    Wei Jun just stared at her, no reply out of his mouth. Liu Yu also noticed that behavior and couldn''t help but shake her head slightly. She knew that her provocation wasn''t going to work no matter what she did so she said, "Ah, there is someone I would like you to meet."


    She then looked at the man approaching them with his own group. That man was none other than Ju Bai Lu. Lin Ruan stared at him but she didn''t comment on anything. All said and done, he was the blood of the sect master even though he wasn''t highly regarded.


    Any remark on him was a remark on the sect master and that would be detrimental for everyone, his allies or otherwise.


    "Nice to meet you," Ju Bai Lu said with a smile as he extended his hand and introduced himself with a smile, "I''m Ju Bai Lu, the nephew of the sect master."


    [Translation: Know your place. You connection less weakling]


    ''Shut it,'' Wei Jun shot the obvious translation of the system.


    Wei Jun didn''t take the hand. He just looked at him in the eyes. He hadn''t introduced himself as the son of an elder but the nephew of the sect master.


    The meaning behind that sentence couldn''t have been clearer. It was just as the system had said, Ju Bai Lu was threatening Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "How''s your arm?"


    Ju Bai Lu''s expression changed. He tried very hard to keep that contorted expression full of anger to keep off of his face.


    "What do you m---" Ju Bai Lu was about to ask but Wei Jun interrupted him by saying, "It would have been quite severe seeing as you ran away with your tail between your legs."


    The contorted expression was no longer suppressed.


    And to make it worse, Wei Jun added one final touch, "I gave you a nickname after that. "Nephew Runaway". How about that?"


    "You crazy fu------"

 Chapter 159: Fight?

    "Watch your tone if you want to get out of here alive." Ju Bai Lu angrily said. The expressions of many in the gathering weren''t so good while some on Ju Bai Lu''s side were worried.


    A fight at the anniversary of the sect wasn''t a good idea. Especially if the fight was hostile and not for the promotion of the sect to boost the morale of the others and show the elders and the sect master of their potential.


    Only one person smiled. Liu Yu looked at her maid and nodded. The maid nodded in return and was about to act when Wei Jun spoke up and said, "Take one more step and I will rip your throat out."


    His eyes weren''t aimed at Ju Bai Lu but at the maid of Liu Yu, Xao Min. She looked at him, undeterred but for the sake of the act, she had to follow along and replied, ''Yes, Master."


    While everyone else thought that Wei Jun''s subordinate was about to attack Ju Bai Lu, only three people in the crowd knew that that wasn''t true. Ju Bai Lu and Liu Yu had this plan to incite a battle and get the elders involved under the guise of Sun Ruan''s faction attacking him first, pushing the blame on them.


    The third person was Lin Ruan who had picked up that something wasn''t right. Still, she was relieved that her brother was sensible enough to pick up the real meaning of this fa?ade.


    Even thirty seconds wouldn''t have passed when she had that thought when Wei Jun spoke, "So, was your mother a runaway bride or something?"


    Stunned.


    For a moment, no one spoke. Some were too stunned by what they had heard and some were still processing the words said.


    ''Oh, crap¡­.'' Lin Ruan thought as a punch could be seen going at Wei Jun at full speed.


    **************


    "Seniors," A young elder called out to the rest and said, "It looks like something is happening among the disciples."


    Everyone turned their eyes to the scene where they could see Ju Bai Lu with an ugly face while Wei Jun was turned to his maid.


    "I think we should split them up," Elder Zhiang said and was about to move when another voice interjected, "Those are just children playing. No need to interfere."


    The elders turned to look at another old man, the older brother of the sect master, Elder Mu. "You want a fight on this sacred occasion?" Elder Zhiang asked.


    "Youngbloods learn from a few injuries. It is no big deal." Elder Mu said.


    Elder Zhiang was about to oppose when Sun Ruan spoke, "I couldn''t agree more with you, Elder Mu."


    Everyone stopped to look at Sun Ruan. Even Elder Mu was a little taken aback by the fact that Sun Ruan didn''t oppose that idea.


    Their plan was to bring out a dilemma that would be difficult for Sun Ruan. Refusing meant humiliation on such an occasion and acceptance led to the injury of his disciple and grandson.


    "Haha!" Elder Mu laughed and said, "Very well. We elders shall not interfere tonight."


    Every elder glanced at each other. Even those on Elder Mu''s side thought it wasn''t a good idea. A fight on such a sacred occasion was bound to be problematic.


    The only way to avoid making the sect master angry was if the fight was not a fight but a duel or a spar. That way, in any case of an injury, it could at least be justified.


    And while they were still having this conversation, a fist could be seen moving towards Wei Jun very fast. A young elder was about to interfere so a proper duel could be initiated when Elder Mu once again stopped him and said, "No need to interfere. Let us just begin the duel like that."


    ************


    On the other side, Wei Jun caught the fist without much effort but it wasn''t an attack from Ju Bai Lu. No. It was an attack from one of his subordinates. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''I guess he''s too worried to be implicated,'' Wei Jun thought inwardly as he received a little damage from the Qi with his bare hand.


    [Qi empowerment realm]


    [Strength: 102]


    [Agility: 98]


    [Stamina: 91]


    [Qi: 122]


    Wei Jun was impressed. Ju Bai Lu''s opponents weren''t just nobodies. If Wei Jun were to use the ''Qi empowerment'' skill, he could easily overpower this cultivator. His stamina was on the low side given his bulky appearance.


    That also explained why his strength was so much. Wei Jun could have easily dealt with him using a single skill but that would make it too easier, wouldn''t it?


    Wei Jun smiled and gathered five points of Qi in his fist, throwing it at his opponent. All the others around them had already backed away, everyone including Lin Ruan who was hesitant but when she looked at Sun Ruan, he simply gestured for her to not interfere.


    Wei Jun''s opponent caught the fist but it wasn''t quite as he was expecting, his hand felt hot albeit the Qi barrier protected him. He was about to step back when Wei Jun kneed him in his abdomen while he was still distracted by the heat from Wei Jun''s attack.


    The man leaned forward due to the pain in his stomach. Wei Jun once again equipped five pieces of Qi in his hand and struck the man in his chin, throwing him to the ground, disoriented.


    While everyone thought that that was it, Wei Jun stepped forward and began to step on the man''s arm. It was still protected by the Qi barrier but Wei Jun kept on hitting it with his foot, stomping the arm with five points of Qi on each stomp.


    Soon enough, what no one thought of happened. The Qi barrier broke down and Wei Jun''s foot went through the poor man''s arm, separating it from his elbow, splattering blood everywhere around them.


    "Aaahhhh!!!!" A blood-curdling scream spread throughout the core courtyard and many who saw the scene were terrified but their fear took a new turn when Wei Jun began to stomp on the man''s face this time.


    Since no Qi barrier was protecting the man, the attacks went through. He was lucky that his power was still high due to the Qi armament but it wasn''t doing much for him.


    Soon enough, all his teeth broke, his face bloodied and nothing what it looked like before. But that wasn''t what terrified everyone. Even some of the new elders were horrified by what they saw, not on the ground but on the face of the young cultivator.


    A smile that could only be described as maniacal. A smile that sent shivers down everyone''s spine. Fear so strong that they felt like they wouldn''t be able to sleep at night. Discover more on m|vl|e|mp|y|r


    And some of the young disciples might not be able to do so at all.


    The gory scene, mixed with the pleasure-filled maniacal smirk on the face of the man standing, after effortlessly fighting the man who was almost twice his size, stronger than him easily.


    But still, that man was defeated in just three moves and now he was lying unconscious without an arm and his face unrecognizable by anyone, even by his own mother who gave birth to him.


    Wei Jun didn''t care. What gazes he was getting, he didn''t care. He laughed. He laughed and laughed and laughed. His laughter spread throughout the surroundings, striking a new wave of terror in everyone, even some old elders were a little hesitant at the scene.


    Soon enough, Wei Jun stopped and looked at them all, especially Ju Bai Lu who involuntarily took a step backward.


    "Next time," Wei Jun said with a smirk on his face and then added with a deranged laughter, "Can send some more? I haven''t had enough."


    The behavior was anything but normal. Even the evil cultivators weren''t like that and with the elders present at the moment, the assumption that Wei Jun was a dark or evil cultivator was ruled out.


    That only meant that the expression they were seeing wasn''t someone who had gone crazy from using the dark Qi, it was the genuine expression of a crazy person.


    Wei Jun then turned to the elders and said, "I hope the fight was to your satisfaction, esteemed elders. I know I enjoyed it."


    Wei Jun said before he tossed a pill in the mouth of the cultivator who was down. He swallowed the pill instinctively and began to heal but his arm was beyond saying. Well, Wei Jun could still help but why should he?


    And while everyone thought that Wei Jun had taken mercy on the poor soul, they soon realized they were wrong.


    The man who woke up began to writhe in pain because of his missing arm, even though all his damage had been healed.


    And to that, Wei Jun did only one thing.


    He laughed.


    He laughed at man''s misery.


    Liu Yu, who stood by the side unclenched her fist and momentarily closed her eyes to calm herself down.


    But that calm didn''t last for long when Wei Jun glanced at her from the corner of his eye, mouthing the words with a deranged smile, ''Watch out.''

 Chapter 160: Businesses

    [Have you ever tried for Oscar, host?]


    ''No.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [You should]


    ''The best choice to instill fear is always brutal violence,'' Wei Jun replied as he and Lin Ruan, along with many other disciples made their way down the mountain.


    Everyone kept their eyes on Wei Jun but no one said a word. The opposite faction wasn''t included in this group; it was just Sun Ruan''s faction group. Still, the fear was properly ingrained into everyone.


    Even Wei Jun''s allies'' disciples were afraid of Wei Jun after that display of power. Had it been some lower-level student, it would have made sense. It wasn''t.


    It was one of the stronger students. And the fact that Wei Jun defeated that opponent in three moves without using Qi armament was more than enough for everyone to know of his potential.


    But what made them hesitant was his brutality. The way he had crippled that disciple wasn''t enough. He even stomped on his face to disfigure it badly to the point it couldn''t be recognized.


    And then, he just laughed.


    Like a lunatic.


    But it was all nothing but an act. Wei Jun wasn''t the type to lose himself in emotions, let alone for no reason. He never enjoyed killing. He only enjoyed conquering.


    When it came to killing, he always did it because he had to. Wei Jun never meaninglessly killed anyone even if they annoyed him. He was always willing to forgive them to an extent.


    [I think you should begin on the new protagonist, host]


    Shao Chen, the new protagonist of the new novel that had begun. Wei Jun didn''t know anything about the story of the protagonist but he did know that he had ten levels to unlock the first volume of the novel. The problem was that the novel had five volumes so it was a little longer.


    Also, the level-up condition wasn''t a relationship this time but influence.


    ''Why influence? It didn''t work for Run Long.'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Because Shao Chen is already plenty strong]


    [It isn''t about him becoming stronger]


    [It''s about him becoming the most influential person thanks to his power]


    [He doesn''t lack power for his goal] Experience tales at m-vl-e-mpyr


    [He lacks influence]


    [After all, his goal couldn''t be achieved unless he was willing to become an enemy of the empire]


    ''What is his goal?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [For that, you should have read the novels in your original life]


    ''Fu*k off.'' Wei Jun replied before he used ten levels to unlock the first volume.


    ''Fu*k.'' He said once again once he skimmed through the first volume of the novel which consisted of fifty chapters.


    Why was he annoyed?


    Well, that was because, in those fifty chapters, all Shao Chen did was beat up some small-time gangs that earned him the appreciation of the public.


    But¡­


    ''How the hell does it take fifteen chapters to take down five people?'' Wei Jun thought, annoyed by the fact that the dialogues between the fighters and the one fighting were too much.


    One person flaunts his power for one chapter, then gets beaten up for one chapter, then the praises come for one chapter straight and the beaten up person calls for another person, and then the cycle repeats.


    Fifteen chapters wasted for five people, pointless admiration, pointless praise, pointless bragging, and pointless fights because the people being defeated were nothing more than simple mortal humans who had some martial arts training.


    Wei Jun, who had wiped organizations in a night was especially annoyed by that fact. What was he supposed to do? There was no major event in that volume. No heroine was revealed and no other information about what Shao Chen''s motive was.


    All he did was beat up some small-time gangs to help the people and then wait for his comrades to come from abroad. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''This is giving me a headache¡­'' Wei Jun said. The unlock requirement of the next volume was also ten chapters and Wei Jun was stuck at thirty-six. He needed four more to level up to that point.


    ''No use worrying about it. I guess I will have to call my dear mayor.'' Wei Jun thought before he approached Lin Ruan.


    "I need some resources," Wei Jun said.


    "What is it?" Lin Ruan asked since Wei Jun had only ever asked for money, once, and even that was black.


    "I need some people to keep an eye on someone." Wei Jun said.


    "Who?" Lin Ruan curiously asked. Wei Jun remained silent and just kept looking at her. That was all the answer she needed to know he wasn''t so willing to answer. "I will send someone to your apartment, tomorrow."


    ****************


    Wei Jun was sitting in his office when he received a phone call from Li Wei, "Boss, I have found them all."


    Wei Jun smiled and simply replied, "Good. Send them all to me and I will take care of them myself."


    Money. A problem Wei Jun faced a lot at the current moment.


    Increasing just one stat cost him millions of yuans. Luckily, he was raking in money thanks to his new movie which was very popular. In just a few days, the sales had exceeded 500 million and there was no sign of that progress slowing down.


    Still, Wei Jun had invested all that money in several businesses and in the making of his new serial in which he would be the protagonist along with Xia Lu.


    In other words, he was short on money again. Besides, using that money in the shop would mean it disappearing, which would also mean a dubious paper trail. Where did the money go? A simple question that could cost him a lot. He could be easily framed to be supplying funds to terrorists or some other organizations.


    The only way to use that money was through paper companies but unfortunately, that would take some time.


    So, Wei Jun decided to make money in another way. Taking it from those who weren''t using it at the moment. There were many families in the city and many organizations from gangs to politicians that had black money in their possession.


    Wei Jun had obtained information about them from the prison inmates a few days ago and handed over the information to Li Wei who was smart enough to find out the locations of the banks, warehouses, and several legal facilities holding that money in just a few days.


    Now all that was left was to take it and for that, he needed to step in himself.


    With that settled, Wei Jun decided on his next move. He called Lao Chen and he appeared in under a minute.


    Lao Chen was Wei Jun''s personal secretary these days. Although Lao Chen''s loyalty lies elsewhere, Wei Jun doesn''t care. He only gave Lao Chen work that wouldn''t give any important information about him. That and the fact that Lao Chen could do the work of ten people alone just like Li Wei.


    "Yes, young master?" Lao Chen asked.


    Wei Jun handed him a file and said, "Create these companies. And register them. make sure to cover every legal aspect and leave nothing behind."


    Lao Chen opened the file and checked the business list. There were some bars, some cafes, some clubs, and some sports centers for the rich to play. The total revenue given for that was 500 million for now.


    It was nowhere near enough but the projects could be initiated with that. All of this was normal and didn''t ask for much attention from Lao Chen.


    What did get his attention was the mention of some companies that did absolutely nothing. Some delivery companies, some companies that handled online work.


    It was a lucrative business but the money being used in them was enormous. It only meant one thing. They were all paper companies.


    "Young master---" Lao Chen was about to speak when Wei Jun said, "Cook books. I need those businesses to be taking a lot of my money."


    Lao Chen looked at Wei Jun for a few moments before he bowed and left the room. Wei Jun was sure he was going to report this to Sun Ruan but he wasn''t worried.


    After all, no one, even Sun Ruan, couldn''t possibly imagine that Wei Jun had a shop where he could buy treasures to increase his power.


    At most, he would be mistaken as making hidden funds or converting money to black money for the black market. It was a usual move often used in the world of business.


    Wei Jun leaned back and began to formulate his plans. He had many things to do. Too many actually. He was lucky to have Li Wei and Lao Chen but there were still too many things for him to do.


    However, his main focus was his level. He felt the difference in strength between himself and the disciples last night. Had Wei Jun not used the discharge skill, he wouldn''t have been able to take him down so easily even with ''Qi armament'' and ''Qi empowerment'' skills.


    Just as he was about to get up, his phone rang. He checked the number to be unknown. He picked up the phone and heard from the other side, "Is this Mister Wei Jun Ruan?"


    "Yes." Wei Jun replied.


    "I am Mark Wilson. I believe Lady Lin told you about me." Wei Jun heard the man who spoke fluent Chinese on the other side. His name wasn''t Chinese which was strange but Wei Jun didn''t focus on that. He said, "Let us meet for dinner."

 Chapter 161: Mark Wilson

    Chow''s restaurant. A very famous restaurant for its steak. Only rich people could dine here and if your section was VVIP on top of that spoke volumes of your status.


    Wei Jun entered the restaurant for the second time. The first time he entered was when he came there to meet Na Tong, the woman who had put out a target on Zhan Yi and Quan Li.


    Wei Jun made his way to the VVIP section and found it to be empty. It was strange for such a famous restaurant. Wei Jun found a man in the middle sitting on a table, eating a steak gracefully.


    He looked like a typical Western with blonde hair and slightly blonde eyes, dressed in a suit, he looked like he came straight out of a spy movie.


    Wei Jun couldn''t feel any Qi from the man so he just ignored it. Either he wasn''t awakened, or he was something else. Since Wei Jun had only encountered mana so far, and even through direct physical contact, Wei Jun didn''t know much about anything else.


    [He''s a mana user, host]


    Wei Jun put up his guard but let it down the next moment.


    [You don''t need to worry host]


    [Mages are weak in close combat]


    [He has no traces of aura so he''s not physically great]


    [Even if he can cast spells very quickly, the shortest spell takes two seconds]


    [You can react before that]


    Wei Jun remembered a saying the system had said before. Mages never let anyone get closer to them if they intend to fight.


    Wei Jun approached the man and took the seat from across him. The man, presumably Mark Wilson, looked at the man across him and said, "Mister Ruan, I presume?"


    Wei Jun remained quiet. Mark hadn''t stood up to meet him which meant there was nothing official yet.


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything. Mark looked at him for a while before he said, "Before we begin, I would like to tell you that my fee is very high but I get the job done. If you''re not willing to meet my demands, there is no point in going forward with this."


    Wei Jun didn''t reply but he nodded to give Mark a go to speak.


    "I understand that there are some types of pills that only people with Qi can make. I want those." Mark spoke.


    "I looked into you. You recently got accepted in a sect, a good one. so you must have been given many treasures, right?" Mark asked.


    Wei Jun didn''t let his confusion show up on his face. After all, he didn''t know what Mark was talking about. Since when was he accepted? He wasn''t informed of that. Besides, he had only been to a sect just once and that was last night where he didn''t leave such a good impression behind.


    Yet, he was accepted? He was finding that hard to believe.


    Wei Jun remained quiet, no answer leaving his mouth. Mark chuckled and said, "Lady Lin said you would be a bit difficult."


    Mark then pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across saying, "I need these elixirs. If you can sacrifice your share of elixirs and get me these, I will get you whatever you want."


    Wei Jun took the piece of paper and read it. The list followed a few elixirs that Wei Jun could easily get from the shop. They weren''t expensive as well.


    Cumulatively they only cost him ten million yuan. What did catch his eye was the list of the elixirs. The items stated were of yin essence. For women.


    Wei Jun looked at Mark for a few moments but still didn''t speak a word. According to the system, some spells require the requirement of the voice. Whatever he said could be the prerequisite to act come king of a spell.


    Wei Jun pulled a pen out of his pocket while he pocketed the list. He wrote on the napkin near him and slid it across, "Deal done. Name: Shao Chen."


    Mark read it and laughed slightly. You do know that spells have categories, right? I cannot use mental high-level mental spells because my attribute is fire.


    Wei Jun just stared back, without saying a word. He didn''t understand what Mark meant nor was he interested in knowing.


    "Haa¡­ You are difficult indeed." Mark said as he pocketed the napkin and said, "I will let you know about the exchange meet-up via text message since you are so cautious about speaking."


    Wei Jun nodded and stood up to leave when Mark said, "Let us have a pleasant partnership, Mister Ruan."


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything and left. He headed straight for his car and headed straight to the warehouse after making sure there was no spell cast on him.


    [You can nullify spells with your Qi]


    [Qi interferes with mana circuits so that can help]


    [Of course, that would only work on lower-level spells since you are currently not that high-ranked yourself]


    It was also the system that assured him that there were no spells cast on him. Wei Jun arrived at his warehouse and made his way inside. He donned his biker outfit and left the warehouse on his bike.


    **********


    Recently, Yuan Yin city was very chaotic. Attacks of unknown origin, some medicine guy''s attack that disfigured half the city, a terrorist attack that blew a good part of the city, and the recent prison massacre. Everything was very chaotic about it.


    While in the middle of all of that, Zhao Hui, thanks to his promotion, only had more work added. And since a good chunk of the police force was under investigation for many cases of corruption, the police departments were severely short-staffed.


    "Coffee," A girl placed a cup of coffee in front of Zhao Hui. Zhao Hui took it with gratitude and smiled at the young woman who seemed to be in her early twenties.


    "Little Rong, it is hard to believe a gentle girl like you works for the cultivator''s special forces." Zhao Hui said.


    "Well, it''s because of my father. That''s all." The girl surnamed Rong replied with a smile. Her facial features were hidden by the shade so she couldn''t be seen completely.


    Zhao Hui said, "Haha. Then your father made the right choice. A talent like you belongs in the world of law enforcement. Helping people is a great virtue."


    "I actually didn''t want to become a cultivator police. I wanted to be the normal one, to get in direct contact with people. But unfortunately, I awakened at a young age so I had to reconsider my career path." The young woman whose features still couldn''t be made out said.


    "What do you mean ''unfortunate''? You don''t have to be part of the police to serve people. Besides, crooked cultivators are a greater threat than normal criminals." Zhao Hui said.


    The young woman didn''t say anything in response and just sipped her coffee.


    "Tell me about your recent cases." The young woman said, looking at the file opened in front of Zhao Hui that had the name and picture of a familiar person.


    "Wei Jun Ruan. Technically, he hadn''t done anything wrong. But I just lack the evidence to change that point." Zhao Hui sighed and said. It was a person who had almost crippled the entire police force.


    The public still didn''t fully trust the police and many of the policemen were fired because of extensive investigations. It wasn''t just that, the D.A. had also taken quite the hit, making the police department lose a great ally.


    "Is it possible he isn''t guilty?" The young woman asked.


    Get more chapters on m v l e mpyr


    "No. He is." Zhao Hui resolutely replied while he closed the file.


    Just at that moment, a voice came from his radio, "Calling all units. The bike suspect has appeared in the city. I repeat! The biker suspected of high-end robberies, civilian attack, and the prison attack has been spotted in the city."


    Zhao Hui hurriedly took the radio and spoke, "This is Sergeant Hui. Show me responding."


    He then switched the channel and said, "Call every officer, even those off duty. Set up barricades throughout the city. We must capture him this time."


    Zhao Hui was about to leave when the young woman said, "Should I come, Uncle Hui?"


    Zhao Hui looked at the girl and contemplated for a while. With her there, he could easily catch the person in suspicion but he didn''t know if it was right.


    The cultivator special forces didn''t interfere in the normal cases per the imperial decree. He didn''t want the young woman to get in trouble so he said, "For now it doesn''t seem to be a cultivator''s case. Let me think about it." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young woman nodded and said, "Do not hesitate though."


    Zhao Hui nodded and left the station. As for the young woman, she took the file on the table that Zhao Hui was just reading and began to read it, "Wei Jun Ruan." That was all she said and kept on reading.

 Chapter 162: The blue eyed girl

    A motorcycle waltzed the roads of the Yuan Yin city, going past every police barricade. The police had no choice but to shoot at the biker but their bullets did nothing to the biker nor his bike.


    As the biker passed another blockade, he stuck a bomb into a police car, blowing up an entire barricade, and blocking the road.


    As for the police, they employed air support and motorcycles of their own to follow the biker. The biker glanced at them from under his black helmet and sped up.


    It didn''t help that it was nighttime, the biker was fully in black, both bike, and outfit, and that his bike was also silent. The police were having a very hard time detecting him throughout the chase.


    "Where is he?" Zhao Hui asked on the radio.


    "He was last spotted on the western highway." A policeman replied.


    "Then why the hell am I here?" Zhao Hui angrily asked and turned his car from the overcut, making his way to the place where the biker was last seen.


    "Suspect is heavily armed, over," Another note came.


    Zhao Hui already knew that because the biker had indeed shown a number of weapons last time. However, it was worse this time. Almost half of the current police force was after him along with air support but they weren''t able to catch just one guy.


    From his direction, he seemed to be going in the direction of Yan Shun City, a neighboring city a couple of miles away.


    Zhao Hui wanted to interrupt the suspect before he approached the mountainous highway where maneuvering cars would be very difficult at high speed and air support would also be impossible given the high cliffs.


    "The biker has stopped. I repeat! The biker has stopped," A policeman reported over the radio.


    "Where?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "End of the western highway." The policeman replied.


    Zhao Hui was puzzled over that but he didn''t question it for long as he soon arrived at the scene. Hundreds of policemen standing at the scene in front of a biker who sat on his bike, his intentions unknown because of his covered face.


    "You''re surrounded." Zhao Hui said.


    The biker turned to look behind him and then once again turned his head to Zhao Hui and tilted it slightly as if saying ''Don''t you know the meaning of surrounded?''


    Zhao Hui knew what that was but all he could do was stall for time. There was no support coming from behind the biker because the nearest city from that highway was about 61 miles away and the highway police weren''t stationed this close to the city as well.


    They would take at least fifteen minutes to get there. The biker could run away in the middle of the woods along the highway during that time.


    "Show me your hands or we shoot." Zhao Hui once again calmly spoke into the microphone.


    The biker did nothing for a few seconds before he raised his hands. Zhao Hui nodded to one of the officers and stepped forward. He slowly made his way to the biker with a pair of cuffs.


    As Zhao Hui was just about to arrive in front of the biker, a best appeared out of nowhere in the biker''s hands. It took Zhao Hui a second when he realized it was a belt of grenades.


    "Take cover!" He yelled for the others but he was not so fast himself.


    Boom!


    An explosion engulfed the area, engulfing Zhao Hui in it. The others were safe but Zhao Hui wasn''t so lucky.


    Or maybe he was as when the destruction from the bombing settled down, Zhao Hui appeared to be fine. He opened his tightly shut eyes, feeling that he wasn''t crisp at the moment.


    He saw a familiar young girl in front of him, standing in front of him, facing the biker.


    "Now that was ruthless," She said with a smile.


    The girl was similar to Wei Jun in height, her hair pitch black, her face a mixture of rosy and pale. Her nose and jawline were well-defined to fit a perfect woman. If just counting this, her beauty surpassed Xia Lu, Lin Ruan, and Liu Yu.


    However, what elevated that already beautiful girl''s beauty to another level that all the above-mentioned girls would pale in comparison to?


    Her eyes. They were slightly blue, her cornea full of beautiful black lines with a light blue pupil in the middle.


    Those eyes were enchanting as much as they were dangerous. The biker had to admit he had never seen a girl more beautiful than her.


    One that was unrelated to him anyway.


    What else he could feel from the girl was the amount of Qi in her.


    [Qi manifestation realm]


    [Strength: 200]


    [Agility: 231]


    [Stamina: 279]


    [Qi: 311]


    Peak Qi manifestation realm. This girl was just one rank below Sun Ruan. The biker''s eyes, whose eyes couldn''t be seen beneath his helmet, were wide as hell when he saw her stats.


    That wasn''t an opponent he could face. The biker hurriedly threw another belt of grenades turned his bike around and sped away.


    An explosion sounded behind him but then a chilly sensation spread throughout the surroundings, reaching even the biker, a chill flowing the back of his spine.


    "That was the most interesting way I have been asked out." The biker heard a voice just beside him even though he was driving his bike at the 150 kmph speed.


    A blow struck him on his side, blowing the air out of him and bringing his HP down to the last digits.


    [Emergency]


    [A critical hit has caused an all-system failure]


    [Emergency aid would be used]


    [50% of Qi would be used to heal the emergency situation]


    Ten percent of the biker''s Qi returned upon the consumption of half of his Qi. He hurriedly swallowed a pill and his wounds began to heal.


    [A health replenishing pill has been consumed]


    [Health has been restored]


    [You cannot consume another pill for ten minutes]


    Half of his helmet was gone, half of his face, almost half, peeking out from underneath. The rest of it wasn''t in a good condition as well, cracked from all places.


    Still, his face wasn''t recognizable unless looked at with utmost concentration. The biker stood up and looked at the girl slowly stepping towards him.


    He also glanced at his bike, broken to pieces. His outfit was also in titters and the only blessing was that his face was still mostly covered.


    The girl smiled and said, "I like men in jeopardy. What kind of women do you like?" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The biker didn''t reply and just looked at her with an impassive gaze.


    "Be careful. If you keep looking at me like that, I might have to be a bit more forceful." The blue eyes girl said with a smile.


    The biker understood his situation quite clearly. She wasn''t an opponent he could face. Even if all the luck in the world was on his side, winning against such a powerful opponent was impossible. There was no chance against absolute strength.


    If it was at least a little difference such as twenty or thirty stat points, he could have at least tried, but in a situation where the difference was almost a hundred, trying was bound to fail.


    That only left one option. Run away.


    [Death Qi has been activated]


    [The skills activated by death Qi have twice the effect]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    [All physical stats +50]


    Wei Jun''s stats increased to 130, which was way better than 80 each. He didn''t use, or to be precise, he couldn''t use the yang Qi because it could be traced back to him. As it turned out, death Qi left no traces so no one will know who the biker really was.


    As soon as the death Qi made its presence aware, the girl''s expression turned dark. She stepped back slightly but didn''t do much. She increased her guard, her earlier laidback attitude nowhere to be seen.


    "Now I know I said I like bad guys, but, isn''t that a bit too much?" She asked as the chilly air around her intensified. Even Wei Jun''s death Qi didn''t have any effect on it.


    Unlike his own yang Qi, or Run Long''s Qi, the qi of the girl didn''t cower in fear from the death Qi. It seemed apprehensive, but not afraid.


    A storm of frost Qi began to accumulate at her left hand and a spiral at her right hand at the same time.


    The power she let out was anything Wei Jun had ever seen. Even Sun Ruan''s Qi wasn''t as terrifying as that. It was as if she was purer in every aspect than even Sun Ruan.


    [The cultivation technique she practices is pure]


    [Very pure] Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelFire


    Wei Jun didn''t need any more explanation nor did he have any time to do so. He pulled out every explosive in his inventory, enough to blow down a whole mountain.


    Enough that it would hurt even him. But it would still be nothing compared to the power he felt from the blue-eyed girl.


    "You crazy¡­"


    BOOOMMMM!!!!!

 Chapter 163: The blue eyed girl (1)

    The smoke and embers of the fire were finally under control. The fire department spent an entire night trying to control the fire that was spreading through the woods at a very fast pace.


    By the time they were done, it was high noon and the entire area was burnt down like charcoal. The only silver lining in all of that was that no one died. Not one person died in such a tremendous explosion and even more horrifying fire that threatened to engulf the entire forest if it wasn''t isolated thanks to a certain cultivator.


    "We cannot thank you enough for your assistance. Without you, it would have been impossible to take the fire down." A female firefighter thanked the blue-eyed girl again for the tenth time. It was all thanks to her cold Qi that the fire was contained otherwise, the damage would have been a lot worse.


    "Did you find anything? A body, perhaps?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "They won''t, Uncle Hui. He never intended to die in that explosion." The blue-eyed girl said.


    "Are you sure, little Rong?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "I''m certain." The blue-eyed girl replied. However, her head wasn''t there. She was more focused on something else. She remembered the cold dark eye she saw last night.


    Although the man''s face was only a quarter uncovered, she felt like she had seen him somewhere. She wasn''t sure so she wasn''t going to point any fingers.


    However, one thing was for sure, "That was certainly a cultivator, Uncle Hui. I think it would be better to involve the cultivator forces."


    Zhao Hui nodded in assent and said, "I will contact your father. Let''s see what he says."


    The girl nodded. She looked to her left where the salvaged bike parts were. It was completely gone. The bike had lost a lot of its fragments after dividing into millions due to the explosion.


    The bike was a bust. It would be impossible to find out where it came from. And given a person who was so cautious about all of that, she doubted it was traceable in the first place.


    Left with no option, she simply decided to wait for further orders. She was bound to get them sooner or later.


    ***********


    Wei Jun entered his office, a little frown on his face.


    [That was something]


    ''Yeah, me blowing in several pieces was interesting.'' Wei Jun said.


    [Yes, it was]


    [You blew up into so many pieces yet you still didn''t die]


    [I never knew it was a function of the death Qi]


    [Well, I don''t know much about the death Qi in the first place]


    Wei Jun was lucky enough that he had enough death Qi to activate Qi armament. But even that could save him from the effects of the explosion. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun''s was divided into eight pieces at least even at his full speed while running away.


    The only thing that was amazing was that the remaining death Qi formed strands on his body parts and reconnected them in an instant. But that didn''t mean he didn''t feel pain from that.


    He felt pain. A lot of pain from that. so much so that he was very disoriented when his body parts were repaired.


    But, he made it out of it alive. That was all that mattered to him at the moment.


    ''I need to look into death Qi properly.'' He decided because death Qi didn''t work like he predicted it to. It would help him absorb herbs even without him wanting to but when it came to elixirs, it wouldn''t.


    Just when he thought he had a pattern down, he would have to rethink that because the death Qi wouldn''t work as he had predicted.


    One thing was for sure, death Qi was powerful. Powerful than any other Qi and it had more mysteries than he could think.


    The only way to find out about them was to use it but so far, he didn''t know how to. Death Qi wasn''t like yang Qi that would be restored upon the consumption of a Qi replenishing pill.


    It would replenish on its own. It took almost an hour to just fully replenish and it ran down way faster than yang Qi because of its low amount.


    As much as Wei Jun wanted to experiment with it, it was too limited to conduct long-term research.


    ''The only way to increase it was also peculiar,'' Wei Jun thought.


    Wei Jun only got death Qi so far from the system update. It wasn''t actually the system update but more like the world tearing apart that increased his Qi. It got him thinking him something but he couldn''t really understand much about it.


    Deciding that overthinking wasn''t the solution, he decided to let it go.


    Just as he was about to sit down and go on with his day because there was nothing he could do about the rest, Lao Chen entered, a troubled expression on his face as he informed Wei Jun of a guest.


    "Young master, a woman is here to see you. She claims to be from the cultivator''s special forces but she doesn''t have an ID to prove it." Lao Chen informed. Impersonating a cultivator from the cultivator forces wasn''t a good idea. The penalty was very harsh even for those in power so no one in their right mind would claim to do so.


    But, if she indeed was from the cultivator''s special forces, then the consequences would equally be harsh, leading to all sorts of trouble. That was the last thing Lao Chen needed for himself and his master.


    "Let her in," Knowing exactly why Lao Chen was troubled, Wei Jun allowed the woman to enter. Lao Chen left with a bow and after a few minutes, a woman more enchanting than ever entered the room.


    She was similar to Wei Jun in height in her heels, her face was flawless, her nose and chin well defined. Her hair was black and the most enchanting thing about her was her sky-blue piercing eyes with black lines originating from the base of the pupil, giving her a look that was enough to turn the heart of a monk upside down.


    Unfortunately, Wei Jun was more stoic than a monk, making her charm useless against him. Even Lao Chen, who followed her in, couldn''t stop stealing glances at her.


    "You can leave now, thanks," It wasn''t Wei Jun who said that to Lao Chen but the girl herself. Wei Jun chuckled but didn''t disagree with her. Lao Chen left, a little embarrassed.


    The girl turned to Wei Jun and extended her hand saying, "Hello, Mister Ruan, or should I call you Wei Jun?"


    Wei Jun didn''t mind her forwardness and said, "A little too soon to be on the first name basis, aren''t we? You should at least ask me out to dinner."


    The girl chuckled as Wei Jun took her hand, slightly shook it, and let it go. She looked at her hand and then said, "I am Yan Rong, a lieutenant in the cultivator''s special forces."


    She then took the seat without Wei Jun''s permission and continued, "We are investigating a rogue cultivator who almost assassinated one of the higher-ranked officials of the cultivator''s special forces."


    "And what do I have to do with it?" Wei Jun asked while taking his own seat.


    Yan Rong didn''t reply. She instead pulled out a picture from her pocket and passed it to Wei Jun while asking, "Any idea who this individual is?"


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    Wei Jun looked at the photograph to see a very familiar face. It was none other than Run Long who Wei Jun had killed.


    Wei Jun looked at Yan Rong and chuckled, before he handed her the photograph and said, "If you''re trying to trick me, it wouldn''t work."


    Yan Rong smiled and said, "Uncle Hui told me you would be difficult to trick."


    "I assume your Uncle Hui also told you about his encounters with me?" Wei Jun asked.


    "He did." Yan Rong replied before she asked, "What enmity did you have with this person?" She raised Run Long''s picture.


    Wei Jun''s expression also became serious as he replied, "I took his girl."


    "I doubt that. He and Xia Lu had no connection whatsoever. And the one girl he did have a connection with, I just saw her downstairs kissing another guy." Yan Rong said.


    "I never said I took her for myself." Wei Jun said.


    "So you took her but you were never interested in her. Then why go after her at all?" Yan Rong asked.


    "Maybe I just didn''t like seeing two people destined to live together forever. For some reason, I just wanted to tear them apart." Wei Jun replied.


    "You''re an amazing liar, Wei Jun." Yan Rong said as she stood up and approached Wei Jun with slow steps. Wei Jun didn''t bother putting up his guard because she wasn''t going to harm him.


    She came behind him and whispered in his ear something he didn''t expect, "I like honest men."


    Wei Jun narrowed his eyes and turned to her, only to be surprised as a pair of lips pressed into his own, making his eyes wide.

 Chapter 164: The blue eyed girl (2)

    "See you around, Wei Jun," Wei Jun still remembered that moment and couldn''t help but think about it again and again.


    Saying that he was charmed by it or lost like a high school boy was a stretch. Instead, his mind went straight to¡­


    ''She did something to me.'' Wei Jun said to the system.


    [For the thousandth time]


    [It was just a kiss]


    ''No. She did something. She may have poisoned me with her lipstick or tried to infiltrate my Qi core with her Qi.'' Wei Jun refuted the system.


    [She wasn''t wearing a makeup]


    [And her Qi didn''t move in the slightest]


    [It was a kiss]


    ''No. There must be something that you missed.'' Wei Jun said.


    [Right]


    [A little girl born yesterday at the stage of just Qi manifestation realm managed to fool a million years old Qi master like me who reached the transcendence of cultivation]


    ''Exactly.'' Wei Jun agreed with this explanation.


    [Sarcasm]


    [That was sarcasm]


    [If she managed to give you something]


    [Then it''s paranoia]


    Wei Jun''s eyes flinched but he didn''t say anything. Instead, he asked, ''Then why would a girl just kiss someone out of nowhere?''


    [Maybe she''s open]


    [Or maybe you should look in the mirror]


    ''What''s that supposed to mean?'' Wei Jun asked.


    In reply, the system showed Wei Jun his status, or to be precise, just one stat.


    [Charm: 51]


    Looking at it, Wei Jun once again asked, ''What''s that supposed to mean?''


    [You cannot practice being dense right now]


    [Anyway, it was a kiss]


    [Either forget about it]


    [Or get in contact with her]


    ''That doesn''t sound right.'' Wei Jun was apprehensive. He had already lost Xia Lu big time. He didn''t know what she would do upon learning of this fact as well. She may not even forgive him this time.


    [Is that fact more important than a beauty like that]


    ''So you''re a womanizer who goes after beautiful girls?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Of course]


    [Beauty is the man''s number one criterion]


    [Besides]


    [Coming from me that she is a beauty means a lot]


    [My wives were ten times more beautiful than her]


    Wei Jun chose to ignore that remark and thought back to the moment. He was left stunned when she kissed him, not because he was flustered but because he couldn''t understand her motives.


    And even after an hour of debate, he didn''t arrive at a conclusion.


    "You know, it''s rude to think about someone else when you''re with someone else." Zi Huan remarked as put a lemonade in front of Wei Jun.


    He had given Wei Jun a drink in the past but he denied it, saying he didn''t drink so he gave him a lemonade this time.


    "A ridiculously beautiful girl and you. You make a choice." Wei Jun said.


    "Point made." Zi Huan said and then asked, "What do you need?"


    "Explosives." Wei Jun said.


    "What? You had enough to blow up half of the city." Zi Huan confusedly said. Even if the attack on the Ruan family building and surroundings was Wei Jun''s doing, he should still have a good amount of explosives.


    "Wait." It then clicked and Zi Huan asked, "Was it you last night at the western highway?"


    Wei Jun remained quiet but that was all the answer Zi Huan needed. "Ah cr*p. I have a lunatic as my customer."


    He then looked at Wei Jun for a while before he said with a sigh, "I can give you about ten percent of your requirement right now. The rest will have to be ordered."


    "Don''t you have it lying around?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I have police lying around as well. And with your stunt at the Western Highway, the cultivator''s special forces have been officially involved." Zi Huan said.


    "I see." Wei Jun nodded in understanding before he said, "I need a few more things as well."


    "Good luck finding them because you killed the last supplier." Zi Huan said, referring to the dealer Wei Jun had obtained the biker and some gadgets before he killed him.


    "Did a new one not take his place?" Wei Jun asked because what Zi Huan said didn''t make sense. The competition in the underworld was more intense than anywhere else.


    One criminal was barely dead when a hundred were ready to take his place. After all, the legal bigwigs needed someone to do the dirty work.


    "Someone as well connected as him. Doubt that." Zi Huan said.


    "If he was so well connected, then why hasn''t he been avenged?" Wei Jun asked curiously.


    "You really don''t have any other contact with the underworld except for me, do you?" Zi Huan asked.


    Once again Wei Jun didn''t say anything but Zi Huan got his answer as he said, "There is a 100 million yuan bounty on you. They just don''t know it is you who killed him."


    Wei Jun nodded but all he did was, "Meh."


    "Meh?" Zi Huan asked.


    "I mean just 100 million for a guy you claim to be well-connected speaks volumes of how cheap the underworld is." Wei Jun said.


    Zi Huan stared at Wei Jun for a while before he said, "Fair point."


    He then got Wei Jun weapons, some machine guns, some ammo for his big weapons, and some explosives that were barely enough to blow a block but they were still helpful to Wei Jun.


    "What else?" Zi Huan asked. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I need some of those things." Wei Jun once again said.


    "Haa¡­" Zi Huan sighed and then said, "Fine. I will see what I can arrange for my number one customer."


    "Really?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Really. You have brought me more business than all of my past customers combined. May you live long." Zi Huan said.


    "Mhm." Wei Jun said before he remarked, "For a number one customer, I have never received a discount."


    "If you''re looking for a discount, the food stall''s a couple of blocks away. Buy a pack of bananas and he will give you a full yuan discount." Zi Huan straightforwardly dismissed such a notion.


    Wei Jun shook his head and said, "Then, I will be leaving. I will visit in a week''s time. Prepare a few things by then."


    "Sure." Zi Huan replied.


    *********************************


    Wei Jun came out of the small bar and made his way to his car. Since he couldn''t go around robbing the city in broad daylight, especially with a cultivator as strong as Yan Rong roaming the city, Wei Jun decided to do that officially.


    And the best way to do that was none other than the very mayor of the city. All Wei Jun had to do was make his way to the city mayor. Blackmail him, push him around, possibly threaten him with his life if he talked back, and voila. All done.


    What Wei Jun didn''t know was what happened to Zi Huan after he left so merrily.


    *********


    The door to Zi Huan''s private room opened and he said, "Welcome." But it was a short welcome as he froze when he saw who it was.


    "Little Zi, how are you~~?" A certain blue-eyed girl in a blue dress and blue purse entered the bar, a happy expression on her face. But what Zi Huan noticed the most were the blood stains on her dress.


    "What did you do?" He asked, a foreboding sense overwhelming him.


    "Well, I don''t know why, but whenever I go out, some disgusting men try to touch me all the time. So I have to break their hearts sometimes. Sometimes, to the point that they are left breathless." Yan Rong replied like a beautiful girl before she added with an even more enchanting smile, "Literally."


    To Zi Huan, however, that smile was nothing but the smile that might decide his fate today. He knew she wasn''t someone he could take on. Hell, he would be lying headless on the floor before even blinked.


    "What do you want?" Zi Huan asked.


    "Oh, I want to know about your previous customer. Why was Wei Jun Ruan here?" Yan Rong asked with a cute curious expression.


    ''How does she know him?'' Zi Huan wondered inwardly because the Yan Rong he knew never had any interest in men, even if they were criminals she was after.


    But for now, that didn''t matter because there was something else at stake at the moment. Whether or not he should oust Wei Jun Ruan. Doing so would be very easy but not doing so would be the sole foundation of his business.


    Not to mention if Wei Jun came out for his crimes, Zi Huan would be punished as well for being an accomplice in such major terror incidents.


    So, in the end, he decided to cover for Wei Jun even though things may get a little troublesome moving forward.


    "He was a customer. Here to buy some white powder." Zi Huan simply pointed the issue towards drugs. After all, it wasn''t strange for a rich boy to do drugs.


    "Oh, really~~~?" Yan Rong once again cutely asked. "I guess that must be it."


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    Her reply placated Zi Huan a little but before he could even react, his neck was held by a soft hand but the clenching feeling on his neck was anything but soft.


    "Little Zi," Yan Rong said with a smile and asked, "Do you want to die?"

 Chapter 165: The wife (Bonus: P.S)

    "Little Zi," Yan Rong said with a sweet smile while also pressing harder on Zi Huan''s neck and said, "Don''t you know it is rude to lie to your little sister?"


    ''Who''s little?'' Zi Huan would have definitely said that but he was too busy trying not to suffocate. He was trying to preserve his life as much as he could but the hold of Yan Rong was becoming tighter and tighter by the second. To the point where he felt those were his last moments.


    But Yan Rong wasn''t there to kill him. Zi Huan was, after all, a necessary evil of the society. Not only was he the supplier of arms to the people, but he was also an informant who was deeply infested with the underworld of various cities.


    Eventually, she had to let go of him. But the smile on her face didn''t disappear as she saw Zi Huan trying to hungrily breathe, gasp in, and make up for the air he had just been deprived of.


    "Lie to me one more time, little Zi, and I might have to really finish the job." Yan Rong said with a smile but Zi Huan was terrified to the bone.


    "If he was a druggie, he would have never intrigued me." Yan Rong said the base of her reasoning and added, "And he also didn''t seem to be the type to have women all around him."


    "That''s two of the things your family provides, doesn''t it?" Yan Rong asked.


    Zi Huan remained quiet and kept his eyes on the floor while he was still on the floor.


    "Then that only leaves one other thing he was here for. Guns." Yan Rong concluded but then confusedly asked, "But he didn''t have a weapon on him earlier and also not when he left the bar. Did he hide them somewhere?"


    To that, Zi Huan had no answer. He had seen Wei Jun leaving with a bag full of explosives. If Yan Rong hadn''t seen a bag, then he really might have hidden them somewhere.


    "Tell me, little Zi, is he the biker from last night?" Yan Rong straightforwardly asked.


    Zi Huan remained quiet. He already knew the consequences of lying but telling the truth wasn''t necessarily needed because Yan Rong never needed a verbal confirmation for her answer.


    "So he is." Yan Rong said, an infatuated smile on her face as she remembered the scene from last night that made her tremble. ''Those cold but deep eyes¡­''


    Just the thought sent shivers down her body.


    Yan Rong was a figure feared for her talent. She wasn''t the type to even focus on cultivation. She never trained for even one day in her life yet her Qi flowed so naturally that she could even face Qi masters and still come out unscratched.


    All that without even training. It terrified one to think how she could become if she were to actually put her mind to training.


    Her Qi, which naturally increased bit by bit every day might explosively increase. But there was just one problem with that. And that was her feelings.


    She had seen many cultivators lose their feelings the stronger they became. She even felt the same for herself. She didn''t want that. Under that fa?ade, she was, in the end, a girl who dreamed of a happy and normal life.


    ''I wonder if he would think weird of me?'' She thought inwardly before she asked Zi Huan, "What was he here for, little Zi?" Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelFire


    "He wanted a new bike." Zi Huan replied without any hesitation and added, "And some other things."


    "I see." Yan Rong replied before she said, "Provide him with everything he needs. Especially if that makes him get out on the street more."


    ''After all, the more he is, the more we can meet.'' She thought inwardly before another shiver went down her spine.


    "But¡­" Zi Huan wanted to say that he couldn''t get that stuff when Yan Rong spoke, "Treat him like me from now on. If you mistreat him, I might just get angry, little Zi."


    "Ye¡ªYes." Zi Huan stuttered and replied.


    "Also, make sure not to mention me. But I don''t need to remind you of that, do I?" Yan Rong once again asked with her trademark smile.


    Zi Huna trembled and nodded in assent, making Yan Rong appreciatively nod.


    She then simply turned and left, through the gambling den that was now desolate because half of the people in there were dead, while those who survived, whole and not so much, ran away with all their might.


    She stepped on a head and splattered it on her way to the outside and looked up at the sky saying, "What a beautiful day."


    *************


    Chao Hu was quaking in his boots as he kneeled on the floor, one of his bodyguards incapacitated on the floor beside him, missing a limb.


    "Now when I said that it was fine to act in public, I never said to be disrespectful like earlier," Wei Jun said as he wiped his hands on Chao Hu''s, the mayor of Yuan Yin City, suit.


    "Ple¡ªPlease forgive me, you---young master." Chao Hu trembled as he felt Wei Jun''s hand on his shoulder, the bottom of his palm connected to Chao Hu''s neck.


    "This is what happens when people start thinking outside their limit," Wei Jun said as he leaned back in Chao Hu''s seat while Chao Hu kneeled in front of him.


    "Oi," Wei Jun called out to Chao Hu and said, "Don''t ever forget your limit. Laws won''t always be there to protect you. Someday, somewhere, you will be alone. Outside of everyone''s protection. I don''t need to say anything further now, do I?"


    "Yes, young ma¡ªmaster." Chao Hu wasn''t placated in the least. He was so terrified that the only reason he hadn''t browned his pants was because his stomach was empty. The same could be said about his bladder though.


    "Good," Wei Jun said and got to his agenda, "Get the police mobilized. I will fund them personally. Get rid of all the gangs that are troubling people. Do not forget to publicize my name. Try to paint me as good of a messiah as you can."


    "Yes, young master." Chao Hu didn''t stutter this time.


    Wei Jun nodded and stood up, but he didn''t leave, instead, he came closer to Chao Hu, who couldn''t even back away in fear, and whispered, "And get in contact with my wife again, and I will make you eat a new cuisine very famous among your secretaries."


    "Your golden balls."


    Chao Hu trembled a lot in fear but all he did was nod. Wei Jun smiled and left the office, the secretary outside looked at him with a smile and said, "Are you finished, sir?"


    "Yes, I am." Wei Jun said with a smile before he added, "The mayor asked me to tell you that he was feeling a little tired so he would like to not be disturbed for some time."


    "Yes, sir." The secretary replied with a smile.


    ***********


    "Welcome home, darling." Wei Jun heard the voice of a girl as soon as he entered his apartment. Wei Jun turned to look at the familiar girl, none other than his wife, Liu Yu.


    Wei Jun just stared at her and asked, "What do you want?"


    "Well, since you fired your maid, I thought I would cook for you." Liu Yu said with a smile.


    Wei Jun looked at the dinner prepared on the dining table and said, "I hope it isn''t poisoned."


    "Come on~~ Why would you even say that? I don''t think the title of a widow would suit me so soon." Liu Yu said dramatically.


    Wei Jun chose to ignore that remark and activated Qi armament along with Wi empowerment, both with yang Qi, and appeared in front of Liu Yu in a flash but only to be stopped by her palm.


    [Qi manifestation realm]


    [Strength 59]


    [Stamina 62]


    [Agility 56]


    [Qi 161]


    [She broke through to the next level it seems]


    Although in terms of physical power, Wei Jun was stronger, he lost when it came to the matter of Qi. And not just that, the fact that Liu Yu could wrap her hand in visible Qi at only a certain point was proof of her Qi manifestation which meant she was officially a fourth-level cultivator now.


    [Not to mention her Qi is very pure as well]


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    [I think an A rank technique]


    [Which she didn''t have last time]


    Wei Jun pulled back and stopped. It was a fight he could win if put in some effort and if he were to use his death Qi, however, he didn''t want the apartment to be destroyed.


    Not to mention that Xia Lu lived in the same building. Anything could happen to her and he might not be that fast to save her this time.


    "Ahh¡­ So rough of you, husband." Liu Yu said with a blush that only crept Wei Jun out instead of charming him.

 Chapter 166: The second child of destiny (Bonus: Review)

    This chapter is thanks to the review of ''krystal_coss''. Hope you enjoyed it and continue to do so.


    ************************


    "Ahh¡­ So rough of you, husband." Wei Jun flinched at Liu Yu''s words and stepped back in disgust. When Liu Yu saw that, she chuckled and said, "I thought you liked lascivious girls. Given how you''re so infatuated with that wench Xia Lu."


    "There''s a difference between lascivious and a sl**." Wei Jun said, freezing Liu Yu in her spot. She looked at Wei Jun, anger in her eyes as she said, "It seems you have lost your mind, husband."


    "Probably," Wei Jun dispelled all the skills and calmly said, "Go ahead. Take a swing on me. Prime chance to kill me."


    However, Liu Yu didn''t move to that provocation. She couldn''t after all. She was too bound to do that. She wasn''t stronger than her master at the moment. She couldn''t disobey him. She needed him to grow stronger as well so she decided to hold off on making any hasty decisions.


    Besides, a war started by her would be hardly beneficial to her, at all.


    "See you around, husband." Liu Yu said and left, taking her purse from the couch she was sitting on.


    Wei Jun watched her leave with a cold look on his face. However, he also knew that a war started by him would be detrimental to him. The consequences would be too harsh.


    He wasn''t powerful enough to impose his own will on everyone. He had to do what Sun Ruan wanted at the moment, well, as long as it wasn''t anything too unreasonable.


    Wei Jun turned and made his way to the dinner on the table. It was exactly the same as the one made by the maid. It seemed like Liu Yu didn''t know how to cook.


    ''Well, as long as she doesn''t come in front of me.'' Wei Jun thought as he left to freshen up before he began to eat.


    The threat was to kill the maid if she came in front of him. But if she didn''t, then Wei Jun didn''t mind.


    Besides, he couldn''t kill her that easily anyway. Although the repercussions would be a lot less severe, she was still a core disciple. He didn''t want to make any hasty moves while the looming threat of the sect was still hanging above his neck.


    ***************


    The next day, the police were ordered to launch a full-scale operation against the gangs of the city by the mayor. Of course, they didn''t wipe out everyone, only some small-level gangs that dealt with the public. The higher level ones never dealt in public so they weren''t a threat to the public.


    The operation was funded by none other than Wei Jun Ruan of the Ruan family. When asked at the press conference regarding it, Wei Jun simply replied, "I couldn''t help but do so to restore the faith of the public in the police.


    Even though what happened to me was unfortunate, Detective Zhao Hui convinced me that there were good policemen as well and the good ones shouldn''t suffer because of the bad ones."


    Wei Jun then looked at the smiling Zhao Hui next to him and said, "So when he came to me with his concerns, I couldn''t help but admire his will to go so far for justice."


    Zhao Hui smiled even more, after all, his superior was sitting right next to him. If not, he wouldn''t be smiling right now. He would be cursing. At least five generations of Wei Jun were cursed in his heart.


    "Pffttt!!! HAHAHAHA!!!" A certain blue-eyed girl laughed uncontrollably as she said, "Uncle Hui looks like he''s constipated."


    "Is that something a woman should be saying?" A man asked.


    "What?" Yan Rong asked with a cold expression as she said with chill in her eyes, "Who told you, you could come so close to me?"


    The man involuntarily stepped back and clamped his mouth shut. "Stay within your limit when you speak to me. Next time I will use my hand instead of a verbal warning."


    "Ye¡ªYes." The man replied. The other men in the room looked at him pitifully.


    Yan Rong, although their team leader, was someone who never treated them like human beings. They would have thought that she wasn''t interested in the opposite gender but leaned more on the same gender side but that theory was marked invalid as well because she was equally harsh to everyone.


    "Hmm? I thought about it last time but he looks even more charming in an Italian than in three piece." Yan Rong said to particularly no one but everyone in the room heard it clearly.


    On the TV, Zhao Hui wasn''t wearing an Italian. Only one person was. Wei Jun Ruan. The handsome man who had charmed every woman in that room and made the men curse him down to his seventeen generations.


    As for Yan Rong, while her back was turned to everyone, she had an infatuated expression on her face as she quietly said, "He looks even more charming when deceiving everyone with his lies."


    ''There''s something wrong with her head.'' Everyone in the room thought at the same time.


    Although Yan Rong''s voice was very low, everyone in the room was still a cultivator. They heard her clearly.


    **********


    "Is this a new game of yours?" Zhao Hui asked in anger as they were out of the public''s eye.


    "Oye Zhao Hui! How dare you talk to Mister Ruan like that?!" Zhao Hui''s superior scolded Zhao Hui but instead of backing down, Zhao Hui kept his eyes on Wei Jun.


    "Why are you so angry, detective? After all, doesn''t this benefit you as well?" Wei Jun asked with a smile.


    That smile only vexed Zhao Hui more as he said, "Don''t think you''re doing us a favor. We are just another piece in your schemes."


    Wei Jun''s smile disappeared with his usual cold look as he said, "Well, it''s good that you now know your place. You will live a long life that way."


    Zhao Hui clenched his fists as he asked, "Do you think you will always get away with it?"


    "No." Wei Jun unsurprisingly said. "Not everything will go according to my plan. I am, in the end, a human being, bound to mess up. But, I will still win. If not naturally, then all I have to do is to just snatch it from the winner."


    Wei Jun stepped closer to Zhao Hui and said, "After all, it doesn''t matter who came first. All that matters is that the one who is standing in that first spot is me, always me."


    Zhao Hui couldn''t help but refute that sentence. That was how the world always worked. The world always revolved around the victor. It never mattered who that victor was and how he came to that spot, the world was unconcerned with that story. All it needed was a victor, uninterested in whether he truly was one or not.


    "Change that mindset of yours, detective. You will lead a much easier life." Wei Jun said as he turned around and left the room, leaving the venue where the press conference was held.


    On the way, he encountered another meeting being held in the venue.


    There was a reason why Wei Jun had chosen that particular venue for the press conference. It was because another press conference was being held there.


    A press conference about a company that sold healthy food products. A subsidiary of the Peng family, a medium-grade family of Yuan Yin City.


    The Peng family was already lower in rank than the Ruan family, their subsidiary was bound to be even more lower in rank. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the person running that company wasn''t someone to be dismissed. It wasn''t because she was all-powerful or something. It was simply because she also didn''t like bending to someone else''s will.


    Wei Jun liked these kinds of people so he decided to let her live. As long as she was willing to abandon her bodyguard that was.


    Why?


    [A child of density has been spotted]


    [Shao Chen''s entry has been added to the glossary]


    [Update the character profile in the glossary by obtaining more information on the character]


    Wei Jun ignored the message he just received and looked at the woman in a formal suit, being followed by a group of four bodyguards. And one of them was none other than Shao Chen.


    Wei Jun kept looking at them, not taking his eyes off them for even a second. It wasn''t like he was trying to stir trouble. He was just looking at them.


    However, such an intense stare couldn''t be dismissed so easily. Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelFire.net


    The group stopped. When they turned to look at who it was, the three guards hesitated. As for the girl, she was debating whether to stand up for herself or not.


    As for the last individual, for some reason, he didn''t like Wei Jun, not to mention his stare made him uncomfortable.


    So he stepped forward, dismissing all risks as he spoke, "What the hell are you looking at?"

 Chapter 167: The changes (Bonus: Review)

    This bonus chapter is for the ''Smiley9471''s review. Thanks for the review, I hope you enjoyed my novel and continue to do so.


    ****************


    "What are you looking at?" A handsome man somewhere between 25-28 asked rudely. Wei Jun remained quiet. His focus wasn''t on him in the first place.


    "Your boss." Wei Jun said before he added, "I have a business proposal for her."


    Although the young man was annoyed by that attitude, he still turned to look at the woman who nodded in return. The man stepped aside, letting Wei Jun pass.


    "Miss Peng, I presume?" Wei Jun asked with a straight expression but with his face turned to the man, the words weren''t really displaying their true meaning.


    "Yes." The girl replied.


    Wei Jun nodded and began with an introduction of himself, "I am Wei Jun Ruan. It is a pleasure to meet you."


    Wei Jun extended his hand. Now although not taking the hand would be rude, taking it would deliver another type of news that wasn''t so amicable for the reputation of the young girl. After all, being seen with Wei Jun, who had a reputation for being the worst person to ever exist, her reputation might also end up taking a hit.


    But she took his hand anyway.


    Not doing so by believing in some rumors would be rude after all.


    Seeing was believing. She would observe for herself and then decide. After all, it wasn''t like Wei Jun could force her.


    "I am very inspired by your business and the way you conduct it. I was hoping you wouldn''t mind meeting me for lunch tomorrow. We can discuss business that can be beneficial for both of us." Wei Jun said while handing over his card that had his office and personal number as well.


    Yue Peng looked at the card and then at Wei Jun. She nodded as she pocketed the card and said, "I will let you know by the evening."


    Wei Jun nodded and left while saying, "Have a nice day."


    "You too." Yue Peng replied with courtesy.


    The brief exchange came to an end but Wei Jun could feel the glare of the man from earlier. The man who was her bodyguard but also there with ulterior motives.


    Well, he was a nice guy so a few ulterior motives weren''t a bad thing anyway.


    Wei Jun, however, was a variable the man couldn''t afford so he decided to dig up some information on him.


    After all, he didn''t like variables. That was the kind of man Shao Chen was.


    **********


    ''It''s different.'' Wei Jun said in his head while driving his car.


    [What is, host?]


    ''Everything.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [So you noticed]


    ''You think I wouldn''t?'' Wei Jun asked, offended by the fact that the system would even think so.


    ''I noticed it before but I just thought it was my mind playing tricks on me. maybe I saw it wrong or something but I cannot be wrong in both cases.'' Wei Jun said.


    What he meant by everything that was different was that there was the addition of some new things. When Wei Jun came to this world, the first thing he did after becoming active was to get information on the entire city. That also included the city''s families, the names of the bureaucrats, the companies in it, and the geography of the city.


    It had no mention of the Peng family. However, when Wei Jun tasked Mark Wilson to run a check on Shao Chen, he informed him that he worked for some Peng family''s young miss.


    Wei Jun was skeptical because he hadn''t heard that name before. So he decided to run a check on the city once again. This time, there were some more families, some more companies, some more bureaucrats, and most of all, the size of the city had extended a bit.


    Wei Jun thought that he had researched it wrong before, but he couldn''t have been wrong in every aspect. The city had changed.


    [Well, of course it did]


    [The grade of the novel increased from 1 to 2 so the changes have to be according to that as well] Explore stories on m,v l''-NovelFire.net


    [Not just this city]


    [The entire world changed]


    [The power at work here is far beyond your imagination]


    [Expanding the size of the world is child''s play]


    Wei Jun seriously contemplated the issue. It wasn''t the fact that it was an impossible thing. If he could be brought to another world, then there was a good chance many other things were possible as well.


    However, what Wei Jun was overwhelmed by the power of an individual to do so.


    ''Is it the world?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [If the world could do something like this]


    [It wouldn''t ever stay here]


    The system replied with another thing that didn''t make any sense to him. Wei Jun couldn''t understand the essence of the issue here and the power of the beings involved.


    This was all too new for him and he was overwhelmed by many, many factors at once.


    ''Then who is it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [¡­]


    No reply came. Wei Jun understood what that meant so he remained quiet. After all, he didn''t know what was at stake here. He couldn''t fully comprehend the entire issue with his newfound knowledge.


    The only way to do that was to keep moving forward. And to move forward, Wei Jun needed to defeat the protagonists.


    *************


    Shao Chen returned to the office of Yue Peng. Once they were alone, He could not help but say, "Miss, I don''t think it is a good idea to meet that man."


    Yue Peng looked at him with expressionless eyes and said, "I don''t remember asking for your advice. And besides, he didn''t look like he had any ulterior motives."


    "You cannot judge a person fully by their actions." Shao Chen tried to persuade her but it didn''t have any effect, "So should I treat you the same?" Yue Peng asked in return.


    Shao Chen had no reply to that because he was also there just for his own purposes. The family he was after was the family to which Yue Peng was engaged. It wasn''t an engagement of happiness but nothing but the lechery of the young master of that family.


    Yue Peng was beautiful so he wanted her. Shao Chen saw it as a convenient way to destroy that man''s life. See his fianc¨¦e being stolen in front of his eyes. That would be his first move against that family.


    Besides, he wasn''t entirely there with impure intentions. Yue Peng wasn''t happy with that marriage so he was sort of doing her a favor as well. Or at least that was how he viewed his actions.


    "But I stil---" He began to say when he was interrupted by Yue Peng who said, "Mister Chen, for some reason you think my life is any of your business."


    This time, there was no expressionless face. This time, there was nothing but coldness on her face.


    "I think it would be better if you guarded me from outside my room until further notice." Yue Peng said, the same cold expression on her face.


    Shao Chen hesitated, he didn''t want to blow his chances with Yue Peng, his ticket to the family he was after. So he decided to give in for now and try again later.


    He came out and sent another guard in while taking his spot outside the office.


    "You look troubled, young man." The other bodyguard, a slightly older man in his forties said.


    "It''s nothing major. It''s just that my gut is telling me that guy from earlier isn''t good news and that ma''am shouldn''t meet him." Shao Chen explained to the other guard.


    "Well, I understand what you mean. He has a reputation for forcing himself on women." The older guard said.


    "What?" Shao Chen was shocked. He didn''t think it was that deep. All he thought was that it must have been the case of a playboy. He never expected it to be that.


    "Yeah. And it''s much worse. He has been spotted with several women despite being engaged and even now that he is married, he''s still rumored to be involved with the famous actress Xia Lu." The other guard man explained.


    "What do you mean? I didn''t know she was that type of girl." Shao Chen said that because Xia Lu had a good reputation.


    "Ahh¡­ You know these rich playboys. They know how to trap young women. I bet he also approached young miss under the guise of business but intends to make a move on her." The old man explained more.


    "Then, isn''t that bad? Shouldn''t we stop her?" shao Chen asked.


    "What can we do? All we can do is protect her in case something like that happens." The older guard said.


    Shao Chen nodded but he still wasn''t satisfied. He couldn''t push his progress with Yue Peng, but he could get rid of a variable on his own.


    "I need to make a call." Shao Chen said and left.


    As he did, the older guard took out his phone and dialed a number on it. once the call connected, the guard said, "I did as you said, young master Ruan."


    "Good." Wei Jun said before he asked, "How''s your daughter by the way?"


    "Thanks to your grace, she can now walk. I hope you can forgive me for not being a bigger help to you for what you have done for me." The older guard said.


    "You''re doing plenty. I will be in touch." Wei Jun said before the call disconnected. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 168: Information

    Wei Jun working in his office when he received a call from an unknown number. He picked it up and heard the female voice on the other side, "Good evening, Mister Ruan."


    "Miss Peng. I thought you weren''t going to consider this." Wei Jun said since it was very late into the night when she called him. The clock was pushing eleven and he expected to hear from her in the evening, not at this time.


    Wei Jun had no reason to go home so he decided to just work in the office and spend the night.


    "Your reputation made me hesitant." She was quite blunt when she said that. She then added, "I am in a desperate situation and you are known for taking advantage of women over that issue."


    "Then why did you call?" Wei Jun asked.


    "The man I met today didn''t display such signs. I could have been mistaken or you were just concealing it well. Either way, I don''t know for sure so let us meet and discuss business." Yue Peng said.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Let us meet tomorrow for lunch then."


    "Very well." The call ended, from the other side, and Wei Jun leaned back in his seat. Wei Jun didn''t know what impact Yue Peng had on the story because he hadn''t read that novel part yet. In the first volume, it was mostly introductory and Shao Chen was just a messiah to people.


    Nothing else. No other character was introduced and Yue Peng wasn''t mentioned as well. Wei Jun was going in blind with this novel and he had no idea what was going on.


    But what he did know was that Shao Chen was there for a reason and that reason seemed to be connected with Yue Peng.


    [Weakening his relationship with her won''t do anything]


    [You need to target his reputation and influence] Read the latest on m_v-l''e|-NovelFire.net


    Wei Jun nodded. He was low on level and very much behind on cultivation. His cultivation depended entirely on his level and his level was currently pathetic. He wouldn''t be able to escape from Sun Ruan''s influence without power.


    Power he didn''t have.


    Just as Wei Jun was in that dilemma, his cell phone rang. He picked it up and the other person spoke in a pure Chinese accent, "Shall we meet?"


    *****************


    "He made a call today at this number." Mark Wilson said and showed Wei Jun a picture. The picture was of a burly man with thick dyed green hair and a scar on his left eye. His skin was tanned and his face wasn''t charming in the least.


    Even through the picture, Wei Jun could tell that the man was a killer.


    "His name is Raymond Ten." Mark Wilson said, "He is a mercenary. A well-known mercenary. His team isn''t unheard of even though it hasn''t been long since he established it. The reason?"


    Mark asked as he placed another photograph on the table. The photograph of a familiar man.


    "One Shao Chen. The sole reason why his mercenary team is so well known." Mark said as he sipped his coffee and continued, "Shao Chen is a cultivator at the Qi manifestation realm. Despite his realm, he is still very efficient, skilled, and several times stronger than his peers."


    "Shao Chen joined this particular mercenary team three years ago, on the promise that Raymond would help Shao Chen with his problem back here in this city," Mark said and stopped speaking.


    Wei Jun took out a flower from his pocket. It was crystal solid and emitting a chill that for some reason couldn''t be felt from Wei Jun''s pocket but now that it was out in the open, he could Mark could feel it.


    Well, Wei Jun was keeping it in his inventory.


    Mark hurriedly grabbed the flower only to let it go the next moment because of how cold it was. Wei Jun pulled out a piece of paper next and wrapped the flower in it and said, "This will help the person you want to. It is a hundred years old cold blade flower. It had enough Yin Qi to free everything in its vicinity. But for some reason, it only harms fire-attributed things.


    Such as you with fire-attributed mana, me with yang energy but not this table."


    Mark took the flower wrapped in the cloth, looked at Wei Jun, and said, "I guess you now trust me enough to speak."


    "Good work," was all Wei Jun said and left the restaurant they were both meeting in.


    It was well past two in the morning and Wei Jun still wasn''t tired. He decided to go home instead of his office and rest, even if he had to force it. His core stability was just twenty percent left. He could do it even now but for some reason, he didn''t want to. He just wanted to lie down in his bed and sleep.


    That was his way of coping with his new life.


    After all, Wei Jun wasn''t as busy as he was in his previous life. He barely ran ten businesses now and even they were all on the starting level. The most trouble they gave him was the signing of documents.


    As Wei Jun arrived at his home, he felt something. A presence. But for some reason, he didn''t worry about it. It didn''t belong to someone he was familiar with but he still didn''t panic.


    There was no hostility in the presence. Wei Jun sighed and made his way to the kitchen from where he could feel the person. He entered to see the blue-eyed girl, Yan Rong merrily eating pie from his fridge.


    She was taking in small bites when she saw Wei Jun enter.


    "If you''re here to get dirt on me, you''re in the wrong place." Wei Jun said.


    Yan Rong chuckled and said, "No. That wasn''t why I was here. I just had a few follow-up questions."


    Wei Jun dismissed her obvious lie and looked at the body lying on his kitchen floor. It was a man in a familiar black op-like outfit, the kind Ju Bai Lu wore when he came to kill Wei Jun.


    "I hope he wasn''t your friend. If he was, then my condolences." Yan Rong said.


    Wei Jun looked at her. Even if he were to tell her that the man dead on the floor was indeed his friend, he doubted she would feel any remorse over that.


    She would simply brush it off because that was how it looked to him right now. Wei Jun shook his head slightly in response and took the seat opposite her.


    "Why did you kiss me that day?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I like you." Yan Rong straightforwardly said.


    "Why?" Wei Jun asked.


    Yan Rong chuckled as she said, "You know if normally a girl says that, the guy is supposed to get all flustered. Not go why?"


    "I''m not a normal person." Wei Jun said.


    "True. Maybe that''s what I like about you." Yan Rong said.


    "What do you want?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Nothing. I just wanted to eat this pie in your fridge." Yan Rong said as she stood up. Wei Jun raised his guard which made Yan Rong chuckle as she said, "Don''t worry. I won''t kiss you again."


    With that, she left and just as she was about to get out of the door, she turned to him and said, "He said something about it being an order from the elder. Don''t know what that means though."


    She left. After Wei Jun was sure there was nothing else, he stood up and examined the state of the man. His face was peeled off, as if frozen which caused his vessels to clot and his face to peel straight off.


    Aside from that, there were some organs missing, the ones he needed to live. The torture technique wasn''t so refined but Wei Jun had to admit that there was room for improvement.


    Wei Jun extended his hand and began to discharge Qi into the dead body. The intense heat began to melt the body but that wasn''t all, it soon began to disappear as its cells burned down and disintegrated.


    Very soon, there was no sign of a body in the room. Some ash and a dark spot but other than that, nothing. Besides the blood to explain the fact that something happened there, nothing else would point to a murder.


    Wei Jun had seen that man. Although his face was gone, Wei Jun could tell from the body proportions of the man and his lack of hair. He was one of the elders. The young elders of the sect, he was one of them. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An existence Wei Jun couldn''t have been able to defeat. Yet, from the signs displayed by the blue-eyed girl, Wei Jun could tell that she didn''t struggle in the least against an opponent that could have easily killed Wei Jun.


    Yet she was just in the Qi manifestation realm.


    ''Who is she?'' Wei Jun was left with just that question as he stood up and made his way to his bed.

 Chapter 169: Shao Chens decision

    "You''re not eating." Wei Jun said as he savored another piece of his seventh steak. Yue Peng, on the other hand, hadn''t even touched hers.


    "Not here to eat." Yue Peng said as she slid her steak to Wei Jun. Wei Jun looked at her and nodded. He took her steak without another word and began to eat, "You should have brought more guards if you didn''t trust me."


    "They''re plenty to take care of you," Yue Peng said. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I wouldn''t be too sure of that," Wei Jun said and then added, "Besides, with how much you trust me, I''m sure we''re going to have a wonderful partnership."


    "What do you propose?" Yue Peng cut to the chase. Wei Jun clearly had no intention of doing anything to her. As a precaution, she didn''t touch the food and water. Now that she was sure that for now, Wei Jun only had business on his mind, she was a little at ease.


    "I want 50%." Wei Jun simply said as he took another bite of his food.


    "You''re crazy." Yue Peng couldn''t find other words.


    "That I am." Wei Jun agreed before he added, "But I am also your best bet."


    "Best bet?" Yue Peng asked.


    "I know you built that company with your sweat and blood, no matter how fragrant it may be, no one cares." Wei Jun said with an expressionless face and continued, "Right now, Yun Hen Shi is your greatest threat."


    Yue Peng flinched but Wei Jun continued regardless, "Getting you is the same as getting an expensive prostitute for free."


    Wei Jun raised his head and said, "And since you didn''t get angry at my words, you agree with them as well."


    Wei Jun once again didn''t wait for her to speak and said, "I am not a sexist. I don''t discriminate between genders. I don''t care how feminine you are or how masculine you are. All I know is you can get the job done."


    Although a little twisted, his words weren''t anything offensive. But he didn''t stop as he said, "But you''re a woman. Always suppressed, first in your family and now. You will always be suppressed. You want to know why?"


    Wei Jun leaned in and said, "Because you don''t have balls."


    He straightened up once again and said, "But they do. They have nothing but they have something you don''t."


    "Something you need to survive in this world."


    "So they would either take it from you or they would use you. Either way, you lose something you hold very precious." Wei Jun finally finished the steak and said, "So that leaves you with two choices."


    "You need someone with balls by your side. Whether it be in the form of a husband who does nothing but lust after you, or a person who can elevate your position, and keep you from being suppressed." Wei Jun finished his pep talk and leaned back in his seat, waiting for Yue Peng to speak.


    Yue Peng stared at him for a while before she asked, "So you want to say that this is a man''s world, and to survive, I need a man''s shoulder?"


    "No. Not a shoulder. A partnership. Your work, my balls." Wei Jun clarified.


    Yue Peng didn''t say anything for a while before she said, "60-40."


    "50-50." Wei Jun firmly said without leaving any place for negotiation.


    Yue Peng stared back, with no apparent expression on her face as she said, "All decisions belong to me. You cannot object."


    "But my opinion will be valued the most." Wei Jun said.


    Yue Peng nodded and said, "Deal."


    Wei Jun stood up with a smile, and Yue Peng followed suit. Wei Jun extended his hand and said, "Let us meet again after making a contract. We will go public in two days."


    Yue Peng nodded, shook his hand and Wei Jun left with a goodbye. As for Yue Peng, she realized the meaning behind Wei Jun''s words. He was giving her time until the contract was finalized.


    But she had already made up her mind. She didn''t want to marry into the Shi family. She knew her life would be over and all she would get in return was to lose everything of hers. The business that she constructed with great effort. Even now, she wasn''t happy about giving half of it away but it was the better choice between the two choices she had.


    She chose the lesser evil.


    ************


    All the time Wei Jun was eating and talking with Yue Peng, a stare, or more like a glare pierced into his back all the time. All the gaurs were ordered to stand a distance away from Wei Jun and Yue Peng while they talked privately but remained in the eyes of the guards.


    All said and done, Yue Peng still didn''t trust Wei Jun fully so she took all the precautions she could. Such as she chose an open space than a private room. She also made sure to book the entire restaurant so no one could spy on them.


    She chose to sit in the middle while had her guards stand in all four directions in the room, out of which, one particular one ended up taking the place behind Wei Jun.


    Shao Chen couldn''t hear the conversation between the two of them even when he applied Qi to his ears. It meant only one thing. Someone was blocking his Qi using their own.


    The opponent was a cultivator as well.


    Although that brought new problems to the table, it certainly wasn''t that big of a problem. The only reason his hearing was blocked was because Wei Jun had to sacrifice a good chunk of his own Qi to block Shao Chen''s.


    However, Shao Chen barely felt any exhaustion. Shao Chen''s Qi quantity and its power was more than Wei Jun''s so Wei Jun still wasn''t a threat.


    However, those around Wei Jun were.


    Shao Chen had run a thorough background on Wei Jun, finding out as much about him as he could.


    Wei Jun''s status, his affiliation, which troubled him the most, and his nature. Shao Chen knew about him as much as he could.


    What bothered him the most was the affiliation of Wei Jun. He had been recently accepted into one of the top ten sects in the empire, making him a threat with significant backing.


    So whereas Wei Jun wasn''t much of a trouble, his status surely was. Shao Chen had some backings of his own and some favors he could call in, taking care of Wei Jun but no way in hell could he bear the enmity of such a giant sect.


    It would only breed trouble.


    So he waited. Waited for his brothers to come to the empire.


    "For now don''t do anything." A man in a gruff voice said from the other side.


    "But he is interfering with my plans." Shao Chen said.


    "I know. But you cannot afford to make an enemy even with me and everyone else on your side. They are beyond our small mercenary unit." The man on the end said.


    "Then what should I do?" Shao Chen asked, "Just sit back and let him take away everything I worked so hard to get?"


    "Yes." The man on the other said before he added, "For now, we cannot do anything. The only thing we can do is be together. With more of us, we can work more efficiently. Let us finish this mission and we will head straight to the empire, where we can exact your revenge and hurt the people who did that to your family."


    Shao Chen remained quiet as he couldn''t find any words to form a reply.


    "You waited for so long, brother Shao. What''s a few days more? Whatever that bastard can do in a few days, can never be compared to what you have done in all these months. Just wait." The man continued to advise Shao Chen who finally caved in and said, "Very well."


    "Good. I knew you would understand, Brother Shao. Let me deal with this mission as quickly as I can and then I will be with you in a few days. Don''t do anything stupid, all right. See you in a few days." The call ended with these words and Shao Chen could only go back to his post. Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelFire.net


    Shao Chen remembered this conversation he had yesterday when he asked to excuse himself from his post for a while.


    However, now that he was seeing the events unfold in front of his eyes, he had a very strong feeling that what his leader from the mercenary unit said yesterday wasn''t accurate.


    It might actually happen. His hard work, everything that he had built in a few months, might just crumble down in an instant by the man whose back was turned to him while he ate steak after steak.


    Just as Wei Jun finished and left, Shao Chen decided he wouldn''t wait. He will nip Wei Jun''s plans out of the bud before they can even sprout.

 Chapter 170: Assassination

    As usual, Wei Jun left his office and made his way back to his apartment. Since he was living alone, there were no chefs to cook for him but his cooking skills were decent enough for him to make dishes consisting of beef and only beef.


    He was, as usual, going to his apartment via the highway because that was the fastest route.


    "You think it will work, boss?" Li Wei asked over the phone.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "It will. She''s desperate. I can take advantage of that." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see. But wouldn''t it be better to just take advantage? Putting in such a huge amount is a risk." Li Wei said.


    "I''m not going blind into this. Yue Peng has decent talent. She has managed to take her company this far without any powerful support. Just imagine what she could do with my name backing her up. This hundred million would be multiplied several times in just a matter of months." Wei Jun gave his reason even though he didn''t need to. But Li Wei was useful, to the point that he even granted her requests.


    "Done then, boss. Oh, and the people you asked me to look for, found them. They are coming in on Saturday. Do you want me to delay them?" Li Wei asked.


    "No. I wanted them here quicker but since they have work, they must be late because of that." Wei Jun replied.


    "Very well. Then I will see you tomorrow, boss." Li Wei said as she hung up the phone. Wei Jun also stored his phone in the inventory.


    He was driving with a smile despite his problems that were slowly increasing day by day.


    The main issue of the protagonists. His grandfather and his wife, his one-sided love life that he had no clue about what to do, and finally, a certain blue-eyed girl who had killed an elder of his sect.


    He was certain she knew of his biker identity as well. When Wei Jun researched about her, he found out that she was in the cultivator''s special forces. If she still didn''t do anything despite that, it meant there was something wrong in her head.


    For some reason, Wei Jun liked that.


    While he was thinking over everything, his ears picked up a small, almost nonexistent sound.


    He would have missed it, or he had missed many of them but only happened to pick up this one. As he focused, he heard another one.


    The sound resembled the sound of ''Tick''.


    Tick.


    Tick.


    Wei Jun''s eyes widened as he hurriedly opened the car door to jump out but it was already too late.


    [Qi armament]


    Boom!!!


    *************


    Wei Jun stood up slowly, his face a little burned but otherwise, he was fine. The explosion wasn''t a simple one but one that had the power to at least blow an entire building down.


    Which meant it was for a cultivator.


    Wei Jun managed to survive because of his ridiculously high physical stats, pushing all of Qi into the Qi armament, and because of the suit he was wearing.


    [Gilliard''s armor]


    [Defense stat +10]


    [Charm +2]


    [Self-clean and self-mending available]


    [Cost: 10000 gold]


    Even in such a situation, he didn''t use death Qi. He was fine with burning but not leaving any sort of trace that could lead to him. He was desperate, but not stupid.


    He made sure to cover all the bases. It was clear where the bomb came from and who was behind it. It meant that that person was trying to gauge Wei Jun''s capabilities.


    Death Qi was a card he couldn''t afford to show anyone, and he also couldn''t show it to anyone lest he was willing to welcome an onslaught from many of the major powers.


    After his death Qi awakened, and he made sure to search for the evil cultivators. After what he found, he had to hide that Qi inside of him and never let it show the light of the day.


    Because there was no internal fighting when it came to a common enemy. Sects competed with each other, the cultivator''s special forces led their authority to the new levels and the military was too busy calling the shots of the empire.


    All in all, no one was united.


    However, in one case, they were all united as super-glued papers. When evil cultivators were concerned. They would throw away their petty excuses and unite to eliminate that threat.


    Wei Jun wasn''t willing for the entire empire to come after him yet so he made sure to not reveal anything regarding it.


    Wei Jun looked down at his suit which was almost as new as it was before. Aside from a few charred marks on his face and his destroyed car along with the destroyed area around him, Wei Jun showed no indication of being in an accident.


    He didn''t leave though. He just made his way to the side of the road and sat down. A big explosion like this and no one noticed? No way in hell. Soon enough, someone will be coming. Wei Jun waited for that.


    Sure enough, soon sirens could be heard in the distance. The police arrived along with an ambulance. They saw Wei Jun and the destroyed car.


    Wei Jun was checked and once he was given the go, the police took him with him but he was taken to the police station.


    Wei Jun smiled because he knew why that was so but he didn''t resist. Zhao Hui must have pulled some strings and brought him there even though it was clear that he was the victim.


    Wei Jun didn''t mind though. Zhao Hui was a rare source of entertainment that allowed him to feel amused often.


    "State your name and age." Zhao Hui said.


    "I''m hurt that you forgot my name, detective. I thought we had a special bond." Wei Jun said with a hurtful expression on his face.


    "The only bond we have is that of a policeman and a suspect. But you won''t remain so for long." Zhao Hui said.


    "Are you sure it''s a good idea to arrest me? Someone who has publicly supported you so much. And now that I was the victim of an assassination attempt." Wei Jun asked with a smirk to which Zhao Hui didn''t reply.


    "Where were you going when the incident happened?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "Home." Wei Jun replied.


    "Be more specific." Zhao Hui said.


    "I was going to my apartment after a tiring day at work." Wei Jun specified.


    "Why do you think someone would want to kill you? Have you offended anyone recently?" Zhao Hui asked.


    Wei Jun smiled. "My god, you''re subtle." Wei Jun said as he leaned in and said, "Why don''t you ask what you want to ask."


    "Very well," Zhao Hui said, "Do you think that this assassination attempt is linked to the murders you are suspicious of?"


    Wei Jun leaned back in his seat as he replied, "Even if I were a murderer as you accused. The people in question aren''t resourceful enough to procure such high-quality explosives." Wei Jun said.


    "And how would you know what high-quality explosive material is?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "The Ruan family is in charge of digging a Qi crystal vein. It is a small one but we can still get a decent amount out of it. The explosives used in that mine give off the smell of methoxyl. It is a sort of chemical that prevents oxygenized explosions."


    "It relieves a certain smell. I smelled the same after the explosion." Wei Jun gave an explanation.


    "Is that so? Does that mean someone you know is trying to kill you?" Zhao Hui asked since that was how the explosives could have been obtained.


    "I wouldn''t know. Isn''t that your job?" Wei Jun asked.


    "How did you survive?" Zhao Hui asked without willing to humor Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "I have something very mystical called Qi. I had to exhaust all of it but I managed to protect myself."


    "It is almost impossible to protect yourself from a blast of that intensity. Certainly impossible with your level of Qi." Zhao Hui said.


    "And that is where the secret part comes." Wei Jun said.


    "I thought we had a bond, Mister Ruan. How can I help you when you are withholding information?" This time, Zhao Hui acted hurt.


    "Using my own words against me, smart." Wei Jun said before he simply ripped the sleeve of his jacket.


    "What was that?" Zhao Hui asked. Stay updated via m-v l|-NovelFire.net


    "Wait for a moment." Wei Jun said as he showed the sleeve, which was being repaired on its own, to Zhao Hui.


    Zhao Hui was a little taken aback but not overly impressed. Wei Jun was rich. He could have afforded some treasure.


    "This isn''t just some dress that fixes itself on its own. It also makes me impervious to bullets and other equivalent threats. My Qi and this suit worked together to protect me." Wei Jun explained.


    "But even so---" Zhao Hui began his argument only to be interrupted when the door opened and an angry man entered while he huffed and panted and said, "YA! ZHAO HUI! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!!!!"

 Chapter 171: Who was it?

    "Apologize!" Zhao Hui''s senior yelled at him. Wei Jun stood with a smile on his face while Zhao Hui had a pissed-off expression.


    He looked at Wei Jun and said, "For what? I only followed the standard procedure."


    "What standard procedure? You brought the victim here when he should have been taken to a hospital." The superior yelled once again.


    "The paramedics cleared him. Only then did I bring him here." Zhao Hui argued.


    "You!!!" The superior yelled and from the looks of it, there was more about to come when Wei Jun said, "It''s all right, chief. Detective Hui didn''t offend me in any way."


    "It''s sergeant." Zhao Hui said.


    "Zhao Hui!" The superior once again yelled to shut Zhao Hui up before he turned to Wei Jun and said, "I''m so sorry this had to happen, Mister Ruan. If you want to file a formal complaint, the police department would understand."


    "That won''t be necessary. Sergeant Hui was just doing his job." Wei Jun said with a smile.


    "Then I can only thank you for your magnanimity." The Chief said. Wei Jun nodded in reply while Zhao Hui swallowed all the curses on the tip of his tongue back in.


    Wei Jun left after he was cleared out, again with an apology. He found Lao Chen outside the police station with a car prepared for Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun nodded at him and got into the driver''s seat. Since Lao Chen was there with another car, he didn''t follow Wei Jun in his car.


    As Wei Jun got in his car and drove off, he heard a voice from his backseat, "I hope you don''t think that you have repaid me with just this."


    Wei Jun calmly looked into his back seat where a blue-eyed girl was sitting. She looked so enchanting that anyone looking at her would be lost in her eyes.


    As for her beauty, well, it was already hypnotizing but with a smile on her face, men would willingly jump off a building just to catch a glimpse of that smile.


    "I hope I did some of it." Wei Jun said.


    "You did. Thanks for not getting my uncle in trouble. He has the incurable disease of justice." Yan Rong said as she leaned forward in the middle of the front seats.


    She was awfully close to Wei Jun. Wei Jun, however, showed no apparent change in his expression. He calmly turned his head, their faces so close as he said, "I forgot to say thanks the other night."


    Yan Rong smiled as she leaned in closer, their lips almost touching as she said in a hushed voice, "Happy to save you."


    Wei Jun turned his attention back on the road and said, "That was an opponent stronger than you. How did you defeat him so easily?"


    Yan Rong laughed at Wei Jun''s question but she still replied, "Because I''m strong as hell. There is no one stronger than me."


    "I know of a few." Wei Jun said. Wei Jun for a fact knew that Sun Ruan would be stronger than Yan Rong.


    "Well, obviously. They are now but in just a few months, a year at most, I will be stronger than them." Yan Rong confidently said as she leaned back in her seat.


    "I was born with this power. It grows every day. I don''t even need to consume elixirs or train for it to grow. Ten years ago, I was a simple human. Now, without even a day of struggle, I can take down Qi masters." Yan Rong said with confidence flowing in her voice and words.


    The only difference was that Wei Jun didn''t just sense the overconfidence, he also sensed the fact in those words.


    Yan Rong was as strong as she said she was.


    [No wonder]


    [She hasn''t learned a divine rank technique]


    [She was born with it]


    ''Are there really such ridiculously and illogically strong people?'' Wei Jun asked. What the system was saying went beyond the protagonists. At least they put in some effort in doing so.


    [I was born with two]


    The system said. Arrogance in its tone was as bright as sunlight.


    Wei Jun tutted as he replied, ''Of course you were.''


    "What?" Yan Rong curiously asked when she heard Wei Jun tut after a few moments of silence.


    "Just thinking how unfair life is. Here I am, busting my everything while spending millions to just increase my Qi by a bit yet there you are, who grows stronger by just sitting there." Wei Jun bluntly said.


    "I guess that''s true." Yan Rong said and once again leaned closer to Wei Jun and whispered in his ear, "You don''t need to bust anything. Well, just one thing. But as long as you keep me around, I can protect you."


    Wei Jun ignored the suggestive words she said and focused on the more interesting one. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you really in cultivator''s special forces?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Quite a high-ranked one." Yan Rong replied.


    "And is Zhao Hui really your uncle?" Wei Jun asked again.


    "Of course. How do you think the cultivator''s special forces were mobilized here so easily?" Yan Rong asked.


    "My father favors Uncle Hui a lot. So much so that he offered him a position in the cultivator''s special forces even though he wasn''t a cultivator." Yan Rong said.


    Wei Jun remembered the scene when Yao Tian had attacked him in a bar and Zhao Hui had stopped his butler by saying that he would get the cultivator''s special forces involved.


    As far as Wei Jun''s knowledge went, it wasn''t so easy to involve the cultivator''s epical forces but Zhao Hui had threatened with that very easily. So much so that Wei Jun thought he was bluffing. But now he realized that he needed to tread lightly around Zhao Hui.


    At least for some time.


    Wei Jun decided to move on from the topic and asked, "You know who bombed my car?"


    "I know." Yan Rong said before she added, "But she was just a hire. She broke before I could extract any information from her."


    "Something tells me you''re not very experienced in this case." Wei Jun said before he added, "But then again, the state of that elder proves me otherwise."


    "It''s not that. Being who I am, torture comes along with the job but the difference between people is still something. I can''t be held responsible when a fragile person ends up dying with just a slight tug." Yan Rong explained before she added, "That elder was strong so he lasted quite a long time. But unfortunately, he didn''t fess up anything even when I badly messed him up."


    Discover hidden stories at m,v l''e-NovelFire.net


    Wei Jun nodded in return. It would have been surprising if an elder would have turned on the entire sect. Confession wouldn''t have just involved the elder that stood opposite Sun Ruan, it would have affected the entire sect.


    A war wasn''t very favorable between both factions. The elder knew what his testimony would represent so maybe that was why he didn''t fold. Or it was just that Yan Rong was lying about that.


    "But you know who it was, don''t you?" Yan Rong asked.


    Wei Jun didn''t reply. It was true that he had an idea who it was. It wasn''t any of the usual suspects. It wasn''t his wife, Liu Yu, or the competing faction of Sun Ruan.


    No, it was someone very new. Someone whose territory was threatened by Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "I know how to deal with him. Unless he comes at me straight on, he wouldn''t be able to do anything to me."


    "Straight, as in like this incident?" Yan Rong skeptically asked.


    Wei Jun chuckled and said, "It''s okay. It was an amateurish attempt anyway. He didn''t properly cover his tracks. Being a mercenary."


    Wei Jun didn''t need to find the one who planted the bomb in his car. Wei Jun could find that person by himself by just following the obvious lead everyone was ignoring.


    The explosives in question were used to blow up mines and dig underground.


    They usually had a strict supply so if something went missing, it was easier to find them out if someone just looked properly.


    Unless it was some heavily restricted mine, Wei Jun was sure that he would be able to find the information he needed. Besides, Shao Chen''s employee wouldn''t have been able to obtain the explosives from a restricted place anyway. It had to have come from a place where the workload was high so small glitches in inventory weren''t found unless dug deeply.


    "How will you find him?" Yan Rong asked.


    "Being a mercenary, his job is to do the task and run. Not cover his tracks." Wei Jun said.


    An assassin takes that approach, not a mercenary. Hence the difference between their professions.


    Obviously, Shao Chen was more worried about the job done, not covering his tracks. Like always, before anyone would be able to get to him, he would have long disappeared.

 Chapter 172: Contract signed

    "He survived?!" Shao Chen yelled over the phone and asked, "HOW?! Did you do your job properly?"


    "It had nothing to do with my job. I followed everything down to the T. It was you who didn''t tell me he was such a strong cultivator." The person on the phone with Shao Chen said.


    "I told you he was a cultivator!" Shao Chen argued.


    "Not such a strong one." The man countered before he added, "You told me he was at the Qi Gathering realm but even Qi empowerment realm masters couldn''t have survived that attack let alone come out with a scratch."


    Shao Chen remained silent. There was no answer there. It was obvious that the hired gun was lying because Shao Chen couldn''t have been wronged when he gauged the strength of Wei Jun.


    "I didn''t make a mistake. It is you who didn''t get the job done. You can forget about the payment." Shao Chen said and cut the call.


    "What?! He--" The man was about to complain when the connection got cut. As for Shao Chen, he sat down in his chair, thinking back to whether he really was mistaken or not.


    He was sure he wasn''t but he wasn''t so conceited enough to think he couldn''t have made a mistake.


    ''But he still shouldn''t have survived. Unless someone else interfered.'' Shao Chen thought and redid his analysis.


    He picked up the phone and dialed the earlier number again. The call went through and Shao Chen was the first to speak.


    "Look, it is possible that both of us made a mistake. How about you strike again and I will see what I can do about your payment." Shao Chen said.


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    "I know you''re dissatisfied but I won''t do it again." Shao Chen said.


    "¡­"


    "Look, I know you''re mad, but I''m sure we can work things out." Shao Chen said once again thinking that the private hire was showing attitude.


    "¡­"


    Once again, no reply came. Shao Chen was getting angry by the second but he managed to hold his anger back and said one last time, "Look, I made a mistake. No need to escalate this matter any further. If you don''t do my job, I go to someone else. Then you lose the money you''re owed as well."


    "..." Once again silence but this time, the call was ended before Shao Chen could yell in anger.


    "What the?!" Shao Chen yelled in anger and tried the phone again only to be shifted to the operator that the contact wasn''t active anymore.


    "How dare he!" Shao Chen yelled.


    On the other side, inside a dilapidated apartment, a figure in the dark put down the phone and looked at the man lying on the floor with his throat slit.


    The figure knelt down and planted a pen near the body and then left the apartment without changing anything.


    *************


    "You look happy." Xia Lu said as she entered Wei Jun''s apartment.


    "I am happy." Wei Jun said as he pulled out the contract sent by Yue Peng.


    "What is this?" Xia Lu said as she took the contract unceremoniously and checked the contents. She didn''t understand any of it but one thing she understood.


    Yue Peng.


    The name of a girl. A beautiful one. One she was familiar with. Her expression turned to frost as she asked, "So you only do business with women?"


    Wei Jun stopped whatever he was doing and said, not sure of his answer, "No?"


    "Oh, really?" Xia Lu asked.


    "Yes." Wei Jun replied.


    "When are you meeting her?" Xia Lu asked.


    "Today." Wei Jun replied.


    "Then you wouldn''t mind if I follow along, right?" Xia Lu asked.


    Wei Jun didn''t utter a word. He was a bit afraid too. Involuntarily, he ended up nodding in answer to which Xia Lu smiled and said, "Great. See you then."


    [Way to go, host]


    ''Shut up.'' Wei Jun could only say that because he didn''t know how to reply. After all, it was quite a new feeling to him.


    *****************


    Yue Peng looked at Wei Jun with her eyebrow corked. And then she looked at the woman standing next to him with a smile on her face. She had met the woman before so she was aware of her.


    What she didn''t know was the fact that both of them were dating. She had heard the rumors but always thought of them to be bollocks. After all, why would Xia Lu be in a relationship with a man who had assaulted her in the past?


    She looked at Wei Jun once again to see him sitting there, unbothered but she could see the embarrassed expression underneath that fa?ade.


    It was clear who took out the garbage in that relationship, metaphorically.


    "Does she have to be here?" Yue Peng asked. She and Xia Lu were not friends. They just knew of each other, nothing more. "Even if she is your girlfriend, I don''t think it is ethical for her to be here?"


    "Are you going to talk about eloping?" Xia Lu asked.


    "No!" Yue Peng was offended by that question.


    "Then it doesn''t matter whether I am here or not. I wouldn''t be able to understand much anyway." Xia Lu said. Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelFire.net


    Yue Peng didn''t reply but instead turned her head to Wei Jun and said, "Are you going to do something about your girlfriend?"


    "Yes, honey. Are you going to do something about me?" Xia Lu also turned to Wei Jun and asked.


    As for Wei Jun, he had a serious expression on his face that troubled both of the girls and in all that seriousness, he said, "Lemon."


    "¡­"


    "What?" Both of the girls asked.


    "I see lemons in front of my eyes." Wei Jun once again said.


    Yue Peng was speechless while Xia Lu subtly smiled.


    [I think you''ve gone insane, host]


    [Or whipped]


    ''Shut up. I really do see lemons.'' Wei Jun said in his defense.


    "Haa¡­ Whatever. I''m doing nothing but wasting my time." Yue Peng said before she handed Wei Jun the contract and stated her terms.


    "You and I will be equal partners." Yue Peng said but before she could continue, Xia Lu yelled, "Partners?"


    Silence. Yue Peng and Wei Jun both looked at her without saying a word.


    "If you cannot remain quiet, then leave." Yue Peng said annoyingly.


    Xia Lu didn''t bother with her and turned to Wei Jun and asked, "What does she mean by partners?"


    "It means we both make decisions." Wei Jun said.


    "Like being in a marriage?" Xia Lu picked up the wrong meaning of the sentence.


    Wei Jun opened his mouth to say something but he couldn''t find the right words to do so. Before he could come up with an explanation, Xia Lu said, "No good. Put my name in there instead of yours. I refuse to you both getting married. Let it be me instead."


    ''Then wouldn''t you and her be getting married?'' Wei Jun thought inwardly but chose not to say a word.


    [One could imagine both of them married]


    [Especially in bed]


    [Would be quite a sight]


    ''Shut up,'' Wei Jun shot the system down but couldn''t help but imagine the scene. He shook his head because his thoughts were heading in a dangerous direction.


    "If¡­ she said another word¡­" Yue Peng looked at Wei Jun, fed up with Xia Lu''s antics, and said, "No deal."


    "I think¡­ I think you should calm down. Nothing is happening." Wei Jun said to Xia Lu, placating her a bit which worked a little when she saw that she was hindering Wei Jun''s work.


    "Fine." Xia Lu said.


    Wei Jun turned to Yue Peng and said, "Sorry. You can continue."


    Yue Peng gave him a stink eye but continued, "You and I will equally share the business but I will call the shots primarily."


    "Your opinion would be more important than any other but the final decision would lie on me." Xia Lu said before she handed him a file and said, "Everything else is in there."


    In other words, that term was what she cared about the most. Everything else was secondary.


    Wei Jun read the file and when he saw there was nothing wrong with it, he nodded and signed it. The second contract was also compared and seeing no inconsistencies, both the parties signed it as well.


    One file was kept by Yue Peng while Wei Jun took one. As Yue Peng was about to stand up, Wei Jun said while handing a piece of paper over, "To our new partnership. May it not end until the end of time."


    [Cheezy]


    Yue Peng skeptically took the paper and looked at its contents. When she saw it, her eyes widened to the limit.


    "This¡­" Yue Peng said as she looked at Wei Jun who smiled and answered her wordless question, "A little investment. After all, it is now half my business as well."


    Yue Peng didn''t say anything. She didn''t have the right words to. She wanted to say thanks but she didn''t know how to.


    She was just lost at Wei Jun''s behavior. And she also doubted his motives. After all, no one gives away five hundred million yuan as an investment.

 Chapter 173: Arrival

    "What if she runs away with it?" Xia Lu asked once She and Wei Jun were alone after their meeting with Yue Peng.


    Wei Jun calmly replied, "No she won''t."


    "An awful lot of faith in her." Xia Lu said with a frown.


    "That company is like her child. She won''t leave it. No matter what." Wei Jun said.


    "What if she does? Do you really believe she would be a good mother?" Xia Lu asked.


    "Doesn''t matter whether I believe it or not. I have to. Because they''re my mother''s words. I have no choice but to believe them." Wei Jun said as he stood up and extended his palm towards Xia Lu so she could stand up as well.


    Xia Lu took his hand and stood up. They left the place as they chatted about various things. Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelFire.net


    As they came outside, Wei Jun felt the stare of someone in his direction. He turned to look at the person who was glaring at him. Wei Jun would have been very flattered had the one looking at him was a beautiful woman.


    Not a man.


    Shao Chen was staring at Wei Jun so hard that if staring could kill, Wei Jun would have been dead ten thousand times over.


    But to all that, Wei Jun simply smiled and mouthed the word, ''Delicious.'' While looking at Yue Peng who was getting in her car.


    Shao Chen''s anger increased by twofold but he managed to contain himself. Wei Jun just smiled and turned his face back to Xia Lu and continued conversing with her.


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    Wei Jun arrived at a dance club and took a seat. Loud music and flashing lights that only made some effort to alight the dark blinded some while some were focused on some other aspects of life.


    Mainly alcohol and women.


    Wei Jun sat on a soft round sofa and observed everything in the club. Some women came close to him to chat but he dismissed them coldly.


    He wasn''t there to mingle after all. He was there for work and that was going to be his focus all the time. Anything else was a distraction.


    And soon enough, his targets of observation came. A group of men entered the bar, chatting happily and laughing merrily out loud.


    The men belong to various ethnic qualities. Some were white, some were dark-skinned, some were short and some were towering and bulky like they eat people for breakfast lunch, and dinner.


    Among all of them, only one was a familiar figure. While the rest were not unknown to Wei Jun as he had seen their faces in the information provided by Mark Wilson, he hadn''t seen them personally.


    And to be honest, they were overwhelming. Each and every one of them was powerful. To the point that Wei Jun wasn''t even confident defeating them alone let alone defeat all of them at once.


    And even while dealing with them alone, Wei Jun wasn''t confident and he was already concocting plans to deal with them.


    Wei Jun observed all of them from a distance without any movement. The pressure emitting from them wasn''t normal. And the worst part was that that pressure was involuntary. They were emitting it unconsciously.


    Even from so far away, and not being the target of it, Wei Jun could sense the bloodlust on them. Their hands were clean but that didn''t seem to be to Wei Jun.


    Instead, all he saw was red.


    Their hands were dyed in red because of the blood of all those they had killed.


    Wei Jun was sure that at least a hundred people would have died at each of their hands. Nothing impressive but they hadn''t let go of that power.


    Instead, they had embraced it. The smell of blood came with a new sense of fear that kept those around them at bay.


    Wei Jun himself had killed thousands of people but he never let his presence be known. He never let the power of blood be attached to him. An experienced killer might be able to tell if Wei Jun showed it, but if he didn''t, no one in the world would be able to spot a killer in Wei Jun.


    But looking at the group of nine people, even someone who was inexperienced in this field could feel the chill of fear from them.


    They were openly declaring that they were murderers.


    Wei Jun had seen enough so he stood up to leave.


    Just then, another girl entered the club followed by a few more girls. Wei Jun didn''t recognize any of them and since he hadn''t read the novel to this point, he had no idea who they were.


    But seeing that the nine people''s eyes went to those girls straight, even Wei Jun could tell that an event was coming up.


    Wei Jun settled back into his seat and waited for the show to begin. Whether he would enjoy it or not depended on how the show will go.


    He didn''t know if he would have to interfere or not but he knew one thing, he wouldn''t be in danger even if he did. Because he had a hidden card he didn''t have a few days ago.


    A certain stalker of his.


    ******************


    Reum Chan, a girl with a very tense profession was forcefully dragged by her friends to unwind. She wasn''t very excited but since she was already there, she decided to at least indulge herself in a few drinks.


    She wasn''t hoping for anything else that night. Not even get drunk because she had work to do.


    One thing she wasn''t looking forward to was the men in the club. She was there to just be with her friends, drink a little, and then head home.


    It wasn''t that she wasn''t beautiful. She was and she knew of it. But she hadn''t taken advantage of her beauty nor had she ever let anyone take advantage of it.


    As the night progressed, and after a few drinks, her friends caught the man sitting in a corner, alone. One feature of that man that defined everything in one word, was enchanting.


    No other man, or woman in there compared to the beauty of that man. So much so that even Reum Chan, who wasn''t there for men couldn''t help but consider approaching him.


    But before she could, a man approached them. He wasn''t as handsome as the man sitting in the corner but he was still good looking.


    Alas, after looking at Wei Jun, even his handsomeness lost its value. He looked no different than an ordinary man.


    "Hello, ladies," He said with a smile. He had lost in terms of beauty, but Reum Chan''s friends still decided to give him a chance as one of them replied, "Hello to you too."


    Reum Chan shook her head and got back to her drink.


    "Me and my friends are here to celebrate our new job done. All we lack is the company of beautiful women such as you and the drinks might taste ten times better." The man said with a smile.


    The girls smiled while Reum Chan only thought of one word, ''Cheezy.''


    "We would love to join you." The girls said and began to move but Reum Chan didn''t move.


    "Come on, Reum." One of the girls said.


    "You guys go ahead, I''m not in the mood." Reum Chan said.


    "Oh come on. Don''t be like that. come enjoy with us." The girl said.


    "I''m enjoying plenty. You guys go if you want to." Reum Chan wasn''t persuaded.


    "It wouldn''t be fair for these beauties and not for one of my brothers as well if he''s left empty-handed." The man said while he approached Reum Chan.


    In all honesty, Reum Chan was his main target because of her beauty. All the rest didn''t even come close to her beauty.


    Just as he was about to touch her, Reum Chan spoke, "Touch me and you will be losing that hand."


    As she said so, Qi began to permeate around her which made the man a little hesitant. It wasn''t because of Reum Chan''s power. It was because he didn''t want a scene so he backed away.


    "All right. Your loss." He said with a smile but not everyone in his group was as rational as him as a man appeared next to him and said, "He was just asking politely. No need to get so riled up."


    Reum Chan looked at the new addition while the man said, "Brother Chen, it''s her choice. Come on, let us not escalate this any further."


    "But still¡­" Shao Chen was dissatisfied with Reum Chan''s behavior. He was the one who had invited all of his team. Being treated like that fared worse for him.


    He wasn''t going to force the girl as well but he was at least getting an apology out of her.


    However, before he could say anything else, Reum Chan spoke.


    "If he''s so polite, then hook him up with your mother."

 Chapter 174: Conflict

    "He¡ªHey lady! That''s not something you should say." The man with Shao Chen panicked at Reum Chan''s words. After all, Shao Chen''s family was a sore spot for him.


    "You bit*h." Shao Chen said as his Qi began to erratically emit from him.


    Reum Chan also put up her guard as she felt Qi many more times stronger than her own.


    ''A master.'' She thought inwardly and protected her friends with her Qi.


    "Brother Shen! Calm down!" The man once again tried to placate Shao Chen but Shao Chen was far too gone.


    It was good to say that the atmosphere of the club was now in shambles due to the confrontation between Shao Chen and Reum Chan.


    Someone had even called the police but no one was optimistic. After all, the fighters in question were cultivators. Unless someone from the cultivator''s special forces arrived, it would be dangerous to remain there.


    So the people in the club began to leave hurriedly. They didn''t care how good the security was or the guards were being mobilized to deal with the situation.


    It was common sense among normal people. Whenever cultivators were involved, run away.


    And so run away they did.


    As for a certain handsome young man who took up an entire table without ordering anything or talking to anyone kept on looking at the scene with an amused look on his face.


    "Shouldn''t you intervene now?" A hushed voice entered his left ear from close proximity as he spotted a pair of lips just next to his ear.


    Wei Jun smiled and responded, "No. You will."


    "I will?" Yan Rong asked as she wrapped her arms around Wei Jun''s neck and said, "Shouldn''t you do so? Be the hero and all." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If I intervene you will kill that woman." Wei Jun responded.


    "Oh~~~" A moan escaped Yan Rong''s lips that were still next to Wei Jun''s left ear as she said in a hushed but seductive tone, "How well you know me, darling."


    Wei Jun remained unaffected by her antics and said, "You know her?"


    "Yes. She''s a subordinate''s subordinate''s subordinate." Yan Rong said before she added, "She''s a good talent. Nowhere at my or your level but still, a good talent to be accepted into the cultivator''s special forces."


    Wei Jun had guessed that Reum Chan was from the cultivator''s special forces. He wasn''t sure but Reum Chan''s demeanor showed she was a cop of some sort and with Qi in the mix, the possibility was further narrowed down to the cultivator''s special forces.


    Since Yan Rong was also from the cultivator''s special forces, Wei Jun took a shot and it hit right at the mark.


    "Then go save your subordinate." Wei Jun said with a smirk on his face.


    "And what would I get if I were to do so?" Yan Rong wasn''t interested in doing that though. As she said, she just knew of Reum Chan. She had no connection to her that she would want to interfere in this farce.


    In other words, it was too troublesome for her.


    "Go and save her. That''s an order." Wei Jun said with authority in his voice. An authority that sent chills down Yan Rong''s spine.


    "Ye¡ªYes." She stuttered as she felt that new feeling.


    She let go of Wei Jun and made her way to the group that was now alone in the club.


    As for Wei Jun, he smiled and began to wait for the perfect moment to intervene himself. After all, although he wasn''t there for that, now that an opportunity to break off a destiny character presented itself, Wei Jun would be an idiot not to take advantage of that opportunity.


    As the scene became heated among them, Shao Chen became more uncontrollable. To the point that the man beside him was considering leaving altogether. It wasn''t a good idea to fight there and someone as rational as him knew the consequences of using power among normal people.


    They weren''t living in the old era anymore where the ones with power were in charge. Nowadays there were proper rules and laws to secure the mortals without any kind of power in the world.


    The cultivator''s special forces or the organization with similar functions all around the world were made for precisely this reason.


    He looked at Shao Chen and said, "Brother Shen, it isn''t a good idea to cause a ruckus here. If you are caught in the eyes of the cultivator''s special forces, then we can forget about our real purpose in coming here."


    Shao Chen couldn''t help but settle down as he heard the man''s words and nodded. It was true he was there for an objective and that wouldn''t be fulfilled if a powerful force like the cultivator''s special forces put him on their radar.


    "But she still needs to apologize. If she''s acting so pure, then she shouldn''t have come here." Shao Chen said.


    "Would you say the same if it was your sister in my place?" Reum Chan wasn''t pleased by that remark. She was a headstrong woman and that remark struck the entire castle of effort she had constructed facing so many hardships.


    "Lady! You!!!" The man wanted to band his head in the wall. Unknowingly, Reum Chan was striking in the places that were Shao Chen''s soft spots. Such as his mother and sister.


    Shao Chen didn''t think anymore. He activated the ''Qi armament'' skill and the next moment, his fist was flying at Reum Chan with full force.


    "Brother Shen! DON''T!" The man next to him yelled and activated a skill of his own to protect Reum Chan.


    A slight blue-colored shield appeared around Reum Chan. Reum Chan herself also activated Qi armament but even with both of these things in place, the strike that landed on Reum Chan shook her internals and injured her gravely as she fell on the floor on her knees.


    She coughed up blood from her mouth and her friends hurriedly knelt down to help her, "Reum!"


    As for the other seven men who were just observing so far stood up and hurriedly approached Shao Chen before he could make another move.


    However, before they could arrive next to him, Shao Chen was thrown to them. To be more precise, he was kicked. Straight in the chest.


    For the seven men who were heading in that direction, when they saw Shao Chen coming in their direction like a bullet from a gun, the one at the forefront, a bulky guy with green hair and a scar on the left side of his forehead hurriedly stepped up and caught Shao Chen effortlessly.


    But the power he felt transmitted through himself was nothing to be scoffed at. Whoever this newcomer was, they were strong. Strong enough as him.


    They all saw the new addition, another woman.


    Enchanting and beautiful than any other woman they had ever seen in their lives. The smile on the face of that woman was also something to die for. However, to them, that smile wasn''t a smile. It was a malicious grin that shook their internals and penetrated deep enough to rattle their souls.


    The man at the forefront, who had caught Shao Chen, however, was calm. He handed Shao Chen to a companion of his and said in English, "Bernard, heal Shao Chen."


    The man who was with Shao Chen hurriedly came running and began to cast another spell on Shao Chen that began to heal his injury. Read exclusive chapters at m_v-l''-NovelFire.net


    "We apologize for the inconvenience. Let us just leave it with a mistake from both sides." The green-haired man said in English.


    As for Yan Rong, although she understood English perfectly, she still replied in Chinese, "What? You think you can harm a member of the cultivator''s special forces and just walk away with an apology?"


    The green-haired man''s expression turned to a frown as he heard who Yan Rong and the girl Shao Chen had attacked were. If they both belonged to such a powerful organization, things would get really hard for them.


    "Then what do you want?" The green-haired man asked.


    "A limb would suffice." Yan Rong said with a malicious grin.


    "Just because you''re from the cultivator''s special forces, don''t think you can do anything." The green-haired man said as a strange green-colored power began to emit from him.


    It was hard and destructive like Qi but it wasn''t smooth like it. It was erratic.


    "Ho! You seem to be a strong one." Yan Rong said as her own chilly Qi began to fill up the entire space and affect everyone in there.


    The green-haired man knew she was no ordinary opponent but he was confident he would be able to last against her.


    He didn''t know how wrong he was.


    Yan Rong was just displaying the tip of the iceberg to the green man. She hadn''t shown her true Qi, like when she used it against Wei Jun on the highway.


    From every viewpoint, a fight was about to begin and the winner was obvious. The mercenaries would die.


    But there was one person who didn''t want that.


    "That''s enough, Yan Rong." A cold voice entered everyone''s ears as they saw a man holding Yan Rong''s arm.

 Chapter 175: Stunted growth

    [The connection between Shao Chen and Reum Chan has been significantly weakened]


    [Seven events have been affected] Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Two events have been altered]


    [Four events have been removed]


    [One event is undetermined]


    [Fate has been heavily compromised]


    [Your level has increased by 7]


    Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelFire.net


    Wei Jun felt a rush of power throughout his body but that wasn''t all. he had felt similar power-ups before so he was somewhat familiar with them and could focus on other things.


    The other thing that he saw was the slight change in space. As if it was contorting. And it was mostly around two individuals, Shao Chen and Reum Chan.


    However, seeing that they didn''t react to it, it was probably so that only he saw it.


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but wonder what that was. As if the air was tearing apart and space was being contorted. He couldn''t understand anything of it. All he knew was that something had changed around Shao Chen and Reum Chan.


    He had received the levels as soon as Reum Chan was injured by Shao Chen. The system had called that fate so he had a good guess that it was the power of the world. His original opponent.


    The next set of notifications made him even more curious.


    [The world''s will has started to take notice of something]


    [The anomaly of the invader hasn''t been spotted yet]


    [The user is still hidden from the world''s sight]


    Wei Jun didn''t understand one bit about it. All he knew was that he was going in the right direction and that he wasn''t strong enough to have been noticed by the world yet.


    As he got over all this information, he saw the green-haired mercenary and Yan Rong in a confrontation. A fight was coming. Or at least it will if he didn''t stop it.


    No doubt Yan Rong possessed the power to kill everyone there. He didn''t want that obviously because he still had to wring Shao Chen dry.


    He had finally figured out what the influential leverage of Shao Chen meant. Where he needed to just take the love interests of Run Long, he needed to take every connection from Shao Chen.


    Anything that could help him to his goal.


    In this case, Reum Chan was a connection to the cultivator''s special forces but from the looks of it, that bridge had sunk in deep now.


    Wei Jun stood up and approached the scene utilizing his new power without using any Qi reinforcement.


    "That''s enough, Yang Rong." Wei Jun grabbed Yan Rong by her wrist.


    She dispelled her power and looked at him. As for the green-haired man, he did the same and the erratic green power around him vanished.


    Wei Jun knelt down and pulled a health pill from his pocket slash inventory. He put it in Reum Chan''s mouth who was still coughing blood.


    In an instant, it started to take effect and in just a few minutes, she was completely healed. She stared at Wei Jun and then at Yan Rong.


    "Don''t do anything." Yan Rong said with authority in her voice, something Wei Jun had never witnessed from her.


    Reum Chan nodded and remained on the floor. As for Wei Jun, he stood up and tossed a pill to the green-haired man who caught it.


    "Let''s just say both sides were in the wrong and forget about it all." Wei Jun said, staring at Shao Chen who was in pain and being healed by the man who was hitting on the girls, Bernard.


    Wei Jun hadn''t seen such an application of mana but it surely was interesting. But it still wasn''t as fast as the healing pill.


    So he graciously gave one. Well, that was also because there was a need to cement his image in the rest of Shao Chen''s team.


    They wouldn''t be messing with him for some time. At least not until it was too late.


    The green haired threw the pill to Bernard who caught it and fed it to Shao Chen. The green-haired man saw Shao Chen healing at a visible rate and then once again turned to Wei Jun and asked, "And the cultivator''s special forces?"


    "You''d have to ask them?" Wei Jun pointed at Yan Rong.


    Yan Rong smiled and said, "Whatever you say, darling."


    Wei Jun smiled. She wasn''t as dumb as she came across. She knew what Wei Jun was trying to do. He was trying to show he not only had the backing of a sect but also had a strong ally on his side.


    The green-haired man nodded and said, "Let us meet again under better circumstances."


    "Sure." Wei Jun said. He glanced at Shao Chen who was just getting up. Shao Chen didn''t have a good expression on his face and his eyes were spilling hatred.


    But not for Yan Rong who had injured him but for Wei Jun who was smiling at him.


    However, Shao Chen remained quiet. He didn''t do anything except for that. He turned and left with the rest of his team.


    "I''m sorry, Lieutenant. Because of me, it all got out of control." Reum Chan said as she stood up.


    Yan Rong waved her hand and said, "No problem. I do that all the time."


    Although not quite the same, Yan Rong had also dealt with such issues from a young age. There were many who were after him just after a glance of her.


    Even her relatives had tried to pursue her. Of course, no one ended with a happy ending. The lucky ones died while the unlucky ones were left in unimaginable agony.


    Wei Jun somehow doubted that Yan Rong''s ''same'' and Reum Chan''s ''same'' were not quite the same. But he kept his mouth shut because it didn''t concern him one bit. He just looked at Yan Rong and said, "Thanks."


    "Oh, anytime darling~~~," Yan Rong said with a smile that charmed everyone in the vicinity. The women. As for the sole man, Wei Jun didn''t have any change in his temperament. He was as stoic as the day he saw her.


    Wei Jun nodded and left. Yan Rong stayed behind because she needed to deal with some of her own matters.


    As for Wei Jun, he checked the time and left for his apartment. He had no pending meeting or any sort of task. For the next few days, he was absolutely free. The business was being looked after by Li Wei and Lao Chen.


    As for Shao Chen, he was under strict observation by Mark Wilson. Although he had stated that with the addition of mana users, it became quite difficult to keep an eye on Shao Chen. He was deploying some expensive measures to continue.


    Of course, the pay for those measures came from Wei Jun.


    The system backed the explanation by Mark Wilson as mana users were sensitive compared to the other users. Mark was a mana user and mana users were sensitive to mana. If he were to use mana in their vicinity, he could be spotted by another mana user.


    With there being three mana users in the mercenary team of Shao Chen, observation of them became a very hard thing to do.


    Wei Jun didn''t mind though. The information he was getting from Mark was the groundwork for Shao Chen''s demise.


    It was thanks to Mark that Wei Jun was able to find out where Shao Chen would be tonight.


    But he didn''t know he would be walking towards such a big event and such a big gain from it as well.


    But that didn''t make him happy. It only worried him instead because that meant Wei Jun could easily not have been there tonight.


    In other words, every move of Shao Chen could lead to an event and Wei Jun couldn''t be there the next time. The only way to do that would be to know of it beforehand and the only way to do that was through the novel.


    Although Wei Jun now had ten levels to unlock the second volume of the novel, he was somewhat hesitant to do so. Wei Jun''s progress had stunted quite a bit.


    Except for his Qi, no other stat of his was facing an imminent increase. The only fact that made Wei Jun special and different from others was his already monstrous physical strength.


    He wouldn''t even need Qi to fight those on the same level as him. But if his physical stats remained in one place, he was worried he might not be special anymore.


    After all, he wasn''t as talented as the others. If his only plus point stopped being one, Wei Jun would be left at quite a disadvantage.


    ''Are there elixirs to increase physical stats?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Of course, there are]


    [Body cultivators use them all the time]


    ''But¡­'' Wei Jun felt like a but was coming up.


    [But they are extremely rare]


    [Just like body cultivators themselves]


    ''But they''re available in the shop, right?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Of course they are]


    [Just one tiny bit of a problem]


    ''And that is?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Elixir of stone will]


    [Strength +10]


    [Cost: 1,000,000 coins]


    Wei Jun''s eyes popped out of his sockets when he read the price. It was the same as the Qi awakening elixir.


    [The problem is simple]


    [They are ten times more expensive than Qi-increasing elixirs]


    "¡­"


    ''Well, sh*t.''

 Chapter 176: Framed Again?

    Wei Jun didn''t go to his apartment because Liu Yu had some way of getting in there. He didn''t want any risk factors so he made his way to his warehouse downtown and erased all his races of being there.


    Once inside, he texted Li Wei to deal with the troublesome things and Lao Chen to help her out. He also texted Mark Wilson and told him that he would be out of contact for a few days.


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 43


    HP: 52\\52


    QP: 395\\395


    Death Qi: 187\\187


    Cultivation realm: Qi gathering realm]


    [Strength: 82]


    [Agility: 102-> 100]


    [Stamina: 102-> 100]


    [Defense: 77]


    [Qi: 79]


    [Charm: 51]


    [Luck: 29]


    Wei Jun was one stat point away from entering the third realm of cultivation, the Qi empowerment realm.


    Wei Jun opened the shop and purchased an elixir that could only increase his Qi by two points if absorbed properly.


    Although he wanted to increase his physical stats, he didn''t have the money to do so yet. Whereas one elixir to increase his Qi by ten cost somewhere around 50-100 million, an elixir to just increase his strength by ten cost a whopping one billion yuan.


    A straight-up ten times the price. That was probably why there were so many Qi cultivators instead of body cultivators.


    [You have consumed a flame pill]


    [Please absorb the elixir properly to better assimilate the Qi]


    As Wei Jun began to feel warm in his heart, his body son followed. But it wasn''t as strong as the raw herbs he congested for which the death Qi came to his rescue.


    As Wei Jun slowly began to absorb the Qi leaking from the elixir with his own Qi and into his Qi core, he began to feel something different this time.


    A rush.


    A rush he hadn''t felt before. Well, he had but not that intense.


    When his stat limit would be removed and increased by a twenty, his locked stats would rush into his body bringing a euphoric feeling of power to his body. He was feeling the same this time, only a lot more than earlier.


    Since he was lost last time, he didn''t know what the feeling of breaking through was like. However, this time he was perfectly awake and could feel everything that came along with his breakthrough.


    Such as the feeling of power assimilating into his body.


    [You have reached the pinnacle of the Qi gathering realm]


    [Advancement to the next stage has begun]


    [Progress at 5%]


    [18%]


    [76%]


    [99%]


    With each percent increase, Wei Jun felt better and better. There was no pain from the smooth yang Qi. Instead, there was only the pleasure of power that assimilated slowly with his body.


    Even with his eyes closed, Wei Jun felt refreshed as he had never felt before.


    Soon enough, the process was completed by a hundred percent.


    [Congratulations]


    [You have advanced to the next realm of cultivation]


    [You have now entered the realm of Qi empowerment]


    [All physical stats +3]


    [Strength: 85]


    [Agility: 105-> 100]


    [Stamina: 105-> 100]


    [Defense: 82] S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Qi: 81]


    Wei Jun slowly opened his eyes and let out an exhale of hot breath. Not only that, his whole body felt like it was emitting heat like coal.


    The interesting part was that Wei Jun didn''t feel any discomfort from that heat but instead felt calm. He couldn''t say the same for anyone else but the heat emanating from his was a testament of his power and it made him somewhat happy.


    Wei Jun''s stats weren''t looking so amazing but they were in progress. His skills had also increased but he dismissed that information for now because he needed to increase his Qi to the maximum point.


    For that, he purchased more elixirs and herbs which cost him about 300 million yuan.


    Wei Jun went with the herbs because although they provided lesser stats, they were quick to absorb with the help of the death Qi. There wasn''t much difference in the price so it was much more efficient to absorb elixirs instead of the herbs, but herbs were faster and that was what Wei Jun was after.


    Wei Jun began to consume the herbs first because it hurt a lot and it was also quick as hell.


    [You have consumed a scorching root]


    [Your Qi has increased by 2]


    After a round of scorching pain just like the title of the herb suggested, the herb was fully assimilated and it increased his Qi by two points.


    Wei Jun ignored the pain and moved on to the next one.


    [You have consumed a yang dormant herb]


    [Your Qi has increased by 5]


    [You have consumed a root of the underworld heaven]


    [Your Qi has increased by 6]


    After three hours and a lot of pain, he was at 94 points of Qi. His current limit with the level was one hundred points of Qi so he still had a while to go.


    But up next was an elixir instead of an herb so the pain was out of the equation. Wei Jun saved it for the last because the assimilation of Qi through elixirs also made him feel better.


    Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-NovelFire.net


    [You have consumed a soothing yang pill]


    [Assimilation has begun]


    [Please properly absorb the elixir for maximum efficiency]


    Wei Jun once again started to feel that pleasant sensation. Just like before, his Qi core began to absorb the Qi from the elixir under his guidance.


    After an unknown period of time, Wei Jun finally opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and out of this world.


    [Your Qi has reached the limit of your current limit]


    [Please raise the limit for further increase in Qi]


    After the usual messages, the next set of messages put a smile on his face.


    [Congratulations on reaching the 100-point milestone in your Qi stat]


    [Your QP has increased by 100]


    [QP: 600\\600]


    Although all of it was good news, Wei Jun couldn''t help but wonder how he could breach past his limits. His progress was slow, too slow even.


    He wasn''t too happy and comfortable about being protected by Yan Rong. There could easily come a time when she wouldn''t be there.


    Wei Jun would need power then, his own personal power and the only way to do that was to raise his level. And for now, he could only do that by destroying a man''s life.


    Wei Jun sighed and stood up. Despite sitting cross-legged for an unknown long time, his legs weren''t cramped.


    None of his muscles were sore when he stood up. On the contrary, like after every cultivation session, he felt full of power and vigor.


    He felt like he could run around the city and not get tired and he had tried that once as well.


    Wei Jun shook his head of useless thoughts and got dressed. Once he was dressed, he pulled his phone out of the inventory and checked it.


    There were a hundred and nine missed calls, about 200 messages, and the most important detail, the date. Wei Jun''s eyes popped out of his sockets when he saw that he had been cultivating for two weeks.


    **********


    Wei Jun was sure that it would at most take him a week because it took less last time but he was gravely mistaken. He hurriedly left the warehouse and got in contact with everyone.


    He placated Xia Lu and handled all the business calls with Li Wei, Lao Chen, and his newest business partner, Yue Peng.


    After that, he checked some messages from Lin Ruan which were mostly written out of concern for him.


    Other than all that, there was nothing too alarming. Wei Jun sighed as he arrived at his apartment building. He still had to go to his office but he decided to take a shower, freshen up, and have a hearty breakfast first.


    While going up, he received a call from an unknown number.


    Wei Jun picked up the call and Mark spoke from the other side which surprised Wei Jun because it wasn''t Mark''s number, "Mister Ruan. There is something you need to know."


    Mark sounded panicked so Wei Jun asked, "What is it?"


    "They found me. The mercenaries found me. Fortunately, I was able to escape but they had my phone. They know of our contact."


    "So?" Wei Jun asked, unconcerned.


    Even if they knew, they wouldn''t be able to make any move on him. Wei Jun was well covered for that.


    They needed a better reason to attack him and just a spy wasn''t reason enough.


    "No. You don''t understand." Mark Wilson spoke.


    Wei Jun had just entered his apartment when his keen nose picked up something. Something familiar.


    Mark from the other side continued, "I heard the last part of the conversation. They had just finished a job and I heard one of them suggest pinning it on you."


    Mark said and paused to breathe while Wei Jun made his way deeper into the apartment.


    "I heard one of them say it was a perfect opportunity to get rid of you. My guess is your apartment so whatever you do, don''t go there." Mark said.


    Wei Jun cut off the call as he sighed and looked at the dead man on his living room couch.


    "Well, Mark. A little too late for that." Wei Jun said as he knew what the next action would be.


    And just as he did, his door was knocked down and a group of men with guns entered while they yelled just one word, "Police!"

 Chapter 177: Prison

    "Long time no see," Zhao Hui said as he took a seat opposite Wei Jun with a triumphant smile on his face.


    "I''m sure you''re brimming with joy upon reuniting with me in this room." Wei Jun said with a smile of his own.


    "Indeed." Zhao Hui said as he sipped his coffee and added, "Here I bust my as* to find proof against you and you go ahead and do something so idiotic."


    "Right." Wei Jun said before he leaned in and said, "Only that it happened to be in my house, in my living room with all the evidence lying around."


    Wei Jun leaned back and asked, "Convenient, isn''t it?"


    Even an idiot could tell that it was a frame job. The only problem was that even if the police wanted to release Wei Jun on the off chance of further damage, they couldn''t unless he was proven innocent.


    "Hard life you must live. Everyone after you like that." Zhao Hui said before he asked, "Who do you suspect?"


    "I know of someone." Wei Jun said but he didn''t indulge Zhao Hui anymore about that and said, "Proceed with the case. I want to prove my innocence as soon as possible."


    "Now, now," Zhao Hui said with a beaming smile, "Can''t slack on my work now, can I? I have to do the proper procedure this time."


    Wei Jun chuckled and said, "You''re enjoying this, aren''t you?"


    "You''re a smart guy. I''m sure you will prove your innocence soon enough. But before you do, I want to make it so you know what it looks like inside a jail." Zhao Hui said before he leaned in just like Wei Jun and added, "A cultivator jail."


    Wei Jun''s smile vanished as he asked, "But I am not charged with killing a cultivator."


    "But you are a cultivator. You will be a threat to the normal criminals. But in a cultivator penitentiary, I''m sure you would be nice and quiet." Zhao Hui said before he stood up and left.


    It wasn''t long before the court order was issued for the trial which was one week away. Until then, Wei Jun would be held inside a cultivator prison and he wouldn''t be granted any bail.


    He will be allowed a visitor every other day. That gave Wei Jun three opportunities to meet people.


    The first one was obviously his lawyer for whom he had some instructions so he put his name on the list for the first one to visit.


    Then he wanted to meet Xia Lu to discuss his exit strategy. He was sure that the plan he had wouldn''t be liked by Xia Lu. There was a chance her reaction might be worse than the incident where he blacked out for a month after he killed Run Long and the original Wei Jun took over.


    Still, he had to do what he had to do.


    And the final person he was going to meet was none other than Yan Rong. He wanted her to be his ticket out of this case.


    Her rank allowed her to do so. No one would even ask her any questions.


    The only problem was the coexistence of both girls which might lead to a bloodbath. Figuratively, because in a real bloodbath, Yan Rong would be the winner.


    Wei Jun was cuffed, brought to the prison way outside of the city''s radius, and finally frisked, completely. He didn''t resist in any case but when he was asked for a cavity search, he just stared at the guard intimidatingly.


    The warden of that prison was in the Qi manifestation realm so Wei Jun wasn''t much worried about anything.


    After all, it was a low-level prison. Truly dangerous cultivators wouldn''t even be allowed to keep their Qi veins intact, let alone be released in a prison full of cultivators where they could use Qi.


    "It''s standard procedure." The guard nervously said but Wei Jun didn''t budge.


    "Just let him through." The warden said who was looking at the scene through a camera. As his voice resounded through a microphone, the guard nodded and allowed Wei Jun to change and pass.


    As Wei Jun was brought to his cell, he heard many cultivators yelling at him. As he entered his cell, he was given a bracelet to wear.


    "What is this?" Wei Jun asked.


    "What? You didn''t think we would let you lose in here with Qi, did you?" The guard asked.


    Wei Jun didn''t understand but per procedure, he had to wear the bracelet so he did.


    [Nullveil sigil has been equipped]


    [You cannot use your Qi for 24 hours]


    Wei Jun felt as if his core was suddenly blocked by something. Something mysterious but it was there and his core was completely irresponsive to his wishes.


    [That''s normal]


    [It is similar to a void talisman but instead of making one incapable of drawing Qi, this one blocks the Qi inside]


    [Convenient]


    Wei Jun didn''t share the same sentiment as his power was being limited. The power he almost died, not once, not twice but four times.


    And now he discovered that there were artifacts that could make all his efforts useless. It was obvious why he wasn''t too happy about it.


    "I will return in twenty-four hours to recharge it. don''t try to take it off unless you want to be zapped by enough power to knock an elephant out." The guard said before he left with his companion, locking Wei Jun''s cell.


    ''Is there any way to get rid of it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Many]


    [But I doubt you would need to]


    ''Why so?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You want to quietly wait it out in the prison, don''t you?]


    [Then why do something so troublesome and attract the attention of the entire prison and most probably the entire world by showing them that you can somehow get rid of this effect]


    Wei Jun remained silent because that indeed was a stupid decision on his part. No doubt his shop had something to nullify this effect but once his Qi returned, wouldn''t the guards be aware of that?


    It was better to remain quiet than attract needless attention to himself.


    [Besides]


    [The artifact limits your Qi]


    [It does nothing to your physical stats]


    The system was right. Wei Jun didn''t feel anything different about his physical strength.


    That somewhat quelled his worry because he didn''t want to be in a prison full of criminals without an assurance. After all, those who put him in there and those who were aware of it and were his enemies would also be aware of the fact that he was powerless inside due to the artifact so if someone, especially those who put him in there, wanted to kill him, it was a prime opportunity.


    Wei Jun suspected that someone smart like Liu Yu wouldn''t let go of this opportunity. With this news, he was at least out of that worry.


    All that was left now was to wait.


    Wait for Xiang Fan, his lawyer to show up, and for those who were trying to get rid of him to make a move.


    One thing was for sure, Wei Jun would have to be prepared for either case.


    Wei Jun lay down in his bed and checked his system. After his cultivation advancement, he hadn''t checked the system to see what was new.


    Now that he had all the free time in the world on his hands, he wanted to check the improvements.


    [Skill: Qi armament has leveled up]


    [Skill: Qi empowerment has leveled up]


    [Skill: Qi discharge has leveled up]


    [You have obtained a new skill]


    [Skill: Qi construct has been added to the list of skills]


    Wei Jun first checked the upgrade of his previous skills even though he was very interested in his new skill.


    [Skill: Qi armament Lv2]


    [Lv3 Effect: Still an unstable Qi barrier but the duration of the skill has slightly increased]


    [Cost: 60 QP. Additional usage requires 40 QP per 75 seconds]


    [No cooldown]


    [Skill: Qi empowerment Lv3]


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    [Lv3 Effect: All combat stats +30]


    [Cost: 75 QP per use]


    [Cooldown: 5 minutes]


    [Skill: Qi Discharge Lv3]


    [Lv3 Effect: The maximum discharge output has been increased by 5, a total of 15. The user now has slight control over his discharged Qi]


    [Cost: QP]


    [No cooldown]


    As always, Wei Jun wasn''t overly thrilled about his skill increase. Once again, there wasn''t a drastic increase to make his life easier and the small increase was proportional to the cost increase as well.


    Shaking his head, he moved on to the next item on the list, his newest skill.


    [Skill: Qi construct (F)]


    [Effect: Give shape to your Qi according to your will]


    [Cost: 100 QP per construct] S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Warning]


    [The created constructs are for the user only and anyone else would pass through them]


    [The created constructs are unstable and may crack under duress]


    [Skill proficiency can help make the construct more stable]


    [Current skill proficiency: 0%]


    [A.N: Get proficiency to 100% for the skill to level up]

 Chapter 178: Golden Gate

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    Wei Jun wasn''t impressed with that skill either. One, the cost of the skill was too high, and second, he wasn''t sure what it even meant.


    The description was vague and the effect was even vaguer. What he needed was a demonstration and the only good choice in such moments was quiet at the moment.


    [Can''t tell you]


    ''Great.'' Wei Jun said.


    [But I can tell you that it''s a great skill]


    ''Why so?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Because I''m the maker of that skill]


    [And you''re the only one to inherit that]


    Wei Jun was intrigued by the fact that the system or whoever was inside the system was the maker of that skill. One thing Wei Jun admitted the most was that the system knew more about Qi than anyone else.


    If the system itself said that the skill was great, then it was and Wei Jun wasn''t going to doubt that. What he still needed though was the reassurance of the skill.


    ''Why not teach it to your descendants or your sect people?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [None of them were talented enough]


    ''And I remember someone saying I''m not talented when it comes to cultivation.'' Wei Jun said.


    [The theory behind the skill itself isn''t so difficult]


    [It all comes down to the concentration of one]


    [And I''ll be blunt]


    [I have never seen a mind like yours and that''s coming from me]


    Wei Jun decided to end his conversation with the system right there. He couldn''t practice the skill at the moment anyway so all he could do was wait.


    His meeting with Xiang Fan was scheduled for tomorrow. Since it was already nighttime, Wei Jun could sleep for the night.


    Wei Jun closed his eyes but kept his senses open because he still suspected the people on the outside to make a move on him.


    ************


    Morning came in Golden Gate Penitentiary and the prisoners were let out in the open yard after a thorough checkup. Just because their Qi was blocked didn''t mean they couldn''t find any sort of weapon such as a razor blade or something similar.


    Dressed in a grey prisoner outfit, as Wei Jun made his appearance in the field, all eyes turned to him. Many intimidating men looked at him, some gauging him being there, some had a knowing smile on their faces, and some, some had sinister smiles.


    Wei Jun didn''t need to worry about the first and the last ones. The first ones were just curious and worried about the outcome if they were to mess with him.


    As for the third ones, well, Wei Jun was pretty as hell from their point of view. Wei Jun knew what that meant well in prisons.


    What did interest him were the second ones. Their smiles suggested they knew of him coming there. Wei Jun was going to deal with these kinds of people. As for the rest, well, there was no need to worry about the first ones and he could easily break the third ones.


    However, the second ones were in there with connections. Connections that threatened his position.


    Wei Jun turned and made his way to a bench in the corner where no one was present. As he took a seat on the bench, he observed everyone just as everyone observed him.


    "You''re in my seat, pretty boy." A giant man''s voice entered his ears coming from his left side. He turned to see a group of men making their way to him with sinister smiles on their faces.


    ''Damn. Not the second category.'' Wei Jun said before he turned his attention back to the ones belonging to the second category.


    "Hey! Didn''t you hear what I said?!" The giant man said out loud as he brought his hand down, aiming for Wei Jun''s shoulder.


    Wei Jun grabbed the hand without even tearing his gaze from the other and simply twisted his hand at an odd angle, spreading a howl of pain throughout the prison.


    The rest of the men with the giant man were about to interfere when Wei Jun twisted the hand of the giant man even more to the point that his veins ruptured and blood began to come out from several lesions that formed on his arm due to pressure.


    The sight kept the men away and everyone with his eyes fixated on the scene.


    Finally, seeing a movement from the guard''s post Wei Jun let go of the giant man who fell on the ground and kept screaming in pain.


    "Hands where I can see them!" The guard yelled while he pointed his gun at Wei Jun. Wei Jun stared at him for a few seconds before he calmly turned his attention back to the one person who had no interest in whatever was happening.


    "I said hands in the air!" The guard once again said as he corked the safety of his gun to warn Wei Jun once again while some of his companions were busy taking the giant man away.


    Wei Jun didn''t react in any way. The guard was about to say it once more when his radio gave out a static signal.


    "Bring him here." A voice came from the other side of the radio. Wei Jun looked at the guard with a smile and said, "Your boss is sensible. He just saved your life."


    ***************


    The brief show ended and everyone got back to their business.


    Those who were after Wei Jun for nefarious purposes other than killing him backed away and discarded every thought about doing anything like that.


    As for those who were contemplating what to do about Wei Jun finally made their decision to stay away.


    That only left one category and that was the category that wanted to kill him.


    However, they decided to hold off on the thought of doing anything for now. After all, they had no idea what they were dealing with.


    A tiny man almost ripped off the arm of a man twice in size than him which his Qi was restricted. That was a sight not seen every day.


    As for the topic of everyone''s conversation, Wei Jun, who was brought to the warden''s office in chains, entered the office and looked around. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Instead of an office, it looked more like an antique shop.


    "You like?" The man in the office, dressed in a light brown three-piece suit with a white shirt asked.


    "Not really." Wei Jun replied. "Strange. Usually, everyone agrees with me." The man said to Wei Jun''s blatant answer.


    "I know about antiques but I don''t like them enough to decorate my office with them and treat them like my children." Wei Jun said.


    "Is that so?" The man asked before he turned to Wei Jun and asked, "Then what do you know about this one?"


    Wei Jun turned to look at the piece and said, "An exquisite piece of jade that doesn''t belong to the era it says it does."


    "What do you mean?" The man asked with a strange expression on his face.


    "It means you were ripped off." Wei Jun said before he said, "It''s just polished jade with old oil to give the same lustrous look as an antique jade."


    In all honesty, Wei Jun knew nothing about that. It was the system that was telling him everything about that.


    "Hmmm¡­ I paid ten million yuan for that." The man said.


    Wei Jun looked at the man. From an outside view, that conversation was basically pointless but Wei Jun went along with it because he knew it wasn''t.


    The man who Wei Jun suspected to be the warden was playing mind games with Wei Jun and Wei Jun had just shown him that his authority didn''t matter too much to him by disagreeing on every single point about what he said.


    "You''re quite the rebel, Mister Ruan." The warden said.


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything. The warden probably knew what Wei Jun was thinking but even Wei Jun knew that getting the warden on his bad side by saying, ''And you''re not as good as you think you are,'' was such a good idea.


    The warden nodded and said, "Not a good start for your first day. Especially given the extent of damage you did."


    "He started it." Wei Jun said.


    "Which would have been a viable explanation if this was elementary school but it''s not." The warden said before he moved to the main point, "I know why you did that."


    "Why?" Wei Jun asked.


    "To be put in solitary." The warden said.


    "So what are you going to do, warden?" Wei Jun asked.


    If the warden was aware of what Wei Jun was trying to do, then the explanation was simple. Either he was on the side of the rules or he was on the other side. The side that was trying to kill Wei Jun.


    "I''m afraid that''s not possible." The warden replied which was all the answer Wei Jun needed.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "It seems you have made your choice, warden. Too bad. I would have hated to kill you as well."


    "I think we''re done here." The warden said, unfazed by the threat Wei Jun said and asked for the guard stationed outside to take Wei Jun back.

 Chapter 179: Prison

    Wei Jun was taken back to the prison yard. When he entered, he saw something that made him smile. The fear from earlier was gone.


    Although he hadn''t expected just one of his moves to instill fear to the point he would be the king of the place, he was still sure they would hold back after this.


    He was wrong.


    Looking at them, especially those who were after his life, he saw no fear in their eyes let alone hesitation. They were raring to go and their bloodlust was to the point that Wei Jun could sense it from across the yard.


    ''It seems the warden has sent a message. Well, that too, in a way, his own downfall.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly as he made his way to the bench where the gang from earlier, except for the buff man whose arm Wei Jun had almost ripped off, sitting and talking with each other, their expressions somber because their ringleader was out of the equation and the rest were looking at them as the next prey.


    When they saw Wei Jun coming in their direction, they tensed up but also put up their guards in case of a sudden attack. Wei Jun smiled as he approached them and said just this, "Get the fu*k off my seat."


    It wasn''t his seat but it wasn''t theirs either so it belonged to the one who could take it. At that moment, Wei Jun could take it so he took it, whether there was a point in doing so or not.


    The gang looked at each other but no one stepped forward. With no choice left, they left the scene and Wei Jun climbed up on the table with a smile.


    "Ahem!" Wei Jun coughed to get everyone''s attention. Once everyone was attentive, Wei Jun said, "Hello! I''m the reaper."


    "¡­" Silence to that. To which Wei Jun nodded his head and said, "I''m here on vacation. For a week. There are three kinds of people here." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "One, those who want to mess with me but are wary of me, and then the second ones are those who are afraid of me." Wei Jun paused and said with a deep tone, "You''re right to do so. Fear me! For I might reap your soul next."


    He stopped and paused for a while to observe the faces of those listening to him. They had a variety of expressions. Some looked at him like a lunatic, some looked at him seriously, while some were just entertained by his words.


    "Then there are those who are here to kill me," Wei Jun said out loud, garnering the attention of a few people. One of them was the person who was not interested in him since the beginning but even he turned to look at him.


    Wei Jun smiled as his goal was fulfilled so he ended his sermon with, "For those who are here to kill me; you are all going to die."


    "No mercy for those." Wei Jun said before he climbed down and made his way to the exit of the yard.


    Everyone in the place followed him with their gazes but one of them struck out the most.


    The person who was sitting alone since the beginning and so far had only shown a reaction when Wei Jun mentioned the second category of people.


    ***************


    "Mister Ruan." Xiang Fan said who had been waiting for Wei Jun for almost fifteen minutes.


    "Sorry for the delay. I had to get my word across." Wei Jun said but not anything else about it. Xiang Fan took the sign wisely and also didn''t pursue the topic.


    "You had some instructions for me?" Xiang Fan asked getting straight to the business because that was what Wei Jun liked.


    "Yes. I want an update first of all." Wei Jun said.


    "That would be a bit difficult, sir." Xiang Fan said and began the elaboration regarding Wei Jun''s case, "The evidence is very conclusive, for one. And the D.A. is after you hard. Very hard. They have cut off connections to many of the witnesses so we cannot use them. Learning from your previous case, they have tightened the security as well.


    That is why you''re in here instead of a county."


    Wei Jun nodded and asked, "And about the victim?"


    "The man''s name cannot be found. Nothing on the credentials either. Everything is fake and fabricated. We couldn''t find anything. As if the man didn''t exist until a few days ago." Xiang Fan said.


    "Hmm¡­" Wei Jun nodded and finally asked, "I need you to do something for me. When you get Xia Lu here¡­."


    ************


    The meeting came to an end very quickly. Unfortunately, no one could hear what they talked about because they didn''t expect Xiang Fan to come with a signal blocker.


    Still, it didn''t matter to them because this time tomorrow, everything would be over.


    Many in the penitentiary had their own plans and one of those was staring at the wall silently.


    He was a man with a significant height and an overbearing presence. He crackled his hands as he silently stared at the wall of his cell.


    His bald head and appearance didn''t match the glasses on his eyes. Reading glasses to be precise as a book could be seen closed next to him.


    He took off his glasses and tore his gaze off the wall. He sighed.


    "It seems I cannot do anything tomorrow. Our target is quite a bit of a celebrity. Half of the prison is after him." The man said to particularly no one.


    There was no one else in the cell and all there was, was silence. His cellmate, at the top bunk, was shivering but even that was being done silently.


    He dared not make any voice so as to not disturb the bald man who was seemingly talking to himself.


    As for the bald man, he turned his head to a bug in the cell and said, "I will make my move after them."


    He paused for a little while before he added, "Don''t worry. He won''t die to any of them. He''s strong for them."


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    The man lay back in his bed and finally said his last bit, "But not than me though. I''m stronger."


    The bald man raised his hand and looked at the bracelet on his wrist as he replied, "I''m the only one here who''s not limited after all."


    *************


    Wei Jun opened his eyes. As he stood up, he looked around in the cramped space and chuckled to himself.


    All things considered, it was his first time in jail, this or his previous life. He had never been to jail, not as a prisoner at least.


    Back in his world, his brother always kept him out no matter how much the world squeaked and accused him of many murders and everything.


    But here, he was now realizing the absence of his brother. He had felt it before but he had never felt it like this before. The person who always paid attention to him.


    His one and only brother.


    "I miss you, brother." Wei Jun said with a smile.


    But it was enough being emotional. He did that sometimes when he missed his old world too much and all the people in it.


    But he would always remind himself that there was still work left to do. Work was as necessary as everything else, even emotions.


    He raised his head and looked at the panel in his vision.


    [A quest has arrived]


    [The killer and the killers]


    [Tier: B]


    [Description: There are killers after you.


    But, as a killer yourself, and a better one, isn''t that an insult to you?]


    [Task: Kill all those who come after you]


    [Reward: +10 to all physical stats]


    [Punishment: Death]


    Wei Jun smiled. A straightforward quest. He liked it. More than anything else.


    After all, killing was second nature to him. He didn''t enjoy killing but considered it a part of his job. And technically, he loved his job.


    ************


    "He''s coming." A buff man said.


    The group of some fifty-odd men waited in an empty room that was right next to the showers.


    As for why these men were waiting there? Well, that was simple.


    Their target was coming to have a shower right in the next room.


    The target they had to kill.


    "Wait for him to go in and only go in after a little while." A static voice came from the radio given to one of the men.


    The voice then continued, "I have removed all your bracelets so you can use Qi. Make sure the job is done clean and spotless."


    "And don''t overdo it with the Qi so that it goes away soon. Lest we risk the traces being picked up later during the investigation." The voice continued while the men just listened.


    "He''s in." The man standing at visual once again said.


    "All right." The voice from the radio said before he finally added, "Get this over with and you all get good surprises tonight."

 Chapter 180: Massacre

    I did not know if the readers would be comfortable with the scene below so I didn''t spend too much time on it.


    But, it can be changed if you want more details on the scene.


    *****************


    Wei Jun was in the shower when he saw the others in the shower quietly leaving. He wasn''t alarmed because he had been on guard since the morning and there was nothing that could bother him at the moment.


    He continued to shower without a care in the world and soon enough, he felt the presence of fifty three people who entered the shower room, cramping the entire space but they still kept some distance from him.


    Wei Jun wasn''t in the mood to talk. Usually, he would have told them to back off but due to the quest, he had no choice but to kill them. He really didn''t want to but he had to.


    Wei Jun knew the warden had a hand in it because in the morning when he left his cell, he wasn''t checked and he wasn''t even logged onto the shower details.


    For all purposes, he never left his cell and he was never there. In other words, there was no record of him being there.


    But to Wei Jun, that was actually what he was happy about. These records would most probably show up in court and if never left his cell, there was no way he could have killed all these people.


    ''Maybe it was god''s will.'' Wei Jun pushed everything on a being that couldn''t be questioned in the first place.


    All things considered, he was in for a treat. After all, when else would he have so many cultivators served on a golden platter with no consequences whatsoever?


    It was a buffet and he couldn''t be more happy about it.


    "Turn around." One of the men at the forefront said.


    "That just proves how much of an idiot you are." Wei Jun said as he turned around, "You just blew up your chance to attack me from behind."


    "We don''t need to." The man snickered as something ethereal glowed on his hand. Something Wei Jun was very familiar with.


    "So I see the warden turned off your bracelets." Wei Jun said before he added, "Well, how else were you going to even put up an effort against me?"


    Just as Wei Jun''s sentence ended, clothes appeared on his body out of nowhere.


    [Gilliard''s armor]


    [Defense stat +10]


    [Charm +2]


    As something that resembled an Italian masterpiece appeared on Wei Jun''s body, before the others could even begin to wonder where they came from, Wei Jun disappeared from his spot with a speed that was as fast as, if not more, a cultivator at the Qi gathering realm.


    Wei Jun arrived before his first target and before anyone could even react, even slightly, Wei Jun''s palm went straight through his chest and exited from the other side.


    The one at the forefront, the one who acted like the leader of the group died in the blink of an eye.


    It was at that moment when the men who were left realized, they weren''t dealing with someone normal at all.


    Wei Jun, of course, didn''t give them a chance to gather themselves. He moved to his next target instantly and clapped a head in his hands. Only the head between his hands ended up exploding in a gory mess.


    He moved again and another life brutally ended. And again and again. To the point where the ones who were still alive managed to gather themselves.


    They rained their Qi-laced attacks on Wei Jun and although slight, the damage was still being delivered to him and it was pilling up.


    However, before it even got to the point of no return, Wei Jun had cut through more than half of the cultivators.


    Alas, he didn''t feel any power though because his stats were already maxed out except for his defense but even that had maxed out, leaving Wei Jun with a lot of stats that he could get upon his next level unlock.


    Wei Jun consumed a health pill and got back to killing. Seeing that their numbers were dwindling to the point they could be counted on two hands, the remaining ones tried to run but they weren''t fast. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One thing Wei Jun was relieved about was that none of them considered or attempted the self-destruct option. Either they didn''t know how to or they didn''t have the guts.


    Either way, he was succeeding in his massacre and there was only one person left. Wei Jun calmed down, his breath a little bated, or labored, no one could tell the difference.


    He was low on health for sure but he could still move. The cooldown for the health pill still had nine minutes left so that wasn''t an option.


    Wei Jun gathered himself, out of breath, he stepped over the dead bodies that were misshapen, or unrecognizable from a single glance.


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    Wei Jun sped up once again and appeared behind the last person. The last one didn''t even dare to look back and he was just about to touch the handle of the door that could have led to his freedom but unfortunately, Wei Jun plunged his hand through his stomach, killing him on the spot.


    [Warning]


    [Health below five percent]


    [HP 2\\53]


    Wei Jun had never before realized the importance of Qi as much as he did today. His physical stats being higher was an edge no doubt, but not having Qi also made him vulnerable against Qi.


    Regardless of his defense, the Qi of his opponents could still penetrate him through his body, hurting him from the inside as well.


    It was true that defense stat made him stronger from the inside as well but not as much as it did on the outside.


    Wei Jun desperately wished that no one entered the shower room before the health pill countdown was up because if anyone did, Wei Jun was sure even one punch from a Qi gathering realm cultivator could kill him now.


    He dared not use his death Qi because that could leave a trace and in a prison full of law enforcement officers, that wasn''t a very good thing for him.


    Death Qi also automatically activated when he lost a limb or gravely injured himself.


    However, he had learned to control it somewhat. He couldn''t control the death Qi as well as he could control the yang Qi so it still didn''t listen to him when Wei Jun was on the death''s door, but he could somewhat control it when the matter wasn''t life-threatening.


    Although Wei Jun was seriously injured, he wasn''t under any special effect that could lead to his death so he was currently in the safe.


    His HP wasn''t restoring like it usually did and Wei Jun came to suspect that it was because of his Qi that healed naturally.


    Anyway, he was injured but not bleeding anymore and definitely not at death''s door.


    He just had to make sure to survive for the next seven minutes and consume a health pill.


    He walked over to the showers and turned one on. As cold water went down his body, his wounds stung but it also numbed them the next second due to which, his pain momentarily lessened.


    Seven minutes was the longest period of time for Wei Jun ever since he came to the prison but it passed and just as it did, Wei Jun hurriedly consumed a health pill.


    In just a matter of seconds, his wounds were gone and his health full. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief.


    He turned to look at the number of corpses, still lying around on the floor, their blood leaving them, leaving nothing but pieces of flesh behind.


    Wei Jun sighed. He didn''t know what the next step would be. If the warden somehow attacked Wei Jun as he left the room, Wei Jun had no way of surviving.


    So, with his back against the wall, he slid down and sat on the floor in wait. Wait for the other party to make its move.


    While he did that, he also checked the number of notifications in his view, informing him about his recent massacre, and giving him a reward for such a troubling and tiring task.


    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been obtained]


    [You have defeated ¡­.]


    [Stats have ¡­.]


    [...¡­.]


    [...]


    [¡­.]


    [¡­]


    [.]


    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been obtained]


    [Strength +18]


    [Agility +24]


    [Stamina +25]


    [Defense +31]


    [Qi +48]


    Wei Jun frowned. The increase was too small for him.


    Granted, the people he killed were only in the Qi gathering realm but the increase in stats was still too low for that.


    The system had explained that as Wei Jun got stronger, there would be a decrease but the number of people he had killed was still far too great.


    Wei Jun sighed. His growth was becoming increasingly harder. When he began, it was too quick but now it had become so slow that he was considering killing cultivators instead of sitting on his butt and wasting time.


    [Sitting on your butt and wasting time makes your cultivation stable]


    [Whereas the Qi you obtain so abruptly is unstable]


    [You may not be able to feel it right now but you have never absorbed such a high amount of Qi before]


    [You will surely feel the difference]


    Wei Jun was intrigued by what the system said but he put that conversation on hold.


    He heard the door knob moving. Wei Jun sighed and stood up. An explanation was coming up.

 Chapter 181: The surprised visitor

    I apologize to everyone but I still have a very difficult but last exam left for tomorrow due to which I can only deliver the extra chapters of this week on this Tuesday.


    I ask for your understanding and hope you don''t mind too much.


    **********


    "He¡­ did what?" A voice spoke from the other side of the warden''s phone. As for the warden himself, even though he couldn''t believe it, he still said, "They¡­ all died. He killed them all."


    "Did I not tell you to remove their limiters?" The voice asked to which the warden calmly replied, "I did. He still managed to kill them all."


    "¡­" The voice remained silent for a while before it spoke once again, "You do know that''s impossible, right? Even if it was you instead of him, you would have lost. Then how does it make sense for him to survive that scale of attack?"


    "I¡­ don''t know." The warden replied after a momentary thought. He thought back to the scene he witnessed when he entered the shower room after the designated time was up only to witness a young man sitting under a shower, calmly staring at them while all around him, only bodies laid.


    "What should we do now?" The warden asked since the other side said nothing.


    The person on the other side also didn''t know exactly what to do so he spoke something, not to the warden but probably to someone else in the room with him. After the brief conversation that the warden couldn''t pick up, the voice once again said to him, "Wait for tomorrow. His lover should come. Use her to make him what we want. You can discard the bodies afterward."


    The warden nodded and replied, "It will be done."


    ***************


    Wei Jun sat in his room, blankly staring at the ceiling of the cell. His level was stagnant and blocking a lot of his strength. He just wished there was an easier way to level up instead of destroying the lives or goals of a few certain individuals.


    For Run Long, it was his power that should be thwarted for Wei Jun to level up. As for Shao Chen, Wei Jun still didn''t know whether it was his actual influence or was it his influence that led him closer to his goal.


    Wei Jun was more leaning on the latter part because Shao Chen''s goal was his everything and that was the major plot as well.


    Such as, had he constructed a relationship with Reum Chan, he would have secured a connection with the immortal cultivator''s forces which would have been a great help to him.


    His attempts to get close to Yue Peng were also his ticket to secure an entrance to the Shi family and to secure an ally that could help him stand against the Shi family.


    Of course, all of it was Wei Jun''s guess because he only knew about Shao Chen''s goal from the first novel. What he did after that was a mystery to Wei Jun because he hadn''t read the following volumes of Shao Chen''s novel.


    It was all thanks to Mark Wilson that he was able to gather so much on Shao Chen. Now all Wei Jun needed to do was to make the life of Shao Chen miserable by dropping him down from the sky.


    It would be very easy to do. Of course, it would be difficult to ascertain which opportunity was about Shao Chen''s actual influence or which one was towards his goal but there was a simple solution to that.


    Target all of it.


    If his life was completely and utterly destroyed, would Wei Jun need to worry about which influence was which?


    Wei Jun chuckled as he thought about his next target. The target sitting in plain sight.


    Yue Peng.


    Wei Jun had approached her for the very same reason. The fact that she could earn him some income on the side was secondary.


    But now he had changed that fact to the primary as well because just in a few weeks, Yue Peng was blossoming to the point that Wei Jun was earning a steady income from her as well.


    But the fact that she was important to Shao Chen hadn''t changed as well in the slightest. He was still going to use her to get to Shao Chen. The only addition was that he would also use her to increase his wealth.


    "Inmate. Your time to meet your visitor has come." A guard came to inform Wei Jun while he was busy making plans about what he would do when he got out of there.


    Wei Jun nodded and stood up. He let them cuff and chain him and once he was properly restrained, he was taken to the visitor''s room, the special one, where one-on-one meetings were to be conducted.


    As Wei Jun entered the room, he saw a few guards standing with smug faces. He couldn''t help but chuckle. It was obvious what their plan was and Wei Jun was glad he had properly prepared to deal with them.


    As the time for his visitor to arrive inched closer, the guards became more and more tense and prepared to move as soon as Wei Jun''s visitor was in place.


    However, when the visitor entered, they couldn''t see her face because it was covered like a hijab. The girl was covered from head to toe which surprised them a little.


    Still, the goal hadn''t changed. They had to do what they had to do. It was a mystery why she was not showing herself. However, the thought that they couldn''t be the visitor they were after never crossed their minds.


    "Hands up!" The head guard said and pointed his gun at the visitor.


    The woman hurriedly raised her hands, terrified out of her wits. As the woman raised her hands, still trembling, the head guard turned to Wei Jun while reaching for something in his belt.


    "Now here''s what you''re going to do, inmate. If you want to see your lover alive, slit your throat with this." The head guard instructed Wei Jun while throwing him a sharp dagger.


    Wei Jun looked at the dagger but didn''t move in the slightest. He stared back at the head guard and made a face as if asking, "Are you serious?"


    "I''m not joking, inmate. Hurry up and do it otherwise, I kill her." The head guard said.


    "Well, that''s okay and all but why should I? I don''t even know her." Wei Jun replied.


    "What?" The head guard was confused and asked. He didn''t know what Wei Jun was saying or more to the point, why was he so calm when his lover''s life was in danger?


    "Why don''t you remove her attire and you will see." Wei Jun said calmly. The guard, with an ominous feeling, did as Wei Jun said and his eyes widened to their limits.


    "HOLD FIRE!" He yelled with all his might and stepped back. In front of him, was a woman he was very familiar with.


    She was wearing nothing underneath that black cloth except for one thing. A bomb. And not just any bomb. One that could take down the whole prison and even the cultivators along with it.


    But more than that, the identity of that woman also mattered.


    **************


    The warden was sitting in his office, waiting for a report.


    While he did so, he anxiously waited to make the cover-up as well because he would have a hell of a time explaining how the following events went down.


    How did a visitor to his prison never show up? He had made sure that no logs or camera could pick up Wei Jun''s visitor. It would have been a simple case of the visitor not showing up.


    As for the inmate himself, he would be committing suicide for unknown reasons. They will either blame it on the inmate himself or just blame it on the other prisoners and make it so that they don''t get blamed. After all, deaths and killings in prisons were normal.


    "Warden." The head guard said to gather the attention of the warden. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What is it? Are you done? If you are then finish everything and come to report me yourself, not over the radio." The warden spoke, reprimanding his subordinate for such a thing.


    If somehow this frequency was tapped into, by many journalists who had police radios or something along the lines, they would risk having leverage out on the streets.


    That was something they couldn''t afford to do.


    "Warden. We''re not done." The head guard said, without caring for the warden''s tone.


    "What? why?" The warden asked.


    "It''s not the target." The head guard replied.


    "Then who is it? Whoever it is, get their information. If they''re important enough, use them to get to that bastard." The warden instructed.


    The head guard remained silent for a while before he said, "Warden, I think you should come down here yourself."


    "Why?" The warden asked, irritated by all of that conversation.


    "It¡­ It''s because the visitor is someone you know." The head guard hesitatingly replied.


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    "What do you mean?" The warden was now on the edge, not getting the answer he needed.


    The head guard replied, a reply that left Warden frozen in his place because he couldn''t understand what that even meant, "Warden, it''s your wife."

 Chapter 182: The dawn before the showdown

    The warden entered the room where no one other than Wei Jun and a woman naked, dressed in explosives to be more accurate, was present.


    "What is the meaning of this?" The warden asked, his Qi emanating from him as if he was about to attack Wei Jun at any moment.


    As soon as he displayed that intention¡­


    Click.


    A click sound came from the bomb and a light turned on. It didn''t take a genius to figure out what that light meant. There were two more small bulbs but they hadn''t turned on yet.


    "That''s one strike, warden." Wei Jun said before he pointed to the seat next to the woman, gesturing for the warden to sit down.


    The warden took a deep breath and sat down next to his wife. Wei Jun smiled and gestured for the warden to speak but the warden knew that speaking loudly wasn''t an option so he calmly spoke, "Why did you do this?"


    "What? You can target my lover but I can''t target yours. Not very fair, I say." Wei Jun said with a smile.


    "I¡­" The warden began when Wei Jun said, "Shut up."


    The warden stopped. He didn''t say another word and Wei Jun said, "I don''t care who forced you to do this. All I care about is what I force you to do."


    "And quite frankly, I have the upper hand." Wei Jun said before he stopped talking.


    "What do you want?" The warden asked.


    "Now that''s the tone I was expecting to hear. A tone of a man who knows he has been defeated." Wei Jun said before he said with a smile, "Now I want you to take care of this first."


    Wei Jun pointed at his bracelet that he was surely going to need. "And I want you to empty a wing. I need to use it for a showdown."


    "Even as a warden, I cannot do all that." The warden reasoned.


    Wei Jun stared at the warden without any change in his expression before he sighed and said, "Well, that''s not a very nice thing to hear."


    "I mean, you can change the logs, erase fifty three people from the records, change visitor''s logs, and then everything else. Yet when I ask you to do something, you''re suddenly limited." Wei Jun paused and asked with a sigh, "How do you think that makes me feel?"


    Wei Jun leaned forward, putting his hands on the table as he asked, "Do you know where your children are, warden?"


    The warden tensed, his body once again emitting Qi when Wei Jun continued, "I''m sure, they''re lovely children and all. I can''t remember their names but I was nice enough to nickname them. Just for the sake of specification, that''s all."


    Wei Jun asked with a smile, "Do you want to know their nicknames, warden?"


    The warden didn''t reply. Of course, he didn''t reply. When the fate of all of his family was at stake, he knew better than to not talk about it.


    "Their nicknames are ''Soon to be dead one'' and ''Soon to be dead two''. How considerate of me, right?" The woman whimpered as tears began to fall down her eyes while the warden seethed with anger so much so that the entire room began to tremble.


    Click.


    Another sound was heard that made the warden quiet down and the room began to stop.


    "You''re not doing very good, warden. Already at two strikes. You know what happens at three strikes, right?" Wei Jun asked but replied to his own question the next second, "Batter out."


    Wei Jun leaned back in his seat and said, "Do as I say and you get to keep on pitching. Your wife goes home with clothes and your children get to live. And you continue to play president in this little territory of yours."


    The warden nodded wordlessly but asked about his family, "How can I be sure you won''t harm them?"


    "When you have a card of yours own to play, you can force the answer out of me." Wei Jun said with a smile before he added, "Oh, and don''t try anything else after this. I will slit your children''s throats without a warning if you so much as try to move your people. I''m always keeping an eye on you."


    The warden nodded and Wei Jun nodded in return. The lights that were turned on on the bomb went off once again and Wei Jun said, "Your wife stays here until I stay here. With me, of course."


    ***********************


    Wei Jun sat in his cell. Once again thinking of the future but this time, he wasn''t alone. There was a trembling woman with him in the cell on the top bunk while Wei Jun was on the lower bunk.


    Another strange thing was that the entire wing had been evacuated. It was just Wei Jun and the warden''s wife in the entire block.


    [Why not just leave?]


    The system asked to which Wei Jun asked a question of his own, ''Are you asking because you don''t know or are you just pulling my leg?''


    [Ongoing quest]


    [The killer and the killers]


    [Status: Incomplete]


    The only reason Wei Jun hadn''t left yet was because he still had to complete that quest. He didn''t know whether it would be completed after his last target was dead or he would have to kill some more because technically, the warden was also after his life.


    He didn''t want to deal with the warden as of yet because his level wasn''t enough to deal with him.


    All Wei Jun could do was wait and kill the people he could for now. He''d worry about the rest when it came to it. Until then, his task hadn''t changed nor will it change.


    Wei Jun turned around and slept. He heard the cell door open but as soon as someone entered, two clicks sounded that made the unwelcomed guest retreat in a hurry.


    If there was one thing in all of that atmosphere that struck Wei Jun''s nerves, then it was the constant sobbing of the woman on the top bunk but Wei Jun graciously allowed that.


    After all, the poor woman had enough explosives on herself that if they went off, her molecules might not be found let alone any part of her body.


    Of course, that also meant that Wei Jun was in danger as well but he was sure he wouldn''t have to worry about it so much.


    After all, as long as he had death Qi, he wouldn''t die and he made sure to keep it fully stocked just for that reason.


    The day came to an end and a new day began.


    As usual, Wei Jun was brought to the yard by a guard but the warden''s wife was kept in the cell.


    After all, he was his leverage, he couldn''t just let her die in the crossfire of what was to come.


    As Wei Jun entered the yard, it was empty, without a soul in sight. Well, not exactly empty. If he counted the countless guards with their weapons aimed at the yard, or more specifically at him, Wei Jun couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight.


    But Wei Jun had made sure that they wouldn''t do anything. The prison was on lockdown. Li Wei was too deep in the network, controlling everything from the outside.


    That prison was completely under Wei Jun''s control. Not to mention that there was the threat of a bomb with enough firepower to wipe them all out.


    A good motivation for all of them to cooperate with Wei Jun.


    As for Wei Jun, he was mentally preparing himself for a gruesome fight ahead. One thing he was sure of was the fact that he wouldn''t be getting out of this fight unscathed.


    Dead even.


    But to lower those chances, Wei Jun had taken control of the bracelet on his wrist that limited his power.


    Well, not anymore.


    Wei Jun sat down on his bench and just waited; waited for his opponent to come.


    And he didn''t have to wait for long because soon, a bald man in chains entered the yard, escorted by about twenty guards with active weapons.


    The bald man behaved, letting the guards do what they were doing. Not that they were a threat to him but even he wasn''t sure he could escape the onslaught of all the guards in the prison.


    He was strong and confident, not stupid.


    He turned his gaze to the sole person in the yard with the same attire as him. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    As he was being unchained, he kept his gaze on Wei Jun, not flinching at all.


    Wei Jun also didn''t flinch, he kept his gaze on the bald man, their eyes locked on with each other.


    Soon enough, the guards were done freeing the man and left the yard. As for the bald man, he glanced around, finally breaking his gaze from Wei Jun, and looked at the extensive presence of the guards.


    He returned his gaze to Wei Jun and said, "Not what I expected in the least."


    [The details of the quest have been updated]


    [You have encountered an aura user]


    [Details ¡­.]


    [¡­]


    [.]

 Chapter 183: Aura master

    [Strength: 169]


    [Agility: 157]


    [Stamina: 199]


    [Aura: 211]


    [Four-star aura master]


    Wei Jun just stared at his opponent who also stared back at him but neither of them made any move.


    When Wei Jun read those stats, he was a little worried but then asked system for the advice.


    [There is a great chance you will live]


    ''How so?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Putting aside the fact that aura is inferior to Qi]


    [Just the fact that they operate similarly but differently at the same time contributes the most to your chances]


    ''Again, how so?'' Wei Jun once again asked.


    [You can win against aura if you just have high physical stats]


    [For example, no matter how high your defense stat is, it isn''t very effective against Qi]


    [Because Qi penetrates your body and damages you from the inside]


    [However, aura doesn''t do internal damage]


    [It only remains on the outside]


    [So as long as you have a good number in your defense stat]


    [You don''t have to worry about the aura]


    [But the fact that he is strong in terms of stats cannot be ignored as well]


    [You may have an edge in terms of defense, but that doesn''t matter if you cannot get a hit in]


    ''How high would his defense stat be?'' I asked.


    [Considerably high]


    [Because the main focus of aura isn''t on offense but on defense]


    [You remember the green-haired guy, right?]


    [His body was buff as well]


    [All aura masters are buff]


    [They focus on defense after all]


    [So they can protect their mages while they cast offensive spells]


    [Oh, and just so you''re thinking]


    [Guns would be useless against his defense]


    ''Great.'' Wei Jun said inwardly before he finally stood up and made his way to the bald man some distance away.


    "How are you doing?" Wei Jun asked in English.


    The bald man looked at Wei Jun and said, "I''m doing amazing. Now that there are no hindrances." He spoke in pure Chinese and his accent didn''t give way as well.


    [That''s because he is Chinese]


    Wei Jun made a strange face and asked, ''But didn''t you say he had aura?''


    [Cosmic powers are set on different continents]


    [Mana on the western continent and Qi on the eastern continent]


    [That''s why the people born there also have a high chance of having that power]


    [And when they birth children, they also inherit that same power]


    [However, rarely, very, very rarely, people are born with different powers from the continent]


    [He must have been born with aura but since there was no mana here, he would have moved to the western continent to train in aura]


    Wei Jun nodded as it somewhat made sense. It wasn''t set in stone that people born on a continent would have the same power. They could just as easily have some mutation that caused them to have some new trait.


    Wei Jun decided not to focus on the deep information anymore and focused on the opponent in front of him who was staring at him strangely. Wei Jun suddenly stopped talking but there were subtle changes in his expression, of course, the man was a little confused.


    "Just some self-thought." Wei Jun said, understanding the thoughts of his opponent, and added, "After all, I have never faced an aura user before."


    The expression of the bald man froze as he heard that. He looked at Wei Jun, at just an arm''s length, his aura permeating from him, threatening to put some pressure on Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun also began to emit some of his Qi using Qi discharge and a bright smile on his face. He had an upper hand in that conversation, after all, so it made sense he was so smug.


    The bald man, on the other hand, chuckled soon. Where his chuckle should have confused Wei Jun, Wei Jun smiled even more and said, "What? You think I''m too weak of an opponent?"


    "Yes, you are." The bald man said before he raised his fist and brought it down, his movements slow but precise. His movements weren''t fast because he knew Wei Jun wouldn''t move out of the way. It was just a check on each other''s power, after all.


    Wei Jun activated the [Qi empowerment], his open palm raised to meet the fist of the bald man.


    As soon as both of them struck.


    Boom!


    A shockwave and tremor passed throughout the area, even reaching some of the guards. The warden who was watching all that also couldn''t help but feel something off about that.


    The scene was hidden from the eyes of the audience because of the dust cloud but it soon settled down and both of the contestants appeared in their visions.


    The bald man seemingly had no injuries but his expression wasn''t happy at all. Wei Jun, on the other hand, had ruptured his arm, and blood flowed out of it. However, instead of a pained expression, there was nothing but a smile on that face.


    "How did you¡­" The bald man couldn''t finish his sentence when Wei Jun delivered an attack of his own, his fist charged with a staggering amount of 15 Qi, the most he could discharge at once.


    Voommm!!!


    An even stronger shockwave than before shook the entire area. The guards didn''t only just feel it this time but they were somewhat struck away.


    The warden was the same. He had never felt such a pure Qi before, not to mention the one doing so was just in the Qi empowerment realm.


    Once again, the dust settled and both of the contestants appeared in view. The bald man''s expression was worse this time around but Wei Jun was smiling even more.


    The spectators couldn''t understand why Wei Jun was smiling even though the hand he had used to hit the bald man was also bleeding from the outside.


    But that was entirely the matter.


    [HP 51\\53]


    Wei Jun was barely injured both of the time. The second time, the damage was so less that it wasn''t even counted. It was like the attacks were just leaving surface wounds, not going any deeper than that. Not to mention he wasn''t even using [Qi armament] yet, the defensive move of the cultivators.


    "What are you?!" The bald man yelled before he brought out more of his green-colored aura and hit Wei Jun. Wei Jun couldn''t dodge some of the hits but he could dodge most of them.


    Those that he couldn''t were doing nothing to him. His HP was barely going down even though some lesions appeared on his skin but they were surface wounds, with no deep injury involved.


    Wei Jun''s smile more and more increased seeing that the power consumption between both of them was different. The man had more of his unique power but he was equally using it more. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Whereas Wei Jun was just using some of his Qi at the expense of the [Qi empowerment] skill.


    However, he wasn''t all smiles. There were some worrying factors in his equation as well. Just the fact that he struck the man with fifteen points of Qi yet at most it did was hurt him a little, was a very worrying fact.


    According to the system, the aura, unlike Qi, seeped into the skin, transforming it. In other words, even if the bald man were to run out of aura to attack, his defense wouldn''t drop.


    ''But, that''s what the science is for.'' Wei Jun smiled and dodged another flurry of strikes while delivering some of his own.


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    His strikes did nothing, not barely anything but nothing at all. Whereas the damage from the bald man was pilling up. He was too fast for Wei Jun to dodge completely and his technique, although not as good as Wei Jun''s, was still good in its own sense, allowing him to deliver some hits to Wei Jun who was expertly dodging most of his attacks.


    Wei Jun stepped back to create some distance between himself and the bald man but the bald man clapped his hand with a great amount of aura and the power that emitted from them, pushed Wei Jun away while also destroying a good part of the prison behind him.


    Wei Jun, a little disoriented from that hit stood up and jumped to the side just before the bald man''s fist dug in that same spot.


    Just because the damage was less didn''t mean that there was none at all.


    [HP 11\\53]


    As much as Wei Jun would have liked to deplete his HP to the closest point to receive maximum benefit from the health pill, he couldn''t take the risk.


    The bald man could just as well be hiding some kind of an attack that could deliver a great dent in his HP, killing him on the spot.


    And since he wasn''t the type to take risks¡­


    [You have consumed a health pill]


    [You cannot consume another pill for the next ten minutes]


    Just as he heard that Wei Jun felt his body freeze. It was out of fear or anything else. It was because he literally couldn''t move his body.


    [Host he''s using a spell talisman!]


    [Use your Qi and move!]


    Wei Jun didn''t waste a second and activated the [qi armament], freeing himself from that restriction and moving to the side.


    Alas, he was too late and his right side was caught up in the massive attack from the bald man.


    "Aura discharge!!!!!!"

 Chapter 184: Aura master (1) [Bonus P.S: Last week]

    "Aura discharge!!!!!!" The bald man yelled as he delivered the strongest attack in his arsenal. He had delivered more of them before but none of them was able to do any kind of damage to the person before him.


    And the most annoying part was that he couldn''t get most of his attacks in because Wei Jun would dodge most of them.


    So all that was left to do was to use an attack that would for sure do great damage and only if it was done in a way that the opponent had no way of dodging.


    He brought out a paper that had a pentagram with extensive characters drawn on it that made up an impressive art but it was just as amazing as it was beautiful.


    ''Use it only in the case of an emergency. It costs 100,000 pounds, you know.'' The bald man remembered the words of his companion who was a mage and had made that piece of paper for him.


    That counted as an emergency. He didn''t know why the entire prison was doing what his opponent was asking but he for sure knew that even if he were to kill his opponent, he wouldn''t be able to win against the entire prison, not to mention he knew for sure he had no way of winning against the warden.


    So he had to run away as well as complete his task and to do that, he had to let go of the worry of how expensive something was.


    He was sure that his teammate would be mad when he used up all the talismans, the team would face more losses if he were to be taken away.


    As he ripped the paper that held Wei Jun in his place with a spell called [Bind], he also delivered his ferocious skill in his arsenal, [Aura discharge].


    Aura discharge was an attack awfully lot to Qi discharge but once again, it only remained on the outside and didn''t penetrate the inside of a body like Qi discharge would.


    As Wei Jun was swept up in that attack from his right side, he felt pain course through his body. He had felt that pain before, just not on this low scale.


    After all, losing an arm didn''t amount anywhere even close to the pain of his body blowing in many parts and then them mending together.


    But to say it wasn''t painful at all wasn''t a correct statement as well. Wei Jun was hurt and his shoulder hurt badly seeing that it was missing an arm now.


    Wei Jun huffed and puffed, panted as pain and the fact that he almost died weighed down on him. He now regretted not turning on the [Qi armament] from the beginning which according to the system was great against spells.


    But he never expected his opponent to be able to use spells even though he was an aura user. The fact that he could was only because he used some talisman of some sort but it was still a possibility and Wei Jun''s lack of contact with the powers other than Qi led to that mistake of his.


    [Phoenix''s tear has been consumed]


    On the spot, Wei Jun began to heal and his arm began to grow back before the bald man could recover from the backlash of using so much aura.


    When he saw Wei Jun coming back to his prime state, his expression changed to that of greatly disturbed. It made sense, after all, that Wei Jun had healed himself before, and not only that, this move meant that all the damage he had delivered to Wei Jun was now useless.


    Wei Jun chuckled as the pain disappeared and looked at the bald man while he said, "Granted I didn''t do much research on the other powers and I will fix that from now. But you should have also done your full research. Why did you think I was so confident in fighting you?" Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bald man didn''t reply. He was too busy thinking of a comeback but there was none. He had to admit that he lost to Wei Jun in terms of information.


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    "That''s because I have someone who knows about everything." Wei Jun said, referring to the entity inside his system, the overseer of this world.


    It was safe to say that if the system hadn''t warned Wei Jun on time, he would have been injured far more than he thought he would have been.


    [Qi discharge]


    Wei Jun didn''t wait for one more second and struck the opponent''s face with his fist full of 15 points of Qi.


    The opponent was already down on aura backlash, given that he was also out of breath, Wei Jun took full advantage of the opportunity and used his turn to deliver an attack.


    But that wasn''t just it. He had more on the way coming for the bald man.


    [Qi discharge]


    [Qi discharge]


    Another hit in the same spot and then another with a hook of the other hand.


    The bald man''s face hurt as he spat saliva out of his mouth when he was struck with the hook.


    However, Wei Jun didn''t stop because it was doing next to no damage.


    But he was a firm believer in ''Try and try again until you succeed''. So he began to rain down punches on the man while sparing no Qi in the process.


    Still, small was still small, no matter how many times it was stacked. Wei Jun was barely doing any damage and even though the bald man was a little disoriented from all the attacks on his face, he was still way better than ever.


    That was when Wei Jun decided to apply his use of science. The thing he talked about before.


    [Qi construct]


    [QP -100]


    [Qi discharge]


    [QP -15]


    He used a great amount of Qi for this move that he had never attempted before but he was sure he would succeed. Until now, there was just one problem Wei Jun faced greatly. It was that his inferior Qi couldn''t penetrate the body of the giant bald man and enter his body to hurt him from the inside.


    So all he had to do was use a move that would surely damage him on the surface but even greatly help him hurt the person from the inside.


    A sharp thorn formed on Wei Jun''s knuckles as he brought down his fist, packed with all his power and force of the technique, efficient and not unnecessary in the least.


    The sharp thorn on his top was formed of the Qi construct skill that he was using for the first time but even just for that, he was using a great amount of concentration that he could only focus on one thing and one thing only.


    Getting his Qi from the bald man.


    As Wei Jun''s attack landed on the man''s stomach, the disoriented phase of the bald man ended on contact as pain arose from his stomach. He involuntarily struck the man in front of him with all of his power, throwing him away.


    Wei Jun was thrown with enough power to go through the walls of an entire wing. The warden quickly mobilized his guards to deal with that while he returned his attention back to the scene.


    Although Wei Jun was the one who was thrown away, the bald man was in clear pain as he stood in his place, his teeth gritted and a pained expression on his face.


    There was a small hole in his stomach but that wasn''t what was hurting him. What really hurt him was what had entered his body through that small hole.


    Just those fifteen points of Qi wreaked a lot of havoc inside his body, to the point that he couldn''t even move.


    As for the one who was responsible for that.


    [QP 5\\600]


    [You have consumed a Qi replenishing pill]


    [Qi has been fully restored]


    [You cannot consume another pill for an hour]


    Wei Jun launched himself at the bald man, breaking through every wall once again and appearing before him once again.


    [Qi construct]


    [Qi discharge]


    Now that he knew how to properly use it, the strain on his mind was a lot less.


    A straight punch that struck the bald man in his chest.


    "KUGGGHHH!!!" The bald man writhed in pain but Wei Jun was all out of mercy.


    [Qi construct]


    [Qi discharge]


    This time on the back of his right foot, he struck the bald man''s right ribs, letting in more Qi to damage his system.


    The man was in tremendous pain but Wei Jun took no mercy on him. He jumped and locked the bald man between his legs, executing a triangle choke, more commonly known as a leg triangle.


    With the old man''s carotid arteries pressed, the man was on his way to a blood choke and that was exactly what Wei Jun was going for. To make the bald man faint.


    However, the bald man was still awake. He gritted his teeth as he let out an almost animalistic grunt and raised his body, and in doing so, raised Wei Jun''s body.


    And then, he just bashed him in the ground.

 Chapter 185: A tale

    Sorry for the late update.


    I was a bit too relaxed after being freed from the stress of exams.


    ****************


    Wei Jun was slammed on the floor, pain rushing through his body even though his Qi was protecting him. But that did nothing to rattle the injuries he had already obtained.


    Wei Jun still held the triangle lock around the bald man even though he was slammed once again.


    "Ugh!!" Wei Jun spat blood from his mouth and nose but he kept a firm hold on the bald man. It was slow but he could feel the bald man slowly becoming sluggish as time went by.


    It wasn''t long before his efforts paid off.


    The bald man finally lost consciousness and let go of Wei Jun. Wei Jun, however, wasn''t so quick in letting go of the man. He still held the bald man to make sure he stayed in the realm of unconsciousness.


    And finally, when there was no sign of the bald man coming back to the world of consciousness, Wei Jun let go of him and exhaled a loud breadth.


    "Hah!"


    "Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Haha¡­ Hahahahahaha¡­.. HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Wei Jun began to laugh and pant like a maniac or an animal could have been a correct description.


    Wei Jun raised his head and looked at the guards surrounding the place. Mostly on the roof but there were some trying to make sure that the large commotion wasn''t seen outside of the prison.


    Seeing that there was nothing to worry about, Wei Jun remained in his spot, on the ground while he purchased a tranquilizing agent from the shop that worked on the cultivators.


    But if it worked on the cultivators, Wei Jun hoped it would work on the bald aura master as well.


    A single needle appeared in his hand which Wei Jun stabbed in the bald man''s thigh and stood up.


    [HP 17\\53]


    Wei Jun checked the time for the pill cooldown and it was almost there. Just as it was finished, Wei Jun consumed a health pill and the pain in his body went away almost instantly.


    Once he was back in his top shape, he searched the bald man and found another piece of paper like before in his pocket.


    It was intricately drawn, just like the one from before. Wei Jun had no idea what all this signified but he was sure his buddy who was very helpful in his recent fight would know very much about it.


    [It''s a mana spell talisman]


    [Just like there are talismans for Qi users]


    [Mana spell talismans are also somewhat the same]


    [If one possessed that, even if they didn''t have any mana, they could still use a spell because of the arrays cast in it and the mana stored in it]


    [This one teleports its holder to a hundred-meter distance]


    ''So that was how he was going to get out of here, huh?'' Wei Jun said inwardly and stood up.


    He turned to the guards and said, "Take him to an empty room and bind him. He might wake up and kill you all so make sure you have someone stronger with you."


    [That''s not necessary]


    Just as Wei Jun finished, the system said.


    ''What isn''t?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You can just block his aura pathways]


    [Aura is very similar to Qi]


    [Only it isn''t stored in the abdomen but in the body but the circulation still happens]


    [You can halt that circulation with your Qi]


    [Since Qi is superior to aura, his aura wouldn''t be able to get free so soon]


    [But it will because his aura is still stronger]


    [But it will also buy you some time]


    Wei Jun nodded and placed his hand on the bald man''s abdomen. Once he was in, he used the skill [Qi discharge] repeatedly and blocked the acupoints he used during his circulation.


    Since the bald man wasn''t conscious, his aura also wasn''t moving so Wei Jun couldn''t tell if it worked or not.


    All he could do was wait and find out.


    No matter how strong Wei Jun pressed the blood vessels of the bald man and cut off the brain from the blood supply, his mind would soon reboot and he would soon wake up.


    Tricky thing, a mind was. When it saw it couldn''t get enough blood supply, it shut down all the systems before going to sleep itself to prevent necrosis.


    Wei Jun sighed and turned to look at the scale of destruction their fight had caused. Wei Jun could safely say that this fight was very quick and clean, and he had made sure not to use any moves that were flashy.


    Stay updated with m-v l|-NovelFire.net


    Still, the scale of destruction was way beyond his fights before. The entire wing was destroyed and there were three deep craters in the ground as well.


    Fixing all of that was going to take a fortune. Luckily, Wei Jun wasn''t the one who was going to pay for it.


    ************


    The bald man slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the disorientation of everything. He felt as if he was on an amusement park ride but the ride itself wasn''t so amusing and his stomach was going to give in at any moment.


    As the surroundings got clearer, he noticed that he couldn''t move, He tried to lift his head but he couldn''t move that as well.


    He felt as if he was bound to the table and after a few more minutes, he realized that he really was bound to the table.


    He noticed the lack of clothes on his body and his body was fully tied to a table.


    "I just wanted to peacefully live, you know." He heard a voice, a voice he recognized but he couldn''t be sure where it was coming from since he couldn''t move his head to check out.


    "When my father appointed me as the chairman of a small-scale toy-making company with a worth of just 11 million dollars, I was ecstatic to make him proud and work on it still. Make it flourish." Wei Jun said once again but the bald man couldn''t see where the voice was coming from.


    "I was happy. My dad put a lot of faith in me and gave me such a responsibility. It wasn''t even a drop of water, that company, in the big conglomerate of my family''s empire, but it was a responsibility and it didn''t matter how small it was, it was still my father''s and I was never going to let it fail." Wei Jun kept talking, without caring whether the bald man was listening or not.


    "But some people wouldn''t just let me do it. No matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did, they wouldn''t just let me progress." Wei Jun continued, "But I held back. It wasn''t like I could do anything to them. I was raised by my brother as well, not just my father, so I had a kind heart."


    Step.


    Wei Jun slowly stepped on the floor which made the bald man nervous. Nervous because he couldn''t feel the power that he had worked so hard to obtain. And not just that, the fact that he was in no control made him all the more nervous.


    That was why that senseless talk that Wei Jun kept saying and the small steps Wei Jun was repeatedly taking were striking his nerves.


    "I tried to reason with, I tried so, so hard. But I just couldn''t do it. They wouldn''t listen. All they saw was a child whom they could exploit and make some retirement fund for the end of their lives." Wei Jun continued while he continued to take small steps.


    Everything little thing was invoking fear in the bald man and he desperately tried to use the power in his body but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn''t do so.


    And as for his body, it was numb. He couldn''t even move it properly.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, continued his tale, "One day, I found out that the oldest one of them, the board of members, he was using the fund that was supposed to make the company go to the next level on hookers. I just lost it. I mean, he was seventy-three years old. I doubted his nilly would be capable of willying anymore.


    One foot in the grave and the other in between a bunch of hookers, it wasn''t as funny as it sounds right now."


    Wei Jun finally appeared in the view of the bald man, his head upside down, "So I hit him on his head. But I wasn''t going to do it without pain, so easily." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So I tied him to a table, just like this. Used a chainsaw and cut through his limbs as he shrieked in pain and begged for mercy, or maybe he was begging for mercy or he was just screaming, I could never tell." Wei Jun said nonchalantly.


    "Inevitably, my brother found out. He was mad. So mad at me. He thought I was the sensible one yet I did something like that. So he taught me how to dismember a body properly and clean the mess afterward. His techniques were amazing, by the way." Wei Jun said to the bald man like he was telling him of an artwork and added, "Now I''m going to apply those same techniques to you."


    Wei Jun disappeared from the bald man''s view once more but the bald man soon heard the voice of something electric going on. The sound of it was loud and obnoxious but soon enough, that loud noise was nothing compared to the screams of a man who was being cut into pieces while he was still alive and breathing.

 Chapter 186: Death Qi increase

    Wei Jun looked at the number of chainsaws lying on the floor. The body of the aura user was so tough that he had to use two chainsaws to hack through just one limb.


    He used twenty-seven chainsaws to finally cut the main into five pieces, six to be exact. Two arms, two legs, and one head that left another piece mainly known as the rest of his body.


    Wei Jun purchased a special box from the shop that had something similar to some preservation technique used on it. It would keep the body of the bald man from deteriorating.


    [Having a strong body isn''t necessarily a good thing, huh?]


    Wei Jun agreed with the system''s words. Just because the body of the bald man was tough, Wei Jun had to use many more chainsaws and in doing so, the pain to the bald man was also massive.


    To the point, he had browned himself from both fronts. Wei Jun sighed and just stored the head, arms, and legs. He left the body to be discarded somehow.


    "Bury it, burn it, or feed it to your dogs. Do whatever you want to do." Wei Jun said to the horrified warden.


    The warden knew that Wei Jun was a maniac with what he had shown but he didn''t know he was this much of a lunatic.


    Fear gripped his heart as he regretted his decision to make enemies with Wei Jun. Wei Jun looked at him with a smile as if he could read the warden''s face and said, "Now that you know who you''re dealing with. Make better choices."


    The warden didn''t say anything but left to carry out Wei Jun''s orders and deal with the heavy mess created in his prison. If this went out to the authorities, his job would be the least of his concerns.


    With the warden gone, Wei Jun checked his system which was blinking and showing notifications since earlier.


    [You have removed a crucial plot point]


    [Four events have been altered]


    [Two events have been removed]


    [Your level has increased by five]


    [You are now level 48]


    Wei Jun smiled as he read the number of notifications but the good wasn''t over yet.


    [You have defeated an opponent with cosmic power]


    [Conversion to Qi is not possible]


    [Power would be substituted]


    [Your death Qi has increased by four]


    [Death Qi 191\\191]


    Wei Jun''s smile widened as he saw the notifications. It was safe to say that so far, there was no way of increasing his death Qi but with this, he may have found the solution to that.


    The only problem there was that the system said that power couldn''t be converted to Qi which meant it might be possible. In this case, he might have to look for ways to stop that because he needed to increase his death Qi more than anything.


    Death Qi was the only thing that didn''t have a level limit or at least it looked like so because Death Qi wasn''t related to a stat, unlike his yang Qi that was related to his Qi stat.


    [Since he was a four-star aura master, your death Qi increased by four]


    [Maybe that''s a pattern]


    ''Maybe.'' Wei Jun said before he asked, ''But I don''t want maybe. Is there a surefire way to increase death Qi?'' S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Unfortunately, I don''t have any experience with death Qi]


    [You could try to deal with the evil cultivators]


    [Maybe your superior power absorbs theirs]


    [It is only a guess though]


    It somewhat made sense and Wei Jun made sure to give it a try.


    The only problem was that he hadn''t faced an evil cultivator yet. Where was he going to suddenly find one?


    [You do know that you''re in a prison for cultivators, right?]


    Wei Jun''s expression dropped at the obvious statement of the system. Still, he coughed and said, ''I have a lot of things on my mind.''


    The system remained quiet to that remark and said¡­


    [The warden is already under your thumb]


    [Why not just take this chance?]


    The system was right. There was a chance Wei Jun might not get it again so he went to find the warden.


    He walked through the entire prison without fear and the guards made way for him out of fear as well.


    He finally arrived in front of the warden''s office after a ten-minute walk. As he opened the door, he saw the warden feeding his wife carefully.


    The warden was about to yell at the unannounced visitor but when he saw who it was, he clamped his mouth shut and swallowed the words on his tongue.


    "You must really care for your wife, don''t you, warden?" Wei Jun asked, or more like said, without expecting a reply.


    "Yet you went after someone else''s girl. What do they call it? Karma or something? Never believed in it but I might be tempted to now." Wei Jun said as he took the seat of the warden.


    "What do you want?" The warden wasn''t in the mood to engage in a conversation with Wei Jun and his wife started trembling when Wei Jun came.


    "Evil cultivators. Do you have any of them in your prison?" Wei Jun asked.


    "¡­" For a moment the warden didn''t reply. But he was still sensible enough to know that asking why Wei Jun was asking was useless.


    So he simply chose to reply, "I have. One."


    "Just one?" Wei Jun asked with his eyebrow raised.


    "This is a prison for low-level cultivators and evil cultivators, no matter how low their level is, are treated as high-ranking threats. The one that is here is awaiting transfer. They would never leave evil cultivators here." The warden said.


    "Good." Wei Jun said as he stood up.


    "Good?" The warden asked.


    "Yes, good. Now you have someone to pin all the blame for this mess and receive compensation from the people who put him in here." Wei Jun said as he stood up.


    Realization dawned upon the warden as he said, "But I would have to explain how he got out."


    "Just say he had something hidden in his body." Wei Jun said.


    "That''s impossible. He was properly checked." The warden said.


    "Even from the inside?" Wei Jun asked.


    The warden didn''t reply to that because no, he wasn''t. It was true that the evil cultivator was checked and even a cavity search was done but what if he was hiding something in his stomach? That would explain him getting some artifacts to get out of prison.


    "Then you just have to say that you had no choice but to kill him. I will help you with that." Wei Jun made his way to the door and said, "Come on now. You can feed your wife later. She won''t be going anywhere unless you make me to."


    The woman whimpered at that sentence and the warden also made a nasty expression but in the end, he swallowed the curses at the tip of his tongue and guided Wei Jun to the restricted part of the prison.


    A part where even the solitary prisoners weren''t confined.


    There were just ten cells like that and in one of those cells, there was just one individual.


    When the warden opened the cell, the scrawny man inside with a natural sinister expression turned to him.


    He smiled as he said, "What is it, warden? Here to let me out?"


    "Nope." The prisoner heard one word before his world went blank. Wei Jun didn''t wait for a second and twisted the neck of the man with all his strength. It wasn''t difficult as the man was also wearing a limiter bracelet.


    "Take his body out and then disfigure it a bit. Disfigure it a lot. Make it so that he died in battle. Don''t forget to get your stories straight and injure some of your men too. Yourself as well." Wei Jun instructed as he let go of the scrawny man and left the solitary room.


    The warden looked at the corpse of the evil cultivator who was so nonchalantly killed as if the killer was discussing what to eat for dinner.


    There was no hesitation in Wei Jun''s moves as if he was doing something that came as a natural thing to him.


    Wei Jun walked out of the cell without wasting another breath. As much as he would have liked to study how the power of an evil cultivator worked or if there was any way to increase that power, according to the system, the power of darkness or any other branch could be increased but the power of death couldn''t be.


    In other words, there was no point in trying to learn an evil cultivation technique because Wei Jun''s power didn''t work the same way.


    Seeing that the evil cultivation techniques were no longer an option, Wei Jun didn''t find wasting time to be a good move.


    He left the area and made his way to his own cell.


    He still had a lot to deal with and the visit from Yan Rong was still pending. Wei Jun could prove his innocence somehow but he found that way faster and cheaper.


    But all said and done, he still had to spend two nights in jail so he decided to make himself comfortable in his cell until then.


    When he finally arrived in his cell, only then did he check the blinking notifications in his view.


    [You have defeated an opponent with the power of death]


    [You have received¡­]


    [¡­.] Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelFire.net


    [..]

 Chapter 187: What?!

    I forgot to add a crucial plot point in the last chapter so I had to fix it. If you have already read the chapter, you may want to read it again to avoid confusion. If you haven''t, then you''re golden.


    Also, some may not like the end of this chapter but it wasn''t written to offend anyone. If you still think it isn''t right, let me know and I will remove it.


    **************


    Wei Jun entered the room and looked at the blue-eyed girl sitting nonchalantly on a chair where she was supposed to be seated.


    As she saw Wei Jun, she was about to launch herself at him when he said, "Sit down."


    Hearing the authoritative tone in his voice, Yan Rong smiled and said, "Ahhng! So harsh of you, darling."


    "Stop that." Wei Jun said,


    "Ahng! How manly of you." Yan Rong again made a cute voice that for some reason irritated Wei Jun.


    "Stop doing that." Wei Jun said.


    "Ahng. Ahng." Yan Rong made that sound again just to annoy Wei Jun which worked as an imaginary line of anger appeared on his forehead.


    Yan Rong chuckled and said, "Sorry, darling. It''s just been so long since I saw you. I couldn''t hold back."


    "Well, hold back." Wei Jun said in a reprimanding tone before he said, "Did Xiang Fan confer with you?"


    "Yes. Don''t worry. Everything is ready." Yan Rong said before she asked in a confused tone, "But what if they ask for proof? You know, a picture or something?"


    "Why would we have proof of me cultivating?" Wei Jun asked.


    The plan was simple. Wei Jun was behind closed-door training and breaking through to the next stage of cultivation, from the Qi gathering realm to the Qi empowerment realm.


    Yan Rong was there to guard him and make sure nothing went wrong. There was the issue of Yan Rong being spotted in the last two weeks with other people but those records were completely destroyed and if the D.A. brought someone in to testify, they could just claim it to be without proof.


    For all purposes, Wei Jun was training and Yan Rong was with him, watching over him.


    Combined with the fact that Zhao Hui would also be giving his statement and that Wei Jun had no connection with the victim, a base for a frame job could be set and Wei Jun was most likely to win.


    Yan Rong nodded and asked, "I see you have the prison under your control. As expected of you."


    It wasn''t a praise. Wei Jun smiled as he replied, "Once the warden made the mistake of revealing his name to me by calling me to his office, the rest was easy."


    Yan Rong nodded and said, "We have covered every topic but we didn''t cover one."


    "And what is that?" Wei Jun asked.


    "The fact that you''re not mentioning the frame job means you already know who did it." Yan Rong said.


    Wei Jun smiled but didn''t say a word. It was clear to Yan Rong that Wei Jun knew about it but he wasn''t going to tell her.


    It wasn''t because he didn''t trust her. That had never been the reason. He never trusted her so the question of trust was meaningless in the first place.


    He simply wasn''t telling her because he didn''t want her to interfere in his plans by encountering the other party. And with him not out there, he couldn''t be sure what Yan Rong would do.


    Yan Rong nodded and said, "Then we will see each other at the hearing."


    Clearly, she wasn''t pleased with that fact and even though Wei Jun knew he couldn''t push her away because he needed her for the testimony, he knew this much wasn''t enough to push her away.


    She would most likely just get back at him for that and Wei Jun wasn''t worried about that. What was the most she could do?


    Three days passed and the hearing was set. And that day, Wei Jun regretted offending Yan Rong because even though he knew she would get back at him, he had no idea it would be like that.


    "We were having se* all two weeks."


    *****************


    "So you think it wasn''t something done by the defendant?" The D.A. prosecutor asked Zhao Hui, who was sitting on the witness stand and answering questions.


    "No. I''m giving my opinion that it''s a frame job. The evidence points to him doing it." Zhao Hui replied. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What exactly do you mean to say?" The D.A. prosecutor asked, irritated by such an answer.


    "I''m saying that in my experience, it looks like a frame job but in the court, only proof matters." Zhao Hui said.


    He then looked at the prosecutor and said, "I was merely giving my opinion."


    "Well, we don''t need your opinion," The prosecutor said before he said, "What does the evidence point to?"


    "Oh, the evidence points to him, the defendant." Zhao Hui said.


    "Thank you," The prosecutor said in an irritated tone before he said to the judge, "No more questions, your honor."


    "Your turn, Mister Fan." The Judge said.


    Xiang Fan stood up and asked Zhao Hui, "You said in your experience, it looks like a frame job. What else makes you think it was a frame job?"


    "I have been after your client for a long time. I know he did something and he isn''t stupid enough to leave proof of his crimes lying around." Zhao Hui said.


    "Objection!" The prosecutor stood up but before he could give the reason for his objection, Xiang Fan said, "Withdrawn."


    The judge nodded and said, "Then carry on."


    Since it wasn''t a proven case yet, there was no jury. The judge was the sole decider of whether or not that case would reach the jury.


    "Anything else, Mister Hui? Something that doesn''t show just your opinion." Xiang Fan rephrased his question.


    "Well, for starters, we didn''t find anything about the man. Who is he? Who was he before a week? Nothing. Also, nothing links him with your client. No bad blood or anything." Zhao Hui said.


    "Objection." The prosecutor once again stood up and said, "That isn''t just grounds for ignoring such massive evidence."


    "But that raises the question, doesn''t it, your honor? How were the victim and my client related in any way?" Xiang Fan asked the judge.


    "Overruled. Continue." The judge favored Xiang Fan''s argument.


    "Mister Hui, can you tell us anything about the whereabouts of my client when he was accused of this crime?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "Yes. Your client, the defendant, went MIA for two weeks. The only people who know about it refused to answer any of our questions. However, after getting a warrant, we were able to obtain the company records of his whereabouts." Zhao Hui told the truth. Well, his truth anyway.


    "And where did the records show him to be?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "Luo Zhen City." Zhao Hui said.


    "Did you discover anything else?" Xiang Fan asked.


    "Yes. We found that there were two seats booked and everywhere while his stay there, there were traces of two people. However, the company logs didn''t disclose who the other person was. The people at the company didn''t seem to know either." Zhao Hui explained.


    "That''s it, your honor." Xiang Fan said.


    "The witness is excused." The judge said.


    "Mister Kao," The Judge asked the prosecutor for the next witness.


    "I would like to call the defendant." The prosecutor said.


    "Very well. The defendant, please make your way to the witness stand." The judge said.


    Wei Jun quietly stood up, still in chains, and was brought to the witness stand where he took a seat.


    "Mister Ruan, do you know the man named Wu Li?" The prosecutor asked.


    "No. I don''t." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "Well, that''s funny. Because he was found dead in your apartment. With your fingerprints on the murder weapon." The prosecutor said before he picked up a bag and showed the contents to Wei Jun.


    "Do you recognize this knife, Mister Ruan?" The prosecutor asked.


    "Yes. It''s mine. I bought it along with the set for 10,000 yuan." Wei Jun gave a detailed reply.


    "So you admit this is yours?" The prosecutor asked.


    "Yes. It''s mine." Wei Jun honestly replied.


    "Then you admit that you killed Wu Li with this knife?" The prosecutor asked.


    "No." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "Where were you on the night of the murder?" The Prosecutor asked.


    "I was in closed-door training and breaking through to the next realm of cultivation." Wei Jun replied.


    "Is there anyone who can testify to that?" The prosecutor asked.


    "Yes." Wei Jun replied.


    "Who?" The prosecutor asked to which Wei Jun simply replied, "Yan Rong."


    Zhao Hui had a strange expression on his face when his niece''s name was taken.


    Soon enough, Yan Rong was called to the stand.


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    As she came, the prosecutor asked, "Describe your relation with the defendant, please."


    Yan Rong nodded and replied, "We came to know each other when I approached him to thank him for helping my uncle with the fund he provided to the police."


    "And then he asked you to watch over him while breaks through in his cultivation? He came to trust you that much?" The prosecutor asked.


    "I didn''t know my private life was being discussed." Yan Rong remarked.


    The prosecutor sighed and asked, "Were you with Mister Ruan on that trip out of the city? And if you were, then why you?"


    "Well, he asked me since I knew much about the cultivation and then there was the other matter." Yan Rong replied.


    Wei Jun narrowed his eyes and an ominous feeling overtook him.


    "What other thing?" The prosecutor asked.


    "We didn''t just focus on cultivation. We also did some other stuff." Yan Rong replied.


    "What other stuff?" The prosecutor asked.


    "Well, I''m a bit shy to say it out bluntly but he was checking out my sisterhood while I did the same for his brotherhood." Yan Rong bashfully replied.


    "¡­"


    "What?" The prosecutor asked with a ridiculous expression on his face.


    "You know, buttering his corn with my honey dip." Yan Rong again said.


    "What?" The prosecutor again asked, quite well irritated now.


    "Haa¡­ We wrestled. The dirty kind." Yan Rong replied.


    "Miss Rong, please stop wasting the court''s time and reply otherwise I will have to move to the motion of holding you in contempt." The prosecutor said.


    Finally, seeing no other option, Yan Rong replied, "We were having se* all two weeks."

 Chapter 188: Chart of problems

    "¡­"


    Wei Jun sat in his seat, with his mouth and eyes wide open and no recollection of his surroundings. He wasn''t alone, even Zhao Hui couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    His violent niece was claiming she was in a physical relationship, possibly a serious one, with a murder suspect in several cases.


    "Wh¡­What¡ªWhat did you say?" The prosecutor was stumped for words and couldn''t help but ask.


    Yan Rong smiled and replied, "I''m his mistress, of sorts. You see, his wife doesn''t give him any. And then we went on a trip, the mood was set, drinks were down, and certain things happened. And then they happened again and again. And again. And again.


    And agi--"


    "Are you saying that you and Mister Ruan were having an affair out of the city?!" The Prosecutor asked when Yan Rong kept going.


    "Yes." Yan Rong replied before she added, "But not just out of the city. Even in the city. Conjugal." Yan Rong bashfully replied.


    While everyone in the entire courtroom was speechless, one person was regretting his life choices at the moment.


    [Wow host]


    [I didn''t know you would turn to ad.ul.te.ry]


    ''Shut the fu*k up.'' Wei Jun said inwardly before he took deep breaths. Continue your journey with m|v-l''-NovelFire.net


    "Are you intentionally trying to mislead the court? Because if you are, then you would also be punished even if you are who you are." The prosecutor said with a red face from anger.


    "What have I lied about? We have an affair. We hide it so his bit*hy wife doesn''t know. What''s there to not believe?" Yan Rong confusedly asked.


    "Your honor!" Xiang Fan stood up before he said, "Based on all the evidence and facts stated today, it is obvious that it is a frame job and my client is innocent since he also has a reliable alibi. I move to dismiss this case."


    "If what she says is true, then she must have a way to prove it, right?!" The prosecutor asked.


    "Prove what?" Yan Rong asked.


    "A record of you being together." The prosecutor said.


    "The company logs clearly state tha--" Xiang Fan began when the prosecutor interrupted him, "The company logs can be forged. I''m asking if she has evidence of her testimony."


    "¡­" Xiang Fan remained quiet.


    As for Yan Rong, she blushed again when she said, "Well, I did make a video of us secretly." But then she panicked and looked at Wei Jun while she said, "But I only made it for later purposes. You know, when you may not be able to give me some time. I needed something to blow my steam."


    Wei Jun trembled in his seat, internally screaming at himself for pissing off Yan Rong that day.


    As for the important matter of the court, the prosecutor was at a for what to do. Just an alibi wouldn''t have been a problem but when it came from a lieutenant of the cultivator''s special forces with significant backing, there was nothing to do.


    The judge also knew that fact. So based on that evidence, there was only one thing that could be done.


    "On account of the presented evidence, charge dismissed. You are free to go Mister Ruan." The judge said to Wei Jun and then turned to Zhao Hui, "Conduct your investigation on the basis that Mister Ruan was framed."


    "Yes, your honor." Zhao Hui replied.


    *************


    Wei Jun sat in his car, in the back seat. Xiang Fan sat with him, nervous about the quiet and suffocating atmosphere around him.


    Wei Jun pulled out his phone after some time and contacted the person he always did for information.


    "Boss! You ready for that super busty stripper now?" Li Wei asked with clear mockery in her voice.


    "Find out some information." Wei Jun said.


    "About?" Li Wei asked.


    "About eight strippers." Wei Jun said before he ended the call. The next person he called was someone who could get him background info, something he could use as leverage.


    "You find anything?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Seeing as you are initiating our talk; it seems things are serious." Mark Wilson from the other end replied.


    Wei Jun remained quiet and Mark Wilson continued after a second, "I have found a link to the Shi family."


    "Who?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Chan Shi," was all Mark Wilson said but it was enough for Wei Jun. He ended that call as well and turned to Xiang Fan, "There will be the aftermath of this situation. Deal with it properly."


    "Yes, young master." Xiang Fan replied.


    Soon enough, it was just Wei Jun in the car. With Lao Chen in the driver''s seat, Wei Jun asked, "What are they doing?"


    Lao Chen was hesitant for a while before he replied, "They''re currently having a meeting. Elder Zhiang and Master aren''t very bothered but Lady Yu is not dealing with it very well."


    Wei Jun knew the news of his affair wouldn''t stay in that courtroom. He wasn''t just worried about Xia Lu''s reaction to that fact, he was also worried about what would come from the political side of his family.


    Allegedly, Wei Jun was allowed to have as many affairs as he could as long as they could be kept quiet.


    An affair like this couldn''t be kept quiet. Yan Rong wasn''t just anyone. Not only was she a lieutenant in the cultivator''s special forces herself, but even her father held a very high position that even Sun Ruan couldn''t meddle with and make it all go away.


    Not to mention that the cultivator''s special forces were a giant organization that even the sect like Cloud Tempest sect couldn''t do anything about.


    Liu Yu was smart enough to pick up on that and she would definitely create problems for them. One of them was that she was betrayed by her husband.


    Her obvious demand would be separation, not divorce, but separation. Along with a huge chunk of the Ruan family''s fortune, she wouldn''t only create a hole in the Ruan family financially, she would also create a drift in Sun Ruan''s and Elder Zhiang''s alliance.


    And all of it would have been because Wei Jun couldn''t keep his pants on.


    It was obvious who would take all the blame.


    Wei Jun chuckled as he remembered the moment his brother told him, ''Beware of a woman''s fury. She wouldn''t have to move her hand but you will still lose your balls.''


    And Wei Jun clearly went through something similar. He offended Yan Rong which angered her. She took out that anger on him and made him suffer the consequences.


    She was smart enough to know what it would do for Wei Jun yet she still did it anyway.


    She was furious.


    ''Maybe I should try to placate her.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly while smiling. Sure, he was in trouble but he wasn''t mad. He was forbidden from going mad by his brother.


    In such a case, it was always better to not further incur the woman''s wrath.


    But that was for later. For now, he had many more matters to deal with. First of all, his level problem. That was his top priority. The second priority was the protagonist. The third was his business.


    And last but not least was his pending talk with Xia Lu.


    [What about Liu Yu?]


    The system asked.


    ''What about her?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Isn''t that a problem as well?]


    [Yet it''s not on your chart of problems]


    ''It''s not on my chart of problems because it isn''t a problem.'' Wei Jun replied before he took out his phone and called Li Wei once again.


    "Yes, boss." Li Wei asked.


    "I changed my mind about those super busty strippers. But I need you to make a slight change in that order." Wei Jun said with a smile.


    ***************


    Liu Yu came home after a tiring day at work. Although she didn''t do much of the work, she was still exhausted.


    Well, a lot of that didn''t have anything to do with her work. Most of that exhaustion was because of her cultivation practice and her acting.


    Her acting took a great strain on her mind and it was the main reason for her exhaustion.


    She couldn''t afford to make a mistake in her acting because if she did, everyone would figure out she was acting.


    And they would also know that she didn''t really have a problem with her husband cheating on her. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That was why, her spacing out or an occasional tear show was a lot of work.


    Finally, she could be herself at her home. Well, not her home. She hadn''t lived at the Yu mansion since her marriage. She had to move to a separate penthouse where no one would disturb her.


    As she entered her apartment, she sighed and made her way to the living room.


    When she arrived, she stopped. A puzzled look on her face. She checked mentally whether or not she was in the right apartment because there were three buff men standing in the middle of her living room in just their underwear.


    She was startled out of her daze when she heard a voice, "Hi honey. You''re finally home for your order."

 Chapter 189: Chart of problems (1)

    "What is this?" Liu Yu asked Wei Jun who was comfortably sitting on a sofa in the corner.


    "You know; a very simple question would be raised at the meeting." Wei Jun said as he stood up and approached Liu Yu, "Why did I cheat?"


    Liu Yu stood in her place, not backing off one bit, waiting for Wei Jun to answer his own question.


    "Well, the answer would be simple, wouldn''t it?" Wei Jun said with a matter-of-fact expression and added, "It''s because my wife did it first."


    "What?" Liu Yu couldn''t understand what Wei Jun meant by that.


    "I mean; didn''t you order a few male prostitutes to your apartment the first thing you moved here? Or at least your call logs say so." Wei Jun said with a smile before he turned around and left the apartment while saying with a peace sign, "Have fun, boys."


    When Wei Jun left, Liu Yu turned around to look at the men in underwear. They looked at Liu Yu, obviously charmed by her beauty.


    Liu Yu sighed before she disappeared from her spot and appeared beside one of them. Before they could react, Liu Yu coated her hand in Yin Qi and chopped the head of the poor man. The other two soon followed.


    Once she was done with the literal manslaughter, she sighed once again, trying to calm the bubbling anger inside of her before she couldn''t hold it in anymore.


    "AAAHHHH!!!!" A scream that woke up the dead along with a wave of Yin Qi that destroyed the entire penthouse. Stay updated through m-v l|-NovelFire.net


    Wei Jun, who had just arrived outside, heard the scream along with the massive wave of Qi and smirked, ''Bit*h.''


    Wei Jun left the place in his sedan and made his way to his next target. After all, there were still the tasks left on his chart of problems.


    And the first and foremost problem was¡­.


    *************


    "This is all that I know about the Shi family. Their sole daughter, Chan Shi. He is having her followed by the members of their mercenary team. Now I would love to follow them as well but as you know they already are aware of me so I have to stay clear of them." Mark Wilson reported.


    Wei Jun quietly read over the file that had the information about Chan Shi of the Shi family. Technical sister in law of Yue Peng.


    She was Wei Jun''s next target. When Wei Jun was in prison and thought over the entire scenario, he somewhat figured out Shao Chen''s goal.


    If he was Shao Chen and he was trying to destroy a family, a competitor, then he would have first found a link to the company.


    [Like Yue Peng]


    ''Exactly.'' Wei Jun said as he then thought about the goal of Yue Peng. She was in direct but hostile contact with the Shi family. If Shao Chen could somehow increase that hostility, then the Shi family would send someone to get involved.


    That somewhat would most likely be the capable one in the family, not a failure. And that capable one was none other than Chan Shi.


    When Wei Jun found out that Shao Chen''s team was keeping tabs on her, Wei Jun knew she was their next target, making her Wei Jun''s next target.


    Shao Chen most likely either intended to seduce her through some methods or find some dirt on her. Going with the plot of the previous novel, Wei Jun was very much assured that it would the former method.


    Shao Chen somehow intended to bring Chan Shi by his side, dismantling the family from the inside then and exacting his revenge.


    But why didn''t Shao Chen hate Chan Shi?


    Well, that part was covered by the clich¨¦ plot.


    "It turns out that Chan Shi is adopted. She isn''t treated like a real daughter but she is still treated fairly well. However, the main inheritor isn''t her but the loser of a son." Mark Wilson explained further about Chan Shi.


    ''So predictable.'' Wei Jun said.


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but review himself for so easily predicting an entire plot even without reading the novel.


    ''Either I''m awesome, or I''ve come too far in this sh*t.'' Wei Jun said before he turned to Mark Wilson and took out two treasures of Yin energy this time. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Mark Wilson saw the treasures, his eyes sparkled because the treasures he obtained from Wei Jun were of the highest quality ever found anywhere.


    "But the deal was for one piece," Mark Wilson, controlling his joy said before he added, "Which means that there is something more you want."


    "Mhm." Wei Jun said as he slid the treasures containing pure Yin energy across the table. They were properly encased in some sort of glass so the energy wouldn''t dissipate.


    "I need you to find me some evil cultivators." Wei Jun said.


    "Evil cultivators?" Mark Wilson was a little taken aback by those words.


    Who didn''t know about the forces of evil? Evil power could be found in every cosmic power. If it was in Qi, then dark Qi. If it was in mana, then corrupted or deranged mana. If it was spiritual energy, then it was dark spiritual energy, and so on.


    There were many small-time organizations of each category or there was some large organization that consisted of all of these above-mentioned powers and more.


    These organizations had a huge influence no matter how small they were. Finding out about them wasn''t as easy as it sounded but it wasn''t as difficult as well.


    "If you need me to find them instead of finding information about them, then this wouldn''t be enough." Mark Wilson said as he slid one of the treasures back.


    Wei Jun looked at Mark Wilson without blinking, and even though overwhelmed, Mark Wilson stared back, not flinching in the slightest.


    After a few minutes, Wei Jun nodded and asked, "State your price?"


    "I''m looking for a treasure that can increase the quality of the human body to perceive Yin Qi." Mark Wilson said.


    ''What?'' Wei Jun couldn''t understand what Mark Wilson meant by that.


    [He''s asking for a cultivation technique]


    ''What do you mean?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Sometimes, people with exceptional vessels are born]


    [They can filter and compress the purest of Qi]


    [Just like Yan Rong]


    [However, sometimes, to equal the scale]


    [Even though they can filter and make the Qi pure, their vessels aren''t born with similar rank Qi techniques]


    [This leads to vessel explosion]


    [Ironic, I say]


    [Too much talent but not a vessel to hold that talent]


    Wei Jun understood the system''s words and asked Mark Wilson, "What grade?"


    "Grade?" Mark Wilson asked with a confused expression.


    Wei Jun didn''t know how to reply to that. After all, the concept of grades was kept secret by the high-class sects. The common people only knew of the common F or E rank cultivation technique that Lao Chen practiced.


    ''What grade would be perfect for this case?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Anything above B rank should lower the symptoms for now]


    [If it still isn''t enough]


    [It would at least lower the process of vessel deterioration]


    Wei Jun nodded and opened his shop.


    [Frozen Queen cultivation technique (copy)]


    [Grade: A rank]


    [Cost: 1,000,000]


    Wei Jun flinched at the price but he still purchased it. It was one hundred million in Yuan but it was enough for Wei Jun to purchase.


    Wei Jun looked at Mark Wilson and asked, "This person you want me to save? Do he or she suffer from the symptoms of chills or something similar?"


    Mark Wilson just stared at Wei Jun without a reply. Wei Jun chuckled. Mark Wilson had no intention of replying. Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Wei Jun reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a blue-colored book with intricate patterns on it.


    The edges of the book were made of ice and the inscriptions on the book weren''t recognizable.


    Wei Jun slowly slid the book across and said, "Here you go. This should solve the problem. Even if it doesn''t, it would slow the body''s deterioration. Enough to buy you some time."


    Mark Wilson stared at Wei Jun in astonishment. It seemed like Wei Jun knew what the person Mark Wilson mentioned was suffering from even without Mark Wilson telling him anything.


    And the most intriguing part was¡­.


    "You just happened to have this on you?" Mark Wilson asked.


    It was as if Wei Jun knew of the requirements of Mark Wilson beforehand. But if it wasn''t that, then Wei Jun had a plethora of treasures available at his disposal and he could pick one as required.


    "¡­" Wei Jun would have not done something like that and properly told Mark Wilson that he would contact him when he would have arranged something like that.


    However, Wei Jun didn''t think wasting time like that would be useful. And if some questions were raised, Wei Jun could just remain quiet just like Mark Wilson.

 Chapter 190: Pay her (Bonus: P.S)

    Unfortunately, I wouldn''t be able to post the golden ticket bonus chapters this week. I will definitely upload them next week since the month lasts until then.


    Hope you guys understand.


    ********************


    Seeing Wei Jun quiet, Mark Wilson knew what Wei Jun intended. He smiled and said, "Using my trick on me, huh? Well," He stood up and pocketed both things before he said, "What can I do about it except for repaying you?"


    Mark Wilson said before he turned around and left, "Let''s meet in two days."


    As for Wei Jun, he was left to contemplate many things. To say he was curious about Mark Wilson''s situation, would be a completely wrong sentence.


    He didn''t care for the person Mark Wilson was trying to save. If he or she were to die, as long as Mark Wilson still worked with him, he would be content.


    As for why he was so eager to find the evil cultivators. Well, that was because of one simple reason.


    [You have defeated an opponent with the power of darkness]


    [You have obtained stats]


    [Strength: 2]


    [Agility: 5]


    [Stamina: 4]


    [Defense: 2]


    [Death Qi: 7]


    Killing an evil cultivator didn''t earn him yang Qi but death Qi instead along with physical stats.


    The cultivator he killed was in the [Qi empowerment realm], just like him and the number of stats he obtained from him was very low. However, what he desired most was the death Qi and if killing evil cultivators could earn him that, he would gladly do so.


    His problem of death Qi and the plot was now taken care of. All he needed to do now was to destroy Shao Chen''s life. And that task was a hundred times more easier than the last task on his list.


    His conversation with Xia Lu.


    But he pushed that forward for a now. For now, he needed to deal with the pending situation at hand. And that was to deal with the Shao Chen and get this farce over with.


    [Are you sure?]


    [It has only been three weeks since the start of this novel]


    [Many opportunities haven''t shown up yet]


    [More opportunities mean more levels]


    ''It''s fine.'' Wei Jun said. It wasn''t that he didn''t know that himself but even if he did, what did it matter?


    He wanted to get this all over with. There was nothing he could gain from Shao Chen and as long as his life was destroyed and Wei Jun killed him, it was all done and over with.


    **************


    Stay updated through m-v l|-NovelFire.net


    "A meeting so soon after your release?" Yue Peng asked while she and Wei Jun sat outside a caf¨¦, discussing business.


    "I simply asked for files. You didn''t have to come personally." Wei Jun said.


    "Well, I have to make sure my partner isn''t dissatisfied." Yue Peng replied before she asked "But out in the open like this?"


    "With how cautious you are by being in an enclosed space with me, I thought you would feel safer like this." Wei Jun said while keeping his gaze on the file.


    Yue Peng blushed in embarrassment. She didn''t mean to offend Wei Jun but it was true that she was edge being in a private place with him.


    Still, she thought she should explain herself, or more like defend herself by denying Wei Jun''s claim for which she began to say, "It''s not like that. I-"


    But before she could properly begin Wei Jun interrupted her, "I don''t care what you think or what you think I think. All I care about is our business and from the looks of it, there are some problems in it."


    "Problems?" Yue Peng asked, hiding the embarrassment of being dismissed like that.


    "Yes." Wei Jun said but before he could explain himself, a loud exclamation was heard from their left.


    "YOU!!!" When they both turned to look in the direction of the owner of the voice, they saw a scantily dressed woman making her way to them.


    Yue Peng''s gaze went to Wei Jun straight because that was the impression she had of him. However, before any of them could process the situation any further, the woman came close to Yue Peng and slapped the person standing behind Yue Peng.


    Shao Chen, Yue Peng''s guard who was standing behind her for a while now, getting angry at Wei Jun''s haughty behavior, was caught off guard by that slap.


    Slap!!!


    A crisp voice of the slap spread in the surroundings and before anyone could react to what was going on, the woman said, "Pay me now!"


    ''What?'' Shao Chen was dumbfounded. He didn''t know what was going on nor could he understand what was going on.


    "I thought I would never find you but to my luck here you are. Pay me for my services right now or my brothers will be looking for you soon." The woman angrily said.


    "Wh-what do you mean? Who are you?" Shao Chen confusedly asked.


    "Oh, so you don''t even remember me right now, huh? I am the same woman who you paid last night to call you ''Sugerbun'' the whole night." The woman said in a haughty manner.


    Wei Jun chuckled at the word ''Sugarbun'' and Shao Chen turned to look at him in anger.


    "What is happening, Mister Chen?" Yue Peng didn''t know what was happening but she at least knew that her employee was creating a scene and that scene was being made in front of Wei Jun, her business partner.


    This was beyond embarrassing for her.


    "I will tell you what happened. This man here hired me for a night. When it came time for the payment, he went to the bathroom and then snuck out of the bathroom window. Without paying me!" The woman recounted the sad tale from last night which made Shao Chen more and more confused but also more and more shocked and angry.


    "I was fortunate to have pulled his card out of his wallet when I went to take a shower in the bathroom, where his clothes were. That was how I was able to find him." The woman said while showing Shao Chen''s business card to Yue Peng.


    "What nonsense!" Shao Chen yelled.


    But the woman didn''t give him a chance to defend himself when she started to yell, "I don''t care! Give me my money along with compensation!"


    When Yue Peng saw that this incident was capturing the attention of everyone on the street. Whereas Wei Jun was also looking at her with a ''Are you serious?'' gaze.


    She became red with embarrassment before she stood up and pulled out all the money in her wallet and gave it to the woman. As she did so, she said, "This should be enough, right? Now please leave."


    The woman counted the money with a smile before she said, "You''re a smart lady, aren''t you?"


    The woman didn''t say anything else and left. Yue Peng, in her anger, turned to Shao Chen and was about to yell at him when Wei Jun said, "I don''t think it would be wise to create any more scene here."


    Yue Peng held herself back and sat back down when she calmly said, "Please forget about this incident. I will fire him as soon as I get back."


    Shao Chen became unsettled when he heard that. That would destroy all of his plans and he hadn''t even begun properly yet.


    Wei Jun waved his hand and said, "I don''t care about him. What I do care about are the people who are ruining my slash our business."


    "What do you mean?" Yue Peng asked.


    Wei Jun took a file out of his briefcase and slid it across the table towards Yue Peng and said, "I''m talking about these people."


    When she picked up the file, she began to read the names on it. One of the names belonged to none other than her own secretary.


    When Yue Peng fully read the file, she found evidence of embezzlement. The Shi family''s interference and many more reports regarding losses which cost her company a substantial amount of money all these years.


    Her hand began to tremble as she clutched the file in anger.


    Seeing her like that, Wei Jun continued, "I don''t know what it was like before me and quite frankly, I don''t care. But now that I am here, I wouldn''t allow any more losses. Please deal with these people or I will do so myself."


    "I will deal with them by tomorrow morning." Yue Peng said in a trembling voice. Her anger was too much for her to be able to keep it in.


    She looked at Wei Jun and said, "But I would appreciate it if you could deal with another problem of mine." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun didn''t need to be told what problem so he stood up and said, "Wait for the good news then, partner."


    Wei Jun then moved to Shao Chen and said with a smile while patting his shoulder, "Pay the hard-working woman next time. It''s not nice to run away like that."


    Shao Chen gritted his teeth at that remark but he wasn''t in a position to further act out on his own. He swallowed his words and remained quiet while he also trembled in anger just like Yue Peng.


    Wei Jun smiled and left the place. After all, for him, there was still a lot of work left.

 Chapter 191: Framing

    After the meeting with Wei Jun Ruan, Yue Peng returned to her company. It was safe to say that she was seething with anger.


    All said and done, Wei Jun was not only a partner of his company, he was also someone who had made a massive contribution to her company, taking it to new heights.


    Yet she had to face great embarrassment in front of him today. Not just because of her own bodyguard, but also because of her company''s employees.


    When she read the file and found out how much was hidden from her by her own employees, her own secretary, who she treated like a sister, her anger couldn''t be suppressed no matter what she did.


    Just as she was about to deal with the issue of the companies starting with Shao Chen, a worker hurried in and informed him, "Miss Peng, someone from Mister Ruan has come to visit. They''re asking to meet you."


    "Send them in." Yue Peng suppressed her anger and said. Soon enough, a young girl and an old man entered her office.


    "Good evening, Miss Peng," Lao Chen greeted Yue Peng with proper respect before he introduced himself and Li Wei beside him, "I am Lao Chen. A servant of Mister Wei Jun Ruan. This is Miss Li Wei, similarly, she works for young master Ruan." Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelFire.net


    "Good evening," Yue Peng replied before she asked, "How can I help you, Mister Chen?"


    "I was sent here on orders from young master Ruan to help with the current issue that Miss Peng is facing." Lao Chen replied.


    Yue Peng looked at Lao Chen with a serious gaze before she asked, "Does Mister Ruan not trust me?"


    "Haha." Lao Chen chuckled and replied, "Quite the opposite. The young master has asked us to follow your orders. Not his."


    "Look lady, he sent us here to help you. Instead of welcoming us, you''re questioning us. That''s quite rude of you." Li Wei said from the side.


    "Mi-Miss Wei." Lao Chen hurriedly said. It wasn''t good to offend Yue Peng no matter the case.


    "What? Have I said something wrong?" Li Wei said with a haughty attitude.


    "Haa¡­" Yue Peng sighed and said, "My apologies. I''m on an edge currently." Then she looked at Li Wei and said, "I''m sorry for questioning you."


    "No sweat." Li Wei nonchalantly replied before she asked, "I''m going to need the company logs going back to the start of this company. Also, I need the information of all the employees, even temp janitors if you ever had any."


    Yue Peng nodded before she awkwardly said, "I have no problem with providing those but most of that information is known by my secretary. According to this file, she is also one of the suspects. I don''t know what to do about that."


    "You can leave that to me." Lao Chen said with a smile before Qi began to emanate from him.


    Yue Peng was a little taken aback and the threatening feeling from Lao Chen held her back. Hurriedly, Shao Chen engulfed her in his own Qi so she wouldn''t feel suffocated by it.


    Lao Chen smiled and retracted his Qi. He then bowed to Yue Peng and said, "I apologize for making Miss Peng uncomfortable. We will get to work now."


    "Miss Peng, may I ask you something?" Just as Lao Chen and Li Wei were about to leave, Shao Chen said something.


    "Mister Chen, you may spend the day here but after that, there is no need to show yourself anymore." Yue Peng, however, wasn''t willing to hear another word from Shao Chen.


    Shao Chen was at a loss for words but he collected himself and said his piece anyway, "I think Wei Jun Ruan is trying to absorb your company. He sent them today, and tomorrow, he will send more. And then more and more until eventually, everything here belonged to him."


    "Haha. What a sharp-minded young man." Lao Chen said with a smile before he signaled Li Wei who touched her phone and gave it to Yue Peng, "He may be right or he may be wrong. But this is the truth."


    On the phone, Yue Peng could see Shao Chen meeting with Chan Shi, the daughter of the Shi family.


    It was just a coincidental meeting and it held nothing more. They just met and had tea, Chan Shi thanked him for saving her life, and then everyone moved on.


    However, Shao Chen knew it wasn''t so simple.


    And when he saw the screen changed to a report of embezzlement that Chan Shi managed to gain after her meeting with Shao Chen, no more words needed to be said.


    "Mister Chen." Yue Peng said with her head down but Shao Chen could tell the anger behind her words and form the way she was gritting her hands.


    "Leave. The police will contact you later." Yue Peng with her head still down.


    Shao Chen wanted to explain himself but he knew even saying one more word would cost him. He decided to leave for now and return with proof of his innocence after his meeting with Chan Shi who would for sure testify his innocence.


    *********************** S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he arrived outside the Shi family building where he was sure Chan Shi would be. He saw a number of cultivators gathered outside and as soon as they saw him, they burst into Qi and attacked him.


    Confused, Shao Chen also unleashed his Qi and effortlessly subdued the one at the forefront after he dodged his punch.


    That wasn''t all. All the cultivators in that place weren''t a match for Shao Chen and soon enough, they were all out of commission.


    Just as he was about to hit them more, "Enough." A crisp voice entered his ears. When he turned to see the owner of the voice, he saw a girl in her early twenties standing beside some heavy cultivators while a frown marred her face.


    "What is the meaning of this, Miss Shi?" Shao Chen asked with clear anger before he added "I saved your life and this is how you repay me?"


    "What do you mean ''saved my life''?" Chan Shi replied with anger of her own as she added, "It isn''t called saving when you yourself are the instigator."


    "What?" Shao Chen asked, confused by such a claim.


    "That''s right. We know who you are, Mister Shao Chen. We know why you''re here. You''re back for revenge after all these years." When Chan Shi revealed Shao Chen''s original name, Shao Chen knew it was a failed try.


    "You instigated against me and then saved me so I would be thankful to you and allow you to enter my family." Chan Shi continued before she added, "I have sent all the evidence to the police. They will soon be here to arrest you."


    Shao Chen remained quiet. He knew he couldn''t do anything here anymore. All of his plans were gone down the hill and the only option that remained was to kill the Shi family himself.


    Destroying it was now a farfetched dream.


    "You know what the sad part is? You turned out just like your father. He also betrayed the trust of my family and you also used the same underhanded tactics as him." Chan Shi said.


    However, Shao Chen didn''t hear anything after his dead father was mentioned. He didn''t care whether or not Chan Shi was innocent anymore.


    "You bi*ch!!!" He yelled and attacked her with all of his Qi.


    However, the men standing beside Chan Shi expected that and protected her from that strike.


    Alas, they underestimated Shao Chen and ended up losing their limbs. Almost all of them were injured in that strike and Chan Shi also sustained injuries.


    But before it could get any more out of hand, "Freeze!!!"


    Zhao Hui himself had come to arrest Shao Chen. Although Zhao Hui wasn''t a cultivator, the crimes committed yet weren''t so serious to involve the Cultivator''s Special Forces.


    "You have assault, instigation of an assault and murder, and statements of fraud against you. However, if you commit murder, I will involve the Cultivator''s Special Forces." Zhao Hui calmly explained everything while more of the police force arrived and aimed their guns at Shao Chen.


    Shao Chen was angry, no doubt. However, even he knew the consequences of doing anything further. He sighed and raised his hands.


    Nothing was worse for now. If all came down to it, he still had the option of fleeing the country.


    He was arrested and brought to the police station. Counted the charges against him and given the rights to a lawyer.


    After all the process was done, he was held in a cell at the police station. He was still wondering what to do when the guard came in and informed him of a visitor.


    Thinking that it was his lawyer, he nodded and the guard left. After a few minutes, the guard returned and said to the visitor who wasn''t visible to Shao Chen, "I will be outside if you need anything."


    The visitor nodded and entered the room. As he did, Shao Chen recognized the man and his anger began to rise.


    "Hello, we meet again." Wei Jun with a smile.

 Chapter 192: How to frame

    "What do you want?" Shao Chen asked distastefully as Wei Jun took the seat across from him.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "I thought we should get acquainted. After all, in my experience, it is always easier if enemies talk it out before killing each other."


    "Why would I want to kill you?" Shao Chen asked.


    "You tell me." Wei Jun said.


    "What have I done to you to frame me like this?" Shao Chen asked, not replying to Wei Jun''s games.


    "Well, you started it." Wei Jun said before he leaned back and said, "I know your amateurish attempt to frame me for murder and then put that giant gorilla in jail to kill me."


    Shao Chen didn''t reply and seeing that, Wei Jun smiled and continued, "I was disappointed you know. You should have at least discarded the murder weapon or thrown it some distance away which would have taken the police some time to find it, making the case more authentic. You should take lessons from my wife."


    Shao Chen kept staring at Wei Jun before he opened his mouth and said, "So Jasper failed to kill you."


    "Now we''re talking." Wei Jun said.


    "But what I don''t understand is how he failed to kill you. You must have paid off the warden. Well, too bad. He lost his chance. I won''t let him kill you once he got out." Shao Chen said, devising his own scenario.


    "Yeah, about that¡­" Wei Jun awkwardly scratched his head before he said, "He won''t be getting out."


    "Haha. You think you have escaped him just because he is in prison. He has the method to get out." Shao Chen said with a slight full of mock chuckle.


    "You mean this?" Wei Jun asked as he pulled a grey-colored piece of paper from his pocket slash inventory.


    Shao Chen''s expression froze when he saw the piece of paper. Wei Jun smirked and leaned in once again, "You see, he won''t be getting out because he''s gone to meet the big man upstairs. Forever."


    "You''re lying." Shao Chen said.


    Shao Chen better than anyone knew that Jasper wasn''t someone who could be killed that easily. His aura was something even he had a hard time getting past. Jasper''s defense couldn''t be breached by someone so weak as Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun chuckled and said, "Well, if I was in your place, I wouldn''t believe it either. The skin of that gorilla was so hard, it took me seven saws to cut him up."


    Shao Chen''s whole being froze when he heard that. Wei Jun leaned in and whispered, "And do you know the best part? He was alive when I cut into his limbs."


    Qi began to emanate from Shao Chen as the atmosphere turned hot and the room began to shake.


    "Oh, come on." Wei Jun nonchalantly shook his hand and said, "You know what will happen if you do that. You go away for a long time and maybe a lifetime. Then who will destroy the Shi family?"


    Shao Chen took a deep breath when he heard that. It was true after all. He would endanger everything if he were to lash out here.


    So being a little rational, he held it in.


    "So you chose your family over your comrade? Predictable." Wei Jun said.


    "You think you will make it out alive. We always kill those who kill one of us. Then we will move on to your lover, your family, and then everything you hold dear or matter to you in the slightest." Shao Chen gave a long threat that sounded more like a speech to Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun smiled at that and said, "Yeah, well, after your stupid attempt to frame me, I''m a little too disappointed in you to expect anything fun."


    "But I will be gracious enough to give you a lesson. I will show you how to really frame someone." Wei Jun said.


    "You mean this?" Shao Chen asked, referring to his current condition before he said, "I will be out of this in no time."


    "Haha." Wei Jun chuckled before he stood up and said as he left, "Not even close."


    ***************** S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [The connection between Shao Chen and Yue Peng has been significantly weakened]


    [Seven events detected]


    [Five have been erased]


    [Two have been altered]


    [Your level has increased by six]


    Enjoy new tales from m-v l''-NovelFire.net


    [The connection between Shao Chen and Chen Shi has been significantly weakened]


    [Eight events detected]


    [Five have been erased]


    [Two have been altered]


    [One event has attained the status of undetermined]


    [Your level has increased by seven]


    [Level: 62]


    Two blockades were removed at once. When Wei Jun received these messages in his car, he was so ecstatic that he lost control of the car for a moment.


    Luckily he didn''t cause any accident. But the power he obtained was still not enough. There were still some stats being blocked due to a level blockage. He needed to advance more.


    Luckily, he knew how to do that.


    [Will you really not need the novel?]


    Wei Jun shook his head as he replied, ''I only gain level when he loses his way to his revenge. I know of his plan so I know the people who would get involved. I don''t need the knowledge from the novel for that.''


    The goal was simple and concise. There wasn''t also a ridiculous condition like copulating with heroines like in Run Long''s case.


    It was simple and straight revenge. And to hinder that revenge, hinder the paths that lead to such a revenge.


    Wei Jun was easily able to take advantage of these paths and dealt with everything. Making sure that there was no one in his way, or no one in Shao Chen''s way to help him in his revenge.


    Wei Jun arrived outside his apartment and went inside. Inside was a beautiful black-haired woman in almost no clothing.


    The same woman who had accused Shao Chen of not paying her. Wei Jun smiled and said, "You did great."


    "Thanks," The woman replied before she added, "You still have an hour left on the clock."


    Wei Jun chuckled and said, "Before that, did you do the subsequent thing?"


    "Of course. Do you think I am that stupid?" The woman asked.


    Wei Jun nodded and handed over a bundle of bills of ten thousand Yuan and said, "Be ready when he comes out."


    The woman nodded but she didn''t leave.


    "Don''t you want to have some fun?" She seductively asked.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "Do your job perfectly and I will show you how loving I can be."


    The woman nodded before she left after she winked at Wei Jun. Wei Jun sighed, turned to the corner of his living room, and said, "Thanks for not killing her. I need her yet."


    A pair of blue eyes shined in the dark after Wei Jun said that and a soft voice entered his ears, "I thought you would be mad."


    Wei Jun knew what she was referring to and if not for his brother''s wise teachings, he would have done exactly that. Gotten mad.


    But since he wasn''t stupid enough to dismiss his brother''s words, he replied, "It was somewhat my own fault. I shouldn''t let you feel that I don''t trust you."


    The next moment, a pair of slender arms wrapped around him from behind. Wei Jun froze. A movement he couldn''t even notice.


    Yan Rong could have easily taken his head.


    He was lucky she was just lovingly embracing him.


    He didn''t even know when she moved, when she appeared behind him, and when she wrapped her arms around him, let alone react to all of that.


    Even with his stats, he was now realizing the difference between heavenly talent and his talent.


    [Yours can be compared lesser to even thousand year old smelly trash]


    ''Thanks the fu*k.'' Wei Jun replied to the system''s sarcastic words.


    [No problem, host]


    [Always happy to help]


    "So if you''re not mad at me, can I do whatever I want?" Yan Rong whispered in his ears.


    Wei Jun sighed and said, "No. You cannot kill her."


    "Tch." Yan Rong tutted and let go of him.


    "But I am killing her for making a move on you." Yan Rong said.


    "She just needs to serve her purpose. You don''t have to worry about her." Wei Jun replied before he went to the kitchen to get something to eat.


    Yan Rong, on the other hand, remained in her spot as she saw the man whose thoughts she couldn''t understand.


    What was he doing? What did he stand to accomplish by doing all of this?


    None of her questions couldn''t be answered.


    A tremble passed through her.


    That was exactly why she couldn''t help but be intrigued by that man.


    A puzzle that couldn''t be solved. That was what Wei Jun was in simple terms.


    ''Let''s see how this goes.'' Yan Rong happily thought before she made her way to Wei Jun for some fun of her own.

 Chapter 193: How to frame (1)

    "Thanks for getting me out." Shao Chen said to the green-haired man who met him outside the police station.


    "It''s all right. It''s just bail. The matter of trial still remains." The green-haired man said in awkward Chinese.


    Shao Chen nodded before he hesitated and said, "Arlert."


    "What?" The green-haired man named Arlert asked.


    "Jasper is dead." Shao Chen somberly said.


    "¡­How?" Arlert couldn''t believe that but he still asked. Shao Chen hesitated again before he replied, "Wei Jun Ruan. He killed him in prison."


    "¡­" Arlert remained quiet before he said, "I was wondering why he hadn''t got out yet. So that''s what it was."


    "We need to do something about Wei Jun Ruan." Shao Chen said.


    "Yes, we do and we will." Arlert said before he added, "But not you."


    Shao Chen hesitated. He knew why Arlert said so but he wanted to kill Wei Jun himself. However, he knew that he was already too deep in. Any more and it would be dangerous for him.


    "I understand," Shao Chen finally gave in after a while.


    "Good. I knew you would see the bigger picture." Arlert said in his broken Chinese before he said, "As for Wei Jun Ruan, leave him to me. I will also make sure he confesses framing you so we can get back on track."


    "Of course, Captain." Shao Chen said and smiled. If Arlert himself was going to get involved, there was nothing to worry about then.


    ''Wei Jun Ruan.'' Shao Chen thought inwardly.


    ******************


    "He was let out of jail." A person said on the other side of the phone. Wei Jun who heard the phone call smiled and said, "Then I''m sure you know what to do next. Make sure to make it look real."


    ***********************


    Shao Chen was back in his apartment. With his teammates also staying there, the place was a little cramped. It wasn''t like they couldn''t afford hotels.


    Shao Chen and his team were well wealthy from their missions. However, they rarely spent that money so as to not attract some dangerous people around the world.


    That was the sole reason why Shao Chen, who had more money than even the Shi family, the family he hated, was still living in such a small apartment.


    While they were all planning what to do about Wei Jun, the doorbell of the apartment rang.


    Everyone looked at each other and after and from Arlert, Shao Chen headed for the door and opened it. Outside, was a police officer along with a man in black clothes.


    Shao Chen could feel a great amount of Qi from the man and he knew that he couldn''t take him without causing a commotion.


    "Mister Shao Chen?" The man asked.


    "Yes." Shao Chen replied after he briefly assessed both of the men.


    "I am Qun Yui, from the Yuan Yin police department. This is Officer Xiao Zhigang, from the Cultivator''s Special Forces." The man without the Qi introduced both of them while the man in black clothes remained silent.


    "How can I help you?" Shao Chen asked.


    "Do you know this woman?" Qun Yui asked while showing him a photograph.


    The woman in the photograph was none other than the woman who had harassed him yesterday and scammed money from Yue Peng after making a scene in public. Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelFire.net


    Seeing her, Shao Chen''s anger rose up but he contained himself and said, "I don''t know her but I know of her. She cost me my job by spreading lies."


    "Certainly a good motive." Qun Yui remarked while he rummaged through his pocket once again.


    "What?" Shao Chen was confused by that.


    Qun Yui pulled out a photograph in which a badly beaten and bruised woman could be seen. It was the same girl in both photographs.


    Shao Chen had a bad feeling when he saw that. The words of Wei Jun began to play in his mind.


    And as he feared, the detective spoke, "The woman in the photograph is Fang Mei. This is her after she claims that a man by the name of Shao Chen who had been angry with her barged into her apartment and assaulted her."


    Shao Chen was outraged when he heard that and yelled, "What sort of nonsense is this? I don''t even know who she is let alone where she lives."


    "You can tell us that at the police station. For now, you are going to have to come with us." Qun Yui said.


    Shao Chen was about to rage again when the man behind Qun Yui began to emanate a ridiculous amount of Qi. Shao Chen wasn''t afraid of that and he was sure that if he were to go all out, he would be the winner but the status of the man wasn''t something he could outright ignore.


    Cultivator''s Special Forces was a giant that he and his team couldn''t afford to offend.


    "What is happening?" Arlert came out and asked.


    The situation was explained and Arlert said, "Is there an option for a lawyer?"


    "Of course. Mister Chen has a right to a lawyer and the right to remain silent as well. But it would be better for everyone if he were to answer some questions. You can have your lawyer present then." Qun Yui reasonably explained the situation.


    Arlert nodded and turned to Shao Chen, "Go with them. I will be right behind you with a lawyer."


    Shao Chen nodded and he was taken away.


    *****************


    After the questioning in which Shao Chen explained everything. He explained how he never knew the woman and how she just came at him and demanded money. He also told them how he lost his job but he didn''t mention Wei Jun as that would complicate things and involve him in that investigation.


    The matter was handled in a few minutes and Shao Chen was instructed to not leave the city and he would be called again and would be kept up to date of the corroboration in his statement or the woman''s displayed any unusual and suspicious signs.


    When Shao Chen left the police station, and the lawyer left on his own, Shao Chen turned to Arlert and asked, "Have you found her?"


    "We have. There are no cameras around so you can go there without worry. No one will be disturbing you." Arlert said.


    Shortly after, Shao Chen arrived outside the apartment building where a woman named Fang Mei lived.


    It was deep in the night and after making sure there was no one out on the street, Shao Chen left the car and quietly made his way into the apartment of Fang Mei.


    As he entered the apartment, he was met with silence. Thinking she was asleep, he checked the entire place but couldn''t find her.


    After making sure she wasn''t at home, Shao Chen quietly left the place and made his way back to the car without being noticed.


    But little did he know, a hidden camera was recording all of that from the beginning to the end.


    But he remained oblivious to that fact and returned with a heavy heart that there was a problem out there that was now MIA as well.


    **************


    In an apartment penthouse, Wei Jun was sitting on the sofa in his living room when a woman entered the room.


    She wore a deep smile on her face as she asked with slight seductiveness in her tone, "How did you like my acting?"


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "It was flawless. You completely fooled the police. They''re questioning him as we speak."


    "I see." Fang Mei replied before she curiously asked, "But what would happen if they follow up with the investigation? I can''t be gone for too long." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun smiled at her words and stood up. He turned on some music and handed her a glass of wine as he said, "You don''t have to worry about that. It won''t come to that."


    "What do you mean?" Fang Mei curiously asked.


    Wei Jun let her drink the wine and said, "The police will find you missing. They would obviously point at Shao Chen. Then you just have to claim that he threatened you."


    "Will that work?" Fang Mei curiously asked.


    "Of course it would." Wei Jun simply reassured her before he took the glass of wine from her hands and held her hands with his.


    "Hmm~ are you going to make your money worth?" Fang Mei asked with an intoxicated expression that would have charmed anyone.


    Wei Jun smiled and simply began to guide her to the rhythm of the music.


    As they danced, Fang Mei said, "Mmm~~ I didn''t know you were such a romantic."


    Wei Jun smiled and tucked her hair back in and said, "I can''t help but not be. You''re so beautiful after all."


    "Thanks." Fang Mei didn''t blush at that compliment like a maiden and instead showed confidence.


    Wei Jun smiled as he held her by her neck softly and said, "It''s a pity I have to kill you now."


    "What?" Fang Mei asked, thinking it was a joke but before she could think any further, a pair of gloves appeared on Wei Jun''s hands and he tightened his hold on her neck and snapped it without a second thought.


    As Fang Mei''s limp body fell on the floor, Wei Jun said while remembering a certain blue-eyed woman, "Be glad. I saved you from a gruesome death."


    "Get her in place. Give the rest of the evidence to the police." Wei Jun said to particularly no one but after he left for his room, a man appeared out of nowhere and took Fang Mei''s body with him.

 Chapter 194: How to frame (2)

    "She wasn''t home?" Arlert asked."Yes. It was empty." Shao Chen replied while he settled on the couch.


    "That''s strange," Arlert said.


    "What so strange about it? She disappeared to avoid me. It makes sense." Shao Chen said.


    Of course, to Shao Chen, it didn''t make much of a worrying reason but for Arlert, who was more experienced in such a world, it did.


    "If she disappears, the police''s first suspect would be you. And if they cannot find her in seven weeks, you would be charged with murder." Arlert replied.


    Shao Chen looked at Arlert as if he had heard a ridiculous statement and said, "First, I had nothing to do with her, and two, they cannot tie me to the scene because there''s no evidence of me being there."


    "He''s right. We checked all the CCTVs. There is no chance of anything showing up." A skinny man with glasses said.


    Arlert nodded at the reassurance from his team and said, "Very well. Then we have a target to take care of. Let''s focus on that."


    Arlert and the rest were about to continue when the doorbell rang.


    Shao Chen stood up and made his way to the door.


    Outside the door, there were the two men from yesterday, only this time, there were a lot more men in black clothes with them.


    There were twenty six of them and from their power, Shao Chen was sure his entire team wouldn''t be able to take them on.


    "What is going on?" Shao Chen cautiously asked.


    "Mister Shao Chen," the man in black from yesterday spoke, "After your release yesterday, did you contact Miss Fang Mei in any way?"


    "No." Shao Chen replied.


    "Mister Chen, you will have to come down to the police station with us." The man said.


    "Why?" Shao Chen asked.


    "Because Miss Fang Mei''s whereabouts are unknown. We need you to come down to the station to sort this out." The man said.


    Seeing no other choice, Shao Chen nodded and said, "Am I under arrest?"


    "No." The man said. Since there were no cuffs, that reply would have been trustworthy but with the number of cultivators outside Shao Chen''s door, it was clearly an arrest.


    Shao Chen nodded and turned to Arlert who had come out at some time and told him the situation. Arlert nodded in understanding and said, "I will have the lawyer come down."


    After that, Shao Chen was taken away.


    When he was, Arlert turned to the skinny man in glasses and said, "Hack into the necessary authorities. See if there is any evidence against Shao Chen."


    "But there is no evidence of him going there." The skinny man argued.


    "Do it anyway. We can''t be too lax." Arlert replied and left for the police station while he called the lawyer.


    *************


    While Arlert was on his way to the police station in the car, he received a phone call from the skinny man. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You were right, boss. The police had CCTV footage that wasn''t supposed to be there because it has no record of being installed." The skinny man told Arlert.


    "And?" Arlert asked.


    "I have deleted the footage from the police database but there is still the matter of where the footage came from." The skinny man said.


    "From where?" Arlert asked.


    "The record shows that it was given by the Ruan Enterprises. The video is still present in their mainframe." The skinny man reported.


    ''The Ruans? How did they?'' It didn''t take long for Arlert to make a connection and he instructed the skinny man, "Collins, delete the footage from there as well."


    The skinny man named Collins replied, "I can''t, boss. Their system is too well-guarded. I would have to get inside."


    Arlert thought for a few more seconds before he said, "Get everyone ready. Let Bernard and Hei Chu take care of the secondary target. You and the rest get ready. As soon as I return after this, we go to the Ruan Enterprises."


    "Got it, boss," Collins said before he ended the call.


    **********************


    "What do you mean the footage''s missing?" Qun Yui asked the operator.


    "I don''t know. It''s just missing. I''d say someone hacked in but I can''t say for certain." The police operator replied.


    "And? Do you not have any backups?" Qun Yui asked, aghast at the nonchalance of the operator.


    "Tons. But they''re gone too." The operator replied.


    "Then get more." Qun Yui said.


    "Can''t. The footage came from Ruan Enterprises. They don''t open until nine in the morning." The operator replied.


    "So what now?" after the call ended, Qun Yui asked the cultivator.


    "We can keep him for the night. We''ll worry about the rest later." The cultivator said and the night came to an end.


    Qun Yui nodded and headed to the investigation room where Shao Chen and his lawyer were present.


    "Mister Chen, you claimed that you didn''t know Miss Fang Mei, is that correct?" Qun Yui asked.


    "Yes." Shao Chen replied.


    "Then how did you know where she lived?" The cultivator asked.


    "I don''t." Shao Chen said.


    "Is that so?" Qun Yui asked.


    "Yes." Shao Chen replied.


    "Are you sure, Mister Chen? Do know that this conversation is being recorded and if you make any false statements, they would be sued against you in the court." Qun Yui informed.


    "I haven''t said anything that is not true so far." Shao Chen said.


    Qun Yui and the cultivator looked at each other and said, "Well, I guess he is telling the truth," said the cultivator and Qun Yui replied, "And we should believe him, right? After all, he is a nice man."


    "Is this a joke?" The lawyer next to Shao Chen said.


    "Mister Chen, where did you go after you were released?" The cultivator asked instead of replying to the lawyer.


    "I went straight home." Shao Chen replied.


    "Again, are you sure?" Qun Yui asked.


    "Yes, I''m sure." Shao Chen replied.


    "Then how come you were seen near Miss Fang Mei''s house?" Qun Yui asked.


    "What?" Shao Chen was taken aback but he didn''t let it show in his actions.


    He didn''t know that the police had already seen the video and that they knew he was there that night. Since Arlert wasn''t allowed to meet him, he couldn''t inform him of the situation as well.


    He couldn''t tell the lawyer as well because the lawyer didn''t know a thing about them.


    "That''s right. We have a witness putting you at the scene. The witness called the police after which the police were able to find that Fang Mei was missing." Qun Yui said.


    "Has that witness given a testimony?" The lawyer asked.


    "Yes, they have. It will be presented to the judge." Qun Yui said.


    However, it was also true that the police lacked any actual evidence. They didn''t have anything to pursue this case and until they were able to get the video again, they were at a loss. They couldn''t even keep Shao Chen in holding without proof so they were trying to bluff.


    "Then if you have already decided to make it a court case, why bother with this investigation?" The lawyer asked.


    "We just want to get the facts straight. No one here wants to waste the court''s time." The police officer said.


    "Of course." The lawyer said with mockery in his tone and added, "If you guys have evidence to arrest my client, then do so, but if you don''t, then he''s walking out of here." The lawyer said.


    "I''m afraid we cannot do that. He''s our lead suspect, we cannot just let him go." Qun Yui said. Although he knew he was bluffing, the fact that Shao Chen was the lead suspect could also be a good reason to keep Shao Chen for the night.


    The lawyer hesitated. He didn''t know whether the police had any evidence or not but even if they didn''t, he was the lead suspect.


    "You cannot keep him in jail, but if you want, you can attack surveillance if my client permits it." The lawyer said and looked at Shao Chen.


    Shao Chen sighed and said, "I''m willing to cooperate."


    "Very well." Qun Yui said with a smile.


    ***********************


    "As you asked, boss. I have left a trail back to us." Li Wei informed Wei Jun while he was sitting in his office over the phone.


    Wei Jun smiled and asked, "And?"


    "The other guy was good. But sadly, he wasn''t good enough to match me." Li Wei bragged about herself before she continued, "I have made sure to point them to the Ruan Enterprises mainframe. You can be assured of them knowing. But whether they make a move or not, well, I can''t predict that."


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "You leave that part to me."


    Wei Jun then stood up to leave. He knew what he was about to do was risky but he was sure he would be the winner. After all, he would have a weapon he didn''t have when fighting the aura master, Jasper.


    [Death Qi: 198\\198]


    Wei Jun headed for the door but just as he was about to open it, he received sudden notifications from the system.


    [An emergency quest has arrived]


    [Choice of the invader]


    [Grade: S] Find more to read at m_v l|-NovelFire.net


    [Limited to the user]


    [Description: Make a choice]


    [Task: ¡­


    [¡­.]


    [¡­.]

 Chapter 195: A choice?

    "Where is the security?" A buff man asked Arlert while Arlert himself was asking himself the same question.A company building like the Ruan Enterprises would have been full of security, especially after their last building was blown to hell.


    "I have no idea." Arlert replied before he added, "Unless they had an idea about us coming here."


    "What?" The buff man said before he looked at where Arlert was looking. In the darkness of the hallway, there was a pair of blue jewels shining in the dark. And the most beautiful part of it was that it looked really deadly.


    Upon a closer look, it was easy to discover it was a pair of eyes and soon they started to inch closer.


    The team hurriedly raised their weapons, a man held a gun, one held a shield and one held a sword. One of them held a staff and Arlert wore a pair of gauntlets.


    As the person in the dark came into view under the light of the moonlight that pierced through the windows of the building, the team could see who the person was.


    "Strange place for a night stroll, boys." Yan Rong said as she appeared in full view, a black outfit on her body that covered every inch of her body including her neck. Even her face was only visible because she wasn''t wearing the helmet in her hand.


    "You," Arlert said as he recognized the woman from the club. One thing he didn''t forget about this woman was just one word; strong.


    "Me." Yan Rong said with a smile before she put her helmet on.


    "You see," Her distorted voice due to the helmet entered the ears of the team, "I was really hoping you all wouldn''t show up."


    "Why? You''re hesitant to fight us out of the goodness of your heart or were you scared?" The man next to Arlert, the one who held the shield, asked.


    "No. Nothing like that." Yan Rong replied, still in a distorted voice, and added, "Because I''m really mad right now."


    A storm of Qi began to threaten everything in the vicinity. The Qi emitting from Yan Rong was so massive and sense, that it made the place around everyone distorted.


    And not just the space, the space was distorting as well, breaking down and turning into something else.


    And it wasn''t long before the storm of Qi hit the team, shaking the entire building and breaking everything in the vicinity.


    [Shield of honor]


    The man with a staff yelled and a blue-colored dome appeared around the team with the symbol of a dark blue shield in the middle.


    But¡­


    Crack!


    The shield began to crumble and the man with the staff began to vomit blood. The shield was connected to him by mana and when that mana was slammed by the powerful force of Yan Rong''s Qi, it affected the man as well, and it affected him more than he could have possibly imagined.


    His internals shook and his blood vessels ruptured. The mana inside of him was distraught and disruptive, almost as if scared.


    Scared of the power in front of them.


    "Let go of the shield!" Arlert yelled and just in time because the man would have almost died if his connection with the shield wasn''t torn off.


    As soon as they did though, the shield crumbled as well. The power supply was cut off so the shield was dissipated and it was then that the rest realized what they were dealing with.


    The shield was protecting them from the enormous pressure of Yan Rong''s Qi. As soon as it was gone, the pressure fell on them which weighed like ten tons to them. Stay tuned for updates on m-v l|-NovelFire.net


    Of course, given their power, it would have been enough. However, they soon realized that the pressure wasn''t stopping.


    No.


    It was increasing by the moment and the chilliness in the air began to increase tenfold.


    The air began to freeze, literally. The moisture in the air began to give in to the cold and began to turn into a solid.


    "Get ou-!" Arlert yelled to give an order but it was too late. The power accumulating within Yan Rong broke loose, taking everything in their surroundings down.


    And that included everything in the vicinity.


    Even the Ruan Enterprises building.


    ****************


    Xia Lu just returned home from practice. She was tired as hell when she arrived at home.


    Now Xia Lu would normally go to the apartment Wei Jun had given her because that was close to the office building as well as because of the studio in the basement of the apartment building which she could use without any worry.


    However, today she came to her original home. A home that was left empty after her uncle tragically died.


    The family of the uncle blamed Xia Lu for his death and many of the elders of the family did as well but everything and everyone went quiet after her relationship with Wei Jun was announced.


    Of course, they weren''t in a relationship officially. They were just rumors but rumors with a good weight behind them couldn''t be dismissed so easily.


    With the position of the Lu family''s official head and the position of being the possible girlfriend of a giant like Wei Jun Ruan, it was a no-brainer who would have won the battle of inheritance.


    Many of the elders fled when Xia Lu took hold of the position along with her aunt and her cousin, who was the next person vying for the patriarch''s seat.


    But today, she had come to her home, the family home for the first time in quite a while. Since she took the position, the family businesses were pretty much being handled by Wei Jun.


    The leftover elders didn''t like that and tried to raise their voices but Xia Lu''s decision didn''t change. They still went silent though when they saw that Wei Jun was doing all the work and making more than they were and taking nothing in return for that.


    Although Xia Lu offered that he could absorb all the businesses, Wei Jun didn''t agree and just watched over the businesses without taking a dime.


    But since the head of the house didn''t stay in the house, the servants were positioned at the houses of the elders or Xia Lu''s apartment for work.


    The giant house was left empty for Xia Lu alone who would sometimes come to the house to reminisce about her family''s past.


    Back when her father wasn''t MIA or his mother wasn''t in a coma. When she was just a happy little girl with a loving family to hold her.


    Now, her father''s whereabouts were unknown, dead or alive unknown. Her mother was still in a coma but not in the family home anymore but in a hospital run by the Ruan family.


    Although there was no improvement in her condition, it was still better since she was receiving care from hundreds of people and thanks to Wei Jun, her life wasn''t in danger anymore.


    Xia Lu smiled when she thought how much Wei Jun had done for her and he wasn''t even trying to constantly remind her of that fact.


    He just treated it as doing everyday work.


    Sigh.


    The truth was she hadn''t seen Wei Jun until he got out of the prison, again.


    Although he was proven innocent, and the claim of his affair was bogus, even though she knew it was Yan Rong''s attempt to get back at Wei Jun, she couldn''t help but be mad about it.


    She knew she was the last person to think that since she went after Wei Jun even though he was engaged to someone else.


    ''I''m such a hypocrite,'' She thought inwardly before she sighed again and stood up.


    She went to the bathroom and had a good long bath. Dressed herself in her comfortable nightwear and went to the kitchen.


    After she made herself a quick easy-to-cook meal, she ate and headed for the bed.


    The whole point of this routine was just to enjoy the time at her home. Eat junk and sleep peacefully. That was all she wanted.


    She slipped into her bed and just as she was about to close her eyes¡­


    Ding.


    The doorbell to the house rang which was strange because even though all the house staff were relocated, the guards weren''t.


    Why would someone ring the doorbell on the main door instead of using the guard''s comms?


    Seeing there was no harm in it, she stood up and made her way out the door while also contacting the watchman on the talkie.


    Static¡­


    There was no reply for a while and by the time she reached the door, no one had replied. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking it was a communication issue, she opened the door.


    ***************


    A blur of wind passed a passerby. But it wasn''t a blow from the wind. It was a person. Running so fast that normal people couldn''t even catch him.


    [What would you choose?]


    [Dear brother of mine]

 Chapter 196: Choice

    "I don''t like this." A girl with black hair said to a man with black hair. Their eyes were also deep black and their height was almost the same, almost as if a perfect couple with matching descriptions."But the seats fold all the way back." The young man argued.


    "No sports cars. Especially not with the baby on the way." The girl said.


    "But a baby seat can easily be installed in this." The man argued.


    "You make a good argument. How about, no?" The girl said with obvious sarcasm flowing in every word of hers.


    "Oh please, I really like this car. I can''t drive that hybrid. It''s slow as hell." The man complained but the girl wasn''t willing to listen to one word.


    "No." She said and entered the house and the man was left in the driveway with his head dropped in sadness as he sniffled exaggeratingly, knowing his wife could still hear him.


    But the wife never came out. Instead, a ten year old boy came out and when he saw the car, his eyes shined.


    He ran to the car and touched it with his hand, felt the metal of the car, and then looked at the man and said, "Bro, that''s a great ride. Can we go for a drive?"


    The man looked at the boy with a somber expression and said, "I can''t drive it."


    "Why not?" The boy asked, confused by the answer.


    "Because Aliya said no." The man said, referring to his wife.


    "So? She wouldn''t know." The boy said.


    "She would." The man sighed and said. He then made his way to the car and said, "I gotta store it in the garage. She doesn''t like me driving fast cars."


    "Can''t we just go for a little drive?" The boy asked but the man was heartless and said, "Nope."


    "Why not?" The boy asked, heartbroken by his brother''s reply.


    "Because I''m more afraid of her than of you." The man said.


    "Please." The boy said with droopy eyes.


    "Puppy dog act wouldn''t help." The man dismissed his brother''s cute act without a second thought.


    The expression on the boy''s face turned to that of a taunt and he said, "You''re whipped, brother."


    "Nice try, dear brother of mine, but every married man is whipped. Just take our father for an example. Out there, they serve him like a king, in there, he serves like a servant." The man said, not offended one bit by the boy''s words.


    "So the answer is no?" The boy asked.


    "The answer''s no." The man was adamant.


    "I don''t understand why though." The boy said.


    "Well, aside from the fact that women hold a strict ticket to our bed life, it''s also because of love." The man said.


    "So love makes you stupid?" The boy asked.


    "Love always makes you stupid, otherwise, it isn''t love." The man said.


    "So you would give up something you like for love?" The boy asked.


    "When it comes to a choice between your love and something you like; the choice is always obvious." The man said.


    "Even if it earns you nothing in return?" The boy asked.


    "Even if it costs you your everything. That''s what it means to be in love." The man said before he started to push the car to the garage. Just like his wife said, he didn''t enter it.


    The boy chose to help and also began to push the car.


    "You may not understand this now, but you will one day. One day, you would also make a stupid choice." The man said.


    The boy smiled and said confidently, "I would never."


    ***************


    [An emergency quest has arrived]


    [Choice of the invader]


    [Grade: S]


    [Limited to the user]


    [Description: Make a choice]


    [Task(s)


    1: Stop the mercenary team at the Ruan enterprises


    Reward: All stats +10, Death Qi increment by 20%, five volumes of the next novel


    2: Save Xia Lu


    Reward: None]


    [Punishment:


    1: None


    2: None]


    [Time limit: 10 minutes]


    [Upon the end of the timer, the choice of the user will be decided upon how close to the chosen is the user]


    As Wei Jun read the quest, a certain memory surfaced in his mind from long ago. A decision he had made. Never choose something stupid.


    And he had never. He had never made a stupid choice even when it came to love.


    But now¡­


    [Host, I think you should decide quickly]


    [Otherwi---]


    Stay updated via mvl


    Static¡­


    The system began to speak but just as it did, the system''s voice cut off and a static voice came from the system instead. As if someone had hacked the radio frequency.


    [Something similar]


    A voice entered his mind, not ears. A voice he recognized well. So well that he couldn''t understand why that voice was coming from the system.


    Before he could ask, the voice continued¡­


    [The time to make a stupid decision has come, brother]


    [In front of you, you have a choice to make]


    [Love or power]


    [The classic choice of all times]


    [What would you choose?]


    [Dear brother of mine]


    Static¡­


    Once again, before Wei Jun could do anything, say anything, or even get over his shock, the voice stopped and nothing else came from the other side until after a few seconds.


    [--se you may be too late]


    The system''s voice snapped Wei Jun back out of his trance.


    "What?" He asked, confused by everything, wondering if everything was just a dream.


    [What what?]


    The system asked, also confused by Wei Jun''s state.


    "Weren''t... weren''t you talking in a different voice now?" Wei Jun stuttered, still not sure if it was all a dream.


    The system couldn''t understand that and said...


    [Host, you''re running out of time]


    [Whatever it is, I''m sure we can solve it later]


    Wei Jun looked at the system and the time was still running out, slowly, second by second. Wei Jun, however, couldn''t come to a decision.


    He had never made a stupid decision. Never.


    But now¡­


    ******************


    Xia Lu opened the door to find a man in a guard''s outfit standing outside the door.


    "What is it?" She asked.


    "I''m sorry to bother you ma''am," A man in a guard''s uniform said and explained his reason for coming, "But I just wanted to inform you that the comms are down due to some technical problems. We have called the tech team to look at it but it might take some time."


    "If you want anything, you can use this phone." The guard said while handing Xia Lu a phone.


    Xia Lu nodded and took the phone but while taking the phone, she noticed something on the man''s sleeve.


    "There''s blood on your sleeve." She said involuntarily.


    "Oh." The main checked and then said, "Maybe I cut myself somehow."


    "I see." Xia Lu said before she asked, "What''s your name?"


    "Zie Gan." The man replied.


    "I see." Xia Lu closed the door, she didn''t show anything on her face and calmly made her way back to her room. As soon as she arrived, she picked up her phone and as expected, the signal was down.


    She still didn''t show any signs of panic and called the police from the phone she was given.


    "What''s your emergency?" The voice from the other end asked.


    "there''s someone in my house, pretending to be my guard. Please send some police. The address is ¡­.."


    After Xia Lu reported everything, the man on the other end said, "Of course. Please remain in your room, we will shortly send someone."


    As the call ended, Xia Lu sat on the bed worriedly but she didn''t do anything else. Suddenly, a thought of Wei Jun entered her mind so without further ado, she called him but the call wouldn''t go through. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as she was about to try again, the door to her room was kicked down, and a man entered from the outside, the same man who was pretending to be a guard.


    Only this time, he wasn''t alone. There was another familiar-looking man with him.


    "Told you she would do that." The man said while Xia Lu panicked and picked up her purse.


    The man in the guard''s uniform sped up and appeared before Xia Lu, grabbing her by her neck and saying, "A purse is not going to save you, sweetheart."


    Unknown to him, Xia Lu had already retrieved something from her purse. Something given by Wei Jun.


    Without thinking much, and in pain, she pointed the bottle at the man and pressed the button at the top. What looked like a simple pepper spray, had something extra added to it.


    Sizzle¡­


    As the liquid fell on the man''s face, his face began to not just burn, but almost melt from the substance.


    "Ahhh!!!" The man let go of Xia Lu instinctively and grabbed his own face which was melting even at the moment.


    "What the¡­" The other man was confused by what was happening in front of his own eyes.


    A cultivator was taken down by pepper spray. That was something that wasn''t seen normally.


    Correction, not ever.


    Before he could dwell on it any further, Xia Lu turned the bottle to him and sprayed on him as well.


    [Mana shield]


    A protective circle appeared around the man that protected him from the spray but what surprised him was that even his shield was eroding.


    ''What the hell¡­'' The man couldn''t help but be stumped by what he saw.


    Before he could think any further, his partner managed to stand up, despite the pain, and grabbed Xia Lu by her neck once again.


    His face was burnt thoroughly and he was still in tremendous pain but he had to do what he had to do.


    Xia Lu turned the spray to him once again but he snapped it away with his hand and pointed it at her and said, "Let''s see how you like it on yourself, you bi*ch."


    He pointed the spray at Xia Lu and pressed it.

 Chapter 197: Choice (1)

    Sizzle!But this time, there was no effect. A thin yellow-colored barrier appeared around Xia Lu that protected her from the substance of the spray.


    Although it didn''t do anything against the powerful grip on her neck, it still helped her from burning.


    "She has some sort of artifact around her neck. It''s protecting her from general attacks." The mage said.


    "Then we don''t need general attacks." The Qi user said and began to harden his grip around Xia Lu''s neck to asphyxiate her.


    Boom!


    In the distance, a loud noise was heard that distracted both of the men. When they turned to look in the direction, a series of explosions occurred in the distance. They weren''t explosions though. It just looked like someone was breaking through everything in the way.


    [Mana shield!]


    The mage hurriedly cast the spell when he figured where that chain was heading and soon enough¡­


    Slam!!!


    The entire house went down by whatever rammed into the house, or more specifically, targeted the room of Xia Lu.


    "Ugh!" The mage stood up, having difficulty in his movements because he had taken quite a hit just now. Almost half of his mana was gone trying to protect himself and his partner from that attack.


    But the worst part that he couldn''t get over was that he wasn''t even the target.


    Extensive heat.


    Heat he had never felt before could be felt from one side of the rubble. When he turned in that direction, a man was standing with a girl in his arms. The Qi emitting from him was hot enough to warm them who were standing quite a distance away.


    Wei Jun turned to look at him, his eyes bloodshot, a certain look in them that the mage, who had murdered hundreds hadn''t ever seen before.


    The look of someone who had killed thousands.


    [Fireball]


    He hurriedly chanted a lengthy spell and executed the skill with that spell.


    [Host, dodge]


    Wei Jun, although taken by rage, heeded the system''s advice and jumped out of the way of the bullet-like fast-moving baseball-sized fireball.


    As Wei Jun dodged that and ran to the open area of the house, he saw the explosion that occurred due to the [Fireball].


    ''Why ask me to dodge it?'' Wei Jun asked. He found it weird since Wei Jun was sure he could deal with that amount of heat and he could easily protect Xia Lu with his Qi.


    He was sure that that amount of fire wouldn''t damage his Qi barrier.


    [Why do you think mages have managed to keep on par with cultivators if the Qi barrier cannot be pierced?]


    Wei Jun moved a little more back and then had an enlightenment.


    ''Mana.''


    [Exactly]


    [Normal skill execution doesn''t contain anything but fire]


    [But when dealing with a cultivator, mages add a little mana to the skill as well]


    [Qi cannot stop mana]


    [Mana penetrates the barrier and then the body and targets the heart]


    ''Then why not just attack with mana and not waste mana on a skill?'' Wei Jun questioned because he saw both of his opponents making their way out of the mansion, although wary, they were making their way toward him. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Because mana needs a medium to travel]


    [And a pure mana ball costs way too much mana]


    [It is better to add a little of it to a skill such as fireball or water wave]


    ''Why only a little?'' Wei Jun asked again while he thought about what to do about Xia Lu. She was unconscious due to Wei Jun pressing her acupoints. Also, there were red marks on her neck but she wasn''t injured in any way other than that.


    [So the skill doesn''t become unstable and collapse on its own]


    [If he had added too much mana to the fireball, it would have exploded right then and there]


    [Think of it like evening the scales, host]


    Wei Jun couldn''t think of a way to keep Xia Lu safe while also fighting the two of them. He knew that these two were strong, so there was no doubt that the fight ahead would be very difficult.


    Xia Lu would easily get caught up in it or that the two of them could use her as a target to make the fight in their favor.


    Wei Jun sighed and said, "This is about you and me, no need to get her involved."


    Bernard, the mage looked at Wei Jun and after exchanging glances with his partner, he said, "No deal."


    As much as wrong it was, it was an advantage none of them were willing to let go to waste so even if it went against fighting ethics, the number one rule of survival took priority over everything else.


    Wei Jun sighed and said, "Very well then."


    Wei Jun put her down near a tree and stood up.


    [Divine shield of Hela]


    [Tier: S]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Effect: Cast a shield spell around a specific target]


    [Limitations:


    Can be used only once


    Effects disappear after ten minutes


    Limited to only one person]


    [Cost: 100,000 coins]


    For an S tier item and only a one-time consumable at that, it was quite a bit expensive but Wei Jun didn''t hesitate because that was the only best shield available in the shop.


    According to the system, it could block anything, even an attack from the highest-level spell or Qi users.


    Considering that, it was an amazing item. Read exclusive content at mvl


    Wei Jun was just buying time while the system bought the shield. He didn''t really expect that Bernard and the other one would be honorable enough to forget about the innocent bystander who was obviously a crucial weakness of Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun then stood up and said, "Well, I gave you a chance at mercy and you blew it. Had you agreed, I really would have let you live."


    [No you wouldn''t have]


    ''No, I wouldn''t have.''


    "Like we''d believe that." The Qi user said.


    [They''re good]


    ''They''re good.''


    "And you''re right to do so." Wei Jun said.


    [Skill Qi armament Lv3 has been activated]


    [Skill Qi empowerment Lv3 has been activated]


    Wei Jun felt full of power as both of the skills were activated at once. Although he wasn''t at a limit of both skills since he removed two level blockages at once, he was sure he would be soon.


    As power began to flow through his body, his mind began to perceive everything at a very slow speed.


    [Qi manifestation realm]


    [Strength: 121]


    [Agility: 109]


    [Stamina: 128]


    [Qi: 201]


    ''His empowerment is quite low compared to his Qi amount.'' Wei Jun remarked.


    [Probably because the technique he practices is low-level]


    Wei Jun nodded to the system''s remark and then turned to look at the mana user who was eating something.


    [Herbs to replenish mana]


    [Mana runs out quickly if used in big spells and unlike Qi users who just run out of Qi, mana users feel weak as their mana goes down]


    [Mana after all merges with the heart]


    [Many functions are related to the heart and low mana puts a strain on the heart]


    ''So I have to get him to use his mana but also make sure he cannot replenish it.'' Wei Jun said.


    [Exactly]


    [You just have to make sure he doesn''t eat anything]


    [The density of mana in this Qi-infested area would be very, very low so there are almost 0% chances of him replenishing his mana naturally]


    Wei Jun nodded at the helpful information provided by the system.


    [4th circle mana user]


    [Strength: 19]


    [Agility: 20]


    [Stamina: 17]


    [Mana: 407]


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but sigh when he saw the stat composition of his opponents. The strategy of both of them was clear.


    The Qi user would be the shield or a tank in gaming terms and the mana user would be the main attack source.


    But just because Wei Jun knew the composition of the attack pattern and everything else, he wasn''t sure he would be able to win so easily.


    His opponents were well versed in combat and they were used to their power unlike him who had just obtained that new power.


    Not to mention that their teamwork was well practiced.


    Keeping all these points in mind, Wei Jun knew the next battle would be very hard.


    Short, but hard.


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 62


    HP: 71\\71


    QP: 780\\780


    Death Qi: 196\\196


    Cultivation realm: Qi empowerment realm]


    [Strength: 105 (+30)]


    [Agility: 134 (+30)]


    [Stamina: 134 (+30)]


    [Defense: 115 (+30)]


    [Qi: 136]


    [Charm: 51]


    [Luck: 29]


    Wei Jun took a look at his own stats before engaging his opponents. They too, waited for Wei Jun to make a move so they could counter.


    Simply stats-wise, Wei Jun was sure he would be the winner, however, many factors were still involved and he wasn''t very confident in winning so easily.


    So, he needed an element of surprise.


    And that surprise was none other than Xia Lu. More importantly, the bracelet on her hand.


    Wei Jun jumped at the mana user which both of his opponents expected. The Qi user hurriedly moved and got between Wei Jun and the mage.


    As they both collided, the Qi user clearly felt the power difference but it wasn''t much. The Qi user could hold himself against Wei Jun with his friend''s support.


    But, his friend had other intentions. Well, both of them did.


    The mage pointed his hand at Xia Lu and cast another fire-attributed spell.


    They expected Wei Jun to be rattled and make a mistake however, they were taken aback when instead of backing down, Wei Jun pushed ahead.


    And soon, they understood why.

 Chapter 198: Choice (2) (Bonus: P.S)

    While both of Wei Jun''s opponents expected him to stop his charge and attempt to save Xia Lu, Wei Jun didn''t. When Wei Jun pushed further, the Qi user was pushed back easily by Wei Jun''s punch and Wei Jun delivered a spinning kick with full force and fifteen points of Qi discharge.As the man was struck, he shot like a bullet and slammed into the already fallen villa of the Lu family. As for Wei Jun, he turned his attention to Bernard. Just in time as well because a fireball was heading his way.


    Seeing that attacking Xia Lu would be useless, he targeted Wei Jun while he was busy dealing with the Qi user.


    Wei Jun effortlessly dodged the fireball but he underestimated the spell as it was locked onto him and just as Wei Jun dodged it, the fireball changed direction and followed him.


    Once again, Wei Jun was able to dodge with his powerful stats and raised his hand to the left to block the kick that was heading his way.


    The time frame was enough for the Qi user to collect himself. Although he was injured, he wasn''t injured to the point of being out of commission. While Wei Jun was distracted by the fireball, the Qi user had taken advantage of that time and attacked him from his blind spot.


    Although Wei Jun managed to block that with his experience, he wasn''t able to do anything about the fireball that was once again heading his way.


    [Don''t touch it with yang Qi]


    Wei Jun pushed the Qi user and once again jumped away from the fireball. The system had warned him that Qi didn''t work against mana but now it specifically said not to touch it yang Qi.


    It meant another type of Qi was useful against mana and the only other type Wei Jun possessed was the death Qi.


    But he couldn''t use it here lest he risk leaving traces that lead back to him. There was no way that Shao Chen''s team would be able to keep this incident that much quiet. Half an hour at most and the authorities would figure out something was wrong.


    That wasn''t enough time for Wei Jun''s traces to vanish.


    So he had no choice but to run until the mana in the fireball ran out.


    The unfortunate part was that it was enough time for Bernard to cast another fireball that he could control and attack Wei Jun with.


    Wei Jun was already having a hard time with the cultivator and one fireball, dodging one and attacking one, with another fireball in the fold, it was getting harder for Wei Jun to attack the cultivator while he could now get in some attacks of his own.


    Wei Jun was worried that Bernard might put in more but he was relieved when he heard the system¡­


    [He''s not at a level where he can control that many at once]


    [Even controlling two is his limit]


    [I doubt he would be able to cast another spell until these two ran out]


    Wei Jun was relieved but not to the point that he would be sipping tea. It was still a difficult battle and it wasn''t getting any better for Wei Jun given the current circumstances.


    Wei Jun jumped once again to dodge the two fireballs that were now flanking him from both sides while the Qi user was coming from the front and as much as Wei Jun wanted, he couldn''t find a hole in that formation to exploit.


    [Qi construct]


    Hundred points of QP were used just like that and a sharp lance-like object came into creation.


    "What the¡­" The Qi user was flabbergasted when he saw something he hadn''t even seen Qi masters or grandmasters do. Solidify Qi to their desire.


    Wei Jun pointed the lance at Bernard and shot it at an incredible speed while he took out the Adamantium gun and shot the Qi user.


    The bullet didn''t work on such a level of cultivator but it did leave a crack in his Qi barrier which was at least something but before Wei Jun could shoot more at that exact point, the barrier fixed itself using the Qi user''s Qi.


    As for Bernard, he had to let go of his control over the two fireballs and hurriedly cast a mana shield to protect himself from the lance.


    With his fireballs destroyed, there was no one helping the Qi user which was exactly what Wei Jun needed. He shot himself at the Qi user, infused fifteen points of Qi into his fist, and without hesitation, struck him in the middle of his chest.


    The Qi user shot back and slammed once again into the villa but this time, Wei Jun wasn''t staying back to deal with the mage. He pursued the Qi user and arrived just in time before the man stood up.


    Alas, that was enough time for Bernard to recover and he cast another mana shield, only this time, around the Qi user.


    As soon as Wei Jun''s kick struck the mana shield, his Qi barrier was penetrated and the mana in the shield went into his system through his foot.


    Wei Jun hurriedly jumped back because he noticed that the Qi barrier around his leg was behaving strangely. As if it was being distorted.


    [The mana on the shield may not have been enough to stop your heart but it was enough to impede your circulation]


    [It will affect your skills, host]


    And just as the system said, Wei Jun could not only feel the barrier distortion in that region, he could also feel that the amount of strength he could put in his left leg was less than the amount of strength he could put in his right leg.


    [Fireball!]


    Another annoying fireball headed his way while Wei Jun got used to the feeling of his circulation disruption and the bad news was that it was spreading to his leg, not just his foot.


    [You need to get rid of the mana or it will soon disrupt your entire circulation and cancel all the skills]


    As much as Wei Jun wanted to get rid of the mana in his body, there was a certain problem he still had to figure out. He couldn''t remove his Qi traces and in doing so, make it so that he wasn''t found by anyone who could be bad news for him.


    Although Yan Rong was in the Cultivator''s Special Forces, he wasn''t sure that she had enough influence to make this all go away.


    After all, no one would tolerate an Evil cultivator, and even if she was the head of the Cultivator''s Special Forces, she wouldn''t be able to make this go away.


    Wei Jun had no choice but to fight with a handicap. Wei Jun jumped back from the cultivator even though it was a golden chance to hurt him gravely but another fireball was heading his way and he didn''t want to increase the setup of the handicap any further. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun dodged the pursuit of the fireball while trying to think of an effective method of dealing with the mage and that was impossible unless the cultivator, who was now getting up and getting ready to deal with Wei Jun, was out of the equation.


    He wasn''t so sure that the trick with the [Qi construct] would work again because they had already seen it.


    Unless he could create a situation in which even if they could see it coming, they could only defend, not dodge.


    ''Is there any way to disrupt mana, even for a second?''


    [Not unless you''re a mage]


    [Or you have any element of darkness]


    That wasn''t good news for Wei Jun because there was no way he could disrupt mana using his Death Qi because that would go against every worry he already had.


    [But isn''t there a way to disrupt the Qi?]


    Wei Jun''s imaginary lightbulb turned on. It was true that he couldn''t do anything about the mana but he could do something about the Qi.


    [Qi disruptor]


    [Tier: A]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Effect: Disrupts all kinds of Qis in a certain area]


    [Number of usage 3\\3]


    [Cost: 80,000]


    It was an expensive item but Wei Jun had enough money and he could always make more given that he managed to get out of there alive first.


    As soon as a cube appeared in his hands, Wei Jun inserted his own Qi into the cube to turn it on.


    Just as the cube was activated, all the Qi in the area was disrupted.


    [Skill ''Qi armament'' has been forcefully ended]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been forcefully ended]


    Including his own.


    But, he had an edge against the incoming cultivator who was mid-stride when all his skills ended.


    As he looked down, confused, Wei Jun sped up to the limit and arrived in front of the cultivator.


    Before he could even react to that speed with his human limits, Wei Jun plunged his fist through his chest, exiting it from the other end along with the Qi user''s heart.


    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been obtained]


    [¡­]


    [.]


    "NOOO!!" Bernard yelled when he saw his companion die in the blink of an eye before he could do anything.


    Wei Jun smirked, he pulled his hand out and let the lifeless body fall on the ground before he turned to Bernard and said, "You should have taken my offer."

 Chapter 199: Choice (3) (Bonus: G.T)

    As Bernard saw his friend''s lifeless corpse on the ground, he knew this battle was as good as lost. He was a long-range fighter and there was no way he could defeat a physical fighter with his mana.His mana would long run out before he could infuse enough mana into his opponent to defeat him.


    He turned his head to Xia Lu but there was still something around her and he was sure he wouldn''t be able to use her.


    But he didn''t know one crucial thing about that barrier around Xia L, however, that didn''t matter to the current him.


    All he could see was Wei Jun making his way to him and there was no other way to get out of there alive other than killing Wei Jun.


    There was only one option left. An option that would hurt him for years to come but with the right elixirs and potions, he would be back on his feet in a few years.


    That option sounded a lot better than just dying at the hands of Wei Jun at the moment so he closed his eyes and reached into his heart.


    He found the circles engraved on his heart. The four circles with intricate engravings on them were etched on his heart like they had been there since his birth.


    The engravings on the circles began to shake. Their shaking never came to a stop even when they began to remove themselves from the circle and come off of the circles on his heart.


    "Kughh!!!" Bernard gritted his teeth as a tremendous pain assaulted his senses but he didn''t steep. He clenched his fists and continued to strip off the engravings on his heart.


    Wei Jun stopped. When he saw Bernard bent over and blood coming out of his orifices, he could instinctively tell there was something wrong.


    But he couldn''t tell what. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortunately for him though, someone else could.


    [Host, he''s removing the runes of his mana circles]


    [He''s going to release all the innate mana into the surroundings]


    Wei Jun easily connected the dots from that point and looked at Xia Lu.


    Just in time as well because the time on the bracelet he had given her just ran out.


    "Will sh--" Before Wei Jun could even ask, the system replied¡­


    [No she wouldn''t]


    Wei Jun didn''t think for another second and jumped at her. He arrived in front of her in a second and covered her with his body just in time before a strong wave of mana hit him from behind and tossed him through the lawn of the Lu family villa quite a distance away.


    As for Bernard himself, he stood in his place, bleeding and sweating profusely and the pain he was in was also something he couldn''t bear at the moment.


    However, just before he could relax, a hand caught him by his neck and lifted him in the air effortlessly.


    When he saw who it was, he couldn''t believe it was the guy he had just seen getting hit by that mana wave.


    Wei Jun was breathing, heavily, his heart beating faster than normal and his heart beating increasing bit by bit every second.


    "I wanted to kill your buddy this way." Wei Jun said before he added, "But I guess I will have to do with you."


    "Wei Jun." He heard a voice from behind him. Xia Lu had woken up by that crash and had just opened her eyes in time to see Wei Jun grabbing someone by the neck.


    She didn''t need to be told what Wei Jun was about to do.


    "Haha." Bernard chuckled, although with much difficulty but he still laughed at Wei Jun and said, "Now she sees you as who you are. A killer."


    Wei Jun returned to look at Bernard and simply said, "She always knew."


    And then Wei Jun just twisted his hand along with Bernard''s neck, killing him instantly on the spot.


    [You have defeated an opponent with mana]


    [Conversion to Qi is not possible at the moment]


    [Death will swallow all]


    [Death Qi +8]


    Wei Jun dropped Bernard''s body and sat down on the ground himself, his heart beating way too fast for him to keep standing.


    "Wei Jun!" Xia Lu ran towards Wei Jun despite a dead body next to him and held him but she couldn''t support his heavy body with her own.


    Thump!


    Thump!


    Thump!


    Pounding that even Xia Lu could hear. Wei Jun''s heart was in disarray he had never felt before. He wasn''t a doctor but even he knew what elevated heart rate meant.


    [Host, you''re having a heart attack]


    [You won''t survive from this]


    [Activate your skills using the Death Qi]


    ''No.'' Wei Jun said while trying to endure. His being found out he was an evil cultivator wouldn''t just end with him. Everyone around him would be suspected and persecuted as well.


    And Xia Lu came into that everyone.


    He didn''t care about anyone else. He had no close relation with anyone else. Either work or advantage. But when it came to Xia Lu, he didn''t know what he had but he knew whatever it was, he didn''t want her to die.


    [Stop being stubborn, host]


    [Death Qi might not save you this time]


    ''No.'' Wei Jun remained consistent and began to breathe heavily.


    "Oh, my god!" Xia Lu didn''t know what to do except to sit by his side and just touch his body.


    [I will teach you how to mask it]


    [Now do it]


    When those words left the system''s nonexistent imaginary mouth. It thought Wei Jun would instantly do it but the system failed to notice one more thing.


    Wei Jun didn''t want someone else to find out who he was.


    [Host, you''re bei---]


    Static¡­


    Just at that time, the system''s voice once again disappeared and Wei Jun heard the familiar voice once again.


    [See]


    [Told you, you would be stupid as well]


    [Well, I guess I can''t let you die either]


    [Nighty night, dear brother of mine brother]


    Before Wei Jun could do anything, he lost consciousness.


    "NO!" Xia Lu yelled. She began to tap Wei Jun''s cheeks but he remained irresponsive.


    She began to panic and look for her phone but her phone was long gone along with the house.


    "HELP!!! SOMEBODY HELP!!!" She yelled into the stillness of the night but there was no one to hear her words until her throat went soar.


    "Please¡­ somebody¡­ help¡­" She lost all hope and Wei Jun''s heartbeat had completely stopped by now.


    Just as she was about to break down herself, she began to feel something coming from Wei Jun. Something dark and terrifying but beautiful and attractive at the same time.


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    [Skill ''Qi armament'' has been activated]


    [Death Qi: 65\\205]


    Death Qi began to circulate in Wei Jun''s system from the core that was very small compared to the core of the yang Qi but the Qi from the yang quieted down instantly as it felt the power from the small core coursing through Wei Jun''s body.


    But yang Qi wasn''t the target of that Qi. No, its target was someone around Wei Jun''s heart and as soon as that power felt the presence of Death Qi, it began to tremble and tried to scurry away as if screaming and running away in fear.


    Alas, it couldn''t escape.


    The Death Qi spared nothing in its way. Any outsider was to be killed and at the moment, the mana was the outsider in Wei Jun''s body.


    Wei Jun''s body began to tremble but it didn''t even last for half a second because the struggle put over by mana was over the moment it began.


    Death swallowed everything.


    [Foreign entity has been absorbed]


    [Your Death Qi has increased by a small amount]


    [Death Qi: +1]


    [By the interference of the administrator]


    [All traces of Qi will now be camouflaged]


    Death Qi went back to where it came from, fully recharged after eating and leaving no trace behind of being used, as if never used in the first place.


    At the same time, the yang Qi in Wei Jun''s abdomen began to burst out and began to leak from his body.


    For some reason, it wasn''t scared of the death Qi this time. There were hundreds of strands leading to Wei Jun''s body, going straight to his Death Qi core.


    The yang Qi began to wrap around the Death Qi strands and the Death Qi let it do it as if told or ordered to remain quiet against its nature of swallowing everything up.


    As for Wei Jun, his body began to circulate at the normal rate as it did without any abnormalities.


    Xia Lu, on the other hand, who saw all of this looked at Wei Jun, her eyes wide. She still hadn''t let go of Wei Jun and kept looking at him.


    She couldn''t make heads over tails but one thing she could tell clearly as the noon sun¡­


    ''Evil cultivator.''

 Chapter 200: Own Screw-up (Bonus: G.T)

    Phew! Last chapter today.************


    Wei Jun opened his eyes to the flashing of the system. There were a few notifications but mainly the ones he had ignored after he killed the cultivator from Shao Chen''s team.


    [You have defeated an opponent with Qi]


    [Stats have been gained]


    [Strength +4]


    [Agility +6]


    [Stamina +4]


    [Defense+ 2]


    [Qi +11]


    [You have removed two crucial plots of the story]


    [Your level has risen by seven]


    As much as he was happy about the level-up, he would have been happier if he had received one more level to reach the next level limit because, with his recent increase, some of his stats again hit their limits.


    Up next he read the notification of his Death Qi increment and the message of Death swallowing something which earned him one point of Death Qi as well.


    [That was probably the power from the mage''s mana circle runes]


    [Mana circle is nothing without runes]


    [Just an empty bottle waiting to be filled again]


    [The mana in those inscriptions must have also entered your system]


    [When Death Qi swallowed it, it earned you a lot of power]


    Wei Jun couldn''t understand half of the system''s explanation but what he could understand was one single point.


    ''What do you mean ''could have''? Why are speaking hypothetically?''


    [¡­]


    The system didn''t reply and it didn''t reply for quite a while before it said¡­


    [I''ll be honest with you, host]


    [It''s like I had a blackout]


    [One moment I''m telling you something and the next moment you''re on the ground, all safe and sound]


    [I have no idea what happened in those few minutes]


    Wei Jun sighed, he waited for a few seconds and said, ''It happened before as well. When we were discussing the choice of the quest, you suddenly stopped talking mid-speech, then there was a static sound, and after that, someone else''s voice after which, you resumed speaking as if nothing happened.''


    [That''s strange]


    [But not so much maybe]


    ''What do you mean?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Maybe the administrator interfered]


    [I mean, that''s the only person who can interfere with the system]


    ''And who is this administrator?'' Wei Jun asked. Wei Jun had seen enough by now to know that the system, or the entity in it, had a great hold over the system''s functions. If someone could bypass that and enter the system without letting the overseer know, then this administrator must be someone big, even more powerful than the system.


    [¡­]


    No reply came. Wei Jun knew when the reply never came. When Wei Jun would ask something he wasn''t allowed to know. The system would just say his authority wasn''t enough or Wei Jun wasn''t so advanced in the story to know about it.


    [Your father]


    However, this time the system did tell him. Only this time, he couldn''t understand what the system meant.


    His father. The man who was annoying as hell but also the most wonderful father of all time.


    If the system was saying that, then it also meant that his father was the one who put him in there.


    However, there was one inconsistency with all of that. It wasn''t his father he heard when the system was overridden. It was his brother.


    ''Can someone else do that?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [No?]


    The system was finding that strange because it thought Wei Jun would ask a lot of questions about that topic but it never expected that question from Wei Jun.


    ''Are you sure?'' Wei Jun once again asked.


    [No one] S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Other than him]


    Wei Jun was now distraught. He knew what he had heard but he was also sure that the system wouldn''t lie to him. So it was either that the system didn''t know about this either, or there was something else going on.


    He went with the latter option.


    "You''re up!" The door to the hospital room opened and Xia Lu walked in with a coffee cup in her hands.


    She set the cup aside and ran to him, taking him in a hug to which Wei Jun couldn''t react.


    Wei Jun looked at the ceiling, only because he didn''t know what to do.


    So trusting the words of one person who had done nothing but guide him all this life, he put his hand around Xia Lu''s back, closed his eyes, and felt her warmth just for the moment.


    "I''m so glad you''re okay." Xia Lu said.


    "Me too." Wei Jun said with a smile but Xia Lu couldn''t see that smile since her head was buried in his chest.


    However, someone else did. Well, many ''someone else'' did.


    "Do we go in?" Xiao Heiling whispered. Zhan Yi shrugged his shoulders because he didn''t know what to do as well.


    "Of course, we don''t." Quan Li whispered and took Quan Qui nodded in assent so they both grabbed their men by their ears and took them away.


    Wei Jun who heard all of that clearly smiled. He was glad that they were gone because he had something to say to Xia Lu.


    The moment of truth.


    "I need to tell you something." Wei Jun said.


    Xia Lu got up, sat straight next to him, and said, "I feel like I don''t want this conversation."


    "Yes, we do." Wei Jun said before his expression turned neutral, the one that couldn''t be read and he said, "You have seen me for who I am. Now I want you to decide whether to stay or not because this can only work then. Otherwise, we''re better off ending it."


    Xia Lu remained quiet for a while before she asked, "If I say no, would you kill me to keep me silent?"


    "No." Wei Jun said.


    Xia Lu nodded, clearly believing him because Wei Jun had never lied to her before.


    "Then I want to. I want to go forward with this." Xia Lu said with a smile before her expression turned distasteful and she added, "Though I''m not too sure if I want to forgive you for that cunning little¡­ ugh! I can''t even swear."


    Wei Jun didn''t need a name to know who Xia Lu was talking about.


    "I take it you two met?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Mhm." Xia Lu said before she added, "She was with you last night. It was her turn."


    "Turn?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yeah, we took turns looking after you." Xia Lu replied.


    "How long was I out?" Wei Jun worriedly asked.


    "Three weeks and two days." Xia Lu replied.


    Wei Jun''s eyes turned wide. That wasn''t something good.


    In that much time, he didn''t know what would have happened to Shao Chen and where he would be right now and he couldn''t ask Xia Lu because she didn''t even know who he was.


    Wei Jun hurriedly stood up and said, "Where are my clothes?"


    "You shouldn''t move. The doctors haven''t cleared you yet." Xia Lu worriedly said while she also tried to stop him but Wei Jun didn''t listen.


    "It''s important." Wei Jun said.


    He didn''t know how far Shao Chen''s investigation would have happened but he was sure of one thing. If he was processed out of the crime and convicted of conspiracy and fraud, that only meant one thing, he would be sent to prison.


    And since he was a cultivator and quite a strong one at that, Golden Gate wasn''t somewhere the Cultivator''s Special Forces would send him.


    *************


    "Yeah, he was processed out long ago and he would be in prison by now." Yan Rong said as soon as Wei Jun called him.


    "Can you find out which one?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Let me check," Yan Rong said before she said, "Uh, he was sent to the Devil''s Bane penitentiary."


    Upon her reply, Wei Jun hurriedly checked it online but there was no mention of such a prison so he asked, "Where is that prison? It''s not online."


    "Of course, it''s not. For all anyone knows, this prison doesn''t even exist. It''s where the most wicked are sent." Yan Rong said.


    "Then why was Shao Chen sent there?" Wei Jun asked. For as far as he knew, he was in for fraud and conspiracy. Not something he would be sent to such a prison for but he had forgotten one crucial point. A point, he himself was to be blamed for.


    "Well, that''s because he was convicted of a murder as well. He was convicted of killing a woman by the name of Fang Mei and then he discarded her body. The police found it and matched the connection.


    Her neck was snapped so there was no murder weapon and since there were no fingerprints as well, all fingers were pointed at him, and given his past as a mercenary which was dug up during the conversation, it was pretty easy to convince the jury of his involvement." Yan Rong told him the whole tale and every word of that tale struck Wei Jun like a thunderbolt.


    "How long was his sentence?" Wei Jun asked.


    "For life." Yan Rong replied.


    Wei Jun turned his attention to the system panel.


    [Main Quest II]


    [Shao Chen]


    [Time left: 314 days]


    ''Fu*k.''

 Chapter 201: Prison break?

    ''Damn it.''[Damn it indeed]


    ''I should have thought about this.''


    [You would have]


    ''But I ended up making a stupid mistake.''


    [Well, you saved her, yes]


    [But it was stupid of you] Experience new stories on mvl


    ''Why?''


    [Given your personality, I was sure you would choose the first option]


    ''Yeah, well, I was going to.''


    [Then why didn''t you?]


    ''My feet just didn''t listen to me.''


    [Well, now you''re in this situation because of your own choice]


    [Do you regret it?]


    ''No.''


    [Then isn''t it clear what we have to do?]


    ''I know.''


    Wei Jun stood up after a long session of mopping and cursing himself for making such a stupid mistake. He didn''t regret the choice he made, but he had never accounted that he would pass out for more than three weeks which was enough time for Shao Chen to be convicted and transferred to prison.


    And it wasn''t some low-level prison as well. It was nothing like the Golden Gate Penitentiary, it was something way worse than that.


    Devil''s Bane Penitentiary.


    Something Wei Jun couldn''t find even after exhausting all of his resources. Even Mark Wilson didn''t know anything about and what little Yan Rong knew was useless for Wei Jun.


    [There is one option]


    ''I know what you''re thinking but I can''t. I go in there with this face, and with my current strength, I wouldn''t survive the rest of the fifty years here.''


    Wei Jun knew that having a record meant that he couldn''t just go in there to get Shao Chen out. He needed something else.


    [I never said anything about bringing him out though]


    Wei Jun''s eyes shined when he heard that. The gears in his head began to turn at the speed of lightning and before he long, he arrived at a conclusion.


    ''I don''t need to go in. I just need to get him out.''


    ******************


    Yun Hen Shi was partying as usual tonight. It had been some days since his fianc¨¦e''s business began to flourish to new heights and now she was as strong as the Shi family itself.


    So much so that even the Peng family couldn''t force her to marry Yun Hen Shi anymore. Not to mention that there was another giant behind her now, a giant that went by the name Wei Jun Ruan.


    It wasn''t enough that she was already too powerful, she also had to get into bed, maybe not only metaphorically, with someone so powerful as well.


    The Shi family had done its best. They had spread as many scandals about them as they could but those scandals never saw the light of the day with the influence of Wei Jun Ruan. Some would even refuse to even write upon hearing his name.


    And the misfortune didn''t just end there. A big business loss occurred in the family and the reason was him. Turned out he was too much of an idiot to let a guy get close to his sister which led to some important documents being discovered.


    It wasn''t much but a loss was a loss and although it might not have cost the Shi family much, it cost Yun Hen Shi his position.


    "Having fun by yourself?" Yun Hen Shi heard a charming voice. He was about to yell at her for disrupting his brooding session, but when he turned to look at the girl, he saw a beauty he had never seen before.


    Cold blue eyes, long black hair, and the face of a fairy straight out of heaven. Something a man wouldn''t be able to resist even if he was a thousand-year-old monk.


    "We-Well I-I¡ªI.." Yun Hen Shi stuttered and he stuttered a lot before the blue-eyed girl said, "Wanna get out of here?"


    And the answer to that was obvious.


    Only¡­.


    "Yun Hen Shi! You''re under arrest for murder and conspiracy. You have the right¡­" only an hour later, he was being read his rights on the account of murder by the same blue-eyed woman along with many other men with guns.


    Not the kind of party he had expected it to be.


    **************


    "Why get him out?" Yan Rong curiously asked, still dressed in the dress from last night in which she went to the club to arrest Yun Hen Shi.


    Alas, it didn''t have the same effect on Wei Jun as it had on other men. A strapless dress with a thigh-high slit. She not only looked angelic in that but also gave a great shade of a demoness.


    With her legs crossed and both of them exposed due to the slit, it was a sight that was straight-up painted out of a lewd imagination.


    Even her own subordinates who feared her so much couldn''t help but take a look. Of course, they regretted giving in to the temptation but for some, it was worth it.


    But here was a man who remained expressionless as always as he said, "Because I need to kill him. Can''t do that if he is in some high-profile prison."


    "Why do you need to kill him so bad?" Yan Rong asked.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, remained silent about that question and asked, "How long will it take to process him out?"


    "At least five days before Yun Hen Shi is proven to be the real mastermind of this situation. We have painted the scenario as you said and it spun pretty well with the judge. With the jury selection soon to be done, I doubt the case would go for more than one hearing." Yan Rong gave a detailed reply.


    Wei Jun nodded. The plan was as simple as it could get. Wei Jun gave the truth to the police, only he changed one tiny detail. He changed his own name to Yun Hen Shi''s.


    It was Yun Hen Shi who suffered a loss due to getting close to Shao Chen and then he introduced him to his sister. After that, Shao Chen somehow saved his sister''s life and became a hero and a trustworthy person so when he asked for some details, Yun Hen Shi didn''t hesitate to spill his guts, metaphorically.


    After that, when the loss occurred, Yun Hen Shi was angry. He hired a prostitute to humiliate Shao Chen first and then killed her and pointed all the fingers at Shao Chen.


    With the bad blood between Shao Chen and the prostitute and no other suspect, it was an open-and-shut case.


    And then Yun Hen Shi buried all the evidence but one hard-working cultivator agent couldn''t just let all of this go so she pursued the matter and managed to uncover some calls made to the prostitute''s phone by none other than Yun Hen Shi.


    She then investigated further and all the signs were there. From there, it was easy to compile the evidence and present it to the authorities, and the authorities couldn''t help but be taken by the fact that they put an innocent man in there.


    Somehow their guilt was awoken and they did everything in their power to save the innocent person. Such lovely people.


    And it was completely secondary to save their own behinds while doing so.


    "Quite genius of you." Yan Rong said.


    "Not so much when it was my own mistake." Wei Jun said.


    "You couldn''t have known you would fall into a temporary coma due to your injuries." Yan Rong said in his defense.


    Wei Jun nodded and asked, "What happened regarding that though?"


    "The police tried to paint you in it but thanks to Xia Lu''s testimony and the little pull I had, I managed to tie the two to a terrorist team who were here to invoke fear in everyone. And then the fact that they tried to infiltrate the Ruan Enterprises also led to my theory being accepted." Yan Rong said.


    "What do you mean by terrorists?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Nothing. I just simply said that they were hired by some foreign organization to invoke terror in the country. Of course, I kept the guy you''re after out. Then I said that I was onto them for quite some time and since I suspected them, I followed them. Planting the evidence of some bombs was very easy and then everything panned out.


    Your actions were considered self-defense and the case was swept under the rug of the Special Cultivator Forces." Yan Rong once again gave a detailed explanation.


    "You can stop poking me with your foot now." Wei Jun as he sipped his tea.


    "But it''s romantic." Yan Rong softly said.


    "There''s not a thing in your eyes that would indicate romance." Wei Jun said.


    "Isn''t procreation the ultimate form of romance?" Yan Rong argued.


    "Some might say." Wei Jun said.


    "Then what''s your definition of romance?" Yan Rong asked.


    "I don''t have one." Wei Jun said.


    "Why not?" Yan Rong asked.


    "¡­" Wei Jun remained silent for a while before he replied, "Because love is an illusion, there''s always something deeper behind. Sometimes obsession, while sometimes, or maybe most of the time, there''s selfishness."


    "Is that the kind of love life you have had?" It wasn''t hard for Yan Rong to spot.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "Nope."


    S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 202: Troubles

    Now I''m the type to honor opinions but if people keep giving reviews after reading one or two chapters, I might start deleting them or outright reporting them.For those who enjoy my novel, Enjoy!


    ******************


    [Feel the Qi with your body]


    [Feel it as it courses through your body]


    [And then compress it]


    [Condense it]


    [Condense it]


    ''It''s not working.'' Wei Jun finally said after trying for three days straight.


    He had been trying to condense Qi so he could lower the usage of Qi when he used skills. According to the system, it was possible with hard work and dedication and one could condense Qi and make it purer even without upgrading their cultivation technique.


    However, Wei Jun, although guided by the system itself couldn''t do so even after three days of straight hard work.


    His yang Qi wasn''t as resistant as before when he obtained Death Qi, but it was still a little resistant around the Death Qi core.


    However, Wei Jun had managed to get both under control and both under harmony so he was sure there would be no swallowing of his yang Qi.


    That also helped the yang Qi settle down and circulate as he wanted. However, he still couldn''t attract Qi from the outside so he would have to absorb elixirs for that.


    But as far as the efforts of condensing Qi went, he was making zero, even less than zero progress.


    [Then I guess you would have to upgrade your cultivation technique]


    ''What do you suggest?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Well, your talent is low so hard work is still a requirement]


    [And since you can''t absorb Qi from the surroundings]


    [Your cultivation duration would remain the same]


    [However, your Qi would be further condensed, made purer]


    [So you can feel the cost deduction while using skills]


    [Other than that, upgrading your cultivation technique is of no use]


    [Unless you do it to a divine rank which would make the Qi of the choosing your slave]


    [You remember how Yan Rong''s Qi wasn''t afraid of your Death Qi]


    [It''s like there are five kings]


    [The tyrant is the Death Qi whom everyone is afraid of]


    [Of course, it''s powerful as well]


    [But that doesn''t mean that other kings are afraid of it as well]


    [So if you were to obtain a divine ranked cultivation technique like Yan Rong]


    [You would have another king under your control who, although would be repulsive of Death Qi, wouldn''t fear it as your current rank of yang Qi does]


    ''I see.'' Once again, Wei Jun could only get half of the explanation but it was still enough for him to understand that he needed a divine ranked cultivation technique if he wanted to cultivate like others, attracting Qi from the atmosphere.


    There was just one tiny problem.


    ''What''s their cost?'' Wei Jun had no doubt that the divine-ranked techniques would be pricey.


    If an A rank cost him a hundred million yuan, he was a higher one would cost him more.


    [About that]


    [There are only four divine rank techniques available in the system shop]


    [And none of them are suitable for you]


    ''Why the hell not?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Because they''re holy attributed]


    [You make a core of holy Qi inside of you, the Death Qi and holy Qi will fight tooth to nail, destroying your entire vessel]


    ''Great.'' Wei Jun said before he asked, ''Why are there only holy attributed Qis in there?''


    [Because they''re mine]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun paused for a moment before he asked, ''Wait a minute. Everything in the system belongs to you?''


    [No]


    [Everything in the shop belongs to me]


    [I don''t decide what the system gives you]


    ''So the system doesn''t give rewards from the shop?''


    [No]


    [The rewards come from the administrator]


    [And if you think my stash in the shop is amazing]


    [Then you''re in for a surprise]


    [Because the administrator has ten times that]


    [A hundred times that]


    [A thousand times that]


    [A mil--]


    ''Enough! I get it.'' Wei Jun interrupted the talkative system which once started, wouldn''t stop speaking until Wei Jun was to interrupt.


    Wei Jun currently faced three problems. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One was his level problem, obviously. He was sure that had he killed the rest of Shao Chen''s team, his level would have risen explosively but he had made a different choice.


    Second was his progress. He had failed to keep a main scenario in mind which had almost cost him his performance. It was by luck that he managed to find a scapegoat who he also needed to get rid of.


    The third one was his Qi amount. His Qi wasn''t enough to activate all the skills a second time. And using [Qi construct], his Qi was barely enough to activate [Qi empowerment] and [Qi armament] once.


    However, according to the system, whereas his Qi limit would remain the same, his Qi density would be halved. In other words, he would need half the amount to activate a skill whereas his Qi limit, his core limit to store the Qi, would remain the same.


    But now, he was being told that there was no suitable divine ranked for him in the shop.


    ''So how do I find one?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Well, your knowledge isn''t enough to make one]


    [So I would suggest you start finding one]


    [Or there is also that other option]


    ''What other option?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Dual cultivation]


    [You can enhance your core limit using Yan Rong''s Qi]


    ''And what would that involve?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Sleeping with her]


    ''No thanks.''


    Although Wei Jun was crazy about power, even he knew that shortcuts to power usually came with a price. Sometimes a price no one could bear.


    [Well, as I said before, that price would come in the form of stability]


    [The faster your strength grows, the more unstable your core becomes]


    [even now the stability of your core is nothing compared to your level]


    [I would suggest you focus on that, now that your Qi is in your control and not defying you like before]


    Wei Jun nodded at the reasonable suggestion and did what the system said. He began to stabilize his core. Strand after strand, and that was how two weeks passed away before he finally opened his eyes.


    As he felt his core was now much more stable than before, he stood up and relaxed his muscles.


    He went to his room and then to his shower. After a long shower and a long bath, he finally emerged from his room and sat down on the bed. Since he informed everyone properly this time, there were no urgent messages.


    He dialed Yan Rong''s number and after a while, the call went through.


    "Hello, darling. Did you miss me?" Yan Rong asked in a seductive voice from the other side.


    "No." Wei Jun straightforwardly replied before he asked, "How''s Shao Chen''s state?"


    "Not bad but not good either. He got into a few fights with the prison top dogs and although he was the winner, he lost quite a bit too." Yan Rong informed before she got to the information she knew Wei Jun was more interested in, "Other than that, he will be processed out in a week. Turned out, Yun Hen Shi had a supporter who was very determined to keep him out."


    "Who?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Your wife." Yan Rong said with clear irritation in her voice as she explained, "She found out that you were involved and that you were trying to frame Yun Hen Shi. I doubt she knew about Shao Chen but she must have figured you''re getting rid of Yun Hen Shi so your company could flourish under Yue Peng''s leadership."


    Wei Jun nodded and then asked, "What happened then?"


    "What did she expect? No matter how powerful the D.A. is, I am more powerful. With the Special Cultivator Forces involved, they couldn''t hold out for much longer. After all, they have to explain where the resources are coming from, we don''t." Yan Rong replied.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "It seems I have to do something about her."


    "You better or I would." Yan Rong said, anger evident in her voice.


    "She said something to you?" Wei Jun asked.


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    "Yeah, she confronted me in front of everyone and said, ''Stay away from my husband''." Yan Rong replied.


    "So what did you do?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Nothing." Yan Rong replied.


    "¡­" Wei Jun waited for her to speak in silence to which she finally caved in and said, "Nothing! I swear. I did nothing at the moment."


    "At the moment?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yeah. I just smiled and passed by her." Yan Rong said before she added, "Later I blew up her office and her car. And maybe I had something to do with the gas leak at her apartment which caused it to catch on fire."


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but imagine Liu Yu''s face after all that but decided not to delve too much into his imagination and said, "Make sure you have Shao Chen as soon as he gets out."


    "And what will happen to Yun Hen Shi?" Wei Jun asked.


    "He will be sent to a prison for mortals, of course." Yan Rong replied.


    "And I assume those prisons don''t have the resources to stop a cultivator, am I right?" Wei Jun asked.


    "No." Yan Rong replied.


    Wei Jun smiled as he left a final instruction, "Let me know when Shao Chen gets out."

 Chapter 203: Flabbergasted

    ''What the hell do they want now?'' Wei Jun was in a very bad mood and sitting in a helicopter, looking outside while also having a little wish to throw the people who came to fetch him from his workplace, out from the helicopter.But he had no choice but to keep his wishes in his heart because one of them was an elder and although she wasn''t very old, she was strong enough for Wei Jun to know he stood no chance against her.


    He wasn''t informed why they were there to get him or what this was all about. He was just told to change on the way, in the helicopter because the helicopter won''t be landing at the foot of the mountain.


    After four hours of travel, they arrived on an island surrounded by clouds at the peak. Wei Jun was once again reminded of Jeju island but the only difference was that Jeju didn''t have a giant mountain peak that went all the way above the clouds.


    Wei Jun changed in the helicopter without shame and even the elder was a little impressed that Wei Jun wasn''t self-conscious about anything about his body. Wei Jun''s body was perfect from every angle and the elder couldn''t help but admire the perfect body in front of her.


    Of course, there was no lust in her eyes. She only noticed the fact that Wei Jun had a very good and muscular body for a cultivator of such a low level.


    As they arrived closer to the island, the elder said in her mesmerizing voice, "When we appear in the court, only answer when you''re asked something."


    "What court?" Wei Jun asked.


    The elder didn''t speak but instead just stared at him. It was her way of telling him that he wasn''t given permission to speak, let alone ask anything.


    Wei Jun remained quiet and the rest of the journey was done in a few minutes as the helicopter landed in the middle of the core disciple courtyard. Wei Jun was surprised that the helicopter that looked simple could come up to this height but since he was unfamiliar with it, he decided to examine it later.


    A helicopter that could come this high up was unique and Wei Jun wanted one.


    Wei Jun was guided to the palace that was beyond the core disciple courtyard. He appeared in another courtyard and it didn''t look like it was the last one. Wei Jun suspected there to be another courtyard behind this one.


    After going through that courtyard as well, Wei Jun was proven right when he appeared in another one but he was sure this one was the last one because the palace after this courtyard was one unlike any of the palaces before.


    This palace was the palace of the king.


    [The sect master]


    [Makes me wonder why you''re brought up here]


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything to that but he was also intrigued why he was brought there. If it was any other place, he was sure he could have speculated but he had nothing to do with the sect master and the way he was being brought up was like a criminal.


    He was sure he hadn''t done anything to damage the sect yet.


    [Yet?]


    ''Shut up.'' Wei Jun said and then turned to the elder who was bringing him in front and asked, "Permission to speak."


    "Granted." The elder permitted to which Wei Jun asked, "How should I address the sect master?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You will address him as so, the ''Esteemed Sect master''." The elder replied.


    Wei Jun nodded and asked, "Permission again?"


    "Speak." The elder said.


    "Anything I need to keep in mind when I am in the presence of the sect master?" Wei Jun asked.


    "When in his presence, you obey him and only him. No elder, no friend, no senior, or anyone else matters in his presence. You answer to him and only him. Even if an elder asks you something, you keep your mouth shut and wait for the sect master to speak." The elder gave a detailed reply.


    Wei Jun nodded and didn''t ask anything further.


    The elder who was guiding him stopped in front of a luxurious door and said, "Be on your best behavior."


    Wei Jun nodded and entered after the elder. The elder moved to the side and said, "Go and stand in the middle of the platform."


    Wei Jun did so and when he made his way to the raised platform in the middle of the giant hall.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "So it was your doing, my wife."


    Liu Yu smiled and said, "When you falsely accuse me of something, husband. I have to fight for my honor."


    Wei Jun smirked but he didn''t say anything about that. Instead, he asked, "Do you think you will get any justice here?"


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    "I''m optimistic." Liu Yu said.


    "Well, I''m sure your optimism has nothing to do with Ju Bai Lu." Wei Jun said.


    Wei Jun knew the weight behind his implications. And Wei Jun wasn''t stupid enough to forget such a scenario where Liu Yu could prove her innocence. In that scenario, Wei Jun also prepared himself.


    And that was nothing else than the scapegoat.


    Well, technically, it wasn''t a scapegoat. It was a fact that everyone knew. The only problem was that not everyone knew how to say the right words to rile everyone up.


    Wei Jun, however, was an expert at starting fires. Whether metaphorical or real.


    It wasn''t long before the hall was filled with the elders in their respective stands. One of those elders was Elder Zhiang who didn''t look so good. There was evident shame on his face.


    Wei Jun knew what that look meant. Liu Yu was going behind his back and colluding with the opposite side and now that that fact was out, his place in his faction was a little shaken. It also meant that there was a chance for him to join the other side so Sun Ruan and others hadn''t given him a hard time about it.


    Or at least that was what Wei Jun speculated. The real situation could be something entirely else.


    Wei Jun remained quiet because he would rather not say anything that could be used against him in a room full of people who had acute hearing, thanks to their Qi and their undivided attention to him as well.


    "No comment, husband?" Liu Yu sarcastically asked.


    Wei Jun turned to her and just smiled and mouthed the words, ''How''s your office and car?''


    The smile on Liu Yu''s face instantly disappeared when she came to know of the fact that Wei Jun knew. She suppressed the rising fury in her heart and said, "So it was you?"


    "I wonder." Wei Jun said.


    Liu Yu also knew what saying anything unnecessary meant there so she also kept her mouth shut.


    It wasn''t long before the hall was full but just one chair was empty. In the hall, there were only elder seats and a standing area for the core disciples.


    Wei Jun spotted a few familiar faces in there. Mainly Lin Ruan, Ju Bai Lu, and his maid who was very happy giving him special services for the short time she served him.


    All the seats were taken except for the one in the middle one which was unspeakably for a king.


    And soon after, the King showed up.


    Dressed in the same white robes as the rest of the people in the hall, with only a golden sash around his neck being the difference, he sat down on the middle throne.


    Tall, black-haired, and from the looks of it, somewhere in his early fifties. That was the simplest description of the man who was also the sect master of the Cloud Tempest sect.


    Wei Jun suspected his age to be a lot higher but he still looked like he was someone still in his early fifties.


    According to the data Wei Jun had on the sect master, the sect master was supposed to be a grandmaster realm Qi cultivator who was just beginning his journey into the middle ranks of the grandmaster realm.


    [I, for one, can tell you that is not the case]


    ''What do you mean?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [This man has gone through body reformation]


    ''Body reformation?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Body reformation is as it sounds]


    [The reformation of the entire body]


    [Any flaws in the body are removed upon the procedure]


    [You become the perfect human possible]


    [All perfections]


    [No flaws]


    Wei Jun found something strange in that explanation. The system was explaining that as if the process of body reformation couldn''t be conducted in the grandmaster realm.


    [It cannot be]


    ''Then when?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [At the Qi saint realm]


    ''Isn''t that?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Precisely]


    ''So he''s¡­'' Wei Jun was about to ask when the system interrupted.


    [No, he isn''t]


    ''Then?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [See for yourself]


    [Qi Demon realm]


    [Strength: 841]


    [Agility: 1091]


    [Stamina: 890]


    [Qi: 3977]


    Wei Jun''s eyes widened to their limit when he saw the stats of the man who claimed to be the sect master.


    And the worst part that couldn''t even widen his eyes anymore was what the system said next.


    [Those are his stats without Qi empowerment activated]

 Chapter 204: War?

    Wei Jun did his best to not let his mouth fall wide open when he read the number of stats of the sect master, not to mention the fact that his physical stats were that high without even ''Qi empowerment'' activated.But that was all he could. He couldn''t stop his eyes from widening to their limit and the sect master was easily able to catch that.


    "What is it, young man? Is there something on my face?" The sect master asked Wei Jun who still hadn''t gotten out of his stupor and involuntarily replied, "You''re strong."


    "¡­" Silence in the hall as everyone looked at Wei Jun with a mixture of gazes. Some couldn''t help but think he was a brave young man while some thought he wasn''t smart but destructive.


    However, one thought they had in common was that he was stupid. No one could address the Sect Master without his title and Wei Jun was addressing the sect master without his appropriate title.


    "You impudent!!!" Before Sun Ruan could reprimand Wei Jun and apologize on his behalf, Elder Mu, the sect master''s brother and the one who had an opposing faction to Sun Ruan spoke up.


    "Haha." The sect master chuckled before Elder Mu could say anything else and said, "Well, I haven''t heard such a pure compliment in quite a while."


    "What''s your name, young man?" The sect master asked. Wei Jun managed to collect himself from Elder Mu''s yell but he still couldn''t get over the fact of how strong the sect master was.


    "Wei¡ªWei Jun Ruan." Wei Jun replied.


    "Ahh¡­ Grandson of Ruan. No wonder you''re so talented and your Qi so pure." The sect master said before he changed his expression and said, "But with great power, comes a great amount of arrogance. The misconception that one can do anything in the world just because they have the power to do so."


    The sect master leaned in and said, "Tell me, young man, are you also arrogant?"


    "I was before today." Wei Jun honestly replied. No one needed to interpret that answer. Everyone knew exactly what Wei Jun meant.


    He was left aghast by the sect master''s power.


    However, only if they knew that the power they felt was different from what Wei Jun saw. The sect master wasn''t some [Qi grandmaster] realm martial artist, he was a [Qi Demon], a power none of them could even fathom.


    "Haha." The sect master said before he added, "Is that so? Then, let us not delay any longer and get to the issue at hand."


    The sect master said before he turned to Liu Yu and said, "Your wife, Liu Yu, has pleaded to the sect to address her distress to everyone. She claims that not only have you been unfaithful to her, but you have also tried to slander her reputation to cover your own mistakes. Do you deny any of these claims?"


    Wei Jun looked at the sect master and said, "I have been unfaithful but that was only after she was unfaithful with me. She didn''t let me stay in her house on the day of our marriage and kicked me out. She then lived alone and I have dug out records of her calling for men''s services. I have evidence."


    "Evidence she claims to have been forged." The sect master intervened.


    "Only one of us is right then." Wei Jun said. The elders, especially the one who brought him couldn''t help but shake their heads in response. Wei Jun was specifically told not to speak unless given permission to and he wasn''t permitted this time.


    "That is also true." The sect master said before he turned to Liu Yu and asked, "Is there any way you can prove your claims?"


    "Esteemed sect master, may I request for a test of proof of innocence behind closed doors?" Liu Yu asked in response.


    The sect master nodded and said, "Elder Qin and Elder Yin would accompany you for that."


    Wei Jun, who wasn''t familiar with the uptight language couldn''t tell what proof of innocence was so he was at a loss for what was going on. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [They''re going to see if she is still a vi*gin or not]


    ''Seriously?'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but ask given the absurdity of the situation.


    [Seriously]


    ''Great.'' Wei Jun thought. He admitted he hadn''t considered this possibility but still, there was nothing to be worried about. At most, the problem would then come over to the man and woman.


    Wei Jun wasn''t a sexist but he knew that this was a man''s world as well. He knew that no matter what Liu Yu did, she would in the end be just used for her master''s purposes.


    Wei Jun knew why she hadn''t asked for a divorce but separation and a good chunk of business. She knew that Wei Jun was her best bet and she wouldn''t let him go to replace him with someone worse.


    She would at most demand compensation and freedom from Wei Jun, not freedom from his name.


    Wei Jun remained quiet in his place and after ten minutes, Liu Yu returned followed by the elders who made their way to their own seats and reported to the sect master after settling in, "Disciple Liu Yu''s claims are the truth, esteemed sect master."


    "¡­" Silence took over the hall. Wei Jun was proved a liar and a schemer. There was nothing to be done about this now except to accept everything as it was.


    He would have to pay compensation and the party among them both would be decided. The party that held all the cards at least.


    And everyone knew that party would be Liu Yu.


    "Well, what do you have to say for yourself, Disciple Ruan?" The sect master asked but in return, nothing but silence remained. Wei Jun kept his gaze down and didn''t speak.


    Everyone thought he was finished. Everything was over; was what everyone thought.


    The sect master didn''t say anything. He let Wei Jun come to terms for a while and remained quiet to let him come up with an answer.


    Wei Jun sighed before a smile appeared on his face. A smile that Liu Yu had become very familiar with. The smile of a predator.


    And it didn''t help that that predator was in a corner at a moment. And a cornered animal was known to have let go of all inhibitions and bite anything or anyone in his vicinity.


    "Did you check the back? Some bi*ches love that." Wei Jun turned to Elder Qin and Elder Yin and asked.


    "¡­" Silence.


    No one spoke. They didn''t need to elaborate on what Wei Jun meant. It was the insult of the highest level and that wasn''t just for Liu Yu but almost every woman in the hall.


    "How dare you!" A yell came from the other side of the court where Ju Bai Lu couldn''t help but rise to the occasion.


    Of course, the elders remained quiet because they didn''t care about any of this but they did care where this would lead and everyone was preparing to take advantage of that.


    And the sect master couldn''t help but smile when he noticed that.


    "Of course, you''d speak." Wei Jun said before he mused to himself, "I don''t get it though."


    "What?!" Ju Bai Lu angrily asked.


    "Why did your mother pass away? You''re a disappointment but not that much?" Wei Jun asked.


    "You impudent!!!" Elder Mu yelled and his Qi rampaged throughout the hall.


    Wei Jun turned to him and said with a smile as if realization dawned on him, "Ah, now I get why."


    Tension arose. In just a short period of time and with a few words, the entire sect was riled up and ready for blood. Elder Mu''s Qi rampaged as he threw it at Wei Jun.


    [Qi armament]


    [Qi empowerment]


    As blade-like Qi fell on Wei Jun, Wei Jun remained motionless. He was cut in places but nothing went in very deep.


    After all, Elder Mu only intended to hurt him by taking a limb off so he hadn''t put in much power. But Wei Jun was stronger and sturdier than he would have thought. He was able to bear the brunt of the attacks while remaining motionless.


    He was wounded a lot, but nothing serious. And that was when Sun Ruan decided to interfere as well because he now had probable cause. His only grandson and his disciple were attacked by an elder no less.


    It was paramount to let someone rob your house and all you can do is watch.


    Sun Ruan Qi, which was stronger than anyone in the hall, except for the sect master, enveloped Wei Jun and protected him while it also went towards Elder Mu as well.


    No one needed to be told what would happen if he struck Elder Mu.


    War would break out.


    "I take my plea back!!!" Liu Yu yelled before any of it could progress any further.


    Just as she said that a powerful Qi engulfed the entire hall and brought the elders to their knees while the disciples weren''t harmed.


    "Then it seems we have arrived at a verdict." The sect master said with a smile. Experience more tales on mvl

 Chapter 205: Free

    War.Everyone present knew what that word represented. The consequences that it would bring along and the fates of those who would be involved in it.


    It wouldn''t be a political skirmish behind the scenes where every party executed one move and then let the other party move.


    It would be a straight-up fight and the survivors would be the winners while the losers would lose their lives, not just the war.


    In such a scenario, what does a woman like Liu Yu, who was talented and strong, but not strong enough that she couldn''t be taken advantage of?


    She knew she would be the clear collateral in this war just like many others. Unlike Sun Ruan, who would protect his family, Elder Zhiang wouldn''t consider her a family but an asset.


    On the other side, the sect master also knew the consequences of this war. No matter how powerful he was, he couldn''t be in every place all the time. Although he would be able to stop the war from the inside, there was no telling about the outside.


    Long story short, a war due to a simple claim that my husband was unfaithful to me was ridiculous, and not just him, everyone present knew how absurd it would be.


    In such a case, it would also be clear who the main target of this war would be. The one who caused it to start in the first place. Wei Jun and Liu Yu.


    However, the circle once again completed itself because Sun Ruan would be there to protect Wei Jun but Elder Zhiang wouldn''t go out of his way to protect Liu Yu.


    As for Wei Jun, although Liu Yu knew that he was provocative, he wasn''t provocative to this extent.


    It only meant one of two things. Either he had lost all reason, or he had thought of the entire scenario and intentionally aggravated Elder Mu to make a move.


    ''Smart boy.'' The sect master thought along with many other elders in the hall. This war wouldn''t be about how beneficial it would be for one party. It would be about who suffered the most losses.


    And from every angle, the ones suffering would be the ones without protection.


    And one such person was Liu Yu. That was why she had no choice but to take back her case. It would be as if nothing happened.


    Everyone would go their own merry way and this entire ridiculous scenario would be remembered just like so, ridiculously.


    "Then it seems we have arrived at a verdict." The sect master said before he continued, "On the voluntary decision of disciple Liu Yu, the court would be dismissed. However, since she has wasted precious time of everyone, she would be confined to the solitary rooms for one month."


    Wei Jun smiled as Liu Yu bit her lip but that smile was soon to disappear when the sect master continued, "And since disciple Ruan is the husband of disciple Liu Yu, they would be sharing this punishment."


    Wei Jun didn''t like it but Shao Chen wasn''t going anywhere under the watch of Yan Rong so there would be no problem if he were to stay in confinement for a month but it looked like the sect master hadn''t finished yet as he said with an obvious sly smirk on his face, "Together."


    ''Fu*k.'' Wei Jun cursed.


    ******************


    "Kill me. Kill me now." Wei Jun said to Lin Ruan who came to escort Wei Jun to the solitary room while Liu Yu was escorted by Elder Yin.


    "Don''t worry, dear brother. Even if I don''t, she will do it for you." Lin Ruan said with an amusing smile on her face.


    "I can see that my misery is quite comforting for you." Wei Jun said before he asked, her for a favor, "Find Yan Rong and tell her to keep the target on hold."


    "What target?" Lin Ruan curiously asked.


    "Just tell her, she will know." Wei Jun said but didn''t elaborate because there wasn''t enough time to do so. With her gone, Wei Jun looked at Liu Yu who was also looking at him with a hateful gaze.


    To that malicious gaze, Wei Jun flashed his most gorgeous smile that only added fuel to the raging fire inside of Liu Yu.


    Soon enough, when they entered the room, they saw that the room was empty on the inside, there wasn''t even a rug in the room but in the corner of the room, a pot was placed. Experience new stories with mvl


    Inside the pot were brownish balls which Wei Jun felt a little disgusted from just by seeing them.


    They barely had a minute before the door behind them was closed and complete and total darkness enveloped the room along with them. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Apply Qi to your eyes]


    [It will enhance your sense of sight]


    Wei Jun did as the system asked and it wasn''t a difficult task so he was able to do it in one try.


    Just in time as well because when he turned to look at Liu Yu, she was coming at him with a punch ready, aimed at his face.


    Wei Jun raised his hand hurriedly to clock because it was too late to dodge and it was also very late to activate any of his skills.


    Still, Wei Jun''s stats were pretty high up and although he was pushed back all the way to the wall of the room as he blocked Liu Yu''s punch, he wasn''t injured at all.


    Liu Yu followed with a knee strike while Wei Jun was still pushing to counter the force of Liu Yu''s punch.


    [Qi armament]


    Wei Jun wasn''t too keen on wasting Qi because he knew that Liu Yu had more than him and he would be the first one to run out of Qi. And it wasn''t like he couldn''t make do with his natural strength as well.


    Wei Jun used his other hand to block her kneecap and blocked that strike as well. But Liu Yu was quick enough to follow that up by throwing a punch with her other hand.


    This one Wei Jun couldn''t block so he did his best to avoid it by moving his head to the side but when the punch barely missed and passed him to hit the wall behind him, the force was enough to let Wei Jun know he wasn''t just dealing with anyone.


    Liu Yu pushed back and delivered a spinning kick to Wei Jun which he managed to block and to retaliate, he grabbed the thigh of the same leg and slammed her into the wall in a spinning motion.


    Liu Yu extended her palms and managed to stop that attack but that was enough time for Wei Jun to let go of her and jump back.


    Liu Yu remained in her place after that and didn''t move. She just stared at Wei Jun, anger flowing in her eyes but her face was as cold as ice. The cold Yin only enhanced that coldness in her being.


    "Why did you do that?" She asked.


    Wei Jun wasn''t stupid enough to take the blame so he asked, "Did what?"


    "Why couldn''t you just let me be free?" Liu Yu asked as she took a step forward, her Qi rampaging throughout the entire room.


    Even an inexperienced person like Wei Jun could tell that she couldn''t control her Qi in anger like Wei Jun could. Wei Jun could control his Qi to remain calm in all kinds of scenarios to remain undetected but Liu Yu couldn''t do the same when faced with intense emotions.


    [It''s not just about losing control of emotions]


    [Cultivators are usually hot-headed]


    [You would rarely find one like you who could hide his Qi to such an extent]


    ''Yeah, but that doesn''t help me in this situation.''


    Wei Jun settled down and replied while preparing defensive measures, "Your freedom costs me a lot, you see. So I cannot grant that wish of yours."


    Liu Yu calmed down, or at least she tried to calm down. "You damn men. You are all the same. All you have done all my life is to take advantage of me. First my father, then my master, and now you. Everyone just wants to use me for their own purposes."


    The rampaging Qi was getting out of control even though Liu Yu was becoming more and more cold on the outside.


    "WHY CAN''T YOU JUST LET ME BE FREE?!!!!!" A storm of Qi, unlike anything Wei Jun had ever seen. Although Yan Rong''s Qi was more frightening than this one, it never contained the essence of killing.


    However, Liu Yu''s Qi contained nothing but unbridled, unadulterated anger that came down from her resentment of the world.


    "WAS IT THAT BIG OF A CRIME TO BE BORN A WOMAN?!!!" Another charge overtook Wei Jun and his insides began to freeze.


    He desperately circulated his Qi but there was no effect. He still felt like his insides were freezing and not just that, his Qi was also being affected.


    And another thing to make matters worse. His death Qi core which was as still as the word itself began to show signs of moving.


    [Host, she''s advancing to the next realm of cultivation]


    [Take cover!]


    Boom!!!

 Chapter 206: Age

    [The armor of Valhalla has been heavily damaged][The armor of Valhalla has been unequipped]


    Wei Jun used 100,000 coins, which was actually a hundred million in yuan, almost all the last of his money to purchase armor with just defensive capabilities. It was only B tier yet it was very expensive. Wei Jun still bought it because it was self-repair like his suit and also because it was an urgent situation.


    ''What the hell happened?'' Wei Jun asked the only other person there.


    [The storm of Qi wasn''t hers]


    [She was pulling Qi in]


    [Unconsciously, of course]


    [As I said before]


    [She is a great talent]


    Wei Jun wasn''t happy with the system wording the situation like that because he was currently face to face with a powerful enemy and there was no telling what would happen when she had become more powerful than she already was.


    And with Wei Jun''s money on the down low, he wasn''t sure he would be able to prepare emergency protection.


    [Don''t worry]


    [She couldn''t breakthrough]


    ''Fwoo¡­'' Wei Jun heaved a sigh of relief before he asked, ''What do you mean?''


    [It means that she stopped before she could enter the Qi Master realm]


    [Her mental state was too unstable]


    [But she is still in the last stage of the Qi manifestation realm]


    Wei Jun wasn''t happy with such an assurance as he looked at Liu Yu who was sitting cross-legged, a thing blue barrier around her.


    [She''s stabilizing her core]


    [She must have realized what was happening]


    ''What''s that blue barrier around her?'' Wei Jun asked. If Liu Yu was busy cultivating, it was a perfect chance to kill her.


    [You''re not getting through that barrier unless you use Death Qi]


    [Even that is just a chance]


    ''So is there no way?'' Wei Jun asked. He didn''t have enough money to buy another Qi blocker and his last one was busted in the mana wave so the two extra tries on it went to waste.


    [Use Death Qi]


    ''Other than that?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Focus on your own cultivation]


    [It''s a shame though]


    The system said which intrigued Wei Jun as he asked, ''What do you mean?''


    [If you had a divine ranked technique]


    [You could have focused on your cultivation]


    [This room is rich in cultivation]


    ''Yeah, well that would have been impossible anyway.'' Wei Jun said.


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 62


    HP: 71\\71


    QP: 800\\800


    Death Qi: 204\\204


    Cultivation realm: Qi empowerment realm]


    [Strength: 109]


    [Agility: 140]


    [Stamina: 138]


    [Defense: 117]


    [Qi: 147]


    [Charm: 51]


    [Luck: 29]


    Wei Jun''s current stat limit was 140 at level 60. His Qi was already above the limit and his agility was at the maximum of his level. He could focus on his stamina, strength, and defense, but even if he were to work out for a month, he wasn''t optimistic about getting even one stat point increase.


    He hadn''t had a natural increase in his stats after his stats hit 20. Unless he were to use the 22 levels in his arsenal which he could use to unlock volumes, he had only two other ways of increasing stats.


    Kill cultivators, or consume elixirs that raised his physical stats but they were expensive as hell.


    Much more expensive than the cultivation technique he practiced.


    [I suggest perfecting your core]


    [It would make the circulation of Qi easier, making your skills stable]


    [It would also help the skill ''Qi construct'']


    Wei Jun nodded and sat down cross-legged.


    ''How do I protect myself like her?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You haven''t gained that skill yet]


    ''How come she has it then?''


    [She''s at Qi manifestation realm]


    [It''s a requirement for that skill]


    Wei Jun nodded to the system''s reasoning and closed his eyes but he also kept them half open, just metaphorically as his senses were half focused on Liu Yu and only half focused on his core stabilizing.


    It would cut his time but he had no other choice. Liu Yu was strong and Wei Jun didn''t want to give her any chance to his life. With her at the peak of the Qi manifestation realm, he wasn''t going to risk it with anything.


    He reached deep down and began to pull in the fabrics of Qi back to his core and turn it into a solid ball rather than a ball of yarn.


    Soon enough, Wei Jun had pulled in one strand. It had only taken him thirty minutes to do that. Even with his senses half focused on Liu Yu, he still did that in half the time.


    Wei Jun, although very much wanted to fully focus on the core stabilization, still kept half of his focus on Liu Yu and began to pull in the Qi strands inside his core to make it stable.


    It wasn''t long before a rhythm was established and Wei Jun was going at it fast. The time he needed for each strand reduced by a second every time he did and after four days of constant procedure, the time he required was just twenty minutes.


    Still, mental exhaustion caught up with him and he had no choice but to stop for some time.


    Wei Jun stood up. The room was still chilly thanks to Liu Yu''s cultivation. Her Yin Qi was still emitting from her and lighting up the room. Wei Jun didn''t need to enhance his sight anymore.


    [she''s good with just an S-rank cultivation technique]


    [I can only wonder what the result would be with a divine rank technique]


    [She might even be able to rival Yan Rong]


    ''It''s not a shame when she''s an enemy.'' Wei Jun said.


    [She doesn''t have to be]


    [She has a perfect Yin body just like Yan Rong]


    [One cultivation session with her would earn both of you great benefits]


    ''What part of she''s the enemy do you not understand?'' Wei Jun retorted.


    [And have you never heard of the phrase ''Sleeping with the enemy''?]


    [Besides, angry intercourse is in rage these days]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun was left speechless at the system''s words so he decided to stop the conversation altogether and asked, ''Do you have a yin cultivation technique?''


    Wei Jun wasn''t asking for Liu Yu. He was asking for Xia Lu. He didn''t want something like the last to occur. He might not be fast enough next time.


    Assuming there was a next time.


    [Not divine ranked]


    [But I have many SSS rank ones]


    [My wives were the masters of those techniques]


    [My main wife even made a divine ranked technique but she passed away before she could pass it down]


    ''Ahan.'' Wei Jun replied, uninterested in all that but he was interested in the fact that there were many SSS rank techniques in the system''s arsenal.


    ''Say, what rank of technique would the sect master practice?'' Wei Jun asked curiously.


    With a power so enormous and having gone through something called a body reconstruction, he was curious about what level of technique he practiced.


    [F rank]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun thought he heard wrong so he asked the system to say it again but the answer remained the same.


    [F rank]


    ''Wha¡­. How?'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but be lost. A [Qi demon] had an F rank cultivation technique. How was that even possible? Zhan Yi and Quan Li practiced E rank cultivation techniques and even after all this time, they were still in the Qi sense realm, the first realm.


    [It probably has something with him being old]


    ''Even if he went through a body construction, how is that possible in just a few years?'' Wei Jun asked.


    According to the system''s brief explanation, body reconstruction meant that a body would reconstruct back to someone''s prime where all of their organs would be in their prime, enhancing the natural life of a person.


    [I never said he went through it only once]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun didn''t know what to say so he asked, ''Isn''t that a rare thing even just once?''


    [It is]


    [But he must have something to help him]


    [It is not impossible for such an artifact or some magical elixir to exist]


    ''How many times?'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but ask after the system explained.


    [He''s pretty young] S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [So my guess would be about nineteen times]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun was once again left speechless and asked, ''How long do cultivators live?''


    [Around 200 max]


    [Unless they achieve the immortal status]


    ''Make it 150 on average. Nineteen times would mean this is his twentieth time being young. He''s almost 3000 years old?'' Wei Jun was left flabbergasted by everything he had heard today.


    [Approximately]


    ''And that''s ''pretty young''?'' Wei Jun worded the system''s words.


    [You do realize I''m millions of years old, right?]


    [Even before I became an overseer, I lived for 1,000,871 years]


    [For me, he is pretty young]


    [If not a child]


    Wei Jun was officially done with that conversation. He was just sent there to live fifty years and now he was hearing that there were cultivators who were thousands of years old and so strong that he might be able to defeat them in that time frame.


    So there was only one thing left to do. Your journey continues with §Þ??


    Wei Jun closed his eyes and reached deep down into his core. He had rested enough. He had no time to rest.

 Chapter 207: Yin and Yang?

    I know it sounds like an excuse, but I''m gonna have to transfer this week''s bonus chapter to next week. I just never expected how hard my classes would get before the end.Again, so sorry and I will definitely make it up to you guys.


    *****************


    Discover hidden stories at §Þ??


    [I am curious about something]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked, a little tired. It was the fifteenth day of their closed-door punishment and Liu Yu was still busy stabilizing her cultivation.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, was busy stabilizing his core and he had made progress by leaps and bounds in that regard.


    However, fatigue was also catching up with him. He needed sleep, to eat, and most of all, to be free of the worry that his life was in danger.


    [How are you so calm?]


    ''I do yoga.'' Wei Jun replied and closed his eyes to get some sleep.


    [No]


    [That''s not what I meant]


    [Cultivators have deep emotions]


    [Especially aggressive ones]


    [But you''re not just a cultivator]


    [You''re also an evil cultivator]


    ''So?'' Wei Jun asked because he couldn''t make any sense of the conversation.


    [So evil cultivators have destructive thoughts]


    [they have twisted desires]


    [Like destruction, death, and other unspeakable things]


    [However, your Qi core is calm as an immovable ocean]


    [I saw it moved when Liu Yu''s Qi threatened you]


    [But otherwise, it doesn''t influence you]


    [How so?] sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''A person once told me that those are not my emotions to trigger.'' Wei Jun said. He didn''t understand it then and he didn''t understand it now either.


    However, ever since he was born, there had never been a problem keeping his emotions in check. Wei Jun never wanted a toy, anything special. If he was denied something by his parents, he wouldn''t be stubborn about it and let it go.


    He always kept things to the point even from a young age. However, there was one emotion that would invoke other emotions in him such as disappointment, sadness, anger, happiness, and all.


    [Love?]


    ''Yeah. I was an idiot who fell in love with a girl at seven. She was eight, and she was beautiful to a child like me. I wanted to be her friend. However, she wanted to be my friend for an entirely different reason.'' Wei Jun explained.


    [So unless it came to love or your life]


    [Your emotions won''t trigger]


    ''Sometimes, very rarely, it also triggers when someone costs me money.'' Wei Jun added.


    [Wow]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I''ve never seen such an evil cultivator before who had such control over his emotions]


    ''If your curiosity is sated, can I sleep?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Of course]


    [I will keep an eye out for the wife in case she mounts you while you sleep]


    Wei Jun ignored the double-meaning sentence and immediately fell asleep.


    ***************


    "Find him!" Yan Rong yelled as she ordered her subordinates to find their target.


    The job was simple as simple as it could be. Snag the target as soon as he was released from the prison.


    When Shao Chen came out of the prison, he looked haggard like he hadn''t slept for a month, his beard was grown and his eyes were dead like fish.


    But there was one emotion that was as alive as anything else.


    Anger.


    Just as he came out, he felt something was wrong. Like someone was waiting for him. Someone he wouldn''t be able to defeat on his own.


    So he decided at the moment to execute a vanishing technique he had learned as a mercenary. It was a taxing technique and it was a one-time chance as well.


    If he was caught even after that, he wouldn''t have enough Qi to fight back so it was a gamble for him and fortunately, it paid off.


    Shao Chen managed to give his captors a slip and hid in the mountains to recover his strength. At most, it would take him two weeks before he was at his full strength. And then he would think about what to do next.


    Every bone in his body told him to run away, get out of the country, and hide. However, just one part of his body refused to listen.


    ''Wei Jun Ruan.'' Shao Chen thought. Just like he had taken something precious from him, Shao Chen was going to take something dear to him as well.


    **************


    Wei Jun woke up with an ominous feeling but felt so refreshed that he had to take a moment to review his state.


    Since it was an ominous feeling, he couldn''t help but look at Liu Yu. After all, she was the only threat to him right now. However, she was as Wei Jun had left her. Cross-legged and irresponsive.


    Wei Jun sighed and sat up straight. ''How long was I out?'' Wei Jun felt refreshed beyond anything. He was still hungry but other than that, his mental state was top-notch.


    [Two days]


    [Almost three]


    Wei Jun sighed and sat down. He was still very hungry and he wanted to eat. There were a lot of things in his inventory but he wasn''t sure if Liu Yu could see him or not.


    [She probably can]


    [Her barrier hasn''t come down even once]


    [But you could try the grain balls]


    ''Grain balls?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [See those brownish balls in the pot]


    [They''re grain balls]


    [They''re made from various herbs and are good enough to keep a cultivator well-fed for an entire day]


    ''All of them?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [No]


    [Just take one]


    [Or you will be assaulted by a terrible diarrhea]


    Wei Jun nodded and made his way to the pot which was still standing even after Liu Yu''s Qi rampage. Wei Jun took one ball from it and ate it.


    As soon as he did, he discovered that it didn''t just smell horrible, it tasted horrible as well.


    Still, he ate it and as soon as he did, his hunger disappeared on the spot as if magic.


    [You have consumed a grain ball]


    Other than the notification, there was nothing else about it so Wei Jun ignored it. He retired to his spot in the direct line of sight of Liu Yu and began to solidify his core.


    He had made terrifying progress in the core solidification. It wasn''t completed yet but he was sure that if he kept going at that pace, just a few days more and his Qi core would be perfect.


    **************


    "Sect master, may I ask you something?" A man asked the sect master who was fiddling with a metallic cube in his hands.


    "What?" The sect master asked, his eyes remained closed while his hands still played with the cube in his hands.


    "Why did you confine them together?" The man asked.


    "I was told to." A simple reply came but nothing more than that. Even when the man asked who could order or even ask something like such a favor from the sect master, the sect master remained quiet.


    He did, however, thought of the person who had asked him to do it. He then opened his eyes and looked at the cube. The cube also came from the very same person and it was a debt he couldn''t pay for all his life.


    ''Near immortality¡­'' He thought as he fiddled with the cube that was bound with him. It was a cube that kept him young. It was a cube that made body reconstruction like an everyday procedure for him.


    ''But I wonder why the interest in both of them¡­'' He thought next. He remained quiet not just because he didn''t want to answer his subordinate. He remained quiet because he didn''t know the answer himself.


    He just received a voice from the cube, as usual, an obnoxious voice that was full of arrogance, like nothing in the world could stand against that power.


    And although the sect master hadn''t seen them, he believed it with every ounce of his being. He was nothing but a speck of dirt against that entity.


    While he was still thinking about them, another thought came to his mind. What he thought when he saw both of them standing side by side?


    ''Perfect Yin and Yang.''


    It wasn''t as perfect as he thought it was. The yang of the boy was weaker than the yin of the girl but it met all the conditions of perfect yin and yang.


    ''Is that why?'' The sect master wondered as he once again stared at the cube but he didn''t know what to think about it. Either he was wrong or he was right. But there was one thing for sure.


    ''They were perfect.'' The sect master thought before he once again closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and fiddled with the cube again.


    ****************


    "We found him." A man yelled in black clothes and Yan Rong rushed towards the voice. She saw the cave that had been emptied and the signs of someone living there.


    "He was here? How long ago?" Yan Rong asked.


    "About a day ago." The subordinate replied before he pulled out an animal skin and showed her, "And then there was this."


    As Yan Rong saw the skin, she dropped it hurriedly and yelled, "Everyone to the Rising Dragon Star Agency!"


    Yan Rong also bolted herself at the fastest of speed as she thought, ''He''ll never forgive me.''


    She knew Wei Jun wouldn''t forgive her for eternity if she let anything happen to the person whose name was written on the animal''s skin.


    On the other side, in the middle of a tall building, a handsome man made his way to the reception.


    "How can I help you, Sir?" The receptionist asked since the man was very handsome and well dressed.


    "I would like to meet Miss Xia Lu for an interview. I have an appointment with her." The man said.


    "Can I have your name?" The receptionist asked with a smile.


    The man smiled, fixed his glasses, and replied, "Shao Chen."

 Chapter 208: Yin and Yang

    ''Oi.'' Wei Jun said as he opened his eyes after two weeks of constant meditation. Of course, he kept half of his attention on Liu Yu to make sure she didn''t kill him while he was busy while he did so, he also found something else.[Yes, host]


    ''That thing about the Qi energy being dense here was bulls*t wasn''t it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [¡­]


    There was no reply from the system before the system finally said as if he had been caught trying to hide something from his best friend.


    [That''s why I told you should just jump her]


    [Angry wrestle and all that]


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun asked.


    During his meditation, as long as he kept his eye on Liu Yu, his progress was great but somewhere between his meditation, he thought of focusing on it and when he did, his speed slowed down instead of going up.


    He thought it was a coincidence but after a few times, he was able to make the connection.


    [Because you''re made for each other]


    ''Yes. But I would like an explanation other than the Romeo and Juliet reference.'' Wei Jun said.


    [Yin and Yang]


    [The beginning of the cultivation world]


    [Just like many other things such as life and death, good or bad, dark and light]


    [Life cannot exist without death and so in the vice versa]


    [However, they would never fit either]


    [Ever]


    [Same goes for Yin and Yang]


    [They complete a cycle of completion but they tend to remain on their sides]


    [In other words, when they''re together]


    [They complement each other]


    [But they can never mingle]


    [If you get what I mean]


    ''No, I don''t.'' Wei Jun straightforwardly said.


    [Haaa¡­]


    [Keep hating each other but also live your life together]


    [Like an unsatisfactory marriage]


    ''And what would happen if hate no longer existed?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Well, hate, or in simpler terms, not mingling is a prerequisite]


    [The moment hate goes; the spark is gone]


    ''So be together but hate each other as well. That''s a messed up logic.'' Wei Jun said.


    [It is]


    [And that also makes it rare]


    [Almost impossible even]


    [In my tim----]


    ''Let me guess, you had a partner as that as well?'' Wei Jun completed the sentence because the system always had done something for example.


    [No the process was never made for me]


    [I mean, it could have if I wasn''t born with holy Qi and would have converted to it like others]


    [But I was born with it]


    [I never had Yang Qi]


    [Ever]


    [So as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted]


    [Even throughout my whole life, I had never seen such a case]


    [Yours sound like it was planned]


    ''Planned?'' Wei Jun suspiciously asked.


    [I mean, look at her]


    [All the requirements were there from the beginning]


    [It was as if it wasn''t just meant to be]


    ''It was made to be.'' Wei Jun said.


    [Of course, that''s only my theory]


    [It could have been a coincidence]


    [A very, very well thought out coincidence]


    Wei Jun also wasn''t going for a coincidence. And since the beginning, no matter what he did, he couldn''t just get rid of Liu Yu. Almost as if someone powerful was covering up for her.


    At first, it was her butler who Wei Jun couldn''t pass. And when he went for the public approach, all his attempts were scrubbed as if Liu Yu had never been a part of any of that.


    ''Someone strong seems to be covering for her.'' Wei Jun said.


    [Someone connected too]


    Not anyone could just scrub entire cases clean of her name. Her name wasn''t even mentioned in the media when her involvement was clearly admitted by Yao Tian and their accomplices.


    [Want my guess?]


    ''Right there with you.'' Wei Jun said as he realized who it was.


    And just in time as well because one month was up and the door to the confined room opened from the outside.


    The one to enter was none other than the sect master who entered with a smile on his face. Wei Jun remained in his spot and Liu Yu was already busy with her cultivation.


    The sect master gauged both of them before he smiled and said, "I hope you two came to terms with your¡­ feud."


    Wei Jun remained quiet and just looked at him.


    The sect master smiled and said, "You''re free to go, Disciple Ruan." The sect master turned and left.


    Wei Jun only stood up and left once he was gone for good. As Wei Jun came out, he saw Lin Ruan standing out the door with a worried expression on her face.


    "What is it?" Wei Jun asked.


    "There''s been a problem." Lin Ruan said and as she explained the issue, Wei Jun didn''t remain in his spot for a second and bolted for the place where the helicopter was already running.


    ''Fu*k!'' He cursed inwardly but he wasn''t cursing anyone else. He was cursing himself.


    *******************


    "You don''t want to do this." Xia Lu said as she sat in a seat, appearing to be calm as her captor paced around the room.


    "Ha! What would you know." Shao Chen said. There was a gun in his hand which was all he needed to kill Liu Yu.


    Stay connected via §Þ??


    There were police, SCF, and more agencies on the outside, trying to diffuse the situation. But to them, it only looked like a hostage situation.


    But Xia Lu it wasn''t a hostage situation. He had specifically targeted her. Now if she had been targeted a few months ago, she would have believed it was for money but now, everything she owned belonged to Wei Jun on paper.


    There was only one thing that could be taken from her and that was her acting and she was pretty sure Shao Chen wasn''t looking for that.


    That only left one thing she was good for. To get to someone through her. And the only person who cared about her enough to almost die was Wei Jun.


    And she didn''t want him to come.


    "If he isn''t here after all this time, it obviously means I don''t matter much to him." Xia Lu said, trying to talk things over. She didn''t want to die but she also didn''t want to be the reason Wei Jun died.


    "He will be here." Shao Chen said.


    "How do you know for so sure?" Xia Lu argued.


    "Because he said so!" Shao Chen shot at her before he pointed his gun at her and said, "Now keep that mouth of yours shut. Just because I can''t kill you, doesn''t mean I can''t hurt you."


    "What do you mean you can''t kill me?" Xia Lu asked. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha." Shao Chen chuckled as grabbed Xia Lu''s hand and said, "What part of shut up do you now understand? Huh?!"


    Shao Chen grabbed her hand roughly and turned it at an odd angle¡­


    Or at least he tried to but as soon as he was about to hurt her, he was blasted away by something white and slammed into a corner of the room.


    As he slowly stood up, his own hand suddenly crackled and he screamed in pain.


    "I''m sorry!"


    "Forgive me!"


    "It was a mistake!"


    He yelled over and over again and finally after a few minutes the pain stopped. He panted on the floor as pain washed over him before a screeching sound was heard and his hand returned to normal.


    "Haa¡­ Haa¡­" Xia Lu looked at the panting man in front of her and one thing was for sure. Whatever was happening, she couldn''t make any sense of it.


    However, one thing was for sure, he couldn''t hurt her for some reason. Shao Chen also knew that and when he looked at Xia Lu, he knew she was thinking the same.


    So he stood up, took a piece of the cloth, and gagged her mouth. He knew he would lose if she were to just simply yell she couldn''t be harmed by Shao Chen so he made sure she wouldn''t be able to warn anyone. Especially, not Wei Jun who would be dealing with the stress that Xia Lu was in the hands of danger.


    Once he was done, he simply waited. He could tell he wouldn''t have to wait for long either because the voice just told him that Wei Jun arrived outside the building.


    "So what do I do then?" Shao Chen asked. He didn''t who the voice belonged to because all he could hear was a screech but whenever he heard it, it was as if he knew what it meant and what he would have to do.


    And after hearing another such sound, he smiled and said, "So I just have to kill him and you will bring them back. All of them, right?"


    Another screech was heard and Shao Chen stood up, determined than ever to kill Wei Jun. He looked down the window and after waiting for just two minutes, he was Wei Jun making his way to the building.

 Chapter 209: Dimensional Rupture?

    Okay, for those who think ''What the hell''s going on here?'', even I don''t know what''s going on. Just read and you will figure it all out. As soon as I do.~~


    [Something feels amiss] S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked as he slowly made his way towards the room where Xia Lu was being held hostage.


    [I can''t exactly tell]


    [But I feel like something''s different]


    [I just can''t quite put my finger on it]


    Wei Jun nodded. The system was incredibly helpful in many scenarios so Wei Jun never dismissed anything the system had to say. Still, since there was no answer, he just made his way inside and waited so the system could properly gauge the situation.


    As Wei Jun entered, he saw Xia Lu, unharmed, bound, and gagged to a chair. Seeing her unharmed, Wei Jun didn''t get angry at all. Instead, he calmly assessed the situation.


    Shao Chen was standing next to her. He was sweating as if in pain or in aftereffects of pain. He had a gun which Wei Jun presumed to be real and very harmful to Xia Lu so he stopped in his tracks and raised his hands.


    "I''m here." Wei Jun said, "You don''t need her anymore."


    "You think I''m stupid, don''t you?" Shao Chen asked as he put a hand in his pocket.


    Wei Jun was stupid enough to mock Shao Chen given the current situation so he replied, "I don''t think so."


    "Yeah, yeah." Shao Chen didn''t believe anything Wei Jun said and finally pulled what he was looking for in his pocket. A wrist bracelet.


    [What the¡­]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked when the system reacted upon seeing the bracelet.


    [He shouldn''t have that]


    ''What is it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [A dimensional teleportation device]


    [Crude but gets the job done as long as it''s one person]


    Wei Jun, when he heard the system''s explanation, couldn''t help but think of just one thing. A dimensional teleporter didn''t sound much related to cultivation. It sounded more scientific than cultivation-related.


    [Well, depends on how one''s looking at it]


    [Magic replaces science]


    ''So that''s a magical device?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Yes]


    [Back when everyone had a common enemy]


    [Magical devices weren''t made for just mages]


    [They were made so that everyone could use them]


    [Even cultivators who were harmed by mana usually]


    Just as the system finished his explanation and Wei Jun had a question about ''back then'', Shao Chen threw the bracelet towards Wei Jun and said, "Put it on."


    As he said so, he also pointed his gun at Xia Lu''s head. Xia Lu said something which was muffled by the gag but from the looks of it, she was telling Wei Jun not to. Where Wei Jun thought she was feeling guilty, it was entirely something else.


    Alas, he had no way of knowing.


    Since he didn''t, Wei Jun quietly put it on his wrist and said, "There. I did what you asked."


    "Put your Qi into it." Shao Chen said next.


    ''What would that do?'' Wei Jun asked the system just in case but also put his Qi into the bracelet.


    [It would activate the bracelet]


    ''And then?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [It would take you to set coordinates]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what that was about but he did as he was asked to do. He used [Qi discharge] to put his Qi into the bracelet.


    As soon as he did, a number of strange symbols began to alight on the bracelet before Wei Jun disappeared from his spot.


    As the shine in front of his eyes receded, he found himself surrounded by a forest. A thick forest with trees as tall as a three-story building.


    [Unbelievable]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You''re inside of a ruptured dimension]


    ''A what now?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You have to be careful, host]


    [You''re inside of what you can think of as a prison]


    [Just know for now that there could be certain things inside the rupture that could kill you without a moment''s hesitation]


    ''And how do I get out of here?'' Wei Jun asked as he glanced at the bracelet.


    [That wouldn''t get you out]


    [The sect coordinates are for this place]


    [For now, just sit tight]


    [I finally know what was amiss]


    ''What was?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [An emergency quest has arrived]


    [Main Quest II]


    [Shao Chen]


    [Description: In his desperation, hate, and desire for revenge, Shao Chen has broken the laws of the universe.


    In doing so, he has lost the right to be the apostle of the world.


    His title as an apostle would be taken away within an hour.


    Be warned that if his title is taken away, you will fail the quest]


    [Task: Kill Shao Chen in the next hour]


    [Reward(s)


    #1: All stats +20


    #2: System update


    #3: Inventory update


    #4: An item of your own choosing from the shop


    #5: +10 levels


    #6: A special reward from the administrator]


    [Punishment: Death]


    [Time limit: 59:59:13]


    As Wei Jun read the enhanced quest, Wei Jun couldn''t help but know what the system was about to tell him.


    [Well, now you know]


    As much as Wei Jun should have been happy about the increased reward, he couldn''t help but curse the situation he was in.


    Luckily, the quest also meant that there would be a way to complete it in an hour.


    And just as he thought so, he saw light shining in the distance. It was the same as his own when he appeared in this forest so Wei Jun''s good guess was that that one belonged to Shao Chen.


    Without thinking for another second, Wei Jun launched himself in the direction. Although there were thick trees in his way, he could still maneuver himself through them.


    It wasn''t long before Wei Jun arrived at the spot where the shining light was just a few moments ago. As soon as he arrived, he saw Shao Chen standing there, with a maniacal look on his face.


    But that wasn''t what attracted Wei Jun''s eyes. What really shocked him was the thing standing next to Shao Chen. It looked like a dog, only there were no eyes and the drool coming out of its mouth was horrifyingly disgusting as it smelled all the way over where Wei Jun was standing.


    It growled like a dog as soon as it saw Wei Jun and jumped at him.


    [Host, dodge]


    Wei Jun didn''t think for a moment more and dodged the charge of the dog-like creature, ran towards Shao Chen, and rammed into him without giving Shao Chen a chance to do anything.


    ''What the fu*k is that?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [That''s a monster in simpler terms]


    [Don''t go for Shao Chen but focus on the Barghest]


    [Barghests are strong at offense but they have terrible defense that even a gun can kill them if not for their miasma]


    Wei Jun decided to heed the system''s advice and focused on the dog-like creature rather than Shao Chen who was also trying to gather himself.


    [No eyed Barghest]


    [Tier: C] Find your next read on §Þ??


    [Strength: 168]


    [Agility: 173]


    [Stamina: 156]


    [Defense: 12]


    [Miasma: 199]


    Wei Jun didn''t really understand what was going on and he figured he had to have a long talk with the system regarding everything that was going on.


    But the first and foremost task was to survive. And for that¡­


    [Death Qi has been used]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    Wei Jun didn''t activate anything regarding Yang Qi. He also didn''t activate the [Qi armament] because he didn''t really need anything like that. Granted that [Qi armament] provided him with an extra layer of protection, but right now, ''Death Qi'' was his only way of getting out of this and he couldn''t use it like he could use Yang Qi.


    After all, Death Qi wasn''t even one-third of his yang Qi. He couldn''t afford to waste it.


    "You¡­" Shao Chen was left speechless when he saw the power of corruption around Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun knew what he was thinking, but Wei Jun didn''t have the time to think about that. Instead, Wei Jun turned to the dog to see it was now wary of Wei Jun and Wei Jun could see a thin layer of slight black color around it which he suspected was from the Miasma written in the system description of the dog.


    As Wei Jun moved to the side, trying to gauge the dog''s reaction, Shao Chen came out of his stupor and attacked Wei Jun from his left side.


    Of course, Wei Jun was easily able to dodge him given he was using death Qi, and the increase was double the usual. Wei Jun''s stats were increased by a whopping 70. It wasn''t an insignificant increase with his base stats at all.


    He was easily in the realm of [Qi manifestation realm]. However, he was in that realm for only five minutes before he needed to extend that time. Shao Chen wasn''t.


    He was permanently in that realm and he didn''t need anything else.


    And to make things worse, seeing the opening when Wei Jun dodged Shao Chen, the dog jumped at Wei Jun, opening its mouth and trying to bite into Wei Jun.


    ''Fu*k my life.'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but curse.

 Chapter 210: A Predator

    [Qi construct]Wei Jun had no choice but to use [Qi construct], using his precious and limited Death Qi to stop the dog monster while also blocking Shao Chen''s attack.


    However, Wei Jun wasn''t willing to let go of something so precious so he caught the makeshift lance-like spear with his hand before it pierced the dog monster.


    Effortlessly, the makeshift spear went through the monster''s open mouth, penetrating past the Miasma barrier and going straight through the mouth of the monster, killing it on the spot.


    However, his power wasn''t enough to stop Shao Chen''s punch who managed to strike him and throw him away from his location while also dislocating Wei Jun''s shoulder.


    "Arrgh!!" Wei Jun grunted in pain as a good amount of his HP fell. It wasn''t just the pain from the shoulder. The Qi from Shao Chen was also inflicting damage upon Wei Jun although for a very short amount of time because soon the Death Qi devoured it.


    But the damage had been done and Shao Chen followed closely with another attack.


    Wei Jun pulled the makeshift spear and stabbed Shao Chen with it. Seeing the fate of the dog, who was in its last throes, Shao Chen wasn''t willing to risk whether he would be hurt by that blackish spear or not.


    [Ding]


    Shao Chen jumped back to dodge which was also when Wei Jun consumed a health pill and attacked Shao Chen with Qi discharge from one hand and the Qi spear with the other hand.


    With attacks coming from both sides, Shao Chen knew he had to dodge one while he had to block one.


    He chose to block the fist strike because it seemed less harmful than the spear that was able to kill a monster in one strike. Find your next read at M V L


    That was a mistake.


    Wei Jun''s death Qi covered fist struck Shao Chen at close range.


    "Ahhh!!!!" Shao Chen yelled as the power of death broke through his barrier of Qi and entered his body, wreaking havoc throughout his arm but it lost its power and evaporated after it consumed a good chunk of Shao Chen''s Qi and his arm.


    A golden chance that Wei Jun would never ever get again.


    An injured and distracted opponent.


    Wei Jun would be an idiot to miss on a chance like that and even if he had to lose an arm to take that opportunity, he wouldn''t have minded.


    [Host watch out!]


    Wei Jun hurriedly dodged as a deranged dog, like the one Wei Jun had just killed before, almost bit his arm off.


    "I was kidding!" Wei Jun yelled as he thrust the spear in his hands at the dog but unfortunately, before the spear could penetrate the dog, the spear construct disappeared.


    Still, Wei Jun managed to avoid harm, however, he missed the golden opportunity to kill Shao Chen who bolted in the opposite direction.


    Before Wei Jun could follow after him though, he felt the dog from earlier attacking him again but the only difference was that there were two of them this time.


    [Hose, the Barghest race hunts in groups]


    [Like wolves]


    [If there are two, then more would be on their way.]


    [Kill them soon and get away from the place]


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Because their leader, a Direhound might find you]


    [And you''re nowhere in a situation to deal with it let alone hundreds of Barghests along with it]


    Wei Jun didn''t think for another second and used Qi discharge worth five points on each hand and killed the two dogs effortlessly with just his hands.


    The miasma on the dogs'' skin couldn''t offer any resistance at all.


    [Ding]


    [Ding]


    Wei Jun had received a similar sound when he killed the Barghest but for some reason, there was no message showing up. Wei Jun ignored it and turned to the discretion where Shao Chen was running in.


    As Wei Jun began to chase, the Dark Qi [Qi empowerment] ended. Wei Jun didn''t activate it again because he only had enough worth one [Qi discharged] now, he couldn''t afford to waste any of it.


    It was his only trump card against the strange monsters.


    [Yang Qi has been used]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    [All physical stats +35]


    Wei Jun''s speed picked up once again but it wasn''t as fast as before. Still, he was fast enough to reach an injured guy who was slowly losing all his mojo as time passed, second by second.


    Wei Jun caught up with him and slammed into his back, skidding both of them on the ground before Wei Jun straddled Shao Chen and began to rain down and punches on him.


    Shao Chen protected him with his arms as cover but one of his arms was already in a lot of pain and whenever Wei Jun''s punches struck, he would feel a tremendous amount of pain course through his entire arm.


    "Ugh!!" Shao Chen loudly grunted as a great amount of Qi emitted from him, throwing Wei Jun away while also delivering a small amount of damage.


    Wei Jun bit on the pain and stood up in a second. He once again launched himself at Shao Chen while pulling the Adamantium gun out. Wei Jun knew it wouldn''t work given Shao Chen''s current cultivation rank, but it would at least strain a little bit of his Qi which was all that Wei Jun wanted.


    "Are you kidding?!" Shao Chen, like every target of that gun before, also thought it was a joke until Wei Jun took the first shot.


    A clear crack, a very small but clear one, appeared on Shao Chen''s Qi barrier. It wasn''t much to threaten him but Wei Jun shot again, precisely in the same spot.


    Shot after shot after shot.


    In just ten seconds, he emptied the magazine at the same spot of the barrier before Shao Chen could do anything.


    As Shao Chen stood stunned by the scene in front of him, Wei Jun threw a black ball that exploded midair, creating enough cover for Wei Jun to vanish.


    Unfortunately, Shao Chen was strong enough to feel the fluctuations of Qi turning to his left only to find nothing when something struck him from his left, hitting his left arm, the injured one.


    "Aarrrgghh!!!" It was clear to an idiot even that Wei Jun was particularly targeting that arm.


    Shao Chen tried to push Wei Jun away but Wei Jun threw another black ball which exploded in front of Shao Chen''s face. It didn''t do any damage to him but it just impaired his vision for long enough that Wei Jun knelt, hugged Shao Chen''s legs, and pulled back, throwing him on the ground and mounted him once again, throwing punches but this time, with a little bit of surprise added.


    [Qi construct]


    [Qi construct]


    Something similar to brass knuckles appeared on Wei Jun''s knuckles and he just began to hit Shao Chen, anywhere and everywhere.


    Wherever he could hit him, he didn''t hesitate and kept hitting him, his main target was Shao Chen''s face.


    Wei Jun kept on hitting Shao Chen even when blood smeared his face; Shao Chen''s blood.


    He only stopped when he heard the notifications from the system about a successful system completion.


    [Main quest II complete]


    [Shao Chen]


    [Rewards will be granted shortly]


    Wei Jun sighed and stood up. He didn''t immediately feel the power up so there was something about it.


    But before he could sigh in relief, Wei Jun froze in his spot.


    The eye of a predator.


    Step.


    Heavy steps.


    Steps of a predator.


    Who slowly makes his presence known and lets you know that it can blatantly show up in front of you because it doesn''t fear you, at all.


    Wei Jun slowly turned his face to a creature that was at least his size in height but in length, it was almost two times an adult lion. Its width was wider than well-fed cow but muscular, rather than fat. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A tail that gave off a feeling of being more metallic than flesh, and its skin, which also gave off the feeling of it being metallic was a mixture of dark blood red and black.


    It bore a striking resemblance to the dogs before but this one thing wasn''t a dog.


    Dogs don''t hunt.


    Wolves hunt and that was what this was.


    A wolf; the greatest predator to ever exist.


    Aside from its heavy steps, it made no other sound as if still and silent about everything. No snarls, no growling, no saliva dripping, no nothing.


    However, just like the dogs before, it did have no eyes.


    But it didn''t need them at all. Wei Jun was perfectly sure that it could take Wei Jun down with eyes closed even if it had any.


    When it didn''t, there was no need to put that analogy to test.


    [No eyed Direhound]


    [Strength: 328]


    [Agility: 441]


    [Stamina: 438]


    [Defense: 47]


    [Miasma: 501]


    Wei Jun''s eyes couldn''t grow any wider when he saw the stats of the predator in front of him.


    And if that wasn''t the end of bad news, the subsequent notifications were¡­


    [Reward for the Main quest would be granted in five minutes]


    ''Fu*k.''

 Chapter 211: Unknown

    A.N: A minor change: I decided to give the boss monster eyes. It would make the next chapter better.I will make the appropriate changes in the last chapter as well.


    ~


    Wei Jun stepped back, slightly, trying to step away slowly from a hungry wolf but Wei Jun could tell from looking into the eyes of the creature, it wasn''t a hungry wolf.


    It was a hunter, a predator, who found amusement in hunting down its prey. The look in its eyes was a clear indication of that.


    Wei Jun took another step back but the amusement in the giant dog''s eyes didn''t change. It was still finding it amusing and Wei Jun could also sense the excitement for the amusement to come.


    It was a hunt. And it was waiting for Wei Jun to run so it could hunt him down.


    Wei Jun was about to take another slow step when an unexpected message appeared in front of him.


    [Miasma conversion array has been completed]


    [You can now convert Miasma to Death Qi]


    [You have defeated an opponent with Miasma]


    [Your death Qi has increased by 1] S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Your death Qi has recharged by 20]


    [Your death Qi has increased by 1]


    [Your death Qi has recharged by 20]


    [Your death Qi has increased by 1]


    [Your death Qi has recharged by 20]


    [Your death Qi has increased by 1]


    [Your death Qi has recharged by 20]


    [Death Qi 105\\208]


    Wei Jun''s eyes sparkled with hope which the giant dog didn''t fail to notice as a confused expression appeared in its eyes.


    [Death Qi has been used]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    [Death Qi 15\\208]


    [All physical stats +70]


    Wei Jun turned and bolted in the opposite direction. The mission was complete. There was no threat of a time limit anymore. All Wei Jun needed to do now was to survive.


    The Direhound saw Wei Jun running and seeing the impressive but manageable speed, it didn''t drop its plans of a hunt.


    Wei Jun knew that he wouldn''t make it away either. All things considered, the giant dog was too strong for Wei Jun to deal with. There was only one option.


    Keep on running until he could come up with something.


    [May I suggest something?]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked hurriedly, seeing hope in the system''s words.


    [Head north]


    [I sense water there]


    [Empty this space of all life]


    Wei Jun somewhat understood what the system was trying to say and considering that the dog would soon be chasing him, Wei Jun did just that.


    It wasn''t long before he arrived at a lake but the lake was shallow. It wasn''t too deep to hide from the giant dog though it would help erase the scent.


    [You don''t have to worry about the depth]


    [Barghest can''t step on water]


    Wei Jun didn''t think for another second and jumped in the water which was barely up until his ankles but Wei Jun didn''t stop and made it to the other side of the lake.


    When the Direhound showed up, it was less than happy to see Wei Jun on the other side of the lake.


    Wei Jun waited with bated breath to see whether or not the giant dog would cross over but as the system said, it couldn''t step on water.


    ''Why''s that?'' Wei Jun curiously asked as he began to move further inside the forest.


    [Barghests are said to be a race from hell]


    [They are made of fire]


    [Stepping on water can be harmful to them]


    Wei Jun nodded and kept on running before he heard a howl. It wasn''t coming from behind him but from the front.


    Wei Jun panicked, thinking the giant dog had crossed the river or found some other way around when the system said¡­


    [It doesn''t belong to the Direhound]


    [It''s the howl of the no-eyed Barghest]


    Wei Jun sighed in relief. Although it wasn''t just one howl, but many more, Wei Jun was still relieved because he was sure he could take on the smaller ones.


    Not to mention that killing them was very helpful to him as well.


    Wei Jun prepared himself for the fight and it wasn''t long before a group of Barghests showed up. There were about twenty of them and they began to surround Wei Jun but none of them moved in.


    Wei Jun could tell what they were doing. Although they were hungry, they didn''t step forward to eat Wei Jun but simply circled around him so he couldn''t go anywhere.


    They were buying time. Time for the bigger one to make it here.


    Wei Jun wasn''t stupid enough to wait so he jumped at one of the dogs and hit, but unfortunately, unlike [Qi armament] in which the body was covered by a barrier of Death Qi, [Qi empowerment] didn''t manifest any sort of Qi on the body so this time, Wei Jun couldn''t go past the Miasma barrier of the Barghest.


    It was a bummer but Wei Jun could tell that there were ripples. Wei Jun circulated his Qi from within, the final fifteen points of it and armed both of his fists with five points of it each.


    Before the dogs could create any more distance, Wei Jun plunged his fists through two of them at once, killing them together.


    [Your death Qi has increased by 1]


    [Your death Qi has recharged by 20]


    [Your death Qi has increased by 1]


    [Your death Qi has recharged by 20]


    [Death Qi 45\\210]


    Wei Jun hurriedly did it one more time and grabbed the nearest one while he straightened his palm and pierced it through that one.


    [Your death Qi has increased by 1]


    [Your death Qi has recharged by 20]


    [Death Qi 60\\211]


    [Skill ''Qi armament'' has been activated]


    As soon as the thin barrier of death appeared around Wei Jun, Wei Jun jumped at the remaining eighteen dogs. They tried to run away but their speed wasn''t as great as Wei Jun''s.


    The giant dog was strong but these were weak and Wei Jun could easily deal with them.


    [Your death Qi has increased by 1]


    [Your death Qi has recharged by 20]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    [Death Qi 229\\229]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been lifted]


    Wei Jun didn''t activate it again and just dealt with the last dog and ran away from the place. But not before lathering himself in the blood of the dogs and storing their bodies in the inventory.


    The point was to leave nothing to eat behind. And that was only possible if both living and dead beings from the rupture were no more.


    He lathered himself in the blood to confuse the giant dog who Wei Jun had no doubt would soon be there so he once again made his way to the lake. This time, when he arrived, he made his way to the middle of the lake where the water was a little higher than everywhere and lay down in it.


    It covered his head but left his mouth out to breathe.


    Wei Jun suddenly held his breath because he could feel an enormous powerful thing near the lake.


    No doubt it was the giant dog but Wei Jun didn''t peek to make sure.


    He held his breath and no movement came from him.


    It wasn''t long before he heard a muffled growl due to the water in his ears but soon, something heavy stepped on the ground and stepped away.


    Wei Jun still waited for a few minutes before letting go and taking a breath.


    He stood up and asked the system, "Where would their concentration be highest?"


    [I doubt there would be many in the first place]


    [But if I have to guess, then head back to the place where you killed the first four]


    Since the giant dog was in the other direction and Wei Jun was full on Qi and still a minute left on his [Qi armament], Wei Jun decided to listen to the system.


    And once again, he was disappointed. When he arrived at the place where he killed Shao Chen, he didn''t find Shao Chen''s body, thinking that it was already eaten, but he did find two more beings surrounded by seven more dogs.


    Wei Jun had only some seconds left on the skill but he decided to extend it because he was about to be recharged anyway.


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment has been activated] Experience tales at M V L


    [Death Qi 139\\219]


    Wei Jun jumped at the remaining of the dogs to kill them as well.


    He just discovered how good it felt to hunt and also kind of understand why the big dog liked to hunt as well.


    ~


    A group of people were standing outside of a strange-looking circle. The circle was pale blue and the same colored gas was leaking out of it.


    "Get ready, everyone," A man said in English, his accent giving a British touch.


    "We go in five minutes." He said again.


    "I''m so excited." In the crowd, a girl excitedly said while jumping up and down slightly as she held the shoulder of another girl and asked, "Aren''t you as well, Melissa?"

 Chapter 212: Who are you?

    Wei Jun frustrated as he sat in the middle of the lake, his abdomen in water while he sitting cross-legged.Why was he frustrated?


    [System update in 00:00:00]


    The timer for the reward, when Wei Jun killed Shao Chen, was up a long time ago. Even before he killed the Barghests, the timer was up but now, it was the third day yet the update hadn''t begun.


    "Oi." Since it was just him and he didn''t have to be vigilant about the giant dog hearing him since he was in the water anyway, Wei Jun said it out loud.


    [Yes, host?]


    "Where''s my reward?" Wei Jun asked.


    [Umm¡­]


    [Host¡­]


    The system awkwardly said, knowing it was about to be yelled at.


    "What is it?" Wei Jun calmly asked.


    [You can''t get your reward in the rupture]


    [You have to be back in Wei Jun Ruan''s dimension]


    "Why?" Wei Jun asked for the reason, still remaining calm but there were signs of eruption on his face.


    [Tha¡ªThat''s because the cosmic powers cannot invade this place to update the system]


    [It won''t happen in the first place but even if, by some chance, even one of them did, this place would come down on itself]


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    [The entire pocket dimension would collapse on itself, not being able to bear the burden of such a strong power]


    Wei Jun understood that. He understood everything about it. There was just one little teeny tiny thing.


    He couldn''t get out of there without the power of the reward.


    "FUUUCCC****KKKK!!!!!"


    ~


    "Haa¡­ Haa¡­'' Melissa was taking deep and long breaths as she ran in a random direction, protected by a few men in armor. They weren''t just protecting her; they were protecting all of them.


    It wasn''t a dangerous situation a while ago. Everything was normal. It was a normal day. It was a normal expedition. It was a normal hunt.


    But the normality didn''t last for long because they couldn''t find anything to hunt. No monster was alive in this place. They saw traces of battle and remains of blood which indicated there was a battle but there were no monsters here.


    They were vigilant about it. Because in such cases, usually there exists a monster far more stronger than the rest and it would have killed the weaker ones.


    Still, with a six star aura master, they weren''t much worried about it. No matter how strong a monster was, in the end, it was a monster that was confined to the limit of the gate.


    There was nothing in this dungeon a six star aura master couldn''t defeat.


    Or so they thought when that very same aura master was being eaten in front of their eyes by a giant wolf-like monster that had eyes full of mad hunger.


    They didn''t think of anything else and Melissa ordered the retreat. Unfortunately, they had to run in the opposite direction because the wolf was blocking their way. And they couldn''t take a detour in worry that it might leave its food and come for them.


    "How much more do we have to run?" The girl with Melissa asked with tears welling up in her eyes.


    They had been running for half a day but they could still feel the threat of the enemy and they hadn''t found a place to hide yet.


    Melissa knew that the mages would last long and they would slow down the aura master while doing so. But even the aura masters didn''t have that much stamina. Even though they were currently conserved by running at the mage''s pace, they will sooner or later tire out.


    They needed to find a place before that happened. Unfortunately, the entire terrain was a forest and there wasn''t enough high ground or narrow space for them to hide in where the giant wolf couldn''t approach.


    "Just hold it in for a little while. We just need to find a safe space." Melissa said. It was a long shot at best but that was all they could do.


    "I just want to go home. I wish I never came here." The girl whined as she ran with Melissa.


    "My god! If you have the strength to whine, then try to pray to god so that he can send us guidance." A man said, who was running next to the girl.


    "Oh god! Save me!" The girl yelled before she turned to the man and said, "Nothing happened."


    "Bit*h." The man cursed but he didn''t continue to waste his breath.


    Just then, while they were busy running, they heard a heavy thud from behind but they were too scared to look behind.


    And they were right because when they invested all their strength into running, one of their aura masters was eaten from behind. And he wasn''t the last one, that was for sure.


    Seeing his fate, the aura masters didn''t care about loyalty anymore. They left the mages and ran away, scattered in their own directions to save their own lives.


    "What the! Come back, you traitors!" The girl with Melissa yelled at them but they didn''t care. Seeing them, the mages in the group began to scatter as well because it was too big of a group and the wolf was less likely to come after them if they weren''t with such a big crowd.


    The man who was running next to Melissa and the girl also decided to bolt.


    "Oh, my god. Brandon, you traitorous bastard! You can forget about the sensual play I had prepared for you!" The girl yelled but her boyfriend, well, ex now, kept running until he was out of sight.


    The girl worriedly turned to Melissa and looked at her with puppy dog eyes. "Don''t worry, I won''t leave you," Melissa said.


    It wasn''t that Melissa wasn''t angry with them but she also understood why they did such a thing. Unfortunately, it wasn''t going to help them but then again, it might help them and they may be able to survive.


    "Oh, thank god." The girl said but then she added, "I''m sorry. I can''t take it anymore. You can leave me."


    Melissa could tell that the girl wasn''t overacting. She really was exhausted and there was nothing more she could exert.


    Melissa stopped and carried the girl on her shoulder.


    "What are you doing, Melissa? Leave me." The girl said but Melissa didn''t listen, "Shut up. Go back to praying."


    The girl wanted to resist but she didn''t have the strength to do so and what was the point of doing so? She knew that Melissa would also tire herself out soon and they would be sharing her fate together. Read latest stories on M V L


    "Oh, my dear god. Please help me. I promise I will stop sleeping with married men." The girl closed her eyes and sincerely prayed.


    "FUUUCCC****KKKK!!!!!"


    A shout that shook their surroundings and shook both of them as well. Melissa looked in the direction of where it came from when the girl on her shoulder said, "I think god is angry at me for destroying many marriages."


    ~


    "STR*****!!!"


    "BA***********!!!!"


    "MAN**************!!!!"


    Wei Jun jumped in the water and kicked everything underneath his feet in anger, splashing water everywhere while also venting his anger. It wasn''t long before he calmed down but he was still far from settled.


    That was also when he heard movement from his left side. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking it was the monster, Wei Jun turned to it only to be surprised and see a woman carrying another on her shoulder.


    The woman underneath was a woman of good height, not short like Lin Ruan but talked like Yan Rong.


    Her hair was blonde and her face looked like that of a westerner.


    And another strange thing about her was that she looked familiar. The only problem was that Wei Jun could remember where he had seen her.


    But familiar or not, he was vigilant. Wei Jun looked at the wrists of both of the girls but none of them had the bracelet that Wei Jun had which brought them here.


    Which could also mean that there was another way out of there.


    Which also meant that Wei Jun could kill them.


    Melissa, on the other hand, remembered Wei Jun clearly. The man who Sun Ruan and her academy head professor were trying to set her up with.


    Wei Jun Ruan, the untalented basta*d whom the rumors didn''t do justice. He was nothing as she had imagined and he would have been a good match for her if he was interested in her. Unfortunately, he wasn''t and Melissa wasn''t dying for him either.


    "You!" Wei Jun said while pointing at Melissa.


    "You!!!" She said in return as she also pointed at Wei Jun.


    "Who are you?!!" Wei Jun asked next.


    "¡­" Melissa was left speechless when she heard that question.


    But before she could shoot back¡­


    Thud!


    A giant creature fell behind her and when she turned to see who it was, all life left her being. The giant wolf opened its mouth and brought its sharp teeth to rip her to shred along with her friend when someone grabbed her by her collar and pulled her, leaving the wolf to bite down on nothing but air.

 Chapter 213: Magic

    "What the sh*t!!" The girl with Melissa shouted when she just escaped the jaws of death and was thrown into the water. Melissa was done the same but she wasn''t as much as panicked as her. She was scared at the face of evident death, but she was also preparing a spell to go down with at least a fight.But before both of them could do anything, Wei Jun grabbed them and pulled them back. Once he was done, he also jumped back into the water, the jaw of the giant dog almost missing him.


    The dog once bit on him again and again but no matter what he did, he couldn''t step on the water and Wei Jun was well behind it.


    Wei Jun ignored the giant dog and turned around. The girls also looked at the scene in bewilderment because the dog wasn''t coming at them for some reason.


    They could see the amount of hate in its eyes, the annoyance, the hunger, but the wolf, from their perspective, wasn''t just stepping forward.


    Wei Jun turned to the girls, whom he had saved for a reason, and asked, "How do we get out of here?"


    "¡­" Melissa was still not so out of it that she could reply but looking at the bizarre situation, she had a question of her own.


    "What was that?! How did you do that?! Why is it not coming after us?!" Okay, maybe it wasn''t one question but the questions were along the same lines.


    Wei Jun looked at her before he replied in one breath, "That was a giant dog trying to eat you two, I saved you and it can''t chase us because I discovered it can''t step on water."


    "¡­What?" Melissa was taken aback by how calm Wei Jun was. He was very calm given the situation and that the giant monster was still behind them, growling at them.


    "I see you''re an idiot." Wei Jun blatantly said and made his way to the middle of the lake and sat down to let the girls come to terms with their situation. Besides, he needed to revise a plan of his own.


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    He had waited for three days in that place and waited for the monster to go mad with hunger but then Melissa''s presence suggested that there were some more with them and if they weren''t with Melissa, the good guess was that they were hunted by the monster so his hunger plan was as good as failed.


    He turned his eyes to the two girls who were still coming to terms with their current situation and slowly making his way to him.


    He was considering whether to use them as bait after finding out how to get out but he was quick to discard that plan soon after the system said.


    [And then what?] S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What the system simply meant was that how was he planning to get out after that? For instance, even if he were to get out, he would be out in a strange and foreign land and he would be simply blamed for the misfortune that happened to Melissa and her team if there was one.


    In such a foreign place, the only fate he would have was death. He would be killed without question so it was better to strike some goodwill with these two so he could make it out safely out of here and then after that as well.


    >From now on, the conversation between Melissa and Wei Jun will be in English. <


    "Why is it not coming here?" Melissa asked, this time her voice unhitched, which meant she had calmed down to a great degree.


    "I don''t know." Wei Jun said before he added, "All I know is that it can''t step on water. I used this lake to protect myself from it but so far, I haven''t been able to find any way out of here."


    "How did you come here anyway?" Melissa asked next.


    "By this," Wei Jun showed her the bracelet on his arm before he explained, "Some lunatic forced me to wear this and then the next moment, I was here, surrounded by strange no-eyed dogs. Those were doable but then that bigger one came on and no matter what, I could only run away."


    When Wei Jun stopped, he looked at Melissa to signal her that it was her turn to ask again but he only saw her with her mouth agape. She wasn''t the only one, the girl with her also had the same astonished face.


    "You mean to tell me that you fought a blind Barghest yourself and won?" Melissa asked.


    ''Blind Barghest? That''s a better name than no-eyed Barghest.'' Wei Jun mused inwardly.


    [How is that better?]


    [It''s not even accurate]


    [Blind beings still have eyes]


    [These Barghests don''t]


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but admit it was a very good point. Besides, it was just about naming so Wei Jun didn''t really care too much.


    "They weren''t too hard to kill once I got past their Miasma barrier." Wei Jun nonchalantly replied before he asked as if his answer wasn''t significant at all, "How do we get out of here?"


    Melissa still wasn''t willing to let go of this conversation because they needed at least one four-star aura master and one third-circle mage to deal with one no-eyed Barghest.


    And yet a cultivator, who wasn''t that strong by her accounts either killed not only one no-eyes Barghest, but killed all of them, according to her analysis, but also acted as if he hadn''t done anything big.


    "Their bodies," The girl with Melissa asked, "What did you do with their bodies?"


    The urgency in her voice suggested there was something with the corpses of the monsters but since Wei Jun couldn''t tell anyone about his inventory, he lied, "I burned them."


    "Why?!" The girl yelled as she stood up, splashing water on Wei Jun''s face.


    Wei Jun looked at her, wondering whether he should chop her head off or not, but he calmed down in the end and replied, "I was planning to starve the giant beast so it would be too weak to fight me. But that''s useless now that you have supplied it with the meat of your team members."


    Melissa was aghast at what little consideration Wei Jun had for her teammates but when she remembered those same teammates had also abandoned them, she wasn''t very angry about it.


    Still, "How were we supposed to know that? And besides, you weren''t even supposed to be here anyway? Where did you get that relic anyway?" Melissa asked all of those questions in one breadth.


    "You weren''t. I wasn''t. And I was forced to wear this by a lunatic. If I knew I would be stuck here, I wouldn''t have come here." Wei Jun replied to all of the questions in one breath again and then asked one question of his own while raising his wrist, "What do you mean relic?"


    "Those bracelets aren''t used to enter the gates anymore. They were outdated because they were unreliable about the landing. Nowadays we use spatial magic to create waves and open a rift in the wall of the gate dimension." The girl with Melissa explained before she struck her head playfully and said, "I''m sorry, I haven''t introduced myself. I''m Natasha."


    "Wei Jun." Wei Jun straightforwardly replied.


    "You have a very clear accent; Wei Jun. Do you have a girlfriend?" She asked with a twinkle in her eyes.


    Wei Jun where this was going so to avoid any further headaches, he replied, "Yes. I have two."


    As he replied, he saw Melissa''s face turn awkward which he couldn''t understand very well until he saw the crazed look on Natasha''s face who was practically drooling at his sight.


    "Please, don''t ask." Melissa pleaded for Wei Jun to not ask about Natasha. Wei Jun also felt doing so would be a wise thing to do so he asked Melissa, "You still haven''t told me how to get out?"


    Melissa looked at Wei Ju quietly for some time before she said, "I know how to get out of here. But I doubt that giant wolf will make it possible for us."


    Wei Jun looked at the Direhound and he knew it was true.


    Wei Jun looked back at Melissa and asked, "So is there another option?"


    "Not really. We cannot wait for rescue until everyone inside is dead." Melissa replied.


    "So it''s up to us to get out of here?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes," Melissa replied.


    "Very well," Wei Jun said before he asked, "Where is that gate you talked about?"


    "I''m not telling you," Melissa replied.


    "Why not?" Wei Jun asked.


    "What''s stopping you from using us as bait and get out of here yourself?" Melissa asked. Wei Jun could easily use them as distractions and make it out himself from there.


    "I see." Wei Jun replied, completely understanding Melissa''s words, and said, "Then lead the way."


    Melissa nodded and stood up. Natasha and Wei Jun followed.


    "We need to lose that guy first," Melissa said while pointing at the Direhound.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Follow me."

 Chapter 214: Buff magic

    "We''re going in the opposite direction." Melissa pointed out when she saw Wei Jun going in the opposite direction of where they needed to go."Don''t worry about that. Just keep quiet." Wei Jun said as they all exited the lake and moved further in. Then, Wei Jun came to a complete halt which confused the girls but they didn''t say anything.


    They waited for about three minutes before Wei Jun could feel the powerful presence of the Direhound closing in. It could now track him even with the lake erasing his smell to a great extent.


    Wei Jun turned around, picked the girls on his shoulders, one on each shoulder, and began to run at the fastest speed he could muster using yang Qi [Qi empowerment].


    It helped because Wei Jun became fast enough to meet the wind and leave the girls flabbergasted. Still, when they saw the giant wolf behind them, Natasha hurriedly touched Wei Jun''s shoulder and began to chant something.


    [Bless]


    She ended the long four seconds speech with one word and Wei Jun instantly felt the effects.


    [A buff magic has been cast on you]


    [All physical stats +20]


    [Timer: 5 minutes]


    [Hint: Effect would be higher if the magic is cast by a party member]


    Wei Jun''s speed instantly increased and in just five seconds, Wei Jun arrived at the lake and jumped to the middle of the lake.


    When Melissa had somewhat figured out Wei Jun''s plan. Wei Jun planned on using the water to lose the monster by calling it to the other side of the lake and then bolting in the opposite direction so that before the Direhound could catch on to them, they would have arrived at the location of the gate.


    But, he suddenly stopped.


    "Why did you stop?" Melissa asked.


    Wei Jun let both of them down in the lake before he grabbed Natasha by both her shoulders and shoved his face in hers as he seriously asked, "How did you do that?"


    Natasha blushed and said, "So aggressive. I don''t mind going at it in the open."


    Wei Jun''s eyes flinched and he squinted his eyes further in a threatening glare. Natasha gulped and said, "Well, it was a simple buff magic."


    "Can you do that again?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes, I have more than enough mana for three times or maybe more," Natasha replied.


    "Can you do that too?" Wei Jun asked Melissa.


    "No. I specialize in fire magic. She specializes in fairy magic." Melissa replied.


    "Tch!" Wei Jun tutted at her reply.


    "Did you just do that to me?!" Melissa was no less offended. Granted fairy magic users or all those who could cast buff magic were important but the fire mages were equally useful. In fact, every category of magic had its plus and minus points.


    Wei Jun ignored her and asked Natasha, "Do you have a higher-ranking magic like that?"


    "I do but it takes too much mana and a long time to chant as well. I might not even be able to use it twice." Natasha replied.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Then get to it. And keep it ready." Wei Jun then signaled at a spot and asked, "Do you have to touch me because I would have to be on land at that part?"


    "For that magic, I don''t have to touch you. You just have to be in my sight all the time as I cast the magic. If you disappear, then it would be useless." Natasha explained.


    "Good. Get to it then." Wei Jun said.


    "Mind telling us what you plan to do?" Melissa asked.


    "We''re going to kill that fu*ker." Wei Jun said with a smirk that scared both of the girls despite how beautiful it was.


    "Are you crazy? There''s no way you can fight that! Even a six-star aura master was no match against it." Melissa warned again and again but Wei Jun didn''t listen and she didn''t know why Natasha was putting his faith in him and doing as he asked.


    Wei Jun ignored her ranting and said, "I''m not some six-star aura master."


    It wasn''t long before Natasha was done. It took her three minutes to cast the spell. There was still a minute and a half left on the previous buff when Natasha was about to cast this one.


    "Wait!" Wei Jun said before she could.


    ''How do I enter her as a party member?'' Wei Jun asked the system.


    [Just kiss her on the lips]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I''m kidding]


    [Just touch her and when the window pops up, ask her to say yes]


    Wei Jun touched her shoulder and thought about making her a party member.


    [Would the user like to add Natasha Bailey as a party member?] S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Once added, a party member cannot be removed]


    [0\\10]


    [Yes\\No]


    Wei Jun had no choice so he clicked on yes and asked Natasha to say ''Yes'' as well.


    "Why?" She curiously asked.


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    "Just do it." Wei Jun said.


    "Haa¡­" Natasha sighed before she said, "Yes."


    [Natasha Bailey has been added as a party member]


    [Party system has been activated]


    [To check the party member perks, please check the party tab in the main status window]


    Wei Jun left it for later and asked Natasha, "Do it now."


    Natasha strangely looked at Wei Jun but completed her spell anyway¡­


    [Fairy''s love]


    As soon as the spell was cast, Wei Jun felt power flow through him but that wasn''t all, his eyes popped open when he read the effect of the spell.


    [A buff magic has been cast on you]


    [All physical stats have been enhanced by 50%]


    [Time limit: 20 minutes]


    [Magic has been cast by a party member]


    [Effect would be further enhanced by 20%]


    Power as strong as he couldn''t even imagine.


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 62


    HP: 71\\71


    QP: 800\\800


    Death Qi: 241\\241


    Cultivation realm: Qi empowerment realm]


    [Strength: 109 +(77+35+20)] (241)


    [Agility: 140 +(98+35+20)] (293)


    [Stamina: 138 +(97+35+20)] (290)


    [Defense: 117 +(82+35+20)] (254)


    [Qi: 147]


    [Charm: 51]


    [Luck: 29]


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but look at his physical stats twice but deep down, he knew it wouldn''t be enough to kill the Barghest. But, at least, unlike before, it gave him a chance.


    He just wished he could have used Death Qi empowerment instead of the Yang Qi but according to the system, that wasn''t a good idea because the power of darkness gave the same feeling in every case and Melissa could just as easily feel it even if it was in the form of Qi and since killing Melissa wasn''t an option, he couldn''t just go ahead and use death Qi.


    Still, he had enough of an increase to match the giant wolf even though he would be losing 20 stats in a minute or so.


    Without wasting any time, Wei Jun jumped at the Direhound who was also a little estranged seeing the human voluntarily coming at it.


    Still, unhesitant, it opened its giant mouth, ready to bite down on Wei Jun when used [Qi discharge] worth five QP to change his direction slightly to the left side and struck the Direhound from the side of its mouth.


    The Direhound was caught off guard and failed to act when a direct hit was struck to its jaw. It would have been too strong of a hit but for some reason, the miasma shield around that area cracked slightly and inflicted a great bit of damage to the thing.


    Wei Jun didn''t let up and hurriedly added fifteen points of QP to his knee and struck it from the down, aiming for the dog''s jaw. It was once again a direct hit which once again did a great amount of damage to the Direhound that it took a few steps back.


    [HP 1671\\2000]


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but smile given the amount of damage he had done in just a few seconds before he felt something ominous coming at him.


    [Host, dodge!]


    Wei Jun did just that before the Direhound swung its front claw at Wei Jun. However, along with the gust of wind, three slashes that consisted of something dark also accompanied that gust of wind.


    Wei Jun managed to avoid most of it but he was struck with the last one slightly, almost grazed but the amount of damage it did to him despite the Qi barrier around him made him rethink his decision to fight the giant dog.


    [HP -22]


    [Dark Miasma has infiltrated your system]


    [Due to Death Qi, dark Miasma has been erased]


    [No other effect was received]


    Wei Jun sighed but the threat was still great enough. If slight grazing could inflict that much damage, then Wei Jun didn''t even want to imagine what would happen if he was directly struck by it.


    [Qi construct]


    [Qi construct]


    Wei Jun ignored the damage and coated both of his hands using 200 QP and made a makeshift knuckle brass on both of his fists.


    Granted the attacks of the dog were strong but Wei Jun had to make sure not to let them make contact.


    However, before Wei Jun could properly get into it, he received a message that soured his mood greatly.


    [Buff magic has been lifted]


    [All defense stats -20]

 Chapter 215: Direhound (Last week: Bonus P.S)

    Wei Jun felt a considerable decrease in his stats but it was still enough for him to match the giant dog.Besides, he wasn''t alone.


    [Fireball]


    A ball of scorching fire the size of a football struck the Direhound straight in its face while it was busy with Wei Jun and Wei Jun could tell the damage was great when the monster howled in pain like a dog.


    Wei Jun hurriedly moved in, his [Qi construct] knuckles were still up and he began to rain punches on the monster''s side.


    [HP 1309\\2000]


    Wei Jun had to admit that his attack power had significantly lowered. Most of the damage since his last attack was thanks to the [Fireball] from Melissa. Although it wasn''t a constant support and he needed to keep the giant dog busy for her to attack, it was still significant enough help.


    Wei Jun dodged once again. He backed off once the Direhound had collected itself from Melissa''s attack but it missed Wei Jun just by a little.


    Wei Jun once again felt the distortion of Miasma and he moved away but he was worried it would attack the girls. It couldn''t be helped if it did but he had a feeling he couldn''t let Natasha die at the very least.


    [The range is too much]


    But he was put at ease because of the system''s advice. Wei Jun''s hunch was enough and the claw attack with ethereal miasma did indeed come but it was a distraction.


    The Direhound had seen Wei Jun backing away and even knowing that, it delivered its attack. Meaning it knew the attack wouldn''t connect but it wasn''t supposed to connect in the first place.


    The Direhound hurriedly turned around and bolted but before it could make it very far, Wei Jun used [Qi discharge] to propel him at breakneck speed added to his own.


    He managed to grab the Direhound from its tail even before it could move away a few meters.


    Of course, Wei Jun was nowhere strong enough to pull the Direhound but he wasn''t aiming for that anyway.


    [Qi construct]


    [Qi discharge]


    He made something similar to a blade on the bottom of his palm. If that wasn''t enough, Wei Jun even coated it in fifteen points of Qi and without much hesitation, he brought his hand down and separated the tail of the Direhound from its body.


    "Geeooowww!!!!" A terrible howl filled the place but it was not the howl of dominance. It was the howl of pain.


    And to make matters worse¡­


    [Fire wave]


    Its front was swept in flames, scorching enough that even Wei Jun had to move back even though he was used to fire and heat due to his yang energy.


    [HP 703\\2000]


    The Direhound was still well enough to bear the brunt of both attacks even though its shape had changed drastically from before. Its threatening image was nowhere to be seen anymore. The burnt image didn''t look any less threatening though. It was just more pitiful now.


    The Direhound turned around as soon as both of the attacks went well and aimed at Wei Jun once again, throwing its slash attack.


    Wei Jun was easily able to avoid but once again, it was a diversion. However, this time, the Direhound didn''t run away but attacked Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun knew that he would be caught in one attack so he dodged the one he knew would be bad for him.


    The ethereal slashes.


    As for the Direhound, he could do nothing but prepare.


    [Mana shield]


    As if sensing his intentions and needs, Natasha cast a spell around Wei Jun and a shield the same as the mage Wei Jun fought before appeared around him.


    However, contrary to his worry, this one wasn''t harmful to him. Wei Jun ignored that fact and focused back on the Direhound because it was just upon him.


    Its giant maw open, it was about to bite down on Wei Jun. Wei Jun quickly added fifteen points of Qi to his fist and swung it without hesitation.


    Alas, it didn''t do much damage but it did turn the trajectory of the dog''s jaw while causing it to miss its real target, Wei Jun''s stomach, and bite his thigh instead.


    "Arrggghh!!!" Wei Jun felt searing pain flow throughout his whole body but he made sure to bite down on the upcoming howl of pain and instead constructed a makeshift spear using his Qi. It was the last of his Qi and he was also about to run out of health.


    [QP: 15\\800]


    [HP: 12\\71]


    He wasn''t in good condition but instead of focusing on anything else, Wei Jun coated the spear in the last of his Qi and plunged it into the right eye of the Direhound using his left hand.


    The Direhound, instead of letting go, further clamped down on Wei Jun which intensified his pain but Wei Jun didn''t stop. He opened his own mouth and bit down on the Direhound''s left eye.


    That got the attention of the Direhound as it opened its jaw to let go of Wei Jun and get away from it but Wei Jun was the one who didn''t let go this time.


    There was a miasma shield in his way and his teeth were nowhere strong enough to go down all the way into the beast''s eye but Wei Jun didn''t stop clamping.


    He bit further into the Direhound''s eye, making it further scream in pain. With one eye gone and one in constant pain, the Direhound began to move all over the place, shaking its head, and hurling Wei Jun in all sorts of directions.


    [HP: 4\\71]


    Wei Jun''s health was in the dangerous zone and even with the mana shield around him, it was getting harder for him to protect himself so he had no choice but to let go.


    Wei Jun let go of the hound and fell to the ground. Seeing him like that, the Direhound ignored its pain and raised its entire front body to dive down on Wei Jun but¡­


    [Fireball]


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    A giant fireball twice the size as before struck it in the side of the stomach once more, throwing it off track once again. Its front legs fell just a tad bit away from Wei Jun which opened his eyes to the luck he had.


    [A healing pill has been consumed]


    [A Qi replenishing pill has been consumed]


    Wei Jun quickly jumped back after he got up and moved away from the Direhound while he was still healing; albeit at a very fast pace.


    Natasha was about to cast a healing spell on Wei Jun seeing his condition but it began to get better on its own and soon enough, he was fully prepared to dive back into the fight.


    The Direhound didn''t fail to notice this through its last working eye and knowing it was a lost cause, it turned around, ready to flee.


    [Fire wall]


    Alas, a wall as tall as a single-story building stopped its retreat. Before the Direhound could even risk going through the wall of fire, risking a good amount of its last health, Wei Jun struck it on the back with fifteen points of [Qi discharge].


    It was a drop punch and it struck the Direhound in the middle of its back, slamming it into the ground, its legs not being able to hold the weight.


    [Qi construct]


    [Qi constrcut]


    Wei Jun constructed claws of Qi on his both hands and then without caring where he was hitting, he began to hack on the back of the Direhound, chipping its HP slowly and making it howl in pain.


    [HP 312\\2000]


    [HP 201\\2000]


    [HP 87\\2000]


    [HP 2\\3000]


    Wei Jun stopped when he saw the HP of the monster hit almost zero. He stopped and stood on top of it, looking into the only working eye of the Direhound. The Direhound was also looking back at him, its last breath clinging to life.


    Wei Jun looked back coldly into the eyes of the monster and said, without an ounce of mercy, "I''m a better predator than you are."


    And then, without waiting for another second, Wei Jun brought down the claw and cut the eye of the Direhound out, killing it on the spot.


    Just as he did, his own body staggered as he was out of stamina. He didn''t consume a stamina pill because there wasn''t a need to. Wei Jun moved back and sighed.


    "Haa¡­"


    "Haa¡­"


    Fatigue caught up with him as he heard the movement accompanied by water movement as well. Wei Jun knew they were his temporary allies so he didn''t focus on them.


    Instead, his fatigue didn''t last long when he read the messages in his vision.


    [You have defeated an opponent with Miasma]


    [Your achievement of killing a guardian has been recorded]


    [A C-tier guardian has been defeated]


    [Rewards would be enhanced]


    [You have received a fragment of the ''Jewel of life'']


    [You have received 5 additional stat points]


    [Your Death Qi has increased by 20] S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have received a refined core of a Direhound]


    While Wei Jun focused on the messages and feeling happy with himself, someone else was feeling very happy as well.


    Melissa seemed to have dug something out of the Direhound''s body that was glowing and even Wei Jun could feel the power from it.


    "What''s that?" He couldn''t help but curiously ask.

 Chapter 216: System update (Bonus: Review)

    Wei Jun curiously looked at the fist-sized sphere that Melissa was holding like it was a precious child that could get damaged from the slightest of damage."It''s the monster core. Almost all the monsters have it but the one that belongs to the gate boss is the most valuable." Natasha explained since Melissa was too busy polishing and cleaning the Direhound core in her hands.


    "Is that why you asked what I did with the corpses?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes. There was a good chance some of the monsters had it." Natasha replied.


    Wei Jun nodded in reply but he remembered receiving nothing but Death Qi from killing the No-eyed Barghests unlike how he received the reward from the system by killing the Direhound.


    "Is it such a precious thing?" Wei Ju couldn''t help but ask seeing the reaction of Melissa.


    "Well, it is very precious. Even more precious than the body itself because it has the power concentration of the monster. In other words, having it means having the power of the said monster itself." Natasha explained.


    Wei Jun didn''t quite understand so he asked the system the same question.


    [All in all, if you absorb it instead of making weapons or elixirs with it, your Qi would increase by quite a bit]


    [But that would be a tedious process]


    [Just processing it for absorption would be a waste]


    [It is better to make something out of it]


    Wei Jun nodded at the simple explanation of the system and looked at the core of the Direhound, remembering he had something similar to it in the inventory as well.


    "Hey, Melissa," Natasha called Melissa who was lost in the core and even naming it lovingly.


    "What?" Melissa asked with a slightly offended expression as if Natasha had interrupted her precious time with her child.


    "Don''t you think the core should go to the one who killed the monster? It''s obvious he did a lot more work than us. Even if there were tens of us, we wouldn''t have been able to defeat the monster." Natasha said with an offended expression and tone of her own.


    Wei Jun was surprised because he didn''t take Natasha as the just type but she was standing up for him to her own friend. That spoke volumes of her nature and Wei Jun couldn''t help but admire it slightly.


    Melissa was also aware of her friend''s nature and also knew that she was right. Without Wei Jun, killing the monster would have been impossible, not difficult, but outright impossible for both of them.


    So it was only right that Wei Jun was to get the reward and spoils of the battle as well. Because not only had he made that fight possible, but he had also saved their lives.


    Melissa sighed and was about to throw the core to Wei Jun when Wei Jun said, "Keep it."


    "¡­What?" Melissa was taken aback and even Natasha was very much surprised. Either Wei Jun didn''t know the true value of the core, or he was just that much benevolent and none of them believed it was the latter.


    And they were right, Wei Jun wasn''t benevolent at all.


    But¡­


    [It''s useless to you]


    [You already have a processed one thanks to the reward from the administrator]


    [Processing that and using it would be a waste of time]


    [And creating something out of it would also yield no significant results]


    [There are better weapons and elixirs available in the shop than what you would get after crafting something with that]


    According to the system, the time spent on the core wouldn''t be worth it. Wei Jun could earn more money in that time and purchase a better anything he required from the shop which would be of a much better quality than anything he made from the Direhound''s core.


    "Are¡­Are you sure?" Melissa asked just to be sure and Wei Jun simply nodded. Continue reading on M V L


    "What about the corpse? Will you take it?" Natasha asked next.


    ''Is it good?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Not really]


    [Its meat is good after purifying but you have a lot of it in the form of No-eyed Barghests anyway]


    [You can take it if you want]


    [But it would be of better use to them than you]


    Wei Jun nodded and turned to Natasha and said, "You can have it."


    He didn''t know why, but he was tempted to give his share of the reward to Natasha as well. So that was why when she asked about the corpse, Wei Jun would have given it to her without even asking the system but he bit down the urge to do so.


    Natasha was happy with the reward and she, just like Melissa, also hopped to the corpse of the monster and began to check its condition.


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but nod his head and then made his way to the end of the lake and said, "Come on, let''s go."


    Melissa and Natasha both snapped out of their happy-go-lucky mood and began to walk as well but Natasha didn''t. She began to lift the Direhound''s corpse but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t just lift it up. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun shook his head and carried the monster on his shoulder.


    "Thanks," Natasha said with a beautiful smile and Wei Jun simply nodded in return before Melissa began to guide their way out.


    They traveled through the forest for about three hours before Wei Jun arrived at a blue eclipse-shaped structure that was giving off a strange feeling.


    The structure was made of blue cloud-type gas or something and blue tendrils of lightning were flowing at its ends.


    "Come on, let''s go," Melissa said. Wei Jun nodded and followed them. Wei Jun went through the blue gate, a warm feeling enveloping him before it vanished in an instant and he was out in the open, the sun shining in the sky.


    He saw Melissa and Natasha hurriedly going to tell the situation to a man standing near the blue portal who looked at Wei Jun strangely.


    "He''s¡­" Before Melissa or Natasha could explain, Wei Jun began to breathe heavily. It wasn''t just that, his body began to perspire heavily and then it got to the point that he began to grunt and scream in pain.


    It wasn''t long before he fell to the ground and passed out. Melissa and Natasha hurriedly came close to him to check on his condition.


    Natasha began to cast the heal spell on him while Melissa checked his pulse. Everything was normal but Wei Jun was still breathing heavily even while he was passed out but then, everything just stopped.


    And then after a few seconds, Wei Jun opened his eyes and confusedly looked at both of them before he said, "I''m having another dream of beauties."


    He sighed before he extended his chest and grabbed Melissa''s chest before he said, "These dreams are becoming more and more real, I tell you."


    Boing¡­


    He pressed his hand on Melissa''s chest which invoked great anger from Melissa and before anyone could do anything¡­


    [Fireball]


    And then everything went blank for Wei Jun.


    ~


    As Wei Jun came out of the gate, the first thing he saw was a clear landscape, as if somewhere in greenery, in the middle of calming woods. He turned around and looked at his surroundings.


    He noticed a man standing outside the gate in an identical robe to Natasha and Melissa. If he was standing outside the gate then it meant that whatever this was, was a controlled phenomenon and Melissa''s group wanted in there by mistake like he was.


    He could see Natasha and Melissa talking to the very same man and then his topic came up.


    It was only right that he should introduce himself so he took a step to tell the man about his identity before any sort of misunderstanding stemmed up and became a headache he couldn''t get rid of later.


    However, before he could even take one step¡­


    [System update will now continue]


    [Main Quest II has been completed]


    [Shao Chen has been killed]


    [Calculated efficiency of the quest is 98%]


    [You haven''t left any scenario out]


    [System update will now begin]


    [Good luck to the user]


    It was indeed a stroke of good luck because soon Wei Jun noticed that the world had become still once again.


    Natasha, Melissa, and the man they were talking to were frozen as well. And most of all, the sky.


    The sky split apart as if someone had torn it from the middle and extended that tear with fingers like in a fabric.


    And that wasn''t all.


    Soon enough, smoke of all sorts of colors began to emit from the crack in the sky and the one that came straight away to him was the darkest of the darkest smoke among all different colored smoke.


    As soon as it did, Wei Jun was once again assaulted by the familiar pain like last time. He gritted his teeth to try and endure it while also staying awake but no matter how much he bit down on his tongue, in the end, he fell into the realm of unconsciousness after not being able to bear the pain.


    ~


    Volume 2 ends.

 Chapter 217: The third beginning (Make-up Chapter)

    Beginning another volume with your blessing. I hope you keep that support coming so I can make it to the next one.Enjoy~~


    ~


    "Hello~~ Anybody out there~~~," Wei Jun said for the umpteenth time that day after he regained his consciousness. When he came to, he found himself in a jail cell or something similar.


    He yelled for someone again and again but no reply came and no one came to visit him either.


    "I know I''m handsome but there''s no need to bind me like this, ladies. I will do what you ask me like a dog anyway." Wei Jun said in Chinese since he didn''t know any English at all.


    But although he didn''t know English, the people looking at him through a camera knew Chinese so they could understand what he was saying.


    Hearing him like that, Melissa couldn''t help but feel immense anger well from her very being. As for Natasha, she couldn''t help but feel something was amiss. The guy she fought with wasn''t like that.


    Something strange was going on and she couldn''t quite put a finger on it.


    "Are you sure this is him?" The man standing next to both of them asked.


    He was dressed in a sky blue robe but the shape of the robe was the same as Melissa and Natasha. He had been informed of Wei Jun and also what he did inside the gate as well as what he did on the outside.


    He couldn''t help but think his students were mistaken after seeing the truth of the boy but both the girls swore with their magic on the line that he was the one who defeated a giant dog they had no knowledge of.


    If there was no corpse and core to prove it, he would have dismissed such a thing even after the girls swore but seeing the core and the corpse, he knew the girls couldn''t have defeated that monster on their own.


    Not to mention a six-star aura master was also defeated by the same monster so it made sense for two four-circle mages to defeat it on their own but what he could definitely not believe that a Qi master in the third realm of cultivation managed to defeat such a monster.


    He had to see such a young man on his own but when he did, he had to doubt every word the girls uttered but the mana oath was still holding which meant whatever the girls were saying was the truth.


    But seeing another truth with his own eyes, he was torn between two decisions.


    It went against his own practice to even imagine that mana oath could be wrong. But seeing something with his own eyes was also a very strong factor as well.


    In the end, he sighed and said, "Contact the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect. We don''t want to get on their bad side. Tell them we have one of theirs. Tell them to come and retrieve him. And do not forget a proper explanation as well. I want to know how he got inside our gate."


    If someone could enter the gate, then that meant there was a way to enter the gates through somewhere else. If such a method became a norm, then all powers would have a problem at hand.


    A war would be the least of the worry for them.


    He turned around and left, leaving Melissa and Natasha to deal with this matter on their own.


    "Hello~~~" Once again, they heard Wei Jun''s voice through the monitor. Melissa became angry upon hearing his voice so she said, "I''m going to contact his people. Keep an eye on the bastard."


    "Oh come on. You''re not mad he groped you, are you? It was just a little harmless squeeze. He didn''t even get through both of your layers properly." Natasha defended Wei Jun which angered Melissa but she chose to remain quiet about it since she didn''t want to remember such a thing as well.


    "Just stay here. I will be back soon." Melissa said and left, ignoring the remark of her friend. Natasha sighed at her friend''s behavior but didn''t say anything.


    Instead, she picked up a plate of meat and went down to the dungeon where the holding cells were. Find exclusive stories on M V L


    When she arrived at Wei Jun''s cell, he looked at her and said, "Hey, pretty. Why don''t you let me out of here and we can do the devil''s tango?"


    Natasha cringed at every word Wei Jun said and she couldn''t help but think that everything that happened in the gate was an illusion.


    "What the hell happened to you?" She couldn''t help but ask, but of course, she asked in Chinese because Wei Jun had been speaking Chinese since earlier and when she asked something in English, he couldn''t respond.


    "What do you mean what happened? Aren''t you the ones who kidnapped me? At least tell me where I am." Wei Jun said as if he was tired of everything.


    "You''r----" Natasha was about to reply when Wei Jun began to breathe heavily. Just like before, his body began to perspire, and soon enough, his body began to hurt as well. And unlike the other Wei Jun, this one didn''t have a pain tolerance that high so when the pain hit, he began to shriek and scream in pain.


    "Ahhh!!!!" His screams resonated throughout the entire cell panicking Natasha. She hurriedly returned to the main desk and pressed the button to open the cell.


    She returned to find Wei Jun passed out. She hurriedly checked his pulse which was normal, just a little faster which indicated he was indeed in pain.


    [Heal]


    She cast a heal spell on him but that didn''t help. She was about to get up to call for help when a hand clutched hers. She looked down and Wei Jun was holding her by her wrist tightly but he wasn''t hurting her.


    "Ugh¡­" Wei Jun groaned as he opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. Then he looked at Natasha, the familiar person he knew, and asked, "What the hell happened? Where am I?"


    There was a certain heaviness in Wei Jun''s voice as if his voice demanded authority. That was the voice she knew, she was familiar with as she replied, "We''re back at the academy but you passed out."


    "I see." Wei Jun replied before he sat up. He then looked around and asked, "But why am I in a prison cell?"


    >In English <


    "Because you groped Melissa." Natasha straightforwardly replied.


    "I did what?" Wei Jun asked.


    "You groped her," Natasha replied while mimicking his move with her own hands on her own chest. "Like this."


    Wei Jun didn''t need to see the example so he replied, "I didn''t do that. You must have been mistaken."


    "Oh, we weren''t. You were ready to go downtown on her cherry pillows when she fireballed you out." Natasha explained and Wei Jun couldn''t help but feel the dread like last time when he lost consciousness to the original Wei Jun.


    [Look on the bright side]


    [At least you didn''t get married this time]


    [Or hit on someone''s girlfriends]


    Wei Jun would have never agreed with the system over those remarks but even he couldn''t help but feel relieved by that.


    Wei Jun shook his head and stood up, "Take me to a shower room at least. I need to wash myself."


    Melissa nodded and guided Wei Jun to the dorm rooms. Since she was a girl, her wing was separate but she didn''t know of any male students so she guided him to the girl''s dormitory.


    Once she entered her own dorm room, she saw Melissa lying on her own bed.


    "What the!! What''s he doing here?!" She yelled at Natasha who replied, "Hey, calm down. He just wants to wash himself."


    Wei Jun strangely stared at Melissa and said, "Is it your time of the month? Why are you so cranky?"


    Natasha looked at Wei Jun, her mouth agape as she couldn''t believe Wei Jun said that to Melissa''s face.


    Melissa, on the other hand, turned a deeper shade of red. Not from embarrassment though, from anger.


    "You would be too if someone out of nowhere just molested you!" Melissa yelled as mana around her began to tremble. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Calm! Calm down!" Natasha hurriedly calmed Melissa down and reminded her desperately, "He''s going through something. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have done that surely. Come on. He saved our lives!"


    At the desperate yells of Natasha, Melissa finally calmed down, turned to the door, and stormed out of the room.


    Seeing her like that, Wei Jun couldn''t help but mutter, "She surely doesn''t know how to show gratitude."


    Natasha couldn''t help but shake her head at Wei Jun''s remark. Still, she remained silent and said, "There''s the bathroom. You can freshen up in there. I will see if I can arrange something for you to wear."


    Wei Jun nodded and made his way to the bathroom. He couldn''t reveal the secret of his inventory, otherwise, he had more than enough suits in his inventory.


    Wei Jun sighed as water flowed down his body after three days of staying in the ruptured dimension. Thinking about that, he also remembered that he had a reward to claim.


    "Show backlog." He said to the system and all the activities of the system began to show themselves in order to Wei Jun.

 Chapter 218: Decisions

    [Congratulations][Main Quest II has been completed] S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [The completion efficiency has been recorded at 98%]


    [Your death Qi has increased by 98]


    [Your level has increased by 22]


    [You have received the following rewards]


    [All stats increment by 20]


    [System update has been completed]


    [Inventory update has been completed]


    [You can now store bigger and more complicated items in the inventory]


    [You can choose an item from the shop under SS rank]


    [The special reward from the administrator has been transported to the inventory]


    [Your level has increased by 10]


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but be overwhelmed by all of the notifications above. First of all, his stats had increased by 20, and not just his physical, but his other stats as well such as charm and luck.


    Along with that, he had also received a whopping 32 levels at once which removed three of his blockades at once, elevating his strength to a higher level and setting his limit at 200 stats.


    Other than that, he was very excited about the item he could choose for himself. It was a bummer that he could only choose an SS rank item when the system earlier said that he could choose any of his choice regardless of the rank but the fact that the latter part wasn''t said meant it could still be implemented.


    Anyway, what he was most excited about was the reward from the administrator. According to the system, the administrator was Wei Jun''s father and although he was curious about all of that, at the moment, he just wanted to find out what the reward was.


    But, he had no choice but to wait. There were still some messages left to check on and he didn''t want to just whip out anything in an unfamiliar place where there were several powerhouses at the level of Sun Ruan.


    Anything could happen.


    Done with that, he also decided to check on the reward he received for killing the Direhound before he delved into the system any further.


    [Processed Direhound Core]


    [Tier: C]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Description: A concentration of all the power of the Direhound without the corruption of Miasma]


    [Effect(s):


    #1: Upon oral consumption, all kinds of ethereal powers would be enhanced by 10%


    #2: Upon melding with an item, the effect of the item would be enhanced by 50% and durability would be increased by 100%


    #3: Can be used to make elixirs that can temporarily enhance the consumer''s attack power without any side effects]


    ''It does all of that?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [No, just one of the three]


    [It can only be consumed once after all]


    ''So what do you think I should do?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I suggest using it to enhance an item]


    [If there is a weapon you intend to permanently use]


    [Making it better would be a better move]


    [You can always increase your Qi through elixirs]


    [And there are various elixirs in the shop to mimic the effect of the third option a lot better]


    Wei Jun nodded and decided to save the core back in his inventory. The system was usually right when it came to such matters and Wei Jun would rather listen to the system in such cases than make up his own theory when he had no knowledge about anything regarding cultivation.


    ''Should I buy a cultivation technique?'' Wei Jun asked.


    Wei Jun could take one item of his choosing. There was a restriction on the item being under the SS tier which made things a little difficult.


    He intended to buy a cultivation technique but he could only practice three cultivation techniques. If he were to erase one, it would be accompanied by a strict penalty which would be at random and it could just as easily be very severe as it could be nothing.


    So one thing was for sure. He wasn''t removing a cultivation technique so he had to make a very difficult decision.


    Whether or not to buy an SS rank cultivation technique.


    If he did, then he would have room for a divine rank cultivation technique only. Whereas, he could make some money in a few months and purchase an SSS rank cultivation technique, making his chances at cultivation a lot better until he was to find a divine ranked cultivation technique.


    The system was a reliable advisor in such moments.


    [I wouldn''t recommend buying a cultivation technique]


    [To be honest, your cultivation is going smoothly right now]


    [Except for the fact that you cannot naturally replenish your Qi or increase it using attraction would remain even if you were to have an SSS rank technique]


    [So unless you were to reach the speed where your Qi increased at a snail''s speed, such as one point per half a year, then you can think of increasing your cultivation technique]


    Wei Jun thinking along the same lines so he once again decided to save this opportunity. There were some things that would make his fight easier and he had his eyes on them. He just needed to make a decision with the system.


    Until then, he decided not to use that free item.


    And finally, done with everything, Wei Jun arrived at his newest headache.


    [Main Quest III]


    [Tao Min]


    [Description: With the third protagonist on the line after two successful protagonist kills, the host now has to deal with a little different protagonist.


    Different how?


    Well, find that out on your own]


    [Objective: Kill Tao Min]


    [Reward(s):


    #1: System update


    #2: Shop update


    #3: Inventory update


    #4: A special reward]


    [Punishment: The world will kill you in 200 days]


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but be intrigued by the system quest. He had a feeling what was about to come would be very, very difficult but different from before as well.


    And he had a hunch where to start.


    ''Purchase the first volume of his novel.'' Wei Jun immediately said. He had fifty levels to spare so he could read five volumes of a novel at once if he wanted to.


    But, a surprise was waiting for him.


    [¡­]


    [There''s none, host]


    A smile appeared on Wei Jun''s face, a smile so deep yet so charming that any witness would have a hard time deciding whether to be entranced by that smile or run away in fear for dear life.


    Finally, a story that was as real and unpredictable as him. Wei Jun couldn''t help but explore such a story and wreak havoc while doing so instead of just sitting back and enjoying everything while he knew of everything.


    In Run Long''s case, he had full knowledge of the volume and in Shao Chen''s case, he had gleaned the idea from the first novel but that wasn''t the case anymore.


    Now, he was totally blind and for the first time since coming to that world, it was making him excited.


    He stood up and picked up a towel from the rack.


    He dried himself and then covered himself with the same towel. Wei Jun slightly opened the door to find a robe lying in front of it. He picked it up and closed the bathroom door.


    It was a pair of pants and a shirt along with a robe that fell all the way down to his knees. Just like the outfit he had seen male students in this place wearing.


    Wei Jun wore the outfit and came out of the bathroom to find Melissa and Natasha chatting about something but for some reason, he couldn''t hear them.


    [There''s a dome of mana around them]


    It was something similar to a Qi barrier that blocked all sorts of transmission to prevent eavesdropping.


    Wei Jun decided to ignore whatever that was about and focused on Natasha instead. He felt something for Natasha but it wasn''t what a man felt for a woman. It was something else. Something beyond a simple relation between two opposite genders.


    Stay tuned to M V L


    [I think you should check the party system]


    [It''s not something you should take very easily]


    [It comes with cons just as it comes with pros]


    Wei Jun nodded to the system''s suggestion but decided to check it later. He forgot it earlier in the bathroom so he was going to check it after he was out of this place.


    "Oh, you''re out." While Wei Jun was still deciding upon things, he heard Natasha say.


    He nodded and said, "Is there a chance I can get anything to eat? I would be very grateful."


    Natasha nodded with a smile before she said, "Wait for a while. The giant Barghest''s meat should be done soon. We will eat then."


    Wei Jun nodded before he sighed and turned to Melissa and said, "I''m sorry for earlier and earlier than that. I won''t make excuses but just know that it was a medical condition. I''m not the type to grope girls just out of nowhere."


    Melissa still gave him a stink eye even after the apology but at least she wasn''t lashing out at him.


    Natasha nodded and said, "Now that we''re done with trivial matters," ignoring Melissa''s glare about it being a trivial matter, she continued, "Master is expecting to see you after you''re done eating."


    Wei Jun knew he couldn''t just appear out on someone else''s turf and not explain himself. He nodded and replied, "I will make sure to clear any and all misunderstandings."


    Natasha nodded, relieved that Wei Jun didn''t take any offense on the matter like the usual full of pride and power people.

 Chapter 219: Coincidence

    Wei Jun followed Natasha and Melissa to their master''s office. He wasn''t nervous about the meeting at all but focused on something else entirely.[You have consumed the meat of a Direhound]


    [Your agility has increased by 1]


    Wei Jun hadn''t consumed much of it but still, his agility, which was very high and even after working out under extreme environments didn''t increase.


    Yet consuming about three kilograms of meat which shocked Natasha and Melissa, Wei Jun''s agility had risen by one.


    That reminded him of the Barghest corpses in his inventory. He would have salivated on the scene if it didn''t look strange to the onlookers.


    Wei Jun suppressed the excitement to try his new theory out and followed the girls who had just stopped in front of a luxurious door.


    Natasha came forward and worriedly said, "We can''t go inside with you. Try not to say anything that would offend master."


    Wei Jun nodded although he didn''t know what about him gave Natasha that impression.


    Melissa knocked on the door and after a few seconds, the door opened on its own. Wei Jun entered and immediately, he was enveloped by the feeling of terror.


    An ethereal power, similar to the power of Sun Ruan penetrated his consciousness. And unlike Sun Ruan''s, which was just to show his power, this power''s purpose was clear.


    Intimidation.


    The sole purpose of that pressure was to intimidate Wei Jun and assert a certain dominance in the upcoming conversation.


    Wei Jun''s steps weren''t frozen. He could still move. He was allowed to move.


    ''What the hell is this?'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but ask because it was unfamiliar and invisible, yet it was weighing down on him tremendously.


    [Mana of a sixth circle mage]


    The system simply replied but said nothing else because there was nothing to be said. There was nothing Wei Jun could do about it right now.


    Not at his current level of strength anyway.


    Wei Jun kept walking until he arrived at the office desk placed in front of a giant glass window. Behind the window, Wei Jun could see something akin to a garden where various robed men and women could be seen.


    "Take a seat." The old man behind the desk said. He was wearing similar robes to Wei Jun, only his seemed to be intricately carved with strange words. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Those are runes]


    The system informed Wei Jun to improve his knowledge but Wei Jun wasn''t looking forward to that.


    He sat down in front of the old man across the desk and remained quiet. The old man also remained busy with some papers and the computer screen on the desk before he turned to Wei Jun after about ten minutes.


    "Welcome to the Academy of Mystic Lunaris." The old man began before he added, "I would like to begin by thanking you for saving two of my disciples."


    ''If you''re thankful, then relieve this pressure.'' Wei Jun retorted inwardly but he didn''t say anything. All this time, the pressure of mana was still weighing down on him and he didn''t know how he was able to endure that.


    And that too without using Qi.


    He couldn''t use Qi. Using Qi in front of the old man would be an act of disrespect. Wei Jun was there to resolve misunderstandings, not create more.


    The old man noticed that small detail too and smiled, "However, I am curious as to how you entered my gate."


    It was the second time he had heard the mention of the phenomenon called ''Gate''. The system referred to it as a ''Ruptured dimension'', but he liked ''Gate'' better.


    Find adventures at M V L


    Wei Jun calmly took off the bracelet on his wrist and placed it on the desk and explained, "Some lunatic forced me to wear this and then asked me to inject my Qi in it. When I did, a flash of light occurred and I was in the middle of a forest with no-eyed dogs after me."


    The old man who still hadn''t introduced himself took the bracelet and examined it. "That''s strange," the old man said before he looked at Wei Jun and continued, "Such technology has long since been obsolete. We haven''t felt the need for such broken transporters since we developed wormhole technology using magic."


    Wei Jun had no idea what that meant so he remained quiet. The old man saw that too so he explained in simpler terms, "This technology is about 4000 years old and whoever had it must have been that old as well because I doubt anyone could have taken it from the vault of the ancients."


    Once again, Wei Jun came out clueless about most of the things but what he did understand was that the technology he was wearing was unstable and 4000 years old.


    "Let''s assume what you said up until now was the truth," The old man said before he asked, "Where is that lunatic?"


    "I killed him." Wei Jun straightforwardly replied.


    "Haha." A small chuckle escaped the mouth of the old man. It was clear to Wei Jun what that meant and he didn''t need to be told of the upcoming question of the old man but the old man asked anyway, "Isn''t that a little convenient?"


    So far, Wei Jun claimed to be a victim but the only witness of that claim had died at his very own hands. How was he able to say anything about it? The only other witness was none other than Xia Lu and her testimony wasn''t very reliable due to Wei Jun''s and her relationship.


    "So what then?" Wei Jun asked. True, he couldn''t be disrespectful, but he didn''t have to take everything lying down as well.


    So far, whatever he said was the truth. There was no need to do anything about it.


    Since there was no essence of a lie in his statements, there was no need to be intimidated about it as well. All he had to do was wait for the old man to lead the conversation. After all, he couldn''t just insult the old man by inserting his own opinion.


    "Now we wait for your sect master to show up. I hope he has something equivalent to offer you. All we have to do now is to wait and see how valuable you are." The old man said, blatantly telling Wei Jun that he was a hostage.


    Wei Jun, however, could do nothing about it. He could have said that he saved Natasha and Melissa but once again, that would have angered the old man since that would mean that Wei Jun owed him something. The meaning was clear from the old man''s earlier statement. He was a hostage so he wasn''t owed anything.


    Know your place; in simpler words. That was what Wei Jun was forced to do. He remained quiet and remembered his place in front of the old man.


    He couldn''t even endure his pressure so he was a far cry from doing anything stupid like telling the old man to screw himself.


    Wei Jun then remained quiet and in his seat. The pressure from the old man showed no sign of decreasing which meant that Wei Jun wasn''t yet permitted to leave.


    The old man got back to his work and Wei Jun was left to handle that pressure. Wei Jun wasn''t offended though. There was no reason to be. He wasn''t a lunatic who held a grudge after every little thing. He only held grudges when it benefited him.


    Holding a grudge against the old man, and in doing so, against the academy, was a stupid act and Wei Jun was far from a stupid person.


    "There''s just one thing I''m curious about." The old man finally said after fifteen minutes, "What do you think of this?"


    The old man handed Wei Jun a piece of paper on which there was a chart indicating a rise of something. What it was, Wei Jun had no idea but it showed a sudden increase in something.


    "What is this?" Wei Jun asked.


    "This chart shows the sudden influx in the gates. The gates have begun appearing not only in the controlled sites but some have been detected all over the world. Of course, they''re not a threat at the moment, but it is still worrying." The old man explained.


    Still, Wei Jun couldn''t tell what he had to do with it so he questioningly looked at the old man who gauged his reaction before he replied to the unspoken question, "The time when the sudden increment in gate phenomenon. Look at it."


    Wei Jun looked at the time and it showed the time of some time yesterday afternoon. Wei Jun still didn''t understand what this meant so once again, he gave the look to the old man who sighed.


    "Haa¡­" The old man sighed and said, "The sudden influx in the gate appearance started yesterday. Afternoon, around 3 pm."


    The old man deeply stared at Wei Jun and added, finishing his point, "The same time you came out of that gate."

 Chapter 220: A price

    The gears in Wei Jun''s head turned at breakneck speed. It wasn''t long before he arrived at one singular conclusion.The system update.


    It wasn''t just the system that was updating, the story and everything else, it was the entire world that was updating, and in doing so, changing.


    However, changing to what? He had no idea about that. He had a good guess, and it had something to do with the world laws.


    Still, he wasn''t knowledgeable enough to arrive at a conclusion. But he knew who could help him in that regard.


    Unfortunately, that conversation would have to wait because Wei Jun couldn''t afford to give anything in this one. Already, at Wei Jun''s extended silence, the old man was looking at him as if he was onto something.


    "Co--" Wei Jun was about to speak when the system hurriedly interrupted him.


    [Don''t speak host!]


    Wei Jun clamped his mouth shut, not saying another word even when the old man looked at him suspiciously, Wei Jun remained silent and asked the system, ''What?''


    [It wouldn''t have been a problem had you spoken before you figured something out]


    [But now you have a clue]


    [You say anything else, he would figure out you''re lying]


    [He has the spell active]


    Wei Jun''s expression remained the same but he panicked slightly inwardly.


    And that panic increased when the old man asked, "You were saying?"


    Wei Jun looked at the old man, thinking of a way to bypass that spell but there wasn''t enough time for the system to explain the mechanics of the spell.


    Wei Jun remained silent and just looked at the old man who smiled because he knew what that meant. Wei Jun knew something and he had also figured out about the truth spell.


    But, he had to answer regardless. Whether he knew or not, an answer was a must.


    The pressure on Wei Jun, which was bearable up till now, suddenly increased. And it wasn''t just any increase. It wasn''t long before mana penetrated Wei Jun''s skin and began to wreak havoc on his insides.


    Wei Jun endured. He still didn''t use Qi. Besides, using it was useless. He could tell that there was no way he would be able to counter that pressure with his tiny power.


    But¡­.


    ''Now it''s personal, you old fu*k.'' Wei Jun had finally constructed a grudge. Even if he didn''t kill the old man, he was going to at least beat the cr*p out of him.


    The mana that was penetrating Wei Jun''s body wasn''t meant to harm him. It was just meant to deliver pain, just pain, and that was why no matter what, the mana in his body remained on the surface level and just harmed his skin and insides of it.


    No damage was delivered to his internal organs.


    Suddenly, the pressure disappeared. When Wei Jun began to bleed from his eyes and the pain became unbearable, the pressure suddenly disappeared.


    But it wasn''t because the old man had taken mercy on his soul. No. It was simply because there was an even bigger pressure outside, felt throughout the building, a pressure of Qi.


    And it was a familiar sensation of Qi. Wei Jun recognized that familiar sensation of Qi.


    ''The sect master.'' Wei Jun thought as he panted, his body aching from all over the place.


    [HP -50]


    He had lost a whopping 50 points of HP and the old man wasn''t even trying to hurt him yet.


    ''Maybe some other day.'' Wei Jun thought as he tried to endure the pain. He couldn''t consume a healing pill lest he gave away a hint of his tricks.


    "Haha." The old man let out a small chuckle as he continued, "That old man still has the same way of showing his presence."


    The old man stood up and passed Wei Jun as he said, "Let''s go. Your ride''s here."


    Wei Jun stood up. With great effort, he took a step and stepped forward. A lightning bolt passed through his whole body as pain from the injuries assaulted him but he still managed to endure all of it and took another step.


    Finally, he arrived at the door where the old man was still waiting for him. The old man opened the door and stepped outside.


    Outside, Melissa and Natasha were still present and when they saw their master come out, they both bowed in greeting.


    However, it wasn''t long before Wei Jun appeared in their view as well. Bloodied and obviously in pain, both of them were horrified by his look.


    However, only Melissa remained horrified. For some reason, Natasha was overcome with anger. She didn''t know why and she didn''t care why. She was just angry.


    She ignored her master and bolted towards Wei Jun, putting her arm under his shoulder to support him while also applying the [Heal] spell on him.


    It was a five-second incantation and those five seconds were hard for Natasha because Wei Jun was heavy, but she didn''t let go of him.


    Soon, Wei Jun felt well as something warm traveled through his entire body.


    [A part member has used a skill on you]


    [Effect has been enhanced by 30%]


    [Hint: The better the bond with the party member, the better the effect of the party member''s skill]


    [HP +40]


    It wasn''t long before Wei Jun''s entire health was almost healed. His weight on Natasha lessened but she still didn''t let go of him.


    She was still angry, at her master too, but she managed to keep her outburst contained. Still, she was angry and it was clearly evident in her eyes.


    The old man didn''t fail to notice this small detail as well. He was left to wonder why this was because according to his knowledge, Natasha and Wei Jun shouldn''t have been in contact for long.


    Wei Jun gave an appreciating glance to Natasha and nodded for her to let him go. He was also puzzled at the intense emotions he felt whenever Natasha was concerned and she was also currently angry for him.


    It was obvious there was something more to the party system than just the skill effect. Wei Jun hadn''t just checked the system about it yet.


    Though he made a reminder to check it out as soon as he returned to the empire.


    Of course, Melissa didn''t miss this small detail as well and she was also wondering about this because according to her, nothing special had happened ever since Wei Jun saved their lives at the gate.


    That small detail was put on hold when a man in his fifties slowly landed in front of them. Yes, he was flying and yes, he could feel Wei Jun''s presence from the start.


    "I see you have something that belongs to me." The sect master said with a smile.


    "Oh? I wasn''t aware you treated your disciples as things." Although they both spoke in their own native language, they both understood each other perfectly.


    "How I treat them is up to me. Now, return him to me." The sect master got straight to the point.


    "Of course, such a precious prospect should be returned."  The old man replied before he added, "For a price, of course." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just like the sect master was blatant, the old man was blatant as well.


    ''If they fought, who would win?'' Wei Jun asked the system.


    [If that young man kept his strength limited to Qi grandmaster, then it would be a tough match even though he would be going against a seventh circle mage]


    [However, if he used his original strength, even a nine-circle mage would have a tough time]


    [That is why mana is dangerous to Qi users]


    [To even the scales]


    [Otherwise, even a Qi sense cultivator can defeat a second circle mage]


    [Likewise, a Qi grandmaster can easily defeat a seven-circle mage if there is no mana danger factor]


    Wei Jun nodded inwardly. A Qi grandmaster was the sixth stage user in the cultivator realm whereas seventh circle mage meant one rank higher than the cultivator in the universal scale.


    Still, the match was close because cultivators have a stronger body than mages and once they managed to get close, mages cannot defend themselves properly.


    Spells took a long time to be cast and Wei Jun firsthand had seen that mages without physical fighters to buy time for them were easy targets.


    Like, the time it took Natasha to cast the [Heal] spell was more than enough for Wei Jun to snap ten necks.


    Wei Jun returned his attention to the heated stares between both men before the sect master simply pulled something out of his robe pocket.


    It was an herb of some sort.


    The sect master tossed it to the old man who hurriedly but carefully caught it with his mana and preserved it. Wei Jun could tell from the wide eyes of the old man that that herb was something precious.


    "Let''s go." The sect master turned to Wei Jun and simple extended his hand.


    Explore new worlds at M V L


    Wei Jun stepped forward but before he did, Natasha handed him something. Wei Jun looked at her and she smiled and said, "Let''s talk later."


    Wei Jun nodded and stored whatever it was in his pocket from where he transferred it to his inventory.


    As soon as Wei Jun grabbed the sect master''s hand, they both disappeared from the spot in front of everyone''s eyes.


    Melissa looked at Natasha who was a little sad and wondered what had happened while the old man was too ecstatic to care about anything. He jumped and left for the headmaster''s office. After all, a precious treasure had been given for practically free.


    He had to let the entire academy know.

 Chapter 221: Receiving rewards

    "I''m sure you don''t realize what I have given up for you." The sect master said while he and Wei Jun were sitting in the middle of a pavilion. It was an old shrine-type courtyard where there were sitting for only some people with the place around it surrounded by an artificial circular lake.When Wei Jun touched the sect master, the next moment, the entire scenery changed and he was in the middle of this place.


    The sect master told him to sit while he fixed some alcoholic drink which Wei Jun refused. The sect master was surprised but he didn''t insist and instead, prepared tea for him.


    "I don''t know what it was." Wei Jun replied. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [It was an herb that could assist greatly in a breakthrough to the next realm of any power]


    [It''s useless to you since your breakthrough depends on the system]


    Although the system informed him, Wei Jun still remained quiet about it because he wasn''t supposed to know it after all.


    "Yes, you may not know what it was, but it was very precious and obviously expensive since it was very rare." The sect master said as he understood.


    "So? What do I owe you for that?" Wei Jun got straight to the point because he couldn''t afford to waste any more time on this. He had a life to get back to.


    "For now, nothing." The sect master said before he added as he sipped his alcohol, "But you will owe me one for the future. A favor I can ask for anytime."


    Wei Jun found the demand to be reasonable. To him, the herb wasn''t anything special and according to the system, it was available in the shop and he could easily pay the favor by purchasing and returning it.


    However, not only would that raise a suspicious question, but it would also be meaningless. It was never about the herb. It was about owing a favor and a favor Wei Jun owed.


    No wealth or treasure could trump that favor. A favor meant that Wei Jun had to do what the sect master asked.


    Of course, Wei Jun intended to bide the time because he wasn''t very keen on following his will. Once Wei Jun was strong enough, he would surely deny it if it was something unreasonable. But he knew that it would be a long time before Wei Jun got to the point of defying the sect master.


    "All right." Wei Jun simply replied. The sect master looked at Wei Jun for a while before he said, "Then you and I done for today. You can leave."


    Wei Jun nodded and stood up. He turned around and left the garden using the bridge on the lake. As he arrived on the other side of the bridge, there was a door that Wei Jun opened.


    Since it was the only door, Wei Jun was sure it was the exit and it was. On the other side of the door, stood a woman with beautiful features. It was the same elder who had guided him on the day of his trial.


    "Let''s go," The woman simply said and without a word, guided him to the courtyard of the palace where a helicopter was waiting for them.


    Wei Jun also saw Lin Ruan standing there. Her short stature was elevated by a set of heels she was wearing. Wei Jun made his way to her and without a warning, she hugged him which Wei Jun didn''t avoid, or more like he couldn''t since she was quite stronger than him.


    "Where were you? We were all so worried." Lin Ruan said.


    "We?" Wei Jun asked just for clarification.


    "Everyone. Your acting team, company, Xia Lu hasn''t slept or eaten in days and Yan Rong has exhausted the resources of the SCF to her limit to find you." Lin Ruan explained ion the way about how everything went after he went missing.


    How Xia Lu blamed herself. How things were hectic and all that. Half of the helicopter journey went into explaining the events after his disappearance to him.


    Wei Jun nodded to each and every one of them and as much as he wanted to return to Xia Lu and tell her he was fine, he was more eager to check on his rewards first.


    Also, he had decided on the item he was going to buy from the shop.


    He needed that item before he met Xia Lu.


    "Take me to my home. I want to rest before I meet with anyone." Wei Jun said.


    Lin Ruan hesitated but in the end, she nodded and said, "Although grandfather wanted to meet with you, he says it is not urgent. You can see him tomorrow."


    Wei Jun gave an appreciative nod and leaned back in his seat to rest for the rest of the journey.


    It wasn''t long before he arrived at the top of his penthouse building. He went down to his room and stored the bloodied robe in his inventory. After he cleaned himself, he wore comfortable clothes and jumped into the bed.


    [An item of your choosing can be selected from the shop]


    Wei Jun opened the shop and went straight to the SS rank portion. Although he wanted to buy a higher rank one, the system told him that there was a cultivation technique that could simply be upgraded to SSS rank once he managed to obtain it since both of them were the same.


    [The Eternal Frost Queen]


    [Tier: SS]


    [Type: Treasure]


    [Description: The eternal frost queen cultivation manual grants the practitioner complete control over frost, offering cold immunity and the ability to freeze the world around them.


    At the advanced level, the practitioner can summon ice storms and embody the power of the frost queen, giving an icy immortality and unmatched command over cold.


    Note: The power of the technique has been broken down to make it easier for lesser talented to practice. To fully use the power of the frost, upgrade the technique or reach 100% mastery to upgrade to the next realm]


    [Limitations:


    Must be practiced by females or males without yang organs]


    [Cost: 1,000,000,000]


    The price of the technique was a whopping 100 billion yuan which was more than Wei Jun could even imagine right now. He was tempted to purchase a technique for himself but the pros and cons still stood in his way so he decided to purchase it for Xia Lu.


    Besides, he needed her to be able to protect herself at the least.


    [That''s a good choice host]


    [That''s a very powerful technique]


    ''You know of it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [My main wife created this technique]


    [She created it from F rank and brought it all the way up to divine after years of extensive research]


    [Pity she was never able to find a talented successor for this technique]


    [This technique would suit Yan Rong very well]


    [You should consider giving it to her]


    ''Doesn''t she already have a divine ranked technique?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Not all divine ranked techniques are equal]


    [This cultivation technique grants immortality at the highest level and an eternal body]


    [Given how talented she is, she would easily be able to raise the rank of this technique without purchasing a higher-ranked one]


    ''Wait, if your wife had it, then why didn''t you store it in the shop?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [It was her choice]


    [It wasn''t like I could force her to]


    [And it''s not like there were many divine-ranked techniques created]


    [I will have you know]


    [Those born with divine ranked techniques aren''t the same as those who create them in their lifetime]


    [That''s why, naturally born techniques don''t have a written inscription]


    [Mine do only because I researched and wasted many years after it]


    [Otherwise, there was no way for me to write them down and put them in the shop]


    Wei Jun didn''t understand half of what the system said so he decided to ignore everything. He simply focused on the fact that this technique was more useful for Yan Rong than Xia Lu but he made a note to buy one for Yan Rong as well when he would have money to do so sometime in the future.


    [I suggest you buy an S-rank one]


    [Yan Rong is talented enough to make it perfect on her own with a little help from you]


    Wei Jun nodded and checked the price of the S-rank technique.


    [Cost: 100,000,000]


    Ten billion yuan. Ten times less than the SS-ranked technique so Wei Jun could only imagine what the SSS-ranked and divine-ranked techniques would be priced at.


    Wei Jun kept the book in his inventory and decided to give it to her tomorrow when he met her. For now, he also wanted to check on the last reward.


    Something he was greatly looking forward to.


    [The reward from the administrator has been received]


    [You have received a skill]


    [Skill ''Unknown'' has been added to the skill list]


    [For further details, please click on the skill tab] Stay connected with M V L


    [¡­]


    [.]

 Chapter 222: Party member(s)

    I just realized yesterday that I didn''t mention the stat point gain from Shao Chen. I have fixed that mistake by adding stat points to this chapter and I will fix it in the previous chapter on Sunday as well.~~


    [Skill: Unknown]


    [Tier: SSS]


    [Description: As a cultivator, the biggest weakness you have is exposure


    It makes your life harder


    Well, not anymore


    Be free from the fear of getting caught


    And most importantly, have fun]


    [Effect: Your Qi can no longer be traced]


    [Limitations:


    The skill must be activated before using any type of Qi skill to have an effect


    Qi used before activating the skill can still be traced


    The skill will automatically activate unless deactivated by the user]


    [Special note for the user: The user can activate the skill using yang Qi even while the Death Qi is activated]


    [Duration: 5 minutes]


    [Cost: 500 QP]


    [No cooldown]


    Wei Jun stared at the screen with his jaw a little open, his mind fighting really hard against his temptation to jump in the air and yell ''Hurraahh!!!''


    "Fwoo~" In the end, Wei Jun managed to calm himself down. It was true that the reward he received was broken but it was also riddled with limitations.


    First and foremost, his Qi wasn''t enough to support the skill to be used a second time. And if he were to use it once, it would be difficult to use his other skills.


    It was a blessing that he could use yang Qi to activate the skill and then use the death Qi, but even then, it wasn''t enough for him to use it the second time.


    Wei Jun needed to increase his Qi pool and he needed to do so desperately.


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 94


    HP: 103\\103


    QP: 960\\960


    Death Qi: 261\\261


    Cultivation realm: Qi manifestation realm]


    [Strength: 137]


    [Agility: 171]


    [Stamina: 169]


    [Defense: 155]


    [Qi: 192]


    [Charm: 71]


    [Luck: 49]


    Wei Jun checked his stats because he was too busy in the last few days and when he did, he realized many things after checking it out.


    First, his cultivation realm had advanced to the next realm and he was happy about that. Other than that, his limit had been enhanced to 200 stat points each and his Qi was already nearing the end of the limit.


    His other stats weren''t far behind but they could use some polishing. Luckily, Wei Jun had the meat of the Barghests he killed for his physical stats or at least he hoped so.


    His Qi and Death Qi were progressing quite a bit fast as well but what he was truly interested in was about raising his Death Qi and after his conversation with the old man, he specifically remembered him saying that the gate increment was all around the world which meant there were some sure to be in the empire as well. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His best bet was his sect but he still wasn''t so sure about that. He was hoping he could somehow make it in if he was right and if he was, that would just be another jackpot he would be hitting.


    Other than that, his non-combat skills were increasing as well and he still hadn''t found a way to use either of them. Charm was supposed to make him handsome but Lin Ruan didn''t show any reaction to his increased charm so there must be more to it than meets the eye.


    As for Luck, he wasn''t sure it was the same Luck as in poker luck. There must be something else to it but he wasn''t too sure about it as well.


    The system was quiet about them so he wasn''t going to speculate uselessly as well.


    Done with all the issues, he attended to the last issue regarding the system.


    The party system.


    [Party (1\\10]


    [A partner is someone you trust your life with Explore more at M-V-L


    Someone who would be willing to go limb for limb for you


    It''s like a family


    And family is for life


    Once made a party member, no one is breaking that sacred bond


    Not even you]


    [Effect(s):


    With each party member''s growth, the user will gain a small enhancement in his growth as well (Depending on affection level)


    The skills of the partner used when in the vicinity of the user have an increased effect depending on their affection level.


    Once a day, the user can summon a party member or teleport to them (Cooldown: 24 hours and limited to one party member each)


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­]


    [Limitations:


    Once made a party member, the party member would be permanent until death


    Outside of natural causes, the death of a party member comes with a heavy penalty


    The user would be required to help out the party members no matter what


    Refusal wouldn''t be an option


    Intense emotions would be felt for a party member regardless of gender]


    [Current party member(s)]


    [Natasha Bailey]


    [Current affection: 30%]


    Many of Wei Jun''s questions were answered just from the explanation. Of course, he was still left with many more but he had no way of knowing the answer except for one.


    ''So?'' Wei Jun asked the system.


    [The dots represent that there is more to this system but your level isn''t high enough yet or you have too few partners to unlock those perks]


    [You have no fixed way of raising your party member''s affection]


    [Some could take love, others some other emotion]


    [There is no way of knowing]


    [And yes, you are bound to them just as they are bound to you once the party member has been added so you have to be careful about that]


    The system explained all the questions Wei Jun had in one breath and the best part was that Wei Jun didn''t even have to ask the questions.


    Since he had no more questions at the moment, Wei Jun stood up and made his way out of his apartment. It was true he wanted to rest for the night but he wanted to get Xia Lu''s matter over with as soon as possible.


    There was just one problem. Wei Jun didn''t have enough money to do so. Of course, anyone could learn a cultivation technique but Qi was a requirement and Qi had a higher chance of manifesting in someone who has cultivator parents.


    Although Xia Lu''s mother was a cultivator, she wasn''t, and if she hadn''t awakened Qi yet, there was a chance she might not for the rest of her life.


    Or maybe she could but Wei Jun couldn''t wait for that. There was no fixed way of knowing about that.


    But there was a surefire way and that was the Qi awakening elixir Wei Jun consumed. Of course, the Phoenix tear was also an option but there was a chance it wouldn''t work on her like it didn''t work for him.


    He liked to be prepared either way.


    So, he was just a 1000 million short for the elixir. The bad news was that he was out of money. The good news was that since the first system update, the map expanded and many wealthy families appeared out of the sky.


    Families he hadn''t robbed yet.


    He wasn''t sure he would make 1 billion in a night, but there was no hope for those who didn''t even try in the first place.


    ~~


    "You''re here." Zi Huan said, his face strained and a forced smile on his face. Of course, only Wei Jun noticed these details. Anyone else might not have.


    "You okay?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Why wouldn''t I be?" Zi Huan asked.


    "Sure," Wei Jun simply said, relaying how uninterested he was.


    Of course, Wei Jun was worried when it came to Zi Huan since he was involved in something illegal, and if Wei Jun was somehow implicated, it would make things hard for him but he had enough backing to get out of almost anything.


    Other than that, Wei Jun knew he had a very simple relationship with Zi Huan.


    Seller and Buyer.


    Nothing more, nothing less.


    "I hope you have something I needed some time ago." Wei Jun got straight to the point and asked.


    Zi Hun nodded and said, "I have it. You will find it in this warehouse. I''m sure you know what to do with the warehouse after the extraction is done."


    Wei Jun nodded and asked, "And the price?"


    Zi Huan slipped him a paper slip on which a name was written. "That''s my price," Zi Huan said.


    Wei Jun knew the name. It was none other than the current mayor''s competitor. Someone Wei Jun had no qualms with getting rid of but what he didn''t understand was what Zi Huan had to do with him.


    Although Wei Jun wasn''t the type to interfere, he couldn''t afford to attack aimlessly in the dark without proper nighttime goggles.


    In other words, Wei Jun wanted to know what the risks were.


    "He has been trying to blackmail my family into sponsoring him. Let''s say he has something that can ruin the reputation of my father." Zi Huan simply explained seeing Wei Jun''s inquisitive expression.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "I will see what I can do about it."


    Wei Jun turned and left the building, heading straight for the warehouse where the bike was supposed to be.

 Chapter 223: Why did you do it?

    Shu Chan was a respectable politician. Of course, like every other politician, he had a hidden side as well. The side that hid some very dark things from the image he had in public.His campaign was solely financed by drug money and he owned many drug rings in the city. Other than that, his other source of income was extortion but he wasn''t the type to extort small-time people. The targets of his extortions were the people who had a respectful say in the city and they liked to keep it that way.


    Important families, important politicians, and some very important people in the city had their weaknesses held by Chu Shan and he used them to the max.


    He was running for the mayor this year and he would have easily made the temporary mayor seat if not for the Ruan family because he was the one with the most influence.


    Still, he wasn''t worried. When it would come to election time, he would win without a hitch. After all, he held the weaknesses of almost the entire city. With them on his side, he would surely make the mayor.


    His competition wouldn''t stand a chance.


    However, before all of that. He had to survive this crisis.


    "Ahhh!!!" A man in a biker outfit and a helmet plucked his fingernail out, making Chu Shan scream in pain.


    The biker grabbed a piece of cloth and put it in Chu Shan''s mouth to lower his screaming. Once a long time had passed and Chu Shan was able to make it without screaming, the biker removed the piece of cloth from his mouth.


    "Please¡­" the first word that came out of Chu Shan''s mouth was in the form of a plea, "I will do whatever you want."


    The biker didn''t say anything. He simply grabbed another finger and pulled out another fingernail with a plier.


    "Gaahhhh!!!" At the sudden but tremendous pain, Chu Shan screamed once again and the biker once again, to mute his screaming, plunged the same piece of cloth into his open mouth.


    After a while, when the screaming stopped, the biker took the cloth out and before Shu Chan could even speak, pluck another nail.


    The cycle of screams and pain continued until Shu Chan only had one fingernail left.


    Finally, the biker spoke, "Where are the files that you keep on the city''s prominent filth?"


    "Haa¡­ Haa¡­" Deep breaths were taken by Shu Chan who desperately tried to hold the pain in but it was too much and now that the injuries were getting old, the pain increased along with it, clouding his sense of judgment.


    "The fmail¡­ies sent yo..you?" Shu Chan laboriously asked while taking deep breaths in between a simple sentence.


    The biker didn''t reply. Instead, he picked the pliers up and grabbed Shu Chan''s last finger with a nail.


    "Wait! Wait!" Shu Chan desperately said but the biker showed no mercy. He plucked the last nail and after a while of screaming, grabbed the same finger and ripped it off with his hands.


    After another bout of screaming, the biker removed the cloth and said, "Now you know what''s coming if you say anything but a straight answer to my questions." Explore stories on M-V-L


    The biker threw the finger away and said, "Now let''s do this again. Where are the files you keep on this city''s overlords?"


    "At¡­ At a warehouse in ¡­" Shu Chan answered the question with great effort. The address he gave was a few miles away, deep into the downtown area of the city. He also kept his items safe in a warehouse like Wei Jun. Hidden in plain sight.


    The biker stood up and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a squared black device that he put near Shu Chan and said, "If the files aren''t there, I will blow this device up."


    When Shu Chan saw the device and knew what it was, a flash passed through his eyes which the biker missed but he didn''t do anything about it.


    He turned around and made his way to the door. He was just about to touch the door handle when Shu Chan''s voice came, "Stop!"


    The biker stopped and turned around. Shu Chan looked at the biker and said, "The files are in that safe underneath my desk."


    The biker scoffed slightly and made his way to the work desk. He simply grabbed it from one side and flung it away. He removed the carpet to reveal an underground safe.


    The biker knelt down and grabbed the handle of the safe and ripped it out. When Shu Chan saw that, he was flabbergasted because that wasn''t something a human could do.


    Only a cultivator could rip out a titanium safe and even those who were on the stronger side and Shu Chan knew for sure that his enemies couldn''t hire someone of that magnitude.


    Still, he didn''t care. As long as he made out of it alive, he would access the backup files and keep it up while also making sure everyone who was a suspect paid the price for this. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The biker knelt and picked up a number of files stacked in a corner along with some jewelry and money. The biker took the money and gave it a quick count.


    "For a mayor candidate on government pay, you''re quite rich." The biker said to Shu Chan whose heart bled when he saw all his lifetime savings taken in front of him and not being able to do anything about it.


    The biker grabbed files first and the files disappeared in his hands. After that, he did the same with money, once again smacking Shu Chan under his jaw.


    That was a kind of power he had never seen before and he wasn''t so small time to not have seen a mage.


    But even a mage couldn''t do something like that.


    However, that was the last of his worries when the biker was finally finished and stood up. He made sure to take anything of value with him to make it look like a proper work of motive.


    He then walked up to Shu Chan and said, "You did good. You''re free."


    Shu Chan smiled, his crooked smile enough to scare a child. He was smiling that he made it out alive when the biker grabbed him by his head and turned it around.


    The smile on Shu Chan''s face was frozen in that moment and it was forever imprinted on his face like that.


    However, the biker wasn''t finished. He pulled the head with enough force, ripping it off from the body along with the spine. He grabbed the spine and broke it like a twig with his hand and the head disappeared in his other hand.


    After that, he picked up the squared bomb device and put it on the headless body''s neck.


    He then left the office and came out. Once he was in the parking garage, he blew up the bomb because that was the bomb''s range.


    Boom!!!


    Car alarms began to sound as the large force assaulted all of them.


    The body would be gone with the blast and it wouldn''t leave any trace behind of torture or such. Of course, seeing the safe, the police would eventually figure it out but it would be too late.


    The biker mounted his bike and left the scene before the authorities arrived.


    ~~


    Zi Huan was about to close the shop when the door opened and Wei Jun entered carrying a box. It was a squared box, white in color and wrapped in ribbon.


    A classic cake box.


    Wei Jun quietly put it on the table and said nothing.


    "What is this?" Zi Huan asked.


    "Why don''t you find out?" Wei Jun asked.


    "What would I do if there''s a bomb in it?" Zi Huan asked.


    "And me standing so close to you would be fine and dandy if there''s one." Wei Jun quipped to which Zi Huan had no answer and started to open the box.


    "I just wanted to thank you for your help." Wei Jun said.


    "Yeah, right," Zi Huan didn''t believe him and finally opened the box. As soon as he did, he jumped back.


    There was a cake in the box alright. Only the topping was something Zi Huan would have never expected.


    "They had a new topping and I had to try it out." Wei Jun remarked as he picked up Shu Chan''s head from the top of the cake.


    Zi Huan was still disoriented about this when Wei Jun looked at him and asked playfully, "What? Never seen a head without a body before?"


    Zi Huan didn''t answer that question and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"


    Wei Jun chuckled and dropped the head back in the box. He closed the lid, wrapped it back in ribbon and said, "If you try anything like this again, I will be leaving this head in your room, pointing to the police who the killer is."


    "What? What did I do?" Zi Huan asked, obviously offended when Wei Jun sighed and the next moment, he was standing next to Zi Huan, his hand on his neck and Zi Huan in the air.


    "The next time you try to record me to keep some leverage on me, you will ironically die from the very explosives you sell." Wei Jun calmly said before he dropped Zi Huan and asked, "Are we clear?"


    "Yes. Yes!" Zi Huan hurriedly replied before Wei Jun did something more.


    Wei Jun knelt in front of Zi Huan and asked a simple question, "Why did you try to record me? Who were you trying to use me against?"


    "¡­" Zi Huan took deep breaths and looked at Wei Jun. In the end, he sighed deeply and replied, "It was to¡­"

 Chapter 224: Another party member

    [Who would have thought, huh?]''Yeah, she was the last person on my mind.'' Wei Jun replied as he remembered the conversation that took place between Zi Huan and him.


    Zi Huan told him everything about the incident with Yan Rong and how he was trying to make up some evidence to protect himself from her.


    ''She''s crazier than I thought.'' Wei Jun mused to himself.


    [Is that why you haven''t refused her advances?]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun remained quiet because he himself came to a realization. Had it been any other woman, he would have long refused her by now but for some reason, he couldn''t just say no to Yan Rong.


    [Who would have thought that host had a type]


    ''Shut up.''


    [How did you know he was trying to set you up?]


    Experience new stories with M-V-L


    ''Because he didn''t ask me to retrieve anything. I guess they already had a plan for that after getting evidence on me. A secretary or a mistress, perhaps. But the major goal was to get leverage on me.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [Who would''ve thought you would see right through it?]


    [But if you did, then why did you do it?]


    ''Do you know how much money the prostitution and the drug businesses make?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I don''t know]


    ''The amount I got from the mayor candidate who received a small percentage of all of that is alone 200 million. Just take a wild guess how much it would be if I take it all.'' Wei Jun said with a smile as he headed for his downtown warehouse.


    ~~


    "Report." A narcotics detective got out of his car as he saw the extent of damage in the building burning in front of him.


    "We failed to gather anything of evidence." The subordinate started with bad news before he continued, "The witnesses and the survivors saw a man in a biker outfit and a black helmet. And then there was a sea of fire."


    "Survivors?" The detective asked.


    "Prostitutes. He spared them while he killing the rest." The officer replied.


    "So he has a soft spot for women?" The detective asked.


    "I wouldn''t say that." The officer replied before he showed him the corpses of several women and said, "These are the women who run most of the establishments. They''re worse than many men in the same industry. Prostitution, slavery, drugs, blackmail, and more, you name it. If he was a feminist, he wouldn''t have killed them."


    "So what do we know about him?" The detective asked.


    "Just that he was a man and that he was there to rob the places." The officer replied and added, "No evidence of any sort was left behind. We figured it was a cultivator but there were no Qi traces. However, a survivor saw him ripping the door of a safe with his bare hands so there could have been a mistake there as well."


    The detective nodded and asked one final question, "How the hell did he destroy all these businesses in one night?"


    "¡­" The officer had no reply to that question. After all, there were almost 200 such establishments all over the city that sold people and drugs, and in just one night, 105 of them were hit and robbed of their wealth with scores of people left behind lifeless.


    Seeing the officer quiet, the detective knew there was no answer to that question so he relayed instructions, "One thing is for sure, we don''t just have a vigilante, an arsonist, a robber, and a rival gang member but a mass murderer on our hands as well. I will report to the captain. It looks like this guy is a headache for the entire department."


    ~~


    The guy that the entire department had to deal with was currently in a very good mood right now. But he was also a little disappointed but he didn''t let it mask the good feelings.


    [Shop GC: 403,180,703]


    Wei Jun earned a whopping four billion in just one night. Of course, not every night would be like tonight, but it was still something and Wei Jun was quite happy with this much.


    He could buy the Qi awakening elixir and still have plenty of leftovers for his own use. He wanted to purchase a body cultivation technique to raise his physical stats as well but the body technique in the shop was at SSS rank and it was a hundred times more expensive than what Wei Jun had right now so he didn''t have money for that.


    [You know you can sell treasures in the shop, right?]


    The system suddenly asked.


    ''What now?'' Wei Jun was suddenly assaulted with this information that he couldn''t get it the first time.


    [You can¡­ sell¡­ the treasures you don''t have a need for in the shop]


    The system hesitantly told Wei Jun as if it had just made a mistake.


    ''And you''re telling me this now?'' Wei Jun asked with a smile that scared the system as it said¡­ S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You didn''t have a sellable item in your inventory before but now you do]


    [The Barghest corpses]


    The system desperately gave a logical reason to not incur Wei Jun''s anger and thankfully, it worked. Wei Jun found the reason reasonable so he didn''t explode in anger.


    ''Still, you could have told me that before.'' Wei Jun said but he didn''t sell the Barghest corpses yet. He needed to see whether or not he would obtain stat points from eating them first and if he didn''t, only then would be consider selling them to the shop because even if they didn''t work for him, they could work for Natasha or could be sold for a higher amount outside.


    He was a businessman in the end.


    [Qi awakening elixir has been purchased]


    [Cost: 100,000,000]


    Wei Jun heart bled at seeing the price go down so fast but he still held it in. After all, he was doing all of this for a reason.


    Without wasting much time, Wei Jun cleaned himself and made his way to the elevator. Xia Lu lived just a floor beneath Wei Jun''s penthouse so it wasn''t long before he arrived in front of her apartment door.


    He rang the bell and stared into the intercom. When Xia Lu saw who it was, she suppressed her feelings of rushing out and remained inside.


    Wei Jun felt it was strange so he rang the bell again but the response remained the same. If he hadn''t been able to feel her on the other side of the door, he would have rushed inside but he knew that she was intentionally not letting him in.


    He could guess why but he wasn''t sorry for that. After all, he spent an entire day and night for her and if she was still mad at him for that, then he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Of course, he would do the wise thing and say sorry but he wasn''t really sorry about this reason.


    He rang the bell three more times and when he received no response, he sighed and turned to leave. Just as he got into the elevator, the door was blocked before it closed and Xia Lu entered, her eyes baggy and her face withered, but the frown on her face lively as always.


    "You were going to leave." Xia Lu said as she stood next to Wei Jun. Wei Jun remained his gaze straight as he replied, "You didn''t open the door."


    "So every time I won''t open the door, you will give up on me?" Xia Lu calmly asked.


    "I believe relationships work when people talk. If they don''t, even if they''re angry at each other, then they need to let it go before it gets worse for any of them." Wei Jun straightforwardly said.


    "How can I not be mad at you when you didn''t even come to see me?" Xia Lu snapped but she kept her voice down.


    "I was doing something for you." Wei Jun said.


    "And did it ever occur to you that all I needed was to know whether you were safe or not?" She asked.


    "You knew that I was safe. And you also knew that I needed time." Wei Jun said before he added, "I am sorry for what I did but I would appreciate it if you could look at it from my point of view."


    Wei Jun wasn''t rude or unreasonable but he was not going to be apologetic for everything he did.


    "¡­" Xia Lu remained quiet as she didn''t have a reply for that.


    Wei Jun seeing her silent continued, "I would like to be with you. Actually I would love it. But I''d also appreciate if you could accept me for who I am. If you wouldn''t talk to me, then I wouldn''t know where we''re going."


    "Haa¡­" Xia Lu sighed before she turned to Wei Jun and without warning, hugged him tightly. Her soft body embraced Wei Jun''s hard like stone body as she said, "I''m so glad you''re okay."


    A few moments passed like that and Xia Lu also cried during that moment. Wei Jun consoled her, telling her it wasn''t her fault and such and finally, after a half an hour of the elevator being out of commission for others in the building, Xia Lu finally asked, "What did you get for me?"

 Chapter 225: Pretty boys? (Bonus: P.S)

    "What is this?" Xia Lu looked at the round pill and couldn''t help but ask. Wei Jun had already given her a strange energy drink that made her feel good and her body also felt full of energy after taking it. She could even feel something strange happen to her but she couldn''t quite put her finger on it.However, Wei Jun didn''t have the expected reaction he was looking for and his expected gaze only made her feel stranger so just for clarification, she asked the question above.


    "Just take it," was all Wei Jun said. As much as weirded out she was, she also knew that Wei Jun wasn''t the type to do something strange to her, at least the one she knew wasn''t so she agreed.


    As soon as she swallowed it, her body began to feel warm after a few moments. The warm feeling went from her stomach to the rest of her body.


    She closed her eyes at the pleasant feeling and Wei Jun held her hands to guide his own Qi through her system. The system explained the procedure of the dual cultivation but since this wasn''t a set cultivation technique, all Wei Jun was acting as was a helper.


    Soon enough, a horrible stench spread throughout Wei Jun''s apartment and Wei Jun where it was coming from. Xia Lu was secreting waste through sweat and it was grime of dark murky liquid.


    Wei Jun didn''t mind the stench and focused on his own task; helping Xia Lu''s Qi settle down. Since it was the system guiding him and his Qi was more prominent than Xia Lu''s, there was no conflict between yin and yang and soon enough, a few circulations as Wei Jun knew were completed along with yin Qi and it finally settled back in her abdomen.


    After a few moments, she finally opened her eyes, her eyes full of energy but it wasn''t long before she registered the stench around her and when she was from who it was coming from¡­


    "Ahhhhh!!!!" She screamed and ran to the bathroom. She had done everything Wei Jun had done and it was hella embarrassing for her.


    She shut the door behind her and jumped into the bathtub. Wei Jun saw all that and just shook his head. He opened the windows of the apartment and turned on the exhaust fans. He also used some fragrance sprays to mask the smell which was truly a bit too much.


    After an hour, when Wei Jun had finally taken care of the stench in his apartment with a plethora of fragrant sprays, he knocked on the bathroom door because Xia Lu was still inside.


    "Go away!" She shouted from the inside, clear embarrassment in her voice.


    Wei Jun chuckled which probably made the matter worse but he didn''t couldn''t help it at her reaction.


    "Go away!!!" Xia Lu yelled even louder at Wei Jun''s chuckle. Wei Jun sighed and pushed the door, breaking the lock of the bathroom, and entered.


    "What are you doing?!" Xia Lu yelled as she hurriedly jumped into the bathtub, sinking until only her head was out.


    "Come out. There''s nothing we''re going to accomplish if you do that." Wei Jun said.


    "How could you say that after putting me through that humiliating process?!" Xia Lu yelled again to which Wei Jun simply replied, "I made you a cultivator. Now we need to proceed further."


    Xia Lu''s mouth opened wide when she heard about her becoming a Qi master.


    She remained in the water in shock but Wei Jun didn''t have much time so he said, "Hurry up and come out. We''re going to begin in five minutes. Wear these." Wei Jun put a shirt and pants on the dresser and went out.


    Xia Lu hurriedly stood up and dressed herself, not even making sure to wear anything underneath. After she came out, Wei Jun sitting in the middle of the living room, in the same spot they were sitting before.


    She was embarrassed about it but she was also excited about becoming a Qi master so she hurriedly sat in front of Wei Jun. Wei Jun pulled a book from behind him and said, "Say yes."


    "What? Why?" Xia Lu strangely asked while keeping her eyes on the strange book that emitted a chillness she could feel and not feel at the same time.


    "Just say it." Wei Jun wanted to add her as a party member so he would also grow with her growth. According to the system, it would be his stats that would grow with her but his level and to be honest, that was what he needed right now.


    [Would you like to assimilate the cultivation technique ''The Eternal Frost Queen'' with party member Xia Lu?]


    [Warning]


    [Once used, the item would vanish]


    [Would you like to proceed?]


    [Yes\\No]


    ''Should I teach it to her or do it like this?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Her talent isn''t trashy as you but I wouldn''t call her talented as well]


    [If you teach her, she may be able to grasp the concept in about five years]


    [Whereas the system''s method would make it so she has done it all her life]


    Wei Jun nodded. About five years meant she could easily take more than five years and five years wasn''t a time Wei Jun was willing to wait.


    He pressed yes and the book in his hand disappeared. Xia Lu saw the book disappear and looked at Wei Jun, her eyes puzzled at what just happened but before she could speak, a terrible pain assaulted her mind.


    Wei Jun panicked and was about to help her when the system stopped him.


    Enjoy exclusive chapters from M-V-L


    [Don''t worry about it, host]


    [It''s just her mind getting overwhelmed by the information]


    [It''s much like when you get the information on novels]


    [Only your mind is a lot stronger than hers]


    Wei Jun nodded and retracted his hands. He let the procedure play out and it wasn''t long before Xia Lu stopped clutching her head and passed out.


    Wei Jun checked her internals but when he inserted his Qi into her body, his Qi clashed with Xia Lu''s Qi and even though Wei Jun had a lot more Qi, his Qi was thrown out of the body with a violent jerk that hurt Wei Jun as well.


    ''What the¡­'' Wei Jun wondered as his hand was numb.


    [It isn''t the yin Qi it was before]


    [Now it is the yin qi of a queen]


    [Your Qi wouldn''t be able to dominate hers unless it was of the same rank]


    Wei Jun nodded and stood up. He picked Xia Lu and took her to his bed. He laid her down on the bed and then left the room.


    Although he was eager to start, he decided to let Xia Lu rest while he dealt with the rest of the matters.


    He still had his meeting pending with Sun Ruan but more than that, he had to look for someone.


    Someone who he had to kill.


    And the perfect person to call for that was none other than¡­


    "Mister Ruan, nice of you to contact me." Mark Wilson said from the other side.


    Wei Jun skipped the useless chatter and said, "Meet me at the usual place. I have an assignment for you."


    In just half an hour, Mark Wilson and Wei Jun were sitting in the middle of a luxurious restaurant, eating steak and discussing business.


    "Tao Min? Is there anything more to go other than just a name? It is a pretty common name." Mark Wilson said.


    "Narrow down the search to someone young and handsome." Wei Jun specified. One thing he knew after going through two protagonists was that all of them were handsome as hell. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So that must have been a requirement for the protagonists.


    Mark Wilson, on the other hand, terribly misunderstood the meaning of the task. Here he was, his employer asking him to find a man and the requirement was that he was young and handsome. What else was he supposed to think?


    ''I didn''t know he swung that way.'' Mark Wilson thought inwardly before he said, "I will find him but still, the task is too vague and the resources spent on doing such a thing would be difficult for me as well. After all, I''m not looking for a specific person but a needle in a haystack."


    Wei Jun nodded and pulled out a treasure, encased in a glass cover and placed it on the table. The chill emitting from the wood like treasure chilled the surroundings as well.


    "This will increase the Qi of someone by a great amount after absorption. You can use this." Wei Jun said.


    Mark Wilson took the treasure with trembling hands because he knew what it was. It was the same treasure he had tried to obtain through a powerful employee but couldn''t because its price was in billions of yuans.


    But now, he couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by the nonchalant payment made by this employer of his whose status was even lower than his aforementioned employee.


    ''Just who are you?'' Mark couldn''t help but wonder but he was wise enough to keep his mouth shut.


    He wasn''t going to get an answer from Wei Jun anyway so he nodded and said, "This is more payment than the task I will pour my heart and soul in finding your man."


    Wei Jun felt a little strange about how Mark Wilson worded the reply, but he nodded regardless and said, "I will be waiting for your response."

 Chapter 226: An invitation

    Wei Jun pulled up in the driveway of the Ruan mansion. He wasn''t looking forward to this meeting but he''d rather get this over with and then go back to his cultivation than waste his time entertaining the old man later."He''s waiting for you in his study." Lin Ruan informed Wei Jun who nodded and made his way to the study where Sun Ruan was waiting for him.


    "Good morning." Wei Jun said. It was still eleven so it was technically morning. Sun Ruan nodded and pointed at the cushion on the other side of the table.


    "Tea?" Sun Ruan asked Wei Jun while pouring his cup anyway. Wei Jun stared at his actions and said, "Sure, why not."


    Once again, he was being told to stay within his limits and not to think that he was in any way in charge of this conversation.


    Sun Ruan pushed the cup gently in Wei Jun''s direction before he said, "I know it is very difficult for you to understand what happened to you but I need you to explain in detail about what transpired inside that gate and what and how you did everything in there."


    Straight to the point, Sun Ruan''s question was about how Wei Jun survived inside that gate. Wei Jun could tell what the underlying meaning was. The old man at the magic academy was also surprised by the fact that Wei Jun managed to clear the gate where even a six-star aura master couldn''t do much.


    Sun Ruan was also trying to find out where his limits were. Whether Wei Jun was someone who could be controlled or not. Whether or not he would have to take the nice or hard approach with Wei Jun.


    Keeping these questions in mind, Sun Ruan treated Wei Jun more amicably than last time. Last time, coming to him was an order. This time it was a request. Of course, he had to set a certain hierarchy so he made sure to subtly Wei Jun know that he was the alpha among them.


    A leader, in the end, was a leader. No matter how accommodating or easygoing he was. Disrespecting that leader has consequences and Wei Jun knew what that meant.


    Wei Jun nodded and began, "I was teleported somehow to the gate¡­" and recounted all the events that happened during his time at the gate.


    Of course, he kept many aspects out. Many of the details like anything to do with the system or the corpses of the monsters he got or the meat of the Direhound that granted him power.


    He strictly kept it to the battle viewpoint where he defeated the Barghests slowly over the course of a few days and after that, he fought the Direhound with Natasha and Melissa and only then he could win.


    The details after that were the same as many of the witnesses.


    "Why didn''t you take the core of the monster? You were the one who killed it. It would have benefitted you greatly." Sun Ruan questioned.


    Wei Jun knew such a question would come up and for that, he had the perfect explanation prepared.


    "I did it to score a point with Melissa. I saved her life and gave her a precious treasure. She''s got to be thankful to me for that. Maybe enough to do something personal as well." Wei Jun replied. Of course, he had no interest in Melissa but she was a good excuse to give Sun Ruan since Sun Ruan had already told him to seduce her.


    Sun Ruan looked at Wei Jun for a while, deep in thought as if he didn''t know how to counter that explanation. It was, after all, himself who asked Wei Jun to seduce Melissa.


    Although Wei Jun foolishly gave away a precious treasure, the worth of Melissa was far more than a treasure Sun Ruan could easily afford.


    He nodded and said, "Very well. But see to it doesn''t happen again. Such treasures are too precious to give away. Make sure you use them for yourself or for your family."


    Wei Jun internally scoffed but he didn''t let it show in his expression. Sun Ruan was asking Wei Jun to use the treasure for himself to show that he trusted Wei Jun but he was also subtly mentioning family, saying that it belonged to him as well.


    [This old man sure is greedy]


    ''He''s a cu**.'' Wei Jun cursed inwardly. He knew the kind of these people. They were the ones who were using the mission of protecting the family or something else as a cover to cover their own interests.


    Wei Jun knew how to deal with such cunning people but the circumstances were different from usual.


    If before Wei Jun encountered such a man, he would break into his house at night and slit his throat in his sleep but Sun Ruan had something called power and not the kind Wei Jun could easily overlook.


    "Of course." Wei Jun replied respectfully.


    Sun Ruan nodded and said, "Also, the report that arrived from England shows that you showed your other personality again. You might want to have it checked."


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Sure. I will keep it in mind."


    "Very well. You''re free to go now but don''t forget, we have a sect ceremony in three days. You will be entering a gate so be prepared." Sun Ruan said.


    Wei Jun nodded and left. He met Lin Ruan outside. "What did he say?"


    "He asked me to be ready to enter a gate." Wei Jun said.


    "Yeah, I got the notice too. It''s strange though." Lin Ruan said.


    "What is?" Wei Jun asked.


    "That they''re letting us enter a gate. Usually, the elders don''t let disciples get a gate because it''s so rare. The treasures inside aren''t something they''re willing to let disciples have it. Not even their own." Lin Ruan replied.


    Wei Jun nodded. He figured Lin Ruan didn''t know about the sudden increment in gates. Still, Wei Jun didn''t care. He was getting something he needed so what did he have to complain about?


    Although he would have wanted to go in there alone to monopolize the treasures inside, especially beast corpses, he couldn''t just do whatever he wanted right now.


    Wei Jun was in his car when he asked the system, ''What are gates? You didn''t tell me anything about them before.''


    [Prisons]


    The system straightforwardly replied but didn''t launch into an explanation.


    ''Meaning?'' So, in the end, Wei Jun had to ask.


    [For now, all I can tell you is that this world didn''t use to be what it is now]


    [Humans came together and fought something]


    [They couldn''t defeat it so they imprisoned it]


    [Any more information is unavailable to you at the moment]


    [Gates are those prisons]


    [Smaller ones anyway]


    ''How are you sure they''re smaller ones?'' Wei Jun asked. Although he had more questions, this one intrigued him the most, and the system might not answer the rest anyway.


    [If they were the bigger ones]


    [Then with the current level of this world where a Qi master is made a sect elder]


    [Then the world would have been destroyed long ago]


    Wei Jun did find it strange as well. Qi master was the fifth level of cultivation. If someone at that stage was considered powerful, then someone at the level of the Qi grandmaster was considered unrivaled.


    The Direhound Wei Jun fought was a weak monster according to the system yet he was sure that not even a Qi manifestation realm user could have fought against it easily.


    So when the system said they were easier ones, Wei Jun believed it.


    He just had one more question which he was hoping the system would answer.


    ''How strong was the thing that leads them all?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [¡­]


    There was no reply. No answer came for a while before finally, Wei Jun thought that the system wasn''t going to answer.


    But it was then that it did.


    [Take a Qi spiritualist] S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [The final realm of cultivation]


    [And multiply it by twenty]


    [Even then, three thousand people, the strongest in their respective field, went down trying to defeat that monster]


    [And only four survived]


    Wei Jun couldn''t believe what the system was saying. It was one thing to be strong. But to be so strong that even the experts in a field couldn''t kill you? Just what kind of power would an existence like this have?


    ~~


    In a cave, somewhere unknown, a man was sitting cross-legged, his eyes closed. An ethereal glow was emitting from the man as if he were the purest man on the earth. Discover hidden stories at M-V-L


    Looks wise, he seemed to be just over thirty. But in reality, his age was anything but thirty. It wasn''t even thirty multiplied by ten but more than that.


    He was sitting with his eyes closed when they suddenly opened, a piercing white glow in his eyes.


    He looked outside the cave where he could see a giant mountain and said, "The time is near. They would be here soon. I need to prepare."


    "I have two, but I need three more."


    "I just hope he kills them soon."


    And then, as if he was just talking to himself, he again closed his eyes but there was something that changed when he closed his eyes.


    The glow around him disappeared, giving him an ordinary aura once again.


    As if everything was just an illusion.

 Chapter 227: Assimilation?

    Wei Jun was back in his apartment by noon. As soon as he opened the door, he felt a sudden chill assault his body. He went further in and found out that the source of the chill was coming from his room.He grabbed the handle of the door to open it only to have it fall apart in pieces. It was frozen from the other side.


    The chill that assaulted him this time now that the door wasn''t in the way to block it was horrifying. Hurriedly he used his yin Qi to prevent his insides from freezing.


    Inside, he saw Xia Lu sitting on the bed, cross-legged, her eyes closed and waves of frost emitting from her, freezing everything in the room. His bed, his walls, everything in the room was frozen to the point that it wouldn''t even thaw anymore.


    It would only break down.


    [Yeah]


    [I should have probably told you about that]


    [I myself froze some parts of mine when my wife was practicing while I went to sleep]


    Wei Jun wasn''t interested in that information.


    Instead, he asked, ''Is it worrying?''


    [It''s normal]


    [The Qi around her is freezing, entering her core and stabilizing it]


    [It''s slow though]


    [But in that case, you''re lucky]


    [Had her talent been higher, you would be evacuating the half of the city] S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Talent was one thing the system talked about the most. Wei Jun could tell just from this how necessary talent was when it came to cultivation.


    [I used to believe that]


    [But looking at you]


    [My beliefs are quite shaken at the moment]


    Wei Jun nodded and said, ''Her progress, where has it gotten by now?''


    [From the looks of it, she''s somewhere between the initial realm of the Qi sense realm and the middle realm of the same realm]


    [And for the reason you''re asking]


    [You will only feel the effects once she reaches a major breakthrough]


    [Or when she goes to the realm of the Qi gathering realm]


    [Earlier cultivation would be quite fast for her]


    [At this rate, she will be entering the Qi gathering realm by tomorrow or day by tomorrow at the earliest]


    ''You think it''s a waste on her, don''t you?'' Wei Jun asked. Although it wasn''t obvious, he could pick up that the system wasn''t satisfied by Wei Jun giving the cultivation technique to Xia Lu.


    [Given to Yan Rong]


    [The progress would have been ten or even a hundred times faster]


    ''Doesn''t she already have divine ranked techniques?'' Wei Jun argued.


    [Which she doesn''t know how to use]


    [She''s just born with them and it makes her stronger over time]


    [She doesn''t know their mechanics]


    [Like a closed book]


    [But if she were to learn from the system''s party system]


    ''She would have been able to instantly put into practice like Xia Lu.'' Wei Jun completed the system''s words.


    Sure, it was a waste to give it to Xia Lu who had very low talent, but Wei Jun was sure she would be able to progress faster than anticipated.


    Motivation always trumped many factors, one of them including talent.


    Of course, talent was a factor that couldn''t be ignored. However, solely thinking that talent was everything was also wrong. Wei Jun wasn''t the type to rely on such useless things. His drive was, after all, beyond such simple factors.


    ''Well, not time.'' Wei Jun said before he went to another room after setting up some treasures to prevent the frost Qi from destroying the entire building.


    [Qi: 192]


    Wei Jun''s Qi was the only thing that he could increase but since he couldn''t do it the normal way, he had to rely on the elixir way.


    The only problem with that method was that Wei Jun couldn''t consume the same type of elixir twice. He could but then the effect would be halved.


    The price of the elixir would remain the same but the effect would be halved every time he used it. It meant if it increased his Qi by 2, then using it again would benefit him by increment of Qi by 1, after that, he would have to consume two to get one point of Qi.


    It was, by no way, a fair trade so when Wei Jun asked the system about this¡­


    [There are more yang elixirs than there are people in this world]


    ''Really? Because I seem to be running out of them.'' Wei Jun pointed out.


    [The shop update would bring new things every time]


    [You don''t have to worry about that]


    Wei Jun nodded and went back to the shop to check for a suitable herb that he could consume using the death Qi. Enduring soul-searing pain was better than spending many days on slowly increasing his Qi.


    Soon enough, Wei Jun found a suitable elixir.


    [The Memories of Mad Warriors]


    [Tier: A]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Description: A tribe called the Mad Warriors used to grow this herb out of the ashes of their deceased


    It contains their racial characteristics little bit so if you''re not mentally strong, it is recommended not to take this herb]


    [Effect: +5 Qi]


    [Caution: Possible side effects include losing rationality, unusual attraction towards the opposite gender, a strange craving for blood, and anger fits]


    [Price: 10,000,000]


    [¡­]


    [Are you sure you want to take this one?]


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [¡­]


    Continue your adventure with M-V-L


    [No reason]


    The system was too afraid to say that it was worried about the last side effect of the herb because Wei Jun already had quite a bit of temper.


    Wei Jun ignored the system''s words, not even understanding what it was about, and grabbed the blood-colored herb which was the same from root to leaves.


    Without waiting, Wei Jun put it in his mouth and swallowed it instantly. It was horrible to taste but that was his least concern when pain, unlike anything he had ever experienced, assaulted his body.


    His skin began to turn orange and the color was darkening by the second. His clothes began to melt and seep into his skin but only for a second before they disintegrated into nothing because of the intense heat.


    Wei Jun couldn''t even let out a scream because he felt like his vocal cords were long gone and he was worried it would also harm him from the inside.


    He didn''t know how long he had been in that pain, which made him reconsider his decision to take herbs, but the death Qi soon reacted, and as soon as it did, the yang Qi that was rampaging throughout his body began to calm down and head to its only ally in Wei Jun''s body.


    The yang Qi core.


    The core also began to absorb the qi at a breakneck speed. Wei Jun began to feel better but by the time it was done, his skin was long since melted and his body looked like something like the science lab''s mannequin.


    The Death Qi didn''t abandon him while he was in pain and began to course throughout his whole body and began to repair Wei Jun. Soon enough, new vessels and skin formed on Wei Jun, and the pain was gone by that time.


    Of course, it did nothing to the mental pain he was in.


    "Haa¡­ Haa¡­" Wei Jun panted, thinking back to the horrifying pain he had never felt before. Wei Jun now somewhat understood what would happen to those who he would torture by letting his Qi into them.


    ''That''s not a good thing to do.'' Wei Jun thought while lying on the floor, naked, trying to forget the horrifying pain when the Death Qi returned to its core and settled down.


    But, as soon as it did.


    [You have completed the assimilation with Death Qi by a little bit]


    [All physical stats +1]


    At first, Wei Jun thought it was an illusion because of the intense pain but he was wrong. It really was there.


    Wei Jun hurriedly tried to reach into his Death Qi core to initiate the earlier process again when the system stopped him.


    [Stop!]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun was a little taken aback by that sudden shout.


    [Do you want the entire world to know you have an element of darkness?]


    [And not just any darkness as well]


    [The existence of everything that mankind considers evil]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what this was about suddenly so he asked, ''What do you mean?''


    [I knew about Dark Qi assimilation]


    [Though I don''t know about assimilation with Death Qi]


    [But I think it''s something the same]


    [At the present time, just using Death Qi is a problem for you]


    [What if you become Death Qi itself]


    [Then detection would be your last concern]


    Wei Jun could somewhat understand what the system was saying. He had to be careful using Death Qi because it misunderstood him as an evil cultivator.


    However, at the current time, Wei Jun could still hide himself once the traces wore off.


    However, from the system''s words, Wei Jun figured that the traces of Death Qi would be constantly on him.


    So hiding wouldn''t be then.


    Wei Jun sighed and calmed himself down. In the future, when no one would be left to stop him, he would then attempt this method, and that too when he would run out of any other method.


    For now, he had plenty of ways to increase his physical stats and one of them was the Barghest corpses in his inventory.


    ''Let''s have a BBQ party tonight.'' Wei Jun thought before he opened the shop to find an elixir that could increase his yang QI by just one more point and it wasn''t long before he came across another herb.


    He sighed and took it out.


    ''To another world of pain.''

 Chapter 228: Long legs

    [Agility: 178][Stamina: 171]


    [Qi: 200]


    [Your Qi has reached the 200-point mark]


    [QP +200]


    Wei Jun sat in the middle of a mountain behind the city. It was properly secluded and no matter what he did it wouldn''t be noticeable to anyone.


    Wei Jun ate almost all of the Barghest meat. It wasn''t appetizing in the least and it was very hard to chew. Still, it helped Wei Jun''s physical stats.


    It did raise his worries when he first ate it and this notification showed up.


    [You have consumed unprocessed poisonous meat]


    [You have been poisoned]


    [¡­]


    [Death Qi has neutralized the poison in the meat]


    [Death Qi -2] sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a surprise to see that he was eating poisonous meat and when he asked the system about it because he didn''t receive the same notification when he ate the Direhound meat, the system replied¡­


    [That was processed]


    [You''re eating it directly from the source]


    [Of course, it wouldn''t be edible]


    ''How should I process it then?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Why would you do that?]


    ''To eat it?'' Wei Jun wasn''t sure how to reply to that question.


    [Processing and cleaning monster remains is a tedious, time-consuming, and expensive process]


    [You have Death Qi which neutralizes the venom and poison inside the meat]


    [Why would you deliberately waste resources on that?]


    Wei Jun felt a little embarrassed at that clear answer. It did make sense for Wei Jun to do that because there wasn''t any reason to go through such a process. But he didn''t know about the process thing so he asked.


    Knowing it was safe to eat, Wei Jun began to clean the meat, cook it, season it, and he also tried to tenderize it which worked to some extent, and he stuffed himself to the point the following message showed up.


    [You cannot gain any more stats by consuming the No-eyed Barghest meat]


    Wei Jun wasn''t thrilled with this message. He ate straight for an entire day and all he received were nine stat points in his physical traits. Seven to his agility and two to his stamina.


    [Still, it is more than you can hope for at the moment]


    Wei Jun agreed with that because that was indeed true. Wei Jun hadn''t increased any increase in his physical stats from his training and this was the only way for him to gain stats at the moment.


    That and the option of elixirs in the shop but those were too damn expensive for Wei Jun at the moment.


    Wei Jun would have to deprive the entire country of its wealth just to afford a powerful body cultivation technique.


    Wei Jun stood up, packed everything, and stored it in his inventory. According to the system, even the bones of the monsters were useful so Wei Jun was asked not to throw them away like he was planning to do.


    Wei Jun decided he would sell the remaining corpses and remains to the shop if they were sold at a lower rate outside.


    Now the only urgent agenda on Wei Jun''s list was to attend the gate event tomorrow which he was actually looking forward to.


    ~~


    Wei Jun returned to his penthouse to find it even more chilly than yesterday. Still, nothing except his room was frozen thanks to the artifacts he used to trap the Qi inside.


    Wei Jun peeked into his room to see Xia Lu still sitting in the middle of literal ice, her body not at all frozen but a little pale than before and her black hair also had a few strands of pure white locks.


    He liked the new look but was still worried about her paleness which was once again quelled by the system telling him that she was just getting accustomed to Qi. These were momentary changes and they would soon go away once she was done with cultivation for the time being.


    ''Didn''t you say one couldn''t cultivate for such a long time?'' Wei Jun curiously asked because Xia Lu had been cultivating for almost two days now.


    [One can''t]


    [But right now, what''s essentially happening is that Yin Qi is merging with Xia Lu]


    [Meaning she is turning to Yin Qi itself thanks to her high-grade technique]


    Wei Jun nodded and went to the other room and lay down to sleep. He wasn''t sleepy but he also needed to be prepared for the next day. Although his body no longer required him to sleep for longer periods of time, he still slept anyway to rest his brain whether it was needed or not.


    ~~


    "I''m so excited," Lin Ruan uncharacteristically showed such childish emotions as she along with Wei Jun waited for the gate''s entrance to stabilize.


    Twenty disciples were to enter a gate as a team under the guidance of an elder and try to finish it on their own. Four more teams were going through something of a similar scenario.


    It wasn''t a competition but the team to do the best would receive rewards for clearing the gate and if their performance was extra good, they would have the chance of obtaining the boss monster''s core.


    It was a great motivation for everyone and although no one said anything about it, they still knew that it was a competition, not just with the other teams but among each other as well. After all, there was only one core and twenty of them.


    Only one person was uninterested in that reward and that was obviously Wei Jun. Wei Jun didn''t want such rewards. Of course, if he managed to obtain the core, he would welcome it but it wasn''t his goal. His goal was to raise his Death Qi.


    His Yang Qi was slowly becoming an enormous pool even though the requirement for the skills was also increasing along with it. Still, he had plenty of it but when it came to the Death Qi, his mood soured because he could only use each skill once and the Death Qi would have to be replenished.


    "Just try to hold it in," Wei Jun said because he wasn''t sure how to deal with this. He turned his head to his left side and saw none other than Ju Bai Lu looking back at him.


    If he had to explain his look in one word, then it definitely was ''Murderous''. Ju Bai Lu was looking at him as if he couldn''t wait to kill Wei Jun with both hands and then drink his blood to sate his anger and thirst for blood.


    Wei Jun smirked and mouthed, ''How''s your mommy?''


    Ju Bai Lu''s face was covered in visible vessels, relaying his anger which Wei Jun laughed at and turned his attention to the elder who had just appeared before them.


    "I''m sure you all want to be heroic and gather many achievements for more treasures and become elders to look me in the eye," The female elder who didn''t look any older than mid-forties with her exquisite features spoke. Read the latest on M-V-L


    "But none of them has any use when you''re dead. Now personally, I wouldn''t mind if you all be a little reckless in there and kill yourselves so I don''t have to worry about you pathetic creatures standing up to me," The elder was quite harsh with her words and finally finished.


    "But you''re all precious to the sect, unfortunately. So I will protect you to the point I can. But if you all still act like immature brats, then I wouldn''t care what happens to you. I don''t care if you have ties to the sect master, I wouldn''t hesitate to put you in your place," The elder finished her words, especially looking at Ju Bai Lu.


    After all, Ju Bai Lu led a considerable faction inside the sect because of his status as basically the prince of the sect.


    Of course, that didn''t mean he would definitely be the next sect master. He might not even make it to an elder if he wasn''t able to reach a certain point in his cultivation.


    The sect master wouldn''t favor him in the least and who he was wouldn''t matter. That was why, even now, the elder really didn''t respect Ju Bai Lu because to her, he was just another disciple and she was an elder.


    Ju Bai Lu was also aware of that fact so he lowered his head and said, "I will make sure not to be a hindrance to you, esteemed elder."


    "Your words don''t mean jack sh*t to me." The elder dismissed the sincere words of Ju Bai Lu which embarrassed him but he didn''t dare to say anything about it.


    No one else laughed at him as well because of who he was.


    Well, almost everyone.


    "Haha." Wei Jun made sure to let out a slight chuckle with a great tinge of mock hidden in it.


    Ju Bai Lu looked at Wei Jun with even more hatred which Wei Jun once again dismissed.


    "What are you laughing at, weakling?" The elder didn''t like Wei Jun laughing so she asked with her mood a little irked.


    "I was just thinking whether he would wince in pain or smile like a pervert when he would have your beautiful long legs wrapped around his neck." Wei Jun straightforwardly said.


    "¡­" Silence fell in front of the gate that was finally stabilized as everyone heard what Wei Jun said.


    He basically just hit on the hundred-year-old woman and her reaction wasn''t discernable from her neutral expression.

 Chapter 229: Hunting

    "Were you peeping on me?" The elder asked, her expression still neutral."No." Wei Jun replied with a straight face.


    "Then how do you know I have long legs through my robe?" The elder asked.


    "You have wide hips." Wei Jun replied.


    "Do you have a problem with wide hips?" The elder asked.


    "I dig wide hips." Wei Jun replied.


    "Good to know." The elder replied before she added, "And it would be his lucky day if I were to ever wrap my legs around his neck."


    "And yes, he would love it like a creep." The elder finished, making Wei Jun let out a chuckle again.


    The rest of the disciples, however, were speechless at this exchange. After all, not anyone has the guts to comment on an elder''s assets so openly and get away with it.


    "Now get ready, all of you. Because your world is about to change." The elder said before she turned around and walked towards the gate, beckoning the disciples to follow her which they did and also made their way to the gate.


    As Wei Jun, along with Lin Ruan, passed through the gate, what appeared in front of him was a red sky. The sun itself shining in the sky was of deep red color.


    But that was the secondary detail in that palace. It was humid, almost as if it was a swamp but there wasn''t a swamp for miles.


    There was, however, another condition that was fulfilled with a humid atmosphere.


    A hive.


    And a hive that was made underground, in the face of a mountain. Well, that was quite a sight to see.


    Wei Jun could see a small mountain about the size of a ten-story building with holes in it from where, occasionally, a giant insect would appear with its appearance resembling that of a bumblebee quite a lot.


    Just the size was something Wei Jun or any one of the disciples could wrap their heads around.


    "Blind bumblebee," The elder began and continued, "Fast, can fly, and is poisonous. Possible attacks include strong winds from its wings and the poisonous needle that it has on its face. It can also spit venom at you which is acidic in nature and once hit, there''s no going back."


    While everyone was listening to the elder, one bumblebee made its way to that area and looked around.


    "That finishes the description. Now get hunting." The elder said while pointing at that one bumblebee that was minding its own business a little away from them.


    The disciples nodded and began to prepare themselves. Qi flared in the sky which caused the bumblebee to turn to them and look at them with its hollow eyes.


    Seeing so, Wei Jun was also about to activate his skills when the system stopped him.


    [Don''t activate your Qi]


    ''Why not?'' Wei Jun asked, stopping for a second.


    [Blind bumblebees are not really blind]


    [They can see Qi signatures like how mosquitoes can see heat signatures] Stay updated through M-V-L


    [Don''t use your Qi and you can simply sneak up on it and kill it]


    [Or even if you walk up to it, it wouldn''t be a problem since it cannot see you]


    [It can still feel you on its body though]


    Wei Jun nodded.


    He then thought back to how the insect was minding its own business when the disciples activated their Qi and it was then that it turned its attention to them.


    Wei Jun then turned his head to the elder who was looking at the disciples. Feeling his gaze on her, the elder turned to Wei Jun and asked, "What?"


    "You''re not using your Qi." Wei Jun said.


    "So what? I don''t need it since I''m not fighting." The elder said, her face, her expression, her eyes, or any other body language giving no sign that she was lying but Wei Jun could tell she was.


    She wasn''t lying, she was just withholding information.


    [She''s quite cunning]


    ''She''s smart.'' Wei Jun replied.


    Wei Jun knew what she was doing and he agreed every bit with her. She was trying to take advantage of the disciples in case they were to injure themselves. Make them indebted to her.


    And also teach them a lesson while doing so.


    It would not only make them dependent on her more, she would also gain their gratitude.


    Of course, she would also gain their mistrust but that never mattered to her much. She didn''t care whether they trusted her or not. All she cared for was the fact that they would be indebted to her and she could receive that favor in the future.


    [Or she''s just trying to cull the competition and put everyone in their places]


    ''There''s that too.'' Wei Jun didn''t deny the possibility and turned his attention to the disciples who were desperately trying to fight the giant insect.


    The biggest problem they all faced was that no matter what they did, they couldn''t get an attack in. Well, attack was a farfetched term, they were too busy trying to dodge its saliva which even melted the ground a little.


    Everyone was covered in Qi barrier of Qi armament but Wei Jun could see one disciple squirming in pain.


    [As you guessed it]


    [Qi is useless against a blind bumblebee''s saliva]


    Wei Jun nodded and began to walk towards the bumblebee. While it was attacking everyone and they were taking cover behind the rocks, it could still find them and attack them.


    They all remained hidden, trying to formulate a plan because they didn''t have enough time to come up with one before.


    When they saw Wei Jun calmly walking toward the flying monster, some thought he was out of his mind while some were glad that he was walking to his death, ''Heh! Hurry up and die, you bastard.''


    Well, Ju Bai Lu''s inner thoughts were expected given how much he hated Wei Jun and how much Wei Jun had done to earn that hate.


    Only one person in the crowd was curious and that was the elder who could tell that Wei Jun had figured out the trick behind hunting a blind bumblebee, ''But it won''t be that easy.''


    There was a reason why cultivators relied on Qi. Of course, once they started practicing Qi, they became stronger than normal humans, but even that had a limit. Cultivators needed Qi to be truly strong. Strong enough to defeat that monster.


    However, Wei Jun didn''t stop even when the elder knew he knew that point.


    "Xiao Wei! What are you doing?!" Only one person was worried in that crowd and that was none other than his elder sister. She was hiding behind a rock when she saw Wei Jun and without a second thought, she also came out from behind it and tried to stop Wei Jun herself when the bumblebee threw venomous spit at her.


    She had no choice but to hurriedly retreat and get back but she yelled again when she saw that Wei Jun was now awfully close to the monster, "Stop, Xiao Wei!"


    However, her shouts of worry fell on deaf ears as the target of that worry was about a few meters away from the monster when he asked the system, ''Can it hear?''


    [Of course, it can]


    Wei Jun''s feet became quiet as soon as he heard that reply. His feet were light as a feather and he barely made any sound which surprised the elder who was watching his every move.


    As Wei Jun got closer to the monster, he silently moved behind it while it was busy spraying its venomous spit on some poor soul.


    Without thinking much, Wei Jun grabbed it from the bottom, the small stronger that wasn''t venomous according to the system, and spun it vertically in the air, slamming it down on the ground.


    It wasn''t that heavy so Wei Jun could easily do that. Next, without giving anyone any chance to do anything, Wei Jun moved to the front of the monster and grabbed the stinger on its face.


    [Qi empowerment Lv4 has been activated]


    [All physical stats +40]


    Wei Jun activated the skill and ripped the venomous stronger with his bare hands. Without giving the monster a chance, Wei Jun stabbed the bee in its mouth when it opened its mouth to relieve the pain in the form of a scream.


    The power of Wei Jun''s attack was so great that the slight miasma barrier around the bee crumbled in a second and the stinger penetrated the bee''s mouth, bolting it to the ground.


    The bee struggled, doing anything to get out but it wasn''t long before it died after bleeding out.


    As soon as it did, Wei Jun received the notification he loved to hear.


    [You have defeated a creature containing Miasma]


    [Your Death Qi has increased by 1] sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun smiled and moved away from the corpse as the elder landed beside it.


    The elder examined the corpse of the monster before she nodded and said, "Amazing. This is how a monster should be hunted. Efficiently and quickly."


    The rest of the disciples came out from behind the rocks and stared at Wei Jun in amazement while Lin Ruan ran up to him and hugged him.


    It was difficult to hug Wei Jun who was an entire foot taller than her but she still managed to push through.


    As for the rest, among the disciples, Ju Bai Lu was the only one who glared at Wei Jun like he had stolen his wife.


    "Well, I hope you all learned something from this," The elder said before she turned to Wei Jun and said, "Since you hunted it alone, it''s yours."


    The envy in other''s eyes only increased when they heard the elder and the elder continued, "You have five minutes to skin it and take the essentials. After that, we move whether you''re done or not."


    "That''s okay," Wei Jun simply said and touched the monster bee, making it disappear in front of everyone''s eyes.

 Chapter 230: Bait

    Another wave of envy passed throughout the entire crowd when they saw the ring on Wei Jun''s middle finger. It was silver in color and had a sapphire on it.[The ring of infinity]


    [Cost: 1,000,000]


    The ring of infinity was an item that worked like an inventory. It wasn''t much expensive and its cost was just 100,000,000 yuan.


    Of course, since it wasn''t that much expensive, it wasn''t very top-notch either. Just like the inventory, it only stored dead things but unlike the inventory of the system which was limitless, this ring, unfortunately, had a limit.


    In terms of size, it was only as big as Wei Jun''s apartment. It was a little bigger than that but that wasn''t much when Wei Jun was more used to the inventory.


    The good news was that Wei Jun only needed to show it. The next time he stored a corpse, he would be storing it in his inventory. To others, however, it would just seem like he was storing it in the subspace ring.


    "Nice treasure," The elder said.


    Wei Jun bowed and said, "If you ever like to have something similar, just let me know. I will make sure to get it for you."


    "I definitely will." The elder said but her tone was skeptical.


    [Do you think such rings grow on trees?]


    When the system asked the question, Wei Jun understood why the tone of the elder was skeptical. Such a treasure would obviously be rare so it didn''t make sense for Wei Jun to have more than one. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This one was too probably given by Sun Ruan was what everyone thought.


    ''How many do you have in your shop?'' Wei Jun asked because he could still see one in the shop. Since there was no number next to it, Wei Jun could only ask.


    [Millions]


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything to that because it felt like the system was just bragging.


    Wei Jun ignored the clamorous situation when Lin Ruan came close to him and said, "Wow. I can''t believe grandfather gave you something so precious."


    "He didn''t." Wei Jun straightforwardly replied.


    "What?" Lin Ruan was confused but she didn''t think Wei Jun was lying so she asked, "Then where did you get it from?"


    "From someone who can get me these things." Wei Jun replied but he wasn''t going to state the obvious. With this reply, Lin Ruan would just think that Wei Jun was hiding his source which was absolutely logical.


    "Can you get me one from that ''someone'' as well?" Lin Ruan hopefully asked before she added, "Though I doubt I can afford that."


    "How much do you think this thing can cost?" Wei Jun curiously asked.


    "Shouldn''t you know?" Lin Ruan asked.


    "Just trying to make sure I wasn''t overcharged." Wei Jun replied.


    "Hmmm?" Lin Ruan found the explanation reasonable so she thought for a moment and then replied, "Lowest of the lowest that can be around somewhere 100 cubic meters can cost up to 50,000,000. That too if someone is selling them."


    [See how reasonable my prices are]


    Seeing that the ring that Lin Ruan talked about was obtained at half the price but of so low quality that Wei Jun felt like it was a waste of money, Wei Jun agreed with the system that its prices were indeed reasonable.


    "So much is this one?" Lin Ruan asked.


    "I got it for 500 million. The space is around my apartment." Wei Jun nonchalantly replied.


    "¡­" However, Lin Ruan didn''t share that same nonchalance because that was practically impossible. The highest a ring known to ever exist was 1000 cubic meters. How could Wei Jun have something many, many times that?


    "Don''t be so shocked. I''ll get it for you too." Wei Jun said before he turned to the elder and asked, "What shall we do about the chain of command?"


    "Chain of command?" The elder asked, as if Wei Jun had said something stupid before she continued, "There is no chain of command. If you want to select a leader among yourselves, then feel free to duke it out. If you want to go your separate ways, that''s an option too.


    Just remember, in the latter case, I will keep my eyes on who I want to and ignore the rest." Though inwardly everyone she wasn''t going to keep an eye on them even in the former case.


    "Then let''s go," Wei Jun said to Lin Ruan and started to leave.


    Seeing him leave, some of the disciples also moved to go with him.


    When Wei Jun saw them, he gave them a sideway glance but allowed them to come with him. As long as they knew that he was the unspoken ruler among them, Wei Jun was willing to let them tag along.


    Of course, the spoils they would obtain from him would be very little as well.


    Seeing him leave with almost nine others, Ju Bai Lu also formed his own faction and left in the other direction.


    Watching them leave, the elder couldn''t help but admit how ruthless and cunning Wei Jun was. He had deliberately activated his Qi before he killed the monster even though he didn''t need to.


    He managed to conceal the fact that the monster couldn''t detect you if you weren''t covered in Qi.


    He was cunning because he managed to keep that information hidden from the other team and ruthless because the elder knew full well what he was going to do with his own teammates.


    ~~


    Wei Jun and Lin Ruan, along with eight others stopped after they had come a bit further away from the other party.


    Wei Jun cancelled his skill which evoked some murmurs in the small crowd but Wei Jun spoke before any of them could ask a question, "You all have only one role. Attract the bees. I will kill them."


    "¡­" No one knew what to say to that because not only was it direct, but it also came with a feeling that that was all they were good for.


    Of course, Wei Jun didn''t deny that and said, "You''re all useless," to their faces, "But you have use as bait."


    Before anyone could even take offense, they saw a giant bee heading in their direction from behind Wei Jun. They all jumped to take cover and Lin Ruan also moved while she said, "Behind you, Xiao Wei! Take cover!"


    Of course, her loud voice fell on deaf ears as Wei Jun remained in his spot, frozen and undetected. If not for their eyes, they wouldn''t have been able to perceive Wei Jun with any other of their senses.


    Before Lin Ruan could speak again, the giant bee passed Wei Jun and headed for them, ready to throw her poisonous saliva when Wei Jun, just as the bee passed him, moved with a stinger in his hand that he had used to kill the last bee and stabbed the bee in its head after a short jump.


    The bee fell, screamed in pain, and shortly after died. The entire process took five seconds and Wei Jun stood quietly while it died.


    [Death Qi +1]


    As it did, Wei Jun retrieved the stinger and stored the corpse in his inventory. He turned to the disciples and said, "You played your roles perfectly. Remember to do the same from now on."


    "¡­" All the disciples could do was look at Wei Jun speechlessly and just stand there.


    "And remain quiet just like you are now." Wei Jun added before he moved forward.


    ~~


    Two days later, the group was still outside the hive. After two days, Wei Jun had killed about 15 bees and no, there were no longer bees on the outside of the hive.


    "Do we have to go inside?" Lin Ruan asked the question that was on everyone''s mind and added, "It doesn''t seem safe in there."


    Wei Jun also knew that it would be dangerous on the inside. So far, they were only dealing with one bee per fight. However, according to the system, those were just stragglers. Scouts one could say if they would like to give them some importance.


    There were still proper soldiers on the inside. They wouldn''t be much but their numbers wouldn''t be singular as well.


    In the worst-case scenario, there could be all of them gathered in one place.


    The risk factor was very high while there wasn''t any possible solution in sight.


    [They''re bugs]


    ''I know.'' Wei Jun replied as the system said that out of nowhere. He was already racking his brain when the system once again said which annoyed him.


    [They''re bugs]


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    ''I know!''


    Wei Jun was properly annoyed when the system once again said the same thing.


    [They''re bugs]


    ''How many times are you goin¡ªOh!'' And it suddenly struck Wei Jun what the system was trying to say.


    Wei Jun hurriedly took out all the corpses he had and said, "Hurry up and start skinning them. Except for the meat, venom glands, and stingers, everything else is to be used immediately."


    "What? Why?" Lin Ruan was the only one who could question him so she asked the question for everyone.


    Wei Jun turned to her, and said with the most charming smile that struck the women in that group like a full-speed train, "We''re going to set the mountain on fire."


    "¡­"


    "What?"

 Chapter 231:

    "Watch the other side!" Ju Bai Lu yelled an order as he and his team tried to deal with a wasp. It was very hard to deal with it because it could somehow sense them even behind rocks and behind itself as well, making it very difficult to go around and attack."How the hell did that bastard do it?" A subordinate of Ju Bai Lu thought back to the moment when Wei Jun took care of the giant bee by himself so effortlessly that it seemed like a walk in the park to others.


    Yet, here they were, trying to defeat one bee for the last hour. In the last two days, they had only managed to hunt three bees, and even that at the cost of one disciple who would have been melted completely had the elder not saved him but then he was knocked out by the elder and thrown out of the gate, leaving Ju Bai Lu''s group at only nine.


    It was very difficult for them to hunt even one bee and now that they were less and not well fed, it was hard to deal with this one as well.


    It was already an accomplishment to do this much at their level but Ju Bai Lu couldn''t help but feel that he was behind Wei Jun even though they both were in different areas.


    "I won''t lose to that bastard," Ju Bai Lu replied, looking at the bumblebee who wasn''t in a good condition any longer after an hour of fighting but the same could be said for them as well.


    They were exhausted, hungry, and not well-rested for two days now. Of course, it was going to be difficult for them.


    Seeing no other choice, Ju Bai Lu decided to sacrifice another one of his teammates.


    "Bau Long, go and distract the bee," Ju Bai Lu said to one of his subordinates. Bau Long looked at Ju Bai Lu with a shocked expression, an expression of betrayal.


    He knew what distracting the bee meant and if he did that, he would either end up dead or out of this gate. It meant his chance at all glory would be gone for good.


    "But¡­" Bau Long tried to argue when Ju Bai Lu said, "Don''t worry about anything. I will remember this and offer you treasures as soon as we get out of here."


    Bau Long went silent. He knew it was all bullsh*t. He was being thrown under the bus and everyone there knew that.


    And while they felt pity for him, they were more relieved that it wasn''t one of them in Bau Long''s place.


    Seeing the eyes of the others on him, he knew he would have to accept this decision for the sake of others as well. No one would defend him because defending him would mean taking his place. No one was willing to do that.


    If he were to refuse, and somehow get out of this, the other one who would take his place would resent him and ultimately, Bau Long would be the one made out to be the villain of this story, not anyone else.


    "Understood," Bau Long quietly said and made his way to the bee while flaring his Qi to the maximum. The bee''s attention turned to him which allowed others to attack it as well.


    Alas, their attacks weren''t enough to immediately kill the bee which allowed the bee to attack Bau Long.


    Bau Long tried to dodge but no matter how determined and prepared he was, he still couldn''t dodge that attack and was about to be melted into nothingness when a shield of Qi appeared around him.


    At the same time, a hand grasped him from the back collar of his robe and pulled him. As he turned, it was the elder who was looking at him with clear disappointment in her eyes.


    "What are you so happy for? You were just cast aside like a leper." The elder said in a harsh tone before she pulled him and turned to Ju Bai Lu who was standing there, without any guilt.


    The elder shook Bau Long and said, "This bastard doesn''t care whether you die or not. All that matters to him is his own glory and his own hatred. You all are nothing but a pawn."


    Ju Bai Lu clenched his fists hard. So hard that his nails penetrated his flesh and hurt him from the inside.


    He wasn''t angry because the elder had said something wrong. No, she was right.


    What made Ju Bai Lu angry was the fact that she said so in front of everyone else. It meant Ju Bai Lu was going to lose a significant amount of his subordinates now.


    He wanted to jump forward and punch the elder for tearing apart his group but he knew how that would end. Attacking an elder was unforgivable and even his father wouldn''t be able to save him because although the sect master was his uncle, the sect was more important to him than his own blood. He will judge Ju Bai Lu like any other rule breaker and that wouldn''t spell good for Ju Bai Lu.


    Ju Bai Lu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth but remained silent all the time. The elder scoffed at him for that and anyone could sense the belittlement in that scoff.


    She turned and left, taking Bau Long with her.


    She then turned to the other side of the gate where she could sense that not one disciple had been injured and their gains were more than five times that of Ju Bai Lu.


    Not only were they well-fed, but they were also well-rested which made the hunt very easy for them. Not to mention the monster who could kill the literal monsters by himself using the sole weakness they had.


    In a way, both Ju Bai Lu and Wei Jun were using their teammates but the difference was that Wei Jun was also taking care of them like a leader.


    Of course, he was anything but a leader but he still didn''t let them feel they were unimportant.


    The elder nodded in approval and kept walking in the direction of the exit of the gate with a sad Bau Long who was regretting the decision he made.


    Suddenly, she stopped.


    Boom!!!


    An explosion that shook the entire gate was generated from the other side of the gate, the other side of the mountain.


    She hurriedly expanded her Qi to check but what she saw surprised her, shocked her, amazed her, and most of all, stupefied her.


    "That crazy¡­" The elder couldn''t find words to describe what she was seeing.


    ~~


    Just after the elder left, everyone looked at Ju Bai Lu, awaiting an answer when he said, "So what?"


    That was all that needed to be said to assure the others that what the elder said was a hundred percent true.


    "I don''t think I need to say that this is a competition, not just with the other groups but amongst ourselves as well. So in the end, there would only be one winner while some would get away with something and the others wouldn''t even get that little something. I refuse to be the one from the last two categories.


    So if you want to go with me, you will have to admit me as the winner of this competition. Otherwise," Ju Bai Lu paused before he examined every expression and said, "You can all leave."


    No other words needed to be said. The meaning was clear and everything was out in the open for them to see.


    Yet, none of them left. Worthless, they were and that was the truth they were well aware of.


    Ju Bai Lu was strong and without him, they didn''t stand a chance against the monsters and Wei Jun wasn''t going to take them when they all belonged to the opposing faction of Sun Ruan''s.


    If they were to leave Ju Bai Lu, it would not only make things harder for them on the outside, but it would also mean it was the end for them inside the gate.


    No one left.


    Ju Bai Lu smirked.


    He knew they wouldn''t which was why he let everything out. Of course, he knew it wasn''t a good thing for him as well. Where he had loyal subordinates before, he now had cultivators who had no other choice than to be with him.


    And that simply meant things would be difficult for him on the outside as well.


    Still, thanks to the elder, that scenario was already thrown down the hill. They would go out and tell their masters everything and that might also end up benefiting Sun Ruan who wouldn''t let go of such an opportunity.


    Since that was the case, he might as well use them to the fullest and conquer this gate. The rest was for later.


    ''I''m sure that bastard wouldn''t be much far ahead as we--'' Find adventures at M-V-L


    Boomm!!!


    Interrupting his thoughts was a giant explosion from the other side of the mountain that shook them along with the ground beneath them.


    Ju Bai Lu hurriedly turned to the site to see half of the hive mountain gone. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What the¡­"

 Chapter 232: What season?!

    [Death Qi +1][Death Qi +1]


    [Death Qi +1]


    [Dea¡­]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    [Death Qi +37]


    Wei Jun wasn''t very ecstatic about this notification. That big explosion with so many things used and all he obtained was 37 points of Death Qi which meant he only managed to kill 37 bumblebees.


    Wei Jun looked at the bodies of the bees as he, along with his party, entered the beehive. Wei Jun could see many burnt corpses, many intact while many were divided into so many pieces that it was hard to count.


    Still, he stored everything in his inventory and he could just have his team clean them up later and then divide them.


    "Don''t use any of your Qi from beyond this point, understood?" Wei Jun said.


    While everyone was left puzzled at such an instruction, they agreed anyway because Wei Jun was the one who had been keeping them fed and rested for the past two days.


    In such a situation where they didn''t know how long they would be stuck in the gate, no one would even share a drop of water yet Wei Jun had brought in enough food to last all of them a month and he didn''t hold back on giving it to them.


    Wei Jun was also relieved that such a small amount of food made them trust him. He wasn''t very optimistic about this approach but they were all quite gullible. Given that the youngest amongst them was just a thirteen-year-old cultivator, Wei Jun was worried there might be tantrums or stubbornness among them but he still followed the system''s advice and it worked.


    Another thing Wei Jun was worried about was the number of bees inside the hive but according to the system, there would be more than 100 at max. Even that was a stretch and Wei Jun was asked to expect less.


    Now in a usual situation, that wouldn''t have been great since these monsters were the source of his Death Qi but at the current moment, Wei Jun was relieved that the number was less because he himself wasn''t confident in killing such a big number without Qi and using Qi in this environment was attracting every monster to him.


    ''Turns out it isn''t that good of a limit,'' Wei Jun said inwardly.


    [That''s what equality is]


    The system replied like a wise old man which Wei Jun couldn''t help but admit was right. Even in his case, equality was applied.


    Whereas others could raise their stats by hundreds upon activating the Qi armament, Wei Jun would only get a set number of stat point increases and even that was followed by a limit of a cooldown.


    But compared to others, it was much more stable and wasn''t connected to his condition. It meant it wouldn''t run out even if his health ran down or the same with his Qi.


    Once activated, and have consumed Qi, the skill wouldn''t deactivate until time ran out, regardless of Wei Jun''s mental condition.


    Not only that, the amount of Qi used was also very low compared to others. Where others could only activate their skill once, or twice at best, Wei Jun could do the same thing by at least four times with his current Qi amount.


    Wei Jun turned to look at the thirteen-year-old kid and couldn''t help but shake his head. He was also a reason why he was willing to treat them well.


    ''If my brother found out I mistreated children¡­'' Just thinking about it ran shivers down his spine. His brother wasn''t a harsh person but when it came to his morals, Wei Jun wasn''t a younger lovely brother anymore but the younger brother in need of strict guidance.


    And the amount of injuries Wei Jun incurred in those strict sessions still left him with chills of fear.


    "There''s something up ahead," Lin Ruan whispered which Wei Jun had noticed himself. But that was the thing. Wei Jun and Lin Ruan noticed it at the same time even though Wei Jun was more vigilant.


    It meant whatever was ahead was intentionally making its presence known. As Wei Jun kept moving because he couldn''t see since he couldn''t apply Qi to his eyes, he appeared in a clearing where there was a scene that scared the girls and boys alike.


    "I''m gonna be sick," Lin Ruan said while a girl even puked in the corner.


    In the clearing was a giant bee who was getting some attention from what looked like a male bee.


    [It''s the mating season from the looks of it]


    [You''re lucky]


    ''Lucky?'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but ask because he wasn''t feeling very lucky seeing two monsters get some with an audience present.


    [In mating season, all bees are attracted to the queen bee]


    [You kill queen bee, they all come at you]


    [But if you leave her and kill the others one by one, they wouldn''t even bat an eye at you]


    [And I doubt the queen would be willing to interrupt her happy time when some commoners die]


    ''You think?'' Wei Jun felt like he could see the happy expression on the queen bee''s face and it made him all the more disturbed.


    "I can''t stay here," Lin Ruan whispered again.


    Wei Jun could sympathize with her situation but the situation was too good for him to just ignore.


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    The presence Wei Jun felt before wasn''t someone intentionally making its presence known to them.


    No, it was the queen bee giving a free invite to the cave of happiness.


    Wei Jun sighed and took out two bee stingers from his inventory. He counted at least forty above bees. He wasn''t going to let this situation get out of hand even if he had to witness that scene which made him sicker.


    "Take them out." Wei Jun said to Lin Ruan who was more than happy to receive that command and finally stopped covering the eyes of the thirteen-year-old and took his, along with everyone else out.


    Once they were gone, Wei Jun got to work.


    It was true. As the system said, the bees were so distracted by the scent released from the queen that they couldn''t even sense someone penetrating their heads.


    One, two, three, for, and so on. Wei Jun killed almost thirty-five bees in a row and now there were only five bees a little bigger than others and the queen herself remained.


    [Those are queen''s guards]


    [They''re also what you could call her husbands]


    [She wouldn''t remain quiet if any one of them died]


    ''Why didn''t she bat an eye when I killed the rest?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Look at the ceiling]


    [Look at the eggs]


    [There are millions of them up there out of which, hundreds of them have a chance of being born]


    [However, the guards only have the chance of being born once a century or even a millennial]


    [They''re much more precious than random bees who have a small shelf life anyway]


    Wei Jun nodded and sighed.


    It seemed like a fight was inevitable.


    [Skill ''Qi armament'' has been activated]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment has been activated]


    [All physical stats +40]


    Wei Jun let his presence known. He looked at the bee, the queen bee, who was also kind of looking back at him because she didn''t have eyes but she could still see him thanks to Wei Jun''s Qi, still enjoying herself, without caring even a bit about him.


    "Now that pisses me off," Wei Jun said out loud.


    The meaning in the bee''s imaginary eyes was clear. He wasn''t her opponent.


    Wei Jun jumped high up and aimed for one of the guards who turned around, not lost like the other bees before it, and shot a mouthful of saliva at Wei Jun while he was still midair.


    [Qi discharge]


    Wei Jun used five points of Qi discharge to propel himself to the left to dodge that attack and used it once again to propel himself back to the guard bee.


    The guard bee was slightly taken aback but it didn''t panic. Instead, it shook its wings as strong pressure fell on Wei Jun which was purely from the powerful wave of the guard bee''s wings.


    Still, his charge was only slightly thwarted as he extended his palms behind him and used Qi discharge to propel himself forward.


    Just like that, in just a few seconds, he was almost above the guard bee when he felt his senses tingle.


    Wei Jun immediately let twenty points of Qi from his feet and propelled him towards the ceiling, just in time to dodge another wave of venomous saliva. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Your opponent is not just one]


    Only one guard was busy mating with the queen. Four were still free.


    And unlike the queen''s consorts who were usually jealous of each other¡­


    [They''re also brothers]


    Wei Jun saw that there were four bees who were attentive to him. Wei Jun thought that even if they didn''t have eyes, they all had their eyes on him.


    A threat that Wei Jun wasn''t so sure about facing alone but¡­


    [It''s exhilarating, isn''t it?]


    ''It is,'' Wei Jun replied as he created a spike using [Qi construct].


    [Well, that can''t be helped]


    [That madness comes with the Smith bloodline, after all]

 Chapter 233: Queen bee

    "Kguh!" Wei Jun was struck by the full weight of a guard bee and flung to the end of the cave. There were four bees attacking him at once and it was very difficult for him to dodge all of their attacks.While the queen bee and another guard bee were busy, the rest of the four were enough to defeat Wei Jun many times over and the only reason he was able to survive was because of his strength and martial arts skills.


    Still, that was proving to be harder and harder as time went on and in no time, he was on the verge of being cornered.


    But¡­


    [HP 41\\103]


    Wei Jun''s HP was still strong enough for him to engage with the bees. But the problem was that that wasn''t enough. Just being engaged with them wasn''t enough. Wei Jun needed to at least get some attacks in but no matter what he did, the guard bees had excellent coordination with each other.


    As if they all had one mind and different bodies. Their coordination was to the point that Wei Jun thought it was near perfect. So much so that he couldn''t find a crack in that defense even after four minutes of fighting.


    But, that crack soon came.


    It wasn''t long before the guard bees changed places with the queen bee and Wei Jun, for the first time, noticed competitiveness among them.


    They were about to fight who would go next and in that brief moment, they ignored Wei Jun completely.


    [Don''t attack them yet!]


    Wei Jun was about to move in when the system stopped him. Wei Jun stopped. He was confused as to why the system said that but he stopped regardless and he was glad he did because he felt the face of the Queen bee on him.


    There were no eyes but Wei Jun could feel a certain sense of danger from that face, as if she was warning him to let her children duke it out amongst themselves first and then make his move.


    ''This bit*h¡­'' Wei Jun was left speechless at the scene he was witnessing. She wasn''t even considering Wei Jun an opponent. She was just there for her children''s entertainment and bonding.


    It made him angry beyond reason.


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    [Host, calm down!]


    "SHUT THE FU*K UPPP!!!!"


    Anger beyond reason wasn''t just something Wei Jun could turn and shut down.


    Wei Jun let out waves of Qi that spread throughout the surroundings and attracted the attention of the bees to him. The queen bee still had her face turned to him but she subtly shook her head as well, as if she was thinking what a fool and did nothing more than fuel Wei Jun''s anger.


    Wei Jun pulled out the machine gun in his inventory and without a care in the world, aimed it at the ceiling of the cave and began to shoot.


    Pop!


    Crackle!!!!


    Shells broke down which made the queen bee scream and following her scream, the guard bees launched at Wei Jun at once.


    Wei Jun smirked, put the gun back, and pulled out the bee stingers. The guard bees weren''t playing anymore. They were rushed. What it meant was simple. Their coordination wasn''t there anymore.


    Wei Jun jumped high up and used Qi discharge to propel him up further. Just as he was close to the ceiling of the cave, he looked at the queen bee and smirked, taunting her back for how she taunted him.


    Wei Jun pulled a plethora of explosives from his inventory and stuck them up into the ceiling.


    He looked down at the queen, knowing she couldn''t see him but he still raised his middle finger and said, "Fu*k you, you bit*h!!!"


    [Qi discharge]


    Emitting Qi from his feet to the maximum, Wei Jun headed for the exit of the cave but one of the guard bees was able to block his path.


    Wei Jun didn''t slow down but instead, he increased his speed to the maximum he could and rammed into the guard bee before it could let out the venomous saliva from its open mouth.


    Bam!!!


    Wei Jun fell on the ground along with the guard bee but before anyone could come to their senses, Wei Jun hurriedly turned and flipped the guard bee on top of him.


    Just as he did¡­


    Boom!!!


    An explosion unlike the one before shook everything in the gate. The hive mountain blew up in its entirety, all of it collapsing from the great explosion.


    The elder on the outside made sure to protect the disciples but even she couldn''t believe it to the point Wei Jun went to kill everything in the beehive, even putting himself in grave danger.


    "Surround them!" While the elder was busy shielding the disciples who just come out of the cave and were disoriented by the blast, Ju Bai Lu yelled an order to his subordinates.


    ''What a trash!'' The elder couldn''t help but say in her heart as she saw Ju Bai Lu surrounding the students and attacking Lin Ruan.


    The others in his group attacked the other disciples too and a fight broke out.


    The elder shook her head. Even though it was cowardly, no rule was broken and Ju Bai Lu was just doing what his baser human instincts told him to.


    Instead, she just remained there to make sure no one died. Because that was her task and only that. Nothing more.


    ''Let him and my nephew fight if it ever came to it. Just make sure they don''t die.'' She remembered the sect master''s words and couldn''t help but be puzzled by them.


    "Ugh~~~"


    Inside the cave, Wei Jun laboriously pushed the bee on top of him but no matter what he did, he didn''t know how deep of a rubble he was buried in.


    [Multiple contusions detected]


    [Multiple ruptures detected]


    [Multiple bone fractures detected]


    [Number of dislocated joints: 14]


    [Number of broken bones: 37]


    [You have been afflicted with the status ''Extremely injured'']


    [You will lose 1 point of HP every 30 seconds]


    [HP 8\\102]


    [Death Qi +28]


    Wei Jun didn''t know why the emergency healing function of the system wasn''t activated, but he wasn''t very eager to find out either.


    He still had enough HP to last him four minutes and he wanted to make sure he got out of there before he took a healing pill.


    Destroying the hive had only earned him 28 points of Death Qi but with the small number of bees he killed, he was sure that the queen bee would have died as well since he only received this high of a point from a higher-ranking monster.


    While Wei Jun was busy pushing, he felt as if the weight on him was getting less and less by the second.


    ''Must be one of the disciples or the elder,'' Wei Jun thought but he couldn''t be sure because he was still getting by due to the activated skills but his Qi had long since run out using [Qi construct] and [Qi discharge] so many times.


    He decided he would take both of the pills after when he got out from underneath the rubble.


    But as the weight on him was lessening, he felt something fall on his cheek.


    And¡­


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    His face burned.


    [HP -2]


    And that wasn''t all. There was more dripping from the rubble. The rubble wasn''t lessening in pressure. It was being straight-up melted.


    Wei Jun hurriedly consumed both pills and put his hand on the front. As he touched the back of the bee that was holding all of the rubble back from crushing him, Wei Jun thought of trying the only thing he had never done before.


    "Open inventory!"


    Wei Jun began to store everything in front of him in the inventory. As the rubble fell on his hand and injured him, it was instantly stored in the inventory once the protection of the guard bee was gone.


    Wei Jun had never thought of trying this before but he wasn''t in a situation to think whether or not he should do it. He just had a sudden idea and he attempted it on the spot and to his luck, it worked.


    But, it wasn''t long before he found out why the rubble on top of him was being melted.


    Wei Jun hurriedly let all of his Qi out, as much as he could in each discharge, and propelled him upwards, trying to dodge the puddle of venom that had formed underneath him, just before the rocks he was lying on.


    "This bit*h!"


    Wei Jun was taken aback by the sight of the injured queen who screamed as soon as she felt him appear on the surface and let out as much venomous saliva as she could and shot it at him.


    Wei Jun managed to avoid most of it but he was still caught up in it which caused his Qi barrier to melt and crack along with his body and he crashed into the ground.


    [HP -76]


    "Arrgghhh!!!"


    Wei Jun gritted his teeth, or at least half of it because the left side of his face from below his ear and the left side of his body were melted away by the venom of the queen bee.


    Wei Jun, even in that tremendous pain, looked at the queen bee who was slowly advancing towards him, her wings damaged so she had to walk.


    ''Fu*k.''

 Chapter 234: Queen bee, and an idiot?

    [Phoenix tears have been used]Wei Jun''s health was restored and his wounds healed, not to mention half of his body regenerated, at a breakneck speed. Just enough for the queen bee to still be a little away when Wei Jun stood up and ran in his right direction.


    Wei Jun raised his head to discover that he was deeper in the ground than at sea level. It made sense since the mountain hive was only a little above the ground while most of it was buried underneath the ground.


    Wei Jun wasn''t very deep and he could easily climb out of there but the queen bee wasn''t going to let him and even if she did, Wei Jun wasn''t going to leave when there was prey that could increase his strength right before him, wounded like a prepared dish for him.


    Wei Jun wasn''t going to run since the beginning. But he was also a little bit flustered.


    [QP 1094\\1200]


    Wei Jun didn''t have a Qi pill to consume anymore for the next hour and even the health pill was on the cooldown for at least nine minutes.


    Although the queen bee was injured, couldn''t fly, and seemed to be bleeding from some spots, it was still strong enough for Wei Jun to deal with without any backups.


    ''It doesn''t even have eyes,'' If the queen bee had eyes, Wei Jun could have used a flashbang but it was useless in this situation where his opponent was genetically blind.


    Wei Jun stopped at a certain point and pulled out two bee stingers from his inventory. He channeled Qi around them using Qi discharge.


    [You have coated a weapon in Qi]


    [Skill: Weapon enhancement has been created]


    [Weapon''s durability and attack power have been significantly increased]


    [Weapon''s durability will be affected after the skill ends]


    Wei Jun had only discovered this feature but he liked it. He also tried using it on a gun but as soon as the yang energy''s heat interacted with the bullets, the gun exploded which wasn''t a pleasant experience for Wei Jun.


    Still, Wei Jun''s Qi armament was activated and the damage wasn''t severe. Wei Jun then turned his attention to the queen bee who was getting closer and closer.


    ''You have some tips for me?'' Wei Jun asked the system just in case because it hadn''t given any advice for some time now.


    [Watch out for the mist]


    ''What mist?'' Wei Jun asked but he quickly got his answer when the queen bee began to emit something from its body. A densely green fog that gave the impression of mist.


    Wei Jun hurriedly jumped back because he had already felt some of it on his Qi barrier and his Qi barrier cracked, visibly and greatly.


    Luckily, he wasn''t damaged but that was an attack the elder didn''t tell him about and if not for the system, Wei Jun would have been caught up in it.


    [She probably knew none of the disciples would be crazy enough to attempt this atrocity]


    ''How do I protect myself from that?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You can''t]


    [There is an antidote, but it isn''t for this mist but the venom]


    [This mist cannot be neutralized by anything]


    [Your Dark Qi, maybe]


    [But use that and the elder outside will feel it in an instant]


    Wei Jun nodded and moved further back, looking at the queen bee who opened her mouth and shot a ball of venomous saliva at him.


    Wei Jun managed to dodge it but just as he did, he noticed that the bee suddenly closed the distance between him and itself.


    It was still far enough for Wei Jun to move back but he noticed that the bee was quite fast still.


    It wasn''t that the bee was hiding its original speed and trying to make Wei Jun lose his guard. It was getting faster because it was healing at a slow rate.


    It wasn''t visible by the second but compared to a minute ago when Wei Jun saw the injured queen bee, the queen bee now was looking much better.


    Wei Jun threw one of the stingers in his hand and it struck the moving bee in its wing. Wei Jun aimed for its head but it kept moving so it was difficult for Wei Jun to aim properly.


    Wei Jun quickly predicted the movement of the bee and shot the other stinger as well but the bee suddenly stopped, making Wei Jun miss the mark again.


    ''Its intellect is frightening,'' Wei Jun said.


    Even though it didn''t have eyes, it could still predict how Wei Jun would throw the stinger and stop its movements midway through which caused the stronger to miss and Wei Jun to lose both of his weapons.


    But, he still managed to pierce one wing of it which meant that Wei Jun could rest assured by the flight aspect of this battle for a while but seeing that it was healing at a crazy good rate, Wei Jun wasn''t very optimistic about that.


    ''And then there''s that¡­'' Wei Jun noticed that the slight mist emitting from the queen bee''s body wasn''t dissipating but settling down on the ground.


    [It''s denser than air]


    ''Of course, it is,'' Wei Jun said, annoyed at how many handicaps the queen bee had and how many limitations he had.


    Wei Jun pulled two more stingers from his inventory and shot channeled Qi through them but this time, he used the skill which increased the effectiveness significantly even though the amount of Qi he used was half than before.


    Wei Jun threw them at the queen bee and hoped to strike it but it managed to dodge both of them so this time, Wei Jun pulled four of them out, two in each hand, stuck between his fingers.


    Wei Jun threw two first and when the queen bee moved to dodge them, he threw the rest but it still managed to dodge them albeit getting struck in one of its wings again, barely getting any damage.


    But Wei Jun had a smirk on his face. The mist was spreading through the cave but it wasn''t at a speed that he would have to immediately worry about it.


    He had enough stingers to kill the queen bee as long as he could find an opening. But if he couldn''t see one, he just had to create one.


    Wei Jun grinned sinisterly and pulled out the dead body of the guard bee that he had used to protect himself from the collapse of the hive mountain.


    When the queen bee felt the presence of its dead child, it lost it and ran towards Wei Jun. Wei Jun smirked, touching the corpse to store it back before he shot two of the stingers he had prepared at the charging queen bee.


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    Still, the bee was able to put a stop to its charge almost instantly and dodged the stingers without much effort.


    ''Huh?'' Suddenly Wei Jun was struck with a realization.


    [You realized too late]


    [This fight could have ended long ago if you did]


    The system was inadvertently calling Wei Jun ''slow'' or ''idiot'', but Wei Jun didn''t mind. He considered he was. Because the hint was in front of his eyes all the time. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Blind bumblebees can only see Qi, nothing else.


    Wasn''t he using Qi on the stingers all this time?


    He deserved to be called slow if not an idiot.


    Wei Jun once again pulled stingers out of his inventory and shot them at the queen bee without using his skill. This time, the queen was able to dodge but not as well as before.


    [Remnant Qi remains on the stingers when they leave your hand]


    Wei Jun nodded and canceled his skills, all of them. As he felt power leaving his body and his senses slowing down than before, he looked at the bee whose face was still in his direction, but Wei Jun could sense clear confusion from it.


    Wei Jun smirked once again, the sinister grin from before returned when Wei Jun pulled four stingers out of his inventory and shot them at the queen bee.


    The slight sound that was produced as the stingers pierced the air, allowed the queen bee to still dodge but it wasn''t able to dodge that well.


    Wei Jun''s grin widened as he pulled four stingers this time, throwing them at the queen bee in short intervals, aiming at different areas in its body.


    The first two were dodged which Wei Jun once again expected but the last two pierced her wing and lower stomach at once.


    Wei Jun smirked and pulled four more. He could have shot the bee in her heart or somewhere more vital but he chose body parts that would hurt more and kill her slowly.


    "Let''s see," Wei Jun said as he saw the queen bee''s head turn to him, "How much of my HP did I lose to you?"


    "I will be magnanimous and take only half of it, slowly and painfully."

 Chapter 235: The best noise?

    Before it gets too long, let me get straight to the point.> Flue season, I''m down with flu.


    > App not working on my phone for some reason so if you have any replies pending, this is the reason why I haven''t replied.


    Enjoy!


    ~~


    "What are you doing, Ju Bai Lu?! Do you think you would be safe after this?" Lin Ruan yelled as she dodged a swing from Ju Bai Lu who was attacking her without restraint while she had to be on the defensive because Ju Bai Lu wasn''t caring about how he hit them, he was just hitting them, regardless of the consequences.


    So long they didn''t die, the elder wasn''t going to intervene so Ju Bai Lu was careful but also unrestrained.


    Lin Ruan knew why he was doing this so she wasn''t looking for a reply. She was just warning him which Ju Bai Lu also knew.


    "Just hand over the corpses you hunted, and I will let you all go," Ju Bai Lu said.


    "Do you see any on us?!" Lin Ruan loudly exclaimed as she dodged another strike while trying to counter attack but she wasn''t able to because Ju Bai Lu''s henchmen were there to keep her under control.


    "Tch," She had no choice but to be on the defensive. Power-wise, she was stronger than Ju Bai Lu but she was alone because her team wasn''t that well experienced like Ju Bai Lu''s.


    "I know you don''t have them but he has them in that treasure of his. I wonder if he would be willing to give up both for his sister or will he abandon everything just like his grandfather." Ju Bai Lu taunted Lin Ruan, gripping the coldness of Sun Ruan that everyone knew about.


    Even Lin Ruan knew that Sun Ruan wouldn''t hesitate twice to use her for his own benefit so that was a statement she couldn''t refute.


    And it did what Ju Bai Lu wanted. It distracted her. She couldn''t help but think about the fate that awaited her and that was enough to keep her mind off of the fight for just a second but that second was all Ju Bai Lu needed.


    Ju Bai Lu used most of his Qi in that attack and struck Lin Ruan in her abdomen, severely damaging her insides along with her Qi core.


    "Kuqgh!!!" Lin Ruan coughed a mouthful of blood from the injuries and her insides also began to freeze due to her yin core because it was slowly depleting.


    ''Pity,'' The elder thought as she saw the fate of Lin Ruan. She doubted Lin Ruan would ever be able to cultivate again seeing her core was so badly damaged. She wouldn''t die because before she did, she would save her, but there was nothing she could do for her Qi core.


    And she doubted anyone would anything about that. Why waste resources fixing someone up when you could take something of much more value using that as a cause?


    She was well aware of Sun Ruan''s nature and she knew that was what precisely he would do. Lin Ruan knew that too which was the reason her expression quickly turned to despair, not even trying to control her rampaging Qi.


    "Haha," Ju Bai Ly laughed as he kicked her in her stomach.


    "Kugh!" Lin Ruan gritted her teeth and tried to protect her stomach but Ju Bai Lu was ruthless enough to not care. He kicked her again in the same spot, shaking her internals already than they were, bringing her an inch closer to death.


    The elder, seeing the situation was about to dive in when suddenly¡­


    Step.


    Step.


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    Calm but consistent steps resounded in that space. Steps that should have been concealed in the humid environment were resounding throughout the place. Someone was intentionally making their presence known.


    "So he really killed it," The elder said.


    Her expression couldn''t be read with how expressionless her face was, but her eyes couldn''t conceal her surprise. A monster even she would have to be cautious about was defeated by a boy who seemed to be in quite a good condition.


    Of course, she was surprised.


    But more than that, she was curious as to what he would do about this now.


    Wei Jun looked at the current situation calmly, letting his presence known out loud because he wanted them to.


    He saw the appearance of his team who he took care of for two days even though they weren''t that useful. He looked at the cowering thirteen-year-old because of how scared she was.


    And then looked at Lin Ruan.


    "Don''t even think about moving!" Ju Bai Lu said, "I''ll kill her!"


    His blade was on Lin Ruan''s neck as he crouched to place it since Lin Ruan was on the ground. Wei Jun paid him no mind and looked at Lin Ruan.


    She was also looking back at her. Despair in her eyes as he could spot a look of plea in her eyes.


    She was asking him not to abandon him even if he wasn''t able to save her.


    ''So that''s what she fears,'' Wei Jun calmly thought and kept looking at her.


    [Her core is damaged]


    [Badly]


    [She wouldn''t be able to cultivate ever again]


    ''Ever again?'' Wei Jun asked to be sure.


    [Nothing a Phoenix tear can''t fix]


    Wei Jun turned his head to the elder who was a little away but still in appropriate range to stop anything unseen from happening.


    "As long as I don''t kill them, it''s fine, right?" Wei Jun asked.


    The elder looked back at him and said without hesitation or a moment''s thought, "As long as they''re not dead."


    That was all the answer he needed.


    He turned to look at look at Ju Bai Lu, his Qi flaring. Ju Bai Lu hurriedly pushed, nicking Lin Ruan, and said, "I''m not joking! I really will kill her!"


    "No, you won''t." Wei Jun said calmly.


    "I can and I will!" Ju Bai Lu once again inserted a little of his dagger into Lin Ruan''s neck.


    "I''m sure you will." Wei Jun said as a stinger appeared in his hand.


    [Weapon enhancement]


    Swish!


    Something flew past Ju Bai Lu as he felt something. Something fleeting as if he lost something very precious to him but he couldn''t tell what it was. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Blood spattered on Lin Ruan''s face as she closed her eyes instinctively. As she opened them again, she found that the dagger was still pointed at her, but the hand holding it was no longer attached to its owner. Not just the hand, but the entire arm.


    "Kaahhh!!!!!!!!!!!" A scream of pain spread throughout the entire gate as Ju Bai Lu rolled on the ground, not being able to bear the pain of losing his entire arm and that too in an instant.


    Step.


    Once again Wei Jun stepped forward. Making his way to Lin Ruan but this time, his firm steps weren''t blocked by anyone because no one dared to.


    How could they? The Qi emitting from Wei Jun wasn''t something any of them could comprehend. Not to mention another skill he had activated which was making everyone, including his own team hesitant to approach him.


    [Skill ''Terror'' has been activated]


    The skill itself made Wei Jun''s visage so terrifying that everyone was hesitant to approach him.


    Wei Jun passed the trembling henchmen of Ju Bai Lu and stopped in front of Lin Ruan whose stomach area was blue which he could see through her torn robe.


    [Phoenix tear has been purchased]


    Wei Jun opened the vial and put the contents in her mouth while Lin Ruan looked at him, her eyes not being able to convey what she was feeling right now.


    Wei Jun stood up as she started healing and said, "I''m not the old man," and passed her, making his way to the screaming Ju Bai Lu, not forgetting to pick up his severed arm.


    Wei Jun stepped harshly to the left leg of Ju Bai Lu who was still trying to cope with the pain so Wei Jun helped to distract him from that pain with all the kindness in his heart.


    Of course, if a leg ended up broken in that act of kindness, Wei Jun couldn''t be blamed for that.


    "Argghh!!!" Ju Bai Lu again screamed in pain as he felt his leg break but it was not as severe as losing an arm.


    Wei Jun waved the arm in front of Ju Bai Lu''s eyes but he was in too much pain to pay any attention to it.


    Wei Jun sighed and stored the arm in his inventory. The last thing he wanted was a war so he would keep the arm as collateral. After all, the things in his inventory always remained fresh no matter how old they were.


    His severed arm could still be attached if an appropriate price was paid for it.


    After all, Wei Jun had all the reason in the world.


    Crunch!


    "Ahhhggghh!!!"


    But since he was dealing damage anyway, what was wrong about breaking a few more? After all, at an estimate, Ju Bai Lu only had 23 of his bones broken. He still had a lot more left.


    ''Let''s see which one makes the best crunchy noise.'' Wei Jun excitedly grabbed Ju Bai Lu''s finger and crushed it with his hand.


    ''Not this one.''


    ''Let''s keep going.''

 Chapter 236: Reconciliation?

    "This is outrageous!" Elder Lu slammed his hands on the round table in a fit of anger but not a single dent was made in the table. Not because he was weak, but just because of how sturdy and tough the table was."You shouldn''t be saying that Elder Lu when your own son started this," Elder Zhiang said in response.


    "He was sure not to leave any permanent damage, isn''t that so, Elder Shao?" Elder Lu asked the elder who was in charge of the Wei Jun''s group''s gate expedition, otherwise known as Elder Chun Shao.


    Chun Shao looked at the sect master who was looking back at her and replied, "I remember disciple Ju Bai Lu attacking and damaging disciple Lin Ruan''s Qi core."


    "Then why is there no proof of it?" Another elder on the side of Elder Lu asked. It was true that Lin Ruan was almost killed but the keyword was ''almost''. Chun Shao wouldn''t have let her die but she wouldn''t have interfered otherwise even if her cultivation was damaged.


    But that also changed when Wei Jun fed her some magical elixir that fixed her Qi core to perfection and even allowed her to break through to the peak stage of the Qi manifestation realm.


    Chun Shao was flabbergasted when she such an elixir because it was widely known that once one''s cultivation was gone; it was gone for the good unless they were willing to go through the grueling process of erasing their Qi core to create a new one if they survived the process first.


    Chun Shao relayed that detail to the sect master but the sect master forbade her from saying anything about that. Since that was the case, she was currently at a loss for an answer.


    "If Elder Chun Shao says so, then it must be the truth. It must have been by some miracle that Disciple Lin Ruan survived and her Qi core''s damage reversed." The sect master said to the elder who spoke who hurriedly bowed and said, "It must be as you say, esteemed Sect Master."


    The word of the sect master couldn''t be questioned. That was the first and final say in the entire sect. No one was brave enough to defy him because even if they were to reach the strength equivalent to his, they wouldn''t be able to defeat him. After all, a man who had defeated five seven-circle mages at once wouldn''t have much of a problem with just a grandmaster.


    Skill was a crucial factor and the sect master possessed that more than anyone.


    Elder Lu knew he wasn''t going to get any support from his peers because of the sect master so he also remained silent but the dissatisfaction on his face was obvious to anyone.


    Seeing his baby brother like that, the sect master couldn''t help but shake his head as he said, "But disciple Wei Jun Ruan went too far even still. Don''t you agree, Sun?"


    "Precisely so, sect master," Sun Ruan wasn''t brave enough to refute the sect master as well.


    The sect master nodded and said, "Both sides went too far and it was only bad luck that only one side managed to remain harm-free."


    "But that doesn''t mean that it''s right so I will ask both sides to pay appropriate compensation." The sect master said before he relayed his order, "Disciple Wei Jun will return the arm of disciple Ju Bai Lu along with ten corpses of the blind bumblebees."


    "I will see to it that it is done before the day ends," Sun Ruan replied.


    The sect master nodded and turned to his brother, Elder Lu, and said, "A cultivator''s life begins and ends with cultivation. Disciple Ju Bai Lu insulted all cultivators by going after the Qi core of disciple Lin Ruan."


    Elder Lu sucked breath at this point because he knew he was about to lose a lot and he was right when the sect master said, "Elder Lu, you will give disciple Lin Ruan a hundred taels of black iron."


    Everyone looked at the sect master in shock. Even Sun Ruan couldn''t help but be shocked by this order. Black iron wasn''t something that could be bought. It wasn''t even something that could be found anywhere at all. In a rare type of gate, there may be some mines that could happen to possess black iron among other types of exotic minerals but to date, no other metal was more precious than black iron.


    Even ten taels of it was a luxury and could be used to craft a decent treasure but to give up a hundred taels worth of black iron, the wound on the heart of Elder Lu would have been quite deep upon hearing that.


    The sect master smirked as he saw the scene. Everything was going according to his plan. The war was brewing but at the same time, it was kept under control as well. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not only that, the hate between both factions was beyond reconciliation now. There was no way these both parties would ever come to terms with each other ever and the war would be the only inevitable result.


    Alas, no one in the room could see that and they were still holding the image of the sect master trying to keep his sect afloat.


    ''Just a little more.'' He thought as he saw the expression on everyone''s face. His goal was in his sight and he would stop at nothing to achieve it.


    ~~


    ''What''s black iron?'' Wei Jun asked as he saw Lin Ruan looking at the black iron with envious eyes because it only belonged to her for a moment before it was taken by Sun Ruan.


    [Only the cheapest and most useless metal you will find]


    [Its only quality is its sturdiness]


    [It can''t even channel Qi properly]


    ''They say it''s a big deal,'' Wei Jun said as he saw the exaggerated look in Lin Ruan''s eyes and the happiness in Sun Ruan''s.


    [When a thing doesn''t turn out to be good]


    [The crafter is always blamed for it]


    [So when flaws were spotted in such a great metal, the one doing the crafting was blamed because he must have been the wrong one]


    [How could something so sturdy be faulty?]


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but feel that there was a personal story behind this black iron and the system but Wei Jun remained quiet because he knew how chatty the system could be.


    ''So is it available in the shop?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Tones of it]


    [Why?]


    [Oh~~]


    As soon as the system asked, it also realized at the same time why Wei Jun asked that.


    "Return Ju Bai Lu''s arm and also give up ten whole blind bumblebees." Sun Ruan told Wei Jun who nodded and said, "I will deliver it when I leave."


    "No need," Sun Ruan said before he added, "Their followers are outside. Just give it to them."


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "If there is nothing else, I would like to depart for the city."


    "All right," Sun Ruan wasn''t interested because he was weirdly fondling the black iron in his hands which was about 5 kg and the look on his face was making Wei Jun repulsive for some reason.


    [As if an old man has found a young, well-endowed girl]


    ''That''s not a good example," Wei Jun said before he turned and left. Outside, there were some familiar faces from the gate and Wei Jun handed them the bees along with the arm which he rudely threw on the ground and stepped on it while leaving.


    Wei Jun and Lin Ruan, a slouching Lin Ruan who was acting like she had lost the fortune of a lifetime and her life no longer had meaning, headed to the helicopter that was prepared for them.


    "My black iron¡­. Sniffle.." Lin Ruan said for the umpteenth time which annoyed Wei Jun so he asked, "If I give you some of it, would you please stop saying that."


    He kind of hated the black iron now too with how much it was mentioned. Lin Ruan looked at him, her eyes like that of a man who no longer looked for hope, and said, "You don''t have to console me with a lie, younger brother."


    "Haa¡­" Wei Jun sighed before he opened the shop and searched for the black iron in it. He was quick to find it in the metal section where there were much better metals as well.


    [I prefer meteorite iron]


    [No equivalent to it]


    Wei Jun checked the system''s suggestion first and as he did, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    [Meteorite iron]


    [Grade: Divine]


    [Cost: 10,000,000,000]


    ''Tell me I''m looking at the wrong thing,'' Wei Jun asked, just to be sure because the price stated wasn''t something he thought he would be able to afford anytime soon.


    To smear cold gel on his expectation, the system said¡­


    [It''s quite cheap for the best metal in existence]


    And when he heard the word cheap to describe an item that cost him a whopping 10 thousand billion or ten trillion, Wei Jun coughed up blood involuntarily.


    ''You illogical piece of gh***''


    [¡­]


    [That''s a new one]

 Chapter 237: The haven of desire

    After hearing the price of the best metal recommended by the system, Wei Jun checked the amount of the metal and it was only ten kg.''Don''t you think it''s a bit too low?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Even one kg is enough to make you a treasure of a lifetime]


    [Also, this is a one-time item]


    [That''s all I have of it in the shop]


    Wei Jun nodded and returned to the shop menu. Since he couldn''t buy it anyway, there was no need to collect information on it.


    Instead, he checked the black iron that was so valued by the dead-alive girl next to him.


    [Black iron]


    [Tier: A]


    [Cost: 1,000,000 per 10kg]


    It was priced at one million coins which meant it was a hundred million in yuan currency. It was high but it wasn''t too high that Wei Jun couldn''t buy. Besides, he needed to see if it would make a good business venture or not.


    Every business had a risk factor involved and Wei Jun wasn''t new to that ideology. Everything was associated with risk and he wasn''t childish enough to think it wouldn''t cost him anything.


    But, Wei Jun was the type to only invest it he was somewhat certain so to be somewhat certain, he went to the Zi Huan''s weapons shop and opened the door to enter.


    As Zi Huan saw him, his expression changed to that of a hesitant and fearful one.


    "Oh come on, you''re still not hung up on the whole suffocation thing, are you?" Wei Jun said as if it wasn''t a big deal before he added, "Besides, you were the one who tried to hold dust on me."


    Zi Huan wanted to refute but he wasn''t sure how crazy Wei Jun would be. After all, this guy had blown up half of the town just for some cash.


    "It''s all forgiven and forgotten. What can I do for you?" In the end, Zi Huan had no choice but to continue business as usual.


    "If I want to buy black iron, how much would it cost me?" Wei Jun asked.


    "You can''t," Zi Huan simply replied.


    "If I wanted to. If." Wei Jun said ''if'' twice to relay his intentions of assumptions which were still shot down by Zi Huan who said, "Even if it is an ''If'', it is still not possible to buy it because there''s no set price. Such an item has never been on the market."


    "Not even in auctions?" Wei Jun asked, a little dumbfounded.


    "Those who need money can never have black iron and those who have it, don''t need money." Zi Huan replied. Wei Jun only sold something if he needed cash for it but even those with serious cash couldn''t buy black iron.


    "Fine. Give me an imaginary amount," Wei Jun asked.


    "I can''t. If you want to trade, then find someone who actually can. We may run the underworld of Yuan Yin City, but if we ever come across such an item, we will throw it away in a gutter rather than try to sell it because if we throw it away, the ones to come after us would be strong sects. No matter how much political power we have, that wouldn''t help us in front of them." Zi Huan replied.


    Shot down, Wei Jun couldn''t help but shake his head in disappointment and head for his next option.


    "Why would you sell it even? Having black iron is just like having ether, and that''s something you cannot afford to give away," Mark Wilson rebuked Wei Jun like he was an idiot.


    ''Ether?'' Wei Jun was confused at the unfamiliar term.


    [A material that channels mana just like black iron channels Qi]


    Wei Jun asked, "I don''t have it. I want to buy it."


    "Then the answer would be the same, just not for you," Mark Wilson replied.


    "Sigh." Wei Jun sighed and after being struck down by Yue Peng the same way like an idiot, he finally ended up in front of Yan Rong who was looking at him weirdly.


    "Is that all you have to say?" Yan Rong asked. Wei Jun could sense the hints of dissatisfaction despite the weirdness of his inquiry.


    Wei Jun hadn''t seen her since his return and she was the one who was most worried about him gone. Not only was she worried about his life, but she was also worried that Wei Jun blamed her for that unfortunate incident since she couldn''t contain Shao Chen. And that was somewhat confirmed with Wei Jun not looking for her.


    Wei Jun waved his hand and replied, "I''m not the type to think like that. It wasn''t your fault anyway."


    It really wasn''t. Wei Jun better than her knew about the luck the protagonists of the novels had. Luck was basically their max stat and everything just turned out to be great for them.


    So he didn''t blame Yan Rong in the slightest even though if she had succeeded, Wei Jun wouldn''t have had to go through all of that.


    But then again, he wouldn''t have been able to come across gates and such so there was that.


    In simpler terms, he never blamed Yan Rong for anything. So he asked again while reassuring her, "I don''t hold anything against you. I''m sure you tried your best and then even more when I went missing. But right now, this is the way you can help me."


    Yan Rong looked at him for a while before she nodded and said, "I will help you with this but only on one condition."


    "What is it?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I will help you obtain black iron at a good price. But in return, I want to cement our relationship. I don''t simply want the status of a mistress." Yan Rong demanded.


    It wasn''t a serious demand and it could be easily provided if it was anyone else. After all, several men had multiple wives but they also had to decide who would be the main wife and who would be the concubine.


    It was a simple decision where the strong one was decided to be the main wife or the most powerful one in different statuses. However, if she wasn''t, then her fate was to be counted as a concubine and they didn''t have much of a value when it came to the family.


    Wei Jun didn''t bother with this status thing. Of course, he admitted he didn''t treat Yan Rong the way he treated Xia Lu, but the way he treated her spoke volumes of how much she was important to him as well.


    But, he guessed that wasn''t enough for Yan Rong and he should have never expected it to be.


    He nodded and said, "I never cared about the first or second wife status. If you want to be with me, you will be treated the same way Xia Lu is and you will also have to accept her.


    Wei Jun simply stated his own demands and waited for her to speak.


    Yan Rong looked at Wei Jun with her eyes squinted. It was true that their relationship wasn''t clear at the moment and if she wanted it to be, she needed to be clear about it and accept Xia Lu.


    "I accept," Xia Lu said before she added, "But I have a few more conditions of my own which I will tell you later. For now, tell me, how much black iron do you want to buy?"


    "I don''t want to buy it. I want to just know if it was ever out to sale, how much its worth would be." Wei Jun asked.


    "Why do you want to know that?" Yan Rong asked.


    "Just tell me," Wei Jun said.


    Yan Rong shrugged and said, "Well, everyone has different prices for it. But if we want to convert it to money, then you can easily get a five hundred gram piece for about a hundred million."


    Wei Jun listened to the words of Yan Rong and ran calculations in his head. A one kg piece was 200 million by that essence and a ten kg piece would be 2 billion. Of course, that may not be a set price, but he could sell something that only cost him one hundred million for about 2 billion, twenty times the price.


    It truly was something to be happy about.


    "What about a ten kg piece?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Hah!" Yan Rong scoffed and said, "Only big sects, big organizations, or the imperial family would have that much. People like us can only dream about it."


    Wei Jun now understood why Sun Ruan was so happy about a 5 kg piece.


    "What if I have some of it and I want to sell it? Where do you think would be a good place to sell it without it being able to know who I am?" Wei Jun asked without wasting any time.


    "Why would you sell it if you have any?" Yan Rong strangely asked.


    "Because I have something better I need to purchase and selling it could get me the money," Wei Jun said. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Something better than black iron? I doubt that." Yan Rong didn''t believe him but she still chose to answer, "In that case, it would be best to sell it to the imperial dark ring."


    "What''s that?" Wei Jun curiously asked.


    "A place where you can get anything," Yan Rong said before she added, "The haven of desire."

 Chapter 238: How much?

    "What is this?" Wei Jun asked Yan Rong who was putting on a cat mask while he was handed a tiger mask."A gift from our mage friends. Protects our identity or any other sort of manipulation magic." Yan Rong informed.


    Wei Jun nodded and put on the mask and then changed his clothes in a separate room. His old clothes were stored in the inventory and when he came out, he asked to do the same for Yan Rong''s clothes.


    Other than identity, there were thousands of ways to track someone in the black market and Wei Jun wasn''t going to risk it over some clothes.


    Wei Jun and Yan Rong entered the big black gate and went past it. It was as if the entire scenery changed. The ceiling of the place wasn''t open but covered with some sort of stone that didn''t let any light from the sky in.


    Wei Jun checked the atmosphere in there. It wasn''t like how one would have expected it to be. There were no stalls and there was sure as hell no crowd. There were shops but those shops were as big as an entire store where various things could be seen.


    "Come on," Yan Rong said and led him to another section.


    In that section, Wei Jun could spot stones, precious stones of good quality which he guessed could be used to make weapons.


    [Good quality, my foot]


    [There''s no better metal in the world than in my shop]


    Wei Jun once again wisely ignored the reason the system was so upset over this and asked, ''Is there anything special in there?''


    [Are you trying to find a hidden treasure?]


    [That plot is only reserved for the main heroes]


    [You''re a villain]


    [According to the plot, what you have should be taken away]


    ''Aren''t you the one taking my wealth?''


    [And giving much more in return]


    Wei Jun admitted defeat to that statement because it was the truth. The system indeed had been very helpful and if not for the system shop, he wouldn''t have been able to reach the rank he was today.


    He also admitted that he lost that argument because he really was hoping to find some hidden treasure.


    "Welcome," A man said in a neutral voice and no emotion could be gleaned from that voice.


    [It''s most probably a function of the mask]


    Wei Jun nodded and let Yan Rong lead the conversation.


    "We''re hoping to sell something that cannot be sold on the outside because of how¡­ conflicting it is," Yan Rong chose her words carefully and when she mentioned conflicting, it meant she was afraid of the powers coming after her.


    The man, who was wearing a rabbit mask, looked at Yan Rong, his eyes and emotions discernable due to the mask which was a major setback to a businessman like Wei Jun who worked based on the signs of such emotions.


    "What sort of trouble would follow?" The rabbit man asked.


    "The imperial kind," Yan Rong replied. There was no other power stronger than the imperial family who held the power of military as well so it was the highest form of threat there ever was.


    The man went silent for a while before he said, "It would be sold at 60% of the intended price due to the troublesome repercussions of the item."


    A 40% loss. It wasn''t something anyone else would have been able to get through but since Wei Jun was obtaining his item at 10% of the price, earning 50% on top of it wasn''t really a bad bargain.


    "80%" Yan Rong, however, didn''t think it was fair.


    The rabbit man remained silent and turned to Wei Jun and said, "Let''s keep this chatterbox out of this. Say your final price."


    Wei Jun looked at the man with squinted eyes from underneath his mask and said, "60% and an apology for calling her that."


    Wei Jun didn''t have a problem with the price but he didn''t like how the man insulted Yan Rong despite how mild and lovely the insult was. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Depends on what you''re selling. If it''s something good, then I will get on my knees and beg for forgiveness at her feet," The rabbit man said without an ounce of pride in his voice.


    Not that any sort of emotion could be gleamed from his tone anyway but Wei Jun could tell he wasn''t lying. If Wei Jun were to show him something important, he would beg on the floor to sell it to him.


    Wei Jun pretended to rub his ring and pulled out a piece of black iron which was about 1 kg in weight.


    As soon as the man saw the black iron, he froze. Just the Weight of it was enough to freeze him. Wei Jun was sure he would be sweating underneath his mask but Wei Jun didn''t push it and said, "Make an estimate. How will you be apologizing?"


    The man raised his head to look at Wei Jun before he moved and left the counter to stand in front of them. Without saying a word, he knelt and kowtowed on the floor as he said, "Forgive me, my queen, for insulting you in any way. I was wrong."


    There was no emotion in his voice but the sincerity could still be detected. The problem was the person who was supposed to be receiving the apology was also frozen, looking at the precious mineral at the counter.


    A mineral you couldn''t buy even if you had a lot of money because it was never on sale.


    Wei Jun nudged her but she didn''t snap out of it. In the end, Wei Jun turned to the man who was still on the ground and said, "Make an estimation. How much will get for it?"


    "120 million. That''s the best I can do given that I will be facing a lot of problems going ahead." The man said.


    "120 for 1 kg?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes," The man replied, still in the kneeling pose.


    "Then how much for 10 kg?" Wei Jun asked.


    "¡­" No answer came. The man remained silent for a while before in a monotonous voice, "Hahaha," he laughed which had no essence of emotion in it so it sounded really creepy, and said, "You''re a good jokester, sir."


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything to that and simply put the rest of the nine kg on the table. Although he purchased ten kg which was the minimum amount, it still came in ten equally distributed pieces.


    Wei Jun turned to look at the man and said, "Here it is. Estimate it and give me a bonus on that as well."


    The rabbit man raised his head and when he saw the ten pieces of black iron on his counter, he passed out as he was. Not just him, but the girl beside Wei Jun passed out as well.


    Wei Jun caught her and softly sat her on a sofa and turned to the man who was still in the same ''all fours'' pose. Wei Jun didn''t like that for some reason.


    ~~


    "I apologize for the earlier incident," The man said with a cough that once again sounded robotic along with everything he said which was very strange.


    Wei Jun sighed and said, "So, how much will you be giving me for it?"


    "Well, given what you brought me, selling it so easily would be a problem but the market would protect me as long as I give them some so I will be buying all this from your hands for 1.3 billion.


    Although the price should have been 1200 million, given that Wei Jun was bringing a lot of this product, the rabbit man decided to give him an extra 100 million as goodwill.


    "And if I have more I want to sell?" Wei Jun asked.


    The man looked at Wei Jun and asked, "You still have more?"


    "Not yet, but I will. 30 kg somewhere in the next month," Wei Jun replied.


    ~~


    "Forgive me for doing that again," The man apologized as he finally came to after an hour. He looked at Wei Jun and said, "Unfortunately, I cannot buy that much. Not only wouldn''t I have the funds to do so in the near future because even this much will be sold in about a year or two, but having that much would bring powers I wouldn''t be able to deal with and the market would give me up."


    "Then what''s the most you can do?" Wei Jun asked.


    "None. Even this much is a stretch. I will have to be careful about it." The rabbit man outright refused.


    "I see." Wei Jun said before he asked, "Tell me the most expensive metal in your shop that can be sold without a problem and wouldn''t cause this much trouble."


    "That would be dead man''s gold," The shopkeeper pointed at a metal that was showcased in a glass and said, "This metal is a hundred times sturdier than gold, processes Qi at a good pace, and is extremely beautiful once crafted properly. But it isn''t as durable as black iron."


    Wei Jun nodded and asked, "If I wanted to sell you that, how much can you take off my hands right now?"


    "Given that I''m low on funds and have only 3 billion on my hands. The metal would be sold at 10 million per kg so I can purchase about 300 kg." The shopkeeper replied.


    "I don''t have that much," Wei Jun replied because even if there was that much of it in the shop, a sudden appearance of that much mineral would make a small hill. Questions would be raised and he might attract trouble.


    "But I can get it in the course of the next few months. Given that you give me a fair price and become my regular buyer," Wei Jun proposed.


    "How much can you get me and when?" The rabbit man asked.


    "100 kg every week," Wei Jun replied.


    "¡­"


    "You''re a very good jokester indeed."


    And a black line appeared on Wei Jun''s face.

 Chapter 239: Whos the protagonist?

    "Can''t you get me some?" Yan Rong asked with puppy dog eyes but Wei Jun shook his head and said, "Black Iron isn''t what you want. Be patient. I will get you something better."Yan Rong sulked but in the end, she had no choice but to do whatever Wei Jun said. If he said he had something better, then he had something better.


    Wei Jun and Yan Rong returned to the outside and once Wei Jun was outside, he retrieved his cell phone from the inventory to receive a message from Mark Wilson.


    Wei Jun checked it and overjoyed, made his way to the restaurant where he usually met Mark Wilson while bidding Yan Rong goodbye.


    As he arrived, Wei Jun got to the business first and foremost, "Do you have the information?"


    Mark Wilson looked at Wei Jun with a strange gaze but he didn''t comment on it. Instead, he said while taking out a few pictures, "Depending on your requirement and narrowing down the research, I found only these three men."


    Wei Jun checked the pictures of all three and all of them were extremely handsome. Given that the name Wei Jun had given was fairly common, he hadn''t expected a search to come up so soon but thankfully, it did.


    "These are all the Tao Min that are between 20 and 30. Their appearances are good enough as well. Other than that, there''s not much very special about them." Mark Wilson spoke before he continued, "One of them works as a male host at a local bar, one of them works for an accounting firm belonging to some middle-rank family and one of them is a cop. Other than that, none of them are cultivators."


    "What?" Wei Jun suddenly stopped. None of them were cultivators. How could that have been? It was impossible for a protagonist to not be a cultivator or Wei Jun could easily kill him so there must have been some mistake.


    "None of them are cultivators," Mark Wilson said again.


    "Tell me where to find them. I will check them myself. In the meantime, check for more Tao Min. Make sure you find someone who has an explosive rise in their status." Wei Jun instructed. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mark Wilson was once again taken aback by that strange order but he asked, "What kind of rise?"


    "Any kind. Power, money, or anything else at all." Wei Jun replied.


    Still estranged, Mark Wilson replied, "I will do my best but I need something from you too."


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I need something to relieve clogged arteries of impurities." Mark Wilson replied.


    ''What?'' Wei Jun didn''t know what that meant so he asked.


    [Just give him a body-cleaning pill]


    [The body of the cultivator must have not been able to take their Qi to certain areas]


    [That happens when a body breathes impurities for too long which isn''t that rare in today''s environment]


    Wei Jun nodded and purchased the pill and placed it on the counter. "See if it works," Wei Jun said before he added, "There are some side effects such as pain but it''s bearable. Also if it doesn''t work then I have something much more expensive."


    "Thanks," Mark Wilson took the yellowish pill and gave him an envelope, "This holds all the information you need on those targets. Their schedules and when''s the most likely chance for them to be alone so you can approach them without any disturbance."


    Wei Jun nodded and left with the file. He couldn''t afford to waste any more time.


    ~~


    [I don''t think it''s any of them]


    ''You think?!'' Wei Jun annoyingly said as he sat down in his chilly apartment. For some reason, Xia Lu hadn''t been able to break through to the second stage of Qi in all of this time.


    The system had once again expressed how much of a waste it was to give her the cultivation technique but Wei Jun paid him no mind.


    He was sure she would soon push through and when she did, she wouldn''t be behind anyone in terms of cultivation.


    As of now, that wasn''t what was on his mind as well because he was more worried about the fact that he couldn''t find the protagonist. He didn''t want to admit that having a novel was good because he liked a good challenge.


    Though he wasn''t sure of that now.


    The male host, the accountant, and the cop, none of them were special in any way. They didn''t have a treasure on them to help them guide them through life, they didn''t have any cultivation at all, and nothing about them screamed extraordinary.


    All in all, they were a complete waste of time.


    So although he had given Mark Wilson another description, for some reason, he wasn''t too sure it would work because of how vague it was. Still, he hoped that it worked because otherwise, he would be out of ideas.


    ''Just who are you?'' Wei Jun asked himself. As he was thinking of this, his phone rang, and once again, it was Mark Wilson. But he didn''t have good news either.


    "Other than those three, there are twenty Tao Min living in the Yuan Yin City. Narrowing the search to just the 20-30 age group, there are eight. And none of them are special in any way unless you consider an obese man being able to fight four goons at once."


    Wei Jun sighed. He was once again let down by that information and said, "Keep your eyes open. If you find anyone matching any of these descriptions, someone new, then inform me."


    "I will." Mark Wilson replied and hung up.


    "Haa¡­" Wei Jun sighed and slumped back into his sofa. He glanced at his level and noticed that his level was stuck in place and that his stats only had a limit of 200.


    His Qi was already at max and his other stats were doing well as well expect for his strength and defense stat.


    ''Why didn''t they give me those instead of the useless charm stat?'' Wei Jun annoyingly wondered but he was powerless because there was no one to answer. According to the system, the system wasn''t under its control but under the administrator''s control. He was just a support who guided Wei Jun throughout cultivation.


    Suddenly his eyes opened wide. Support? Then, didn''t that mean it could also guide him in another way?


    [So, you want me to train you?]


    ''Yeah. You saw how the stats of the sect master were without Qi empowerment, right? Teach how to become strong like that.'' Wei Jun said.


    [That''s just his body keeping up with cultivation]


    [His stats weren''t equal to his Qi so Qi is still his main weapon]


    [The perfect example would be you who''s keeping his stats close to his Qi]


    ''Then teach me how to perfect them?'' Wei Jun asked. The option of a body cultivation technique wasn''t available since Wei Jun didn''t have a trillion yuan to purchase one and working out at this stage wasn''t helping him anymore.


    The system simply replied¡­


    [At your current rank, you don''t need a cultivation technique anyway]


    [You can use Qi]


    ''How?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Remember how death Qi fixed your entire body while also increasing our stats?]


    ''Yeah?'' Wei Jun wasn''t sure if that was a question or not.


    [Do the same]


    [Just this time, with Yang Qi]


    [Find Yan Rong?]


    ''Why her?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Because she''s the only one who can beat the cr*p out of you without breaking a sweat]


    ~~


    "You¡­ bastard," A blonde Asian man cursed, lying on the ground with some more men while he looked at the fat man who was fondling a woman''s body.


    "Huhuhuhu. How do you like seeing your precious girlfriend being taken in front of your eyes? The way she screams my name and can''t even remember yours?" The obese man with glasses asked.


    He was so fat that his neck wasn''t visible, his cheeks were hanging off his face, his belly was hanging to his crotch, and his thighs were also succumbing to gravity.


    All in all, he was so fat that at least five slim men could be fitted into his clothes.


    So considering all that, it didn''t make any sense that the girl in his arms, who was so beautiful that it would have been a miracle for her to be with a man like him, was letting out purrs of pleasure and had an infatuated expression on her face.


    "You.. fu¡­" The man couldn''t say anything because his injuries were far too much at that point.


    "Huhuhu." The fat man laughed again and said, "It''s so satisfying to see you on the ground like this."


    The fat man let the woman go who made an expression as if she had lost the greatest treasure on earth. The fat man made his way to the injured man but didn''t crouch. He couldn''t after all.


    "It is so satisfying to see you like this. But you deserve all of this considering how many times you humiliated me as well." The fat man stepped on the man''s head and pressed until the man passed out from pain.


    [Ding!]


    [A new mission has arrived for the user]


    The fat man hurriedly checked the watch on his hand that had the details of his next mission on it.


    "Huhuhu. So she will be my next target and soon-to-be slave." The fat man said with a creepy laugh as he read the name among the mission details.


    [Task: Conquer Xia Lu]


    "Huhuhu. I''m coming for you, Xia Lu." The fat man said as he finally crushed the head of the man and added, "Just wait for me."

 Chapter 240: Addiction (Bonus: Review)

    "Are you sure about this?" Yan Rong asked as a storm of chilling Qi formed on her hand and contrary to her words, she looked like she couldn''t wait to blast Wei Jun with it.Even Wei Jun found her intentions obvious but he still said yes in the form of a nod and as soon as he did, he cranked the Qi in his Qi barrier to the best because the next moment, a storm of Qi that should have destroyed everything around them struck Wei Jun and he was thrown back to the wall, his body crashing the floor many times before he finally crashed into the wall with a loud crunch noise.


    [Warning]


    [Warning]


    [Host at critical health]


    [HP 4\\103]


    Wei Jun was too damaged to open his eyes wide on those notifications. The system began to use his Qi to heal his injuries but it only brought him out of the critical range which was at 11 HP. The bleeding also stopped so no further HP was lost.


    However, the pain still remained.


    And now that his mind wasn''t numb any more thanks to the system''s emergency healing, Wei Jun felt pain all the more.


    [Now channel your Qi the way the Death Qi circulated through your system that day]


    Wei Jun, still lying on the ground with who knew how many broken bones, began to circulate his Qi throughout his body.


    A warm feeling washed all over him as Qi began to circulate throughout his body. It wasn''t to the point that the pain he felt was forgotten, but it wasn''t as severe as before either.


    And not only that, the feeling of Qi seeping into his broken bones and his torn flesh was although a little uncomfortable, it was soothing at the same time as well.


    The uncomfortable yet soothing feeling didn''t last for a long time as the amount of Qi in his system was soon to end.


    His HP was still low and his wounds weren''t healed so when he was about to do so, the system stopped him.


    [Eat a Qi replenishing pill and do it again]


    Wei Jun didn''t know why the system was saying that because Wei Jun didn''t feel anything different about himself.


    Still, he did as the system said and consumed a Qi replenishment pill.


    [Your Qi has been fully replenished]


    [You cannot consume another pill for an hour]


    Wei Jun once again began the process. As he did, his Qi began to deplete once again but this time at a lower rate and the depletion rate lessened by the minute as the process lasted for another five to six minutes.


    He was about to eat a health pill this time because only half of his health had been restored and not many of his broken bones and torn flesh had healed.


    [Don''t]


    [Replenish your Qi again]


    ''That''s not possible.'' Wei Jun replied before he added, ''I can''t use it for the next hour.''


    [Then eat the ones without the time limit from the inventory]


    [The ones you got when you also got the ''Terror'' skill]


    Wei Jun remembered the no-limit Qi replenishing pills he received when he killed the politician. Wei Jun intended to save those for some sort of emergency but this didn''t seem like an emergency to him so he was a bit skeptical and hesitant to do so.


    [Just do it before your Qi sets in]


    Wei Jun sighed and did so again. He bit his tongue and did as the system asked and ate a Qi replenishing pill that had no limit.


    [You have consumed a Qi replenishing pill]


    [No cool-down limit has been detected]


    [Your Qi has been fully replenished]


    Wei Jun once again began the process. This time, the process was ten times slower than when it began. His Qi was disappearing into his bones and his flesh, the uncomfortable feeling was a lot less and the soothing feeling was a lot more.


    Almost as if¡­


    [It''s addictive]


    Wei Jun had to focus and not get too used to it. As the system said, the more he felt it, the more he wanted to feel it. For a man like Wei Jun who valued decisiveness above many things in life, addiction wasn''t an aspect he was looking forward to.


    [This method makes the cultivators crave that feeling more and more until they''re lost] S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [For those who aren''t strong mentally, this process is forbidden]


    [Even for those who are, this process is dangerous]


    [But it might just work on you, host]


    [You just have to make sure your mind can take it]


    Wei Jun listened to the system''s voice closely and paid attention to it like it was the most important thing because that was keeping his mind off of that feeling.


    Even then, Wei Jun wasn''t getting used to that feeling but craving it more and more. Wei Jun hurriedly summoned a bee stinger from his inventory and stabbed the left side of his thigh.


    "What are you doing?!" Yan Rong yelled and made her way closer to Wei Jun but Wei Jun raised his hand to stop her. She was just instructed to hurt him and after that, she was to do nothing at all.


    She stood on the sidelines as Wei Jun''s body somehow fixed itself but she chalked it up to his Qi mending himself. But then, for some reason, Wei Jun''s body began to glow. The parts he was injured from began to glow as if something was being poured into them.


    Something warm.


    And from Wei Jun''s expression that was changing as time went by, she was having a hard time telling what was going on. His expression was comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time until it got to the point where it was just comfortable.


    She had seen that expression before. On those who were addicted to drugs and were lost in their own worlds. She didn''t know what was going on but what she did know was that Wei Jun wasn''t on drugs and whatever it was that was causing him to feel that way was also related to his Qi.


    When she thought it was fine now, something suddenly appeared in Wei Jun''s hands that was shaped like a prick and Wei Jun instantly stabbed himself with it.


    She was about to interfere when Wei Jun stopped her from doing so. With her back, Wei Jun once again focused on not getting addicted to that feeling but instead getting used to it.


    Wei Jun never had to go through something like this before. He never even smoked let alone did drugs so this feeling was quite new to him and he was never even guided about it before as well.


    This was something new to him and he had to get through it by himself. He knew that it was something he would have to do again so he might as well get used to it. No, he had to get used to it because he wasn''t like the rest.


    He had too many limitations when it came to cultivation and he knew he couldn''t overcome them at the moment.


    So this was his only option at the moment. This was the only way for him to become stronger and if he needed to do so by getting used to this feeling, by neglecting the addiction and getting used to the pleasure, then he had to overcome it and he was going to use any method at his disposal.


    So he pulled the stinger from his thigh once the pain stopped helping and stabbed himself again. Yan Rong couldn''t bear to see that but she had strict orders not to interfere so she didn''t move to help him.


    Wei Jun kept on hurting himself until he got used to the pain but not the feeling he got from the process.


    But luckily for him, the process soon ended, making him sigh in relief. He took deep breaths and tried to calm himself.


    [QP 19\\1300]


    Wei Jun still had some of his Qi remaining but he didn''t want to think about that.


    [You didn''t lose yourself]


    [Next time hurt yourself more]


    ''I don''t think there''s going to be a next time.'' Wei Jun said while taking deep breaths.


    [Something tells me there would be]


    Before Wei Jun could even understand what that meant, his vision was clouded with a plethora of notifications.


    [Congratulations]


    [You have achieved an astonishing feat]


    [Your defense st¡­]


    [Your agility st¡­]


    [Your strength st¡­]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    As Wei Jun read the number of notifications in his view and felt the power from them course through his body, his earlier decision of not attempting the same method again was no longer in his mind. He didn''t even consider not doing it anymore.


    Instead, he stood up, a little groggy, but he was soon able to collect himself and looked at Yan Rong who was also looking at him with a conflicted expression, and said, "We''re going again."

 Chapter 241: The king of angels

    "My king, would you please reconsider? I urge you to not sully your esteemed hands with those fools." A man in a white robe said with utmost respect anyone could have for anyone.The man on the throne, the pristine white throne that shined even when there was nothing to make it shine in the room, looked at the middle-aged man who was kowtowing on the ground and not daring to raise his head to look at him.


    It wasn''t because he was afraid. It was simply because he couldn''t even think to look at the man on the throne due to the immense respect he held for him.


    The others in the throne room, those who were also on their knees and holding their heads low couldn''t help but believe that the man dared to say anything to the man on the throne.


    The words of the king were absolute. Even if they were wrong, they couldn''t be refuted. Saying anything otherwise was a sin punishable by death. They felt pity for the man but they didn''t dare to defend him. Unlike the man on the ground, they didn''t just respect the kind, they feared him.


    The king looked at his most loyal subject who even after knowing what he was doing held no fear but just respect. His cold eyes blinked slowly and he said, "Rise, Bang Yu."


    The middle-aged man named Bang Yu stood up, his head still low so as not to disrespect the king.


    "Raise your head," The king said.


    Bang Yu did so as he was told. Looking at the king was a privilege granted to only some and Bang Yu didn''t have such a privilege but today, he was allowed to and he couldn''t do anything otherwise anyway because the world of the king was absolute.


    "My king," As Bang Yu laid eyes on the king, his eyes moistened and his voice trembled due to how noble and pristine the king was. Being able to look at the king like that, Bang Yu had no more regrets and he was willing to die even if the king did so for his sin.


    "The world needs to know the might of the angels. They need to know that nothing stands above us. And to do that, I, the strongest of the angels will have to show it to them. Otherwise, it would hold no other meaning." The king, contrary to what everyone else thought, patiently explained to Bang Yu why he was the one going to the war no matter how low his enemy was.


    "But, why do you think I should not go?" The king asked next.


    "Due to how weak the other forces are," Bang Yu hurriedly said the answer he had prepared and even though he was still mesmerized by the king, he said so anyway because his mind wasn''t too far gone, "I do not wish for the people to think of you as a king who tramples the weak. And such a weak army does not deserve to be trampled by you anyway.


    They do not even deserve to be in the same space as you."


    Utmost reverence and respect. Nothing else trumped that emotion. What Bang Yu represented was pure, without any impurity of personal greed or some hidden agenda. That was what made Bang Yu special. Even when the world turned against the king, Bang Yu was the one person who never did.


    "Your words hold weight, Bang Yu. But I must be the one to go today. That is destiny." The king said before he retrieved something from his robe and threw it at Bang Yu, "Soon enough, children of that same destiny would spawn. Find them. They would be my key."


    Before Bang Yu could ask anything, just as he grabbed the glowing red stone, he began to feel lightheaded.


    "You will find your instructions on the stone, Bang Yu. Make sure to be the one to free me." As Bang Yu''s mind finally turned blank, he heard the words of the king before he disappeared from the spot.


    The others couldn''t see what was going on due to their lowered heads but they could tell something was happening. The king stood up and said, "Except for you three, everyone else raise your heads while you three, kneel."


    The king didn''t point out which of the three but without even him telling, three men in the hall knelt on the floor. As for the rest, they raised their heads and looked at the king.


    The king, whose features could only be defined by one word, ethereal, looked at them with his black eyes that were in great contrast with his white hair but somehow, that combination only enhanced his beauty.


    The king looked at them, and said, "You have all been loyal to me up to this point. And for that loyalty, I look past your betrayal."


    Before the people who were on their feet could even panic, something flashed throughout the palace court, and one by one, their heads fell on the floor.


    Death in the blink of an eye. It was a phrase that didn''t do justice in this case because the involved parties couldn''t even process the words of the king when they died. Blinking their eyes was the farthest thing they could do.


    "Rise," The king said once all the others were dead and had fallen on the floor, sullying the pristine white marble of the floor with their red blood.


    The three individuals, two men, and one woman, stood up and looked at the king. The king waved his hand and said, "Commence the sealing ritual. This body has started to fade. Prepare a new one when Bang Yu removes your seal."


    "My king," The woman respectfully said. Respect that was on par with Bang Yu''s, "How will we find a vessel worthy of you?"


    The king smiled, a smile that charmed even those with frozen hearts, and said, "Look for one with the body of eternity. You will find him easily. After all, he would be the only one to defy the destiny itself."


    The woman nodded and said, "My king, your loyal subjects will make sure to find one that can truly bring out your majesty to its fullest. Please, leave it to me."


    The king once again smiled and said, "Who will trust more if not the four of you? Now, be safe. Let us meet in a new era with a new future."


    "Yes, my king," The three individuals collectively said and stepped forward. The king raised his hand and some sort of liquid began to form at the feet of the three individuals. Soon enough, it began to rise and engulfed the men and the woman.


    Once they were encased in what looked like a block of ice, the king waved his hand and the ice blocks began to take the form of a stone.


    Soon enough, they looked like normal stones you could find anywhere. The king waved his hand for the last time and the three blocks of stones disappeared from their spot just like Bang Yu.


    Once the king was alone in the hall along with the corpses, he sighed and said, "It is time to leave this era. It was a good time."


    The king then began to rise in the air and the wall of the palace in front of him exploded to expose him to the sky. He kept floating forward until he was out in the open.


    Outside, what could be seen were waves and waves of something. They weren''t ants but people. People and only people. As far as the eye went, there was nothing else that could be seen.


    In the sky, there were thousands of people floating just like the king. They weren''t like the king. Some of them had the same power as him while the others had a pale blue power emitting from them, some had a creepy dark aura around them, some were just buff, and some were draped in a crimson-red aura.


    "A lot of people for an old man," The king said. His voice, which was so low that even the person next to him couldn''t hear, was heard by every person, no matter how strong or how weak. They could hear him loud and clear and their hearts shook as they did.


    All of theirs except for the ten men and women at the forefront who were dressed the same as the king and the power flowing through them was also the same as the king.


    The one at the forefront, the one with the longest hair and darkest eyes said, "You are not just an old man, father."


    "Haha." The king laughed, a slight chuckle to relay his laidback attitude.


    He looked at the ten men and women, seven young men and three young women, and said, "Haa¡­ You have all grown up so much. It was just yesterday you were all calling me father and skipping around me, asking me to carry you on your back."


    His expression then softened as he remembered his children, "I do not hate any of you. I love all of you. And that is also why I will never hurt you. But as for the rest, there will be no exception."


    Hearts trembled. Those who were told their fates weren''t too looking forward to the battle to come but the reward at the end was too much. And loss meant the loss of everything.


    So although they feared the king, they couldn''t back out now.


    As for the children of the king, they saw something they hadn''t seen in a long time. The king hadn''t shown what he was showing now in a long time.


    Love. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And that love was more deadly than they all thought.


    "Let us end this, my children. For I will see you all again." The king said before he raised his hand and then¡­


    A bright shine engulfed everything as if the world were covered in bright divine light.

 Chapter 242: The new target

    I made a mistake here but I was quick to finish it. I doubt anyone would have read it but if anyone did, then I apologize.~~


    Wei Jun opened his eyes once again, in the middle of the night, his figure drenched in sweat and his breath ragged.


    [Same dream?]


    ''Don''t you ever sleep?'' Wei Jun retorted after he calmed down a bit.


    [I don''t]


    The system''s reply ended Wei Jun''s attempt to deflect. A dream for four days straight. It might have had something to do with his new form of training where his mind was often left vulnerable while it dealt with the side effects of the training.


    But it didn''t make sense if it was that. What he witnessed in the dream was from the first-person view, not the third. He wasn''t just observing it; he was living it.


    The power he witnessed, the power he saw, the way that power was used, and the way billions were slaughtered in a matter of moments. It wasn''t just power; it was beyond what Wei Jun''s wildest imagination could even muster.


    At the rank of Qi manifestation realm, he didn''t think that there would be much difference between him and a Qi master and he was right, Qi masters or grandmasters couldn''t just change the geography of the world with the wave of their hands.


    But what was beyond that? He had never had the opportunity to witness that and since he didn''t, he was left with his own imagination yet his imagination still never came up with the scene in his dreams.


    Destruction beyond comprehension, overwhelmed power that couldn''t be questioned, and the authority of the strong. These were the three things Wei Jun realized for the first time ever since coming to that world.


    Up until now, all he thought was that his power would be enough and his current rate of growth would be sufficient for his survival but he was severely wrong.


    If he were to ever encounter someone who possessed even the hundredth of the fraction of the power that the king in his dream possessed, then he would be the one to lose without even putting up much of an effort.


    ''Tell me, how strong were you?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You know that sect master, right?]


    [Imagine about a hundred times that]


    [Cultivation isn''t just a rank]


    [An unstable core can still reach the realm of a Qi spiritualist]


    [But it would be a hundred times weaker than that of a Qi spiritualist who perfected his core] sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [I''m not saying that that sect master didn''t perfect his core]


    [But the rate he has achieved, combined with the solidification of the core and the superiority of the cultivation technique]


    [Such factors make a difference so much more between cultivators of the same rank]


    [If any one of them doesn''t meet the requirement, the power output decreases by so much that the entire meaning of their cultivation level]


    [I reached my spot because I was born with two perfect divine techniques and I created two more on my own]


    [All of them perfect down to the teeth]


    [But not just that, the rate at which I stabilized my Qi, and solidified my core was so much more than others]


    [Even though I was the youngest among my siblings, I was still the strongest one because of how hard I worked]


    Had the system said all of that to Wei Jun before, Wei Jun would have chalked it up to the usual arrogance-filled words of the system, the narcissism which knew no bounds but after witnessing the power of the king, the power that was unrivaled even in front of billions, he felt like the system''s words weren''t of arrogance.


    They were merely the truth.


    ''I need to find that damned protagonist.'' Wei Jun''s will to find the protagonist who was still unknown renewed once again when he realized how stunted his growth was.


    He needed to kill the protagonist to further his progress because, unlike others, he didn''t have the luxury of normally cultivating thanks to his Death Qi.


    He didn''t regret having it though, no, on the contrary, he was thankful. Death Qi had saved on occasions more than he could count. His entire blown-up body was somehow patched up in an instant before life could even leave his body.


    It didn''t get more useful than that.


    ~~


    "Although I haven''t been able to find anyone matching your description boss, I have found the other thing," Li Wei said as she sat opposite Wei Jun who was looking at her with hopeful eyes. Hope, that was soon to diminish when Wei Jun heard that even Li Wei, with access to all over the city, wasn''t able to find the protagonist.


    "Haa¡­" He sighed and asked, "What other thing?"


    "A company worth billions," Li Wei replied.


    "Who?" Wei Jun asked.


    "A pharmaceutical company. It wasn''t anything special two years ago because of who used to run it. But as soon as the leadership changed, they took the market by storm and their net worth reached a whopping seven billion from thirty-three million. And that too is just in liquid assets. Who knows how much more in frozen assets." Li Wei explained as she handed Wei Jun a file.


    While finding the protagonist was important, obtaining more money was also an important objective. Especially if was someone else''s money that could be easily obtained.


    "Who was the leader before and who is it now?" Wei Jun asked.


    "The company belonged to Tai Hun, a doctor who started the pharmaceutical company with his family assets. He passed a few years back, leaving his elder daughter in charge of the company. Some speculate his death wasn''t natural but planned but there''s no such evidence, Other than that, the elder daughter wasn''t anything special. She was the tame housewife type who didn''t really advance the company much." Li Wei explained and she continued to explain.


    "Under her leadership, while the company didn''t witness a tremendous rise, it didn''t fall as well given her tame personality." Li Wei said and stopped because Wei Jun turned his gaze to her.


    He had a question.


    "And I''m guessing her company didn''t fall despite her personality had to do with the other children of the late old man." Wei Jun said.


    "Just one. The younger daughter of the old man. She was the one who actually ran the board. As soon as the old man died, seven more board members died due to natural causes or otherwise. Some of them were loyal subjects of the old man while some of them were hoping for a slice of the pie under the tame lady," Li Wei explained.


    "So the younger one''s the real brain?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I wouldn''t call her that." Li Wei said.


    Before Wei Jun could ask why, she handed Wei Jun a file with several pictures of naked people. The only common thing in those pictures was that in every picture, there was a different man but the same woman.


    Wei Jun understood what this meant, "I''m guessing she didn''t just get rid of the board members but also made sure to put in people she could control, with her power and otherwise."


    "While most of the people say that the older sister buckled under the pressure, it wasn''t actually the truth. Some of the board members intentionally started to cause trouble for her and she fell into depression, having no other choice but to give up because she wasn''t keeping her own family safe from that madness as well." Li Wei explained.


    "She''s married?" Wei Jun asked.


    "To a pastor." Li Wei said.


    Wei Jun nodded and asked, "And what does that have to do with anything?"


    "Not much," Li Wei replied before she added, "I just thought I should cover all the bases. The pastor wasn''t happy about her wife''s busy life and also that her health was failing due to that, and the lack of a child was also chalked up to that job of hers so that contributed to her depression."


    Wei Jun remained silent for some time before he asked, "Do you have the picture of the pastor?"


    "I do," Li Wei replied before she handed him the picture of an ordinary-looking man with a stunning woman whose beauty couldn''t diminish even though she seemed to be in her early forties.


    "This is the older sister?" Wei Jun asked because the woman in the picture resembled the woman in the earlier pictures.


    "Yes," Li Wei replied.


    "And what do we have to bring this company down?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Eh?" Li Wei was momentarily confused before she asked, "Weren''t we going to force them into making a deal with us?"


    "My life has no space for two power-hungry individuals. I don''t want to make any deal with her," Wei Jun replied before he asked, "So I assume you have nothing?"


    "No, boss," Li Wei replied, but she wasn''t sorry because there was nothing to be sorry about. It was Wei Jun who had changed the order at the last minute. Still, she was familiar with Wei Jun''s ways and didn''t mind much and added, "I can find something in a few days though."


    Wei Jun shook his head and said, "That would take too long. Just get me inside."


    "Inside? Inside how?" Li Wei asked.


    "See if you can get me inside her company somehow. Somewhere closer would be appreciated." Wei Jun said.


    "Somewhere close¡­" Li Wei mused before something clicked in her mind but she was quick to dismiss that.


    "What?" But Wei Jun had already noticed that so he asked.


    "It''s nothing, boss. It wouldn''t suit you." Li Wei replied.


    "What is it?" Wei Jun asked.


    At Wei Jun''s insistence, Li Wei handed Wei Jun her phone. There was a picture displayed and in that picture was none other than the female boss of the pharmaceutical company. But what Wei Jun noticed along with that was something that made him questioningly look at Li Wei.


    "What? I''m not like that. I want to be the one spanked, not the one doing it." Li Wei said in her defense.


    Wei Jun wasn''t much convinced but given her perverted nature, there was a good chance Li Wei wasn''t into these things.


    "Look for some other way then. By tomorrow at the latest," Wei Jun said while handing Li Wei her phone with a slight cough.


    "Sure, boss," Li Wei said and left to carry out Wei Jun''s orders with a smirk on her face.

 Chapter 243: Finding evidence

    "We don''t have any information on how the funds are distributed, how they''re distributed, and which holdings they lie in. All we know is their net worth, what''s their distribution system is unknown." As Wei Jun walked through the lobby of a building, he remembered what Li Wei told him."What we need to do is upload malware in their main system. That would be my pass inside. Once I''m in, I can get all the contracts information, distribution systems, configuration of assets, and any of their deals," Li Wei informed him.


    Wei Jun checked the flash drive in his inventory that Li Wei gave him. What Wei Jun wanted wasn''t just the liquid assets of Tai Huan Pharmaceuticals, but everything they had. From their partners to their subcontractors, anything that could be taken over as soon as the company would fall into chaos.


    If Wei Jun had that information, he would be easily able to take over everything before any of the other competitors even came to know of the company''s downfall. Of course, it wouldn''t be easy because Wei Jun didn''t deal in that side of the business but he could create one on paper.


    The rest just depended on what that small company would inherit from this company. Wei Jun was confident that he would be able to finish this farce in just three days and get back to looking for the MC.


    Even three days was a long time for Wei Jun but he had no other choice. He wasn''t a great hacker like Li Wei and even she said she needed at least three days for the program to fully breach the company''s mainframe defenses without leaving a trace behind. Other methods would leave behind traces which would create future headaches.


    Wei Jun was willing to spend some time now rather than waste a lot of it in the future being under the microscopic eye of the authorities.


    He already had his hands full dealing with so many things at once. Adding police to that was the last thing he wanted to do.


    "So you have no other experience?" A buff man who was at least half a foot taller than Wei Jun asked.


    Wei Jun nodded and replied, "I''m fresh out of the military. I just wanted to carve my own way. This job was the best to gain experience since it has many guards from the retired forces."


    The buff man nodded as he looked Wei Jun up and down. Although Wei Jun had appeared on the TV, his current disguise which wasn''t much tweaked but made him a little different from his usual look made it hard to link him to Wei Jun Ruan.


    The most important factor about Wei Jun was that even though he was well-built, he was also ridiculously handsome. It wasn''t that the guard himself wasn''t handsome but there wasn''t any sign of gentleness on his face while Wei Jun looked like a gentle saint.


    The man envied Wei Jun''s looks but he didn''t take it to heart that much. The more handsome you are, the more you have the chance of being targeted by the president. And if you were unlucky enough to catch her eye, then god was your only hope.


    The man sighed and said, "Your credentials are amazing but what it doesn''t show is your cultivation level and how good you are with that. So you will have to pass a test before I refer you to the president. She ultimately decides who gets to be on her personal detail."


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Qi manifestation realm, initial stage." The man was a little surprised at that because by no means was it a low level of cultivation.


    The man nodded and said, "That''s impressive for your age. But cultivation isn''t everything. I need to see how well you do in tense situations. You will be fighting guard Tiao and showing me how you handle a gun as well."


    Wei Jun nodded and followed the man to a spate section where there were many men, and only men, in black guard outfits.


    They were practicing with their guns when they saw Wei Jun being led by the guard. He stopped in front of an empty section and said, "Eight out of ten hits is considered passed."


    Wei Jun nodded and picked up the Glock. He didn''t even put on any protective gear because there wasn''t a need to thanks to his cultivation body. He could sense that the others were cultivators as well so there was nothing to worry about.


    Wei Jun pointed his gun at a metallic target and aimed at the middle of the circle, the chest. Wei Jun without even reinforcing his stance began to shoot and to the amazement of the guard who was also the head guard, Wei Jun shot only in the middle of the circle, achieving a perfect score of a hundred. There wasn''t even a slight change in his posture while shooting.


    All in all, he was perfect to the point of the word itself. Wei Jun put the gun down and turned to the man and asked, "What''s next?"


    The head guard snapped out of his trance when Wei Jun asked that and said, "Up next is the fight with guard Tiao. He''s a middle-stage Qi manifestation cultivator."


    Wei Jun nodded and followed the head guard to a boxing ring. The rules were simple. They were to fight without the usage of Qi and show a clean fight.


    The word clean fight didn''t apply to Wei Jun who one shot his opponent by hitting him beneath his chin. Without Qi, the difference in stats was so much that the guard lying on the floor whose name Wei Jun didn''t even bother to remember couldn''t even see what was coming at him.


    Wei Jun turned to the once again stunned head guard and asked, "Did that qualify?"


    Wei Jun''s form as a boxer was perfect and even if he hadn''t used his power to a great extent, he still would have won because of how perfect he was at boxing. Or at least that was how everyone thought from the brief display he put on.


    "Go home for today. I will let the director know about you. She will decide whether you come or not." The head guard said.


    Wei Jun left the building after a while and once he was out, he didn''t go home but instead, made his way to the residential area of the city.


    There was a church in that area. It was the church that the brother-in-law of the pharmaceutical company''s director ran. Wei Jun went behind an alley after making sure he wasn''t caught by any sort of surveillance and just waited there.


    It was dark in a few hours and Wei Jun equipped his biker outfit along with the helmet and came out of the alley under the guise of the shadow. Once he was out, Wei Jun activated his skill ''Unknown'' that hid his Qi signature. It was a costly skill but his yang Qi allowed him to keep it up for long enough to finish his objectives.


    Wei Jun snuck into the church and made his way to the pastor''s office. Wei Jun had made sure that everyone was gone before he went there and once he was there, he turned on the office computer of the pastor and logged into it using Li Wei''s flash drive. His own hacking skills weren''t enough to get him inside so fast so he had Li Wei make one for him which, according to her, would even hack into the most secure organization''s firewalls.


    Once Wei Jun was inside, he checked into the email compartment of the pastor and after ignoring a few emails about his church''s campaign, he finally arrived at a set of emails that were from none other than the pastor''s sister-in-law.


    ''So that''s how the elder sister fell into depression.'' Their contents were within his expectations. After checking through most of them, he arrived at the one that was set for this weekend, a meeting between the pastor and Wei Jun''s target.


    It was easy to figure out what was going on behind the scenes and Wei Jun made sure to tweak his plan according to that. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was a little sad he didn''t find anything physically incriminating and since they were just a bunch of emails, they could be easily forged so no one would believe that.


    What Wei Jun needed was hard evidence and there was only one way to obtain it and that was by infiltrating the mainframe of the pharmaceutical company. Although Wei Jun''s backup plan was to sneak in, he decided to give up on it after seeing the number of guards in the company.


    He was still confident in doing his job, but he was sure he would alert everyone and his plan would ultimately go down the hill. So the only way to properly infiltrate the company was by being hired.


    He just hoped he was hired before the director''s meeting with the pastor.

 Chapter 244: The blackmail

    "Make sure you don''t let anyone in. The priority is the director. Other than that, you''re not allowed to take personal breaks either except for the specified times." The head guard explained everything to Wei Jun once he was called back in. He was explained in great detail about what to do and what not to do.Once Wei Jun confirmed he understood everything after the tour, Wei Jun was assigned to his position. One of the rules was that he couldn''t take personal breaks and his phone was also taken.


    Luckily, Wei Jun had backups in his inventory and once he was out of sight, he equipped a small Bluetooth in his ear and talked to Li Wei.


    Per her introductions, once he was free, he looked for a computer that could be connected to the main net but unfortunately, none of the computers were. Since there was no such device available, his next option was security access.


    Luckily, he was soon sent there for his clearance. Once there, he let the security officer do his thing while he sneakily inserted the device into the mainframe computer.


    "It will take approximately three days, boss," Li Wei spoke from the other side and Wei Jun started the timer. Since he couldn''t come to the security room without a reason and not a good one came to mind, Li Wei took that into consideration and constructed a program that transferred everything to her from the flash drive so he didn''t need to return to retrieve it.


    Wei Jun returned to his post and just like that, three days passed without anything uneventful happening. On the third day, he was approached by the head guard who said, "An important guest is coming tonight. Your task is to make sure nothing goes wrong."


    "What of their electronic devices?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Take them all. Take their watches too. Leave them at the checkpoint and make sure to leave yours too while you escort them with the other members. Then you have to return to your post." Wei Jun nodded.


    This was a task that anyone could have done so Wei Jun wasn''t special when he was asked to do so. Since Wei Jun was new and hadn''t done anything noteworthy, he hadn''t stood out except for the fact that he performed well in the interview.


    So taking that into consideration, he wasn''t allowed any special access as well and his encounter with the chairman was zero as well.


    Tonight, however, he was lucky enough because the number required for the escort of the guests was fifty and he was just good enough to be included.


    Wei Jun received the guests who were wearing masks on their faces but he knew who both of them were. One of them was his pet mayor whom he had threatened with something and the other one was none other than the pastor whose schedule revealed his presence tonight.


    Once Wei Jun checked them up with the rest of the guards and made sure they weren''t carrying anything, he led them to the meeting room along with the rest of the bodyguards.


    Along the way, the mayor tripped and fell.


    "What the hell?!" The mayor said when he got up, dusting his clothes, and yelled, "You bastards! Do your job properly."


    "My apologies," Wei Jun stepped forward, dusted the mayor''s clothes, and said, "We were lenient in our job. Please find it in your magnanimous heart to forgive us."


    "Hmph!" The mayor harrumphed, fixed his mask, and continued his journey under the guidance of Wei Jun. Once they were there, Wei Jun nodded to one of the guards to knock on the door.


    The door was opened by the head guard who checked everything was okay and nodded to the guards while he said, "Take your leave now."


    Wei Jun nodded and with the other guards, returned to his post. The meeting lasted for about one hour and once everything was done, the guards were once again tasked with escorting the guests out.


    After that, they were done for the day. Wei Jun came out of the building and made his way to his car. In his car, he made his way to a cafe downtown which was emptied for his meeting with the mayor.


    "Wh-Why here?" The mayor asked.


    "It makes it harder to slap you in such an open place." Wei Jun gave an answer that wasn''t elaborated but the mayor understood perfectly.


    "My¡ªMy face¡­" He didn''t complete the sentence, and he didn''t have to since Wei Jun knew what exactly he was asking about.


    "Are you in any position to make demands?" Yan Rong, who was sitting at a separate table asked. She was the one who acted as the mayor''s driver today and also made sure that the mayor didn''t do anything stupid and brought her straight to the cafe.


    The mayor gulped at that question and remained quiet.


    "Don''t worry. I have use for you and as long as you keep being useful, your screw-up will only harm me." Wei Jun said.


    An assurance and a threat at the same time. As long as the mayor didn''t do anything stupid and did as Wei Jun asked, the mayor would be protected. But if he did anything stupid, his fate would be less than desirable.


    The mayor sighed and relief and with trembling hands, he pulled out a small device. It was a recording device that was linked to his glasses.


    His glasses were the only thing he was allowed to take in and that''s where Li Wei had fitted a camera.


    Wei Jun plugged it into a laptop which he retrieved from his inventory and checked it. Wei Jun smirked as he saw the video playing on the laptop. He looked at the mayor and said, "You were incredibly useful this time."


    Without saying another word, Wei Jun nodded to Yan Rong and left with her. The mayor was left to go home on his own. If he didn''t make it home, Wei Jun was perfectly fine with that because he was replaceable.


    ~~


    "Start the plan." Wei Jun said.


    Li Wei, who was looking at the video with a disgusted expression asked, "Are all priests like that?"


    "I don''t give a dime''s fu*k." Wei Jun replied before he added, "Make sure to keep the puppet out of this. We just need this video to get the first phase done."


    Li Wei nodded and said, "You do know they will figure out where this video came from."


    Wei Jun chuckled and said, "No matter how powerful they are, he is still the mayor. She will be angry and deploy some schemes but, in the end, she will have to look for a calm approach." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Wei nodded and got to work. Wei Jun also sighed and got ready for work. After all, it was time to get an earful.


    ~~


    "You bastards!" The head guard hit one of the guards and yelled and cursed in all sorts of profanities, "Didn''t I tell you to take their belongings?"


    Wei Jun looked at him and replied, "We radioed you to ask about the glasses. You were the one to authorize."


    The head guard looked at Wei Jun silently and then with slow steps, came in front of him and asked, "Oi, mister Chow, do you think you can run your mouth carelessly in front of me?"


    "I''m only answering your question, sir," Wei Jun simply said.


    Swoosh!


    The head guard didn''t say anything to that and punched Wei Jun without a warning. The punch''s speed was fast and the Qi in it was also considerable.


    However¡­


    Tham!!!


    Wei Jun effortlessly blocked it after activating [Qi armament]. Wei Jun looked at the head guard whose expression was marred with shock. Wei Jun let go of the punch once it lost all the force behind it and said, "Mister Wang, keep your hand in control if you want to keep it."


    [Terror]


    The head guard gulped and involuntarily took a step back. Wei Jun, on the other hand, remained as monotonous as he had been since day one.


    The head guard was about to do something when his phone rang. He pulled it out and answered it. After a few yeses, he put it back in his pocket and turned to Wei Jun, "I will deal with you later."


    Wei Jun just looked at him without any particular reaction which clearly indicated he didn''t care at all which only made the head guard angrier.


    ~~


    "They''re here, boss," Li Wei''s voice flowed into Wei Jun''s ear as he looked at a limousine approaching through his helmet glass.


    He could only sense one person in the car and once it stopped, the person inside got out. It was none other than the director of the pharmaceutical company.


    Wei Jun looked at the extremely beautiful tall woman who looking around the harbor but couldn''t see much farther due to the darkness of the night.


    "Where are you?" Yi Rang, the woman asked as she looked around.


    "It seems she kept her part of the bargain." Li Wei said.


    "Then why isn''t she anxious at all?" Wei Jun asked back. For someone who was being blackmailed, Yi Rang was unusually calm.


    Wei Jun smirked underneath his helmet and made his way into the sole light on the entire harbor, coming into Yi Rang''s view.

 Chapter 245: Mercy

    A little note before we begin.A lot of you have been saying that the MC and the previous host combination isn''t a good thing and many have expressed their dislike.


    To them, and everyone as well, I would like to say that that is a major loophole that will benefit Wei Jun in the future. Just like how he uses most of the things around him, he will use that point to his own advantage as well.


    Still, I respect your wishes and if you want to stop this novel, you have no complaint from me.


    For those who haven''t, Enjoy!!


    ~~


    "Give me the video file," Yi Rang said, her voice overbearing and without a hint of anxiety. She didn''t look like a woman who was being blackmailed currently. Instead, she gave off a feeling as if she was in complete control of the situation.


    She wasn''t even attempting to hide it to confuse her opponent which quite frankly, to Wei Jun, was a foolish thing to do.


    Yi Rang threw a bag a little away from her and said, "This is the money you asked for."


    In his biker outfit, Wei Jun knelt down and checked the bag. It was indeed filled with money but there was a slight addition that was hidden at the bottom of the bag, underneath the money so it was difficult to spot.


    Yi Rang held her breath when the biker was checking the bag but once he closed it, she only then settled down. The biker stood up and stepped back a bit. Once he was at a considerable distance, he threw a flash drive at Yi Rang which she was easily able to catch.


    "How do I know this is the only copy?" Yi Rang asked. The biker remained silent to that.


    After a few minutes of stifling silence, the biker spoke, his voice a little more strange than a normal human, "Didn''t you take measures to make sure the video never gets out?"


    "What?" Yi Rang was confused, or at least she appeared confused while inwardly, she was surprised.


    "I can hear the ticking inside." The biker raised the bag and said. Yi Rang chuckled at that response and said, "Then you shouldn''t have done that."


    "Doesn''t it make you curious why I did it even when I knew?" Wei Jun asked a question that made sense and even Yi Rang was confused by that.


    ''No, he has no way of doing that,'' Yi Rang said as she pulled out the detonator and almost pressed the button when she saw the bag in the biker''s hand disappear. Just as she pressed it, nothing occurred. Nothing happened so she pressed it again and again and again but the result was the same every time.


    On the other side, Wei Jun was also relieved to see that the bomb didn''t explode in his inventory. Once again he was made aware that the inventory wasn''t something as simple as storage. There seemed to be more to it depending on how it was used just like how he used it to store the debris on top of him in the bumblebee gate.


    Since the bomb was out of the remote control''s coverage, the bomb didn''t explode. Wei Jun turned to look at the panicking Yi Rang who looked back at him, her gaze a little tense but it was soon to return to normal.


    With a smirk on her face, she said, "You didn''t actually think that was my only backup plan, did you?"


    The biker didn''t do anything. He didn''t move, he didn''t speak. He didn''t do anything at all and once again, after a few minutes of silence, he said, "You mean the thirty or so guards you brought along?"


    Yi Rang could tell what that meant. That meant that the biker himself was a cultivator who could tell if there were some cultivators some distance away or not.


    "Knowing that, you still stalled? Thanks for helping me." Yi Rang said.


    "Doesn''t it make you confused why I waited even when I knew they were close by? Why did I give them enough time to get here?" Wei Jun once again made a valid question to which, Yi Rang once again had no answer.


    The biker intentionally waited for a few minutes before he answered, giving Yi Rang''s security team enough time to get there. If he was a cultivator, that was enough time to run away or harm her but he did no such thing which didn''t make sense in the least.


    "The answer to your question is very simple," The biker spoke as if he could read her mind, "Because that''s the fastest way of growing stats."


    "Director!" The head guard yelled as he landed just behind Yi Rang. He was shortly followed by about thirty men, all exuding a considerable amount of pressure from their beings.


    In response to that, the biker remained silent and stood still in his place. This unsettled Yi Rang who said, "Make sure you don''t let your guard down. There''s something off about him."


    The head guard, who could sense the power of a Qi manifestation realm cultivator master from the biker, was a little confused by that set of instructions but he didn''t say anything.


    He just nodded and said, "You don''t have to worry, director. I will bring him to you soon enough."


    The biker didn''t move from his place. As for the head guard, he began to walk in the biker''s direction while emitting a great deal of Qi. He was at the middle stage of the Qi manifestation realm, just one stage higher than Wei Jun but his control over Qi was mediocre at best.


    It made sense since there was no way a business company that had little to no contact with the martial world to have so many experts. It made sense that they were all those the army or the sects didn''t need anymore.


    Wei Jun looked at the head guard from underneath his helmet and once he was right in front of him, the head guard said like a clich¨¦ villain, "Let''s see who you are underneath."


    Wei Jun didn''t want to extend this issue than he already had.


    [Skill ''Unknown'' has been activated]


    [Death Qi has been activated]


    [All skills activated by Death Qi have a double effect]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    [All skills +80]


    Without any warning, Wei Jun''s figure blurred and he appeared in front of Yi Rang, with something in his left hand. As she saw what it was, her soul left her body.


    It was the head of the head guard and the head guard body hadn''t even fallen yet due to the lack of a head.


    Wei Jun didn''t stop. He dropped the head in Li Rang''s feet and disappeared from his spot once again. Before the thirty or so guards could even follow him with their eyes, they were all already dead.


    Wei Jun stopped. In just thirty seconds, the fight had ended without even a single resistance from anyone. As Wei Jun had thought, the Death Qi granted him the option of ignoring the Qi barrier of a person, making it easier to kill them.


    Wei Jun calmly turned to the frozen Yi Rang and slowly made his way to her. His soft but clear steps woke her up from her stunned state and she hurriedly turned to her car but just as she did, something pierced her hand accompanied by the sound of a boom.


    Wei Jun shot her in the hand as she just touched the car door.


    "Aahhhh!!!" A scream that came from the soul. Wei Jun could tell Yi Rang had never felt pain before. Now that she was feeling it, it was much more than it should have been.


    He stopped by her side and waited.


    Waited for her to recover and once she did, he grabbed her by her hair and forcefully turned his face to her, "What is the code to your Swiss vault?"


    Yi Rang''s eyes went wide as she heard something only she was supposed to know. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How¡­ How do you know that?" She asked.


    Wei Jun didn''t reply and grabbed her hand, intertwining her fingers with his own, he simply clenched his fist, breaking Yi Rang''s fingers in the process.


    Another bout of screaming later, Wei Jun asked, "What is the code?"


    "If I tell you, you will kill me," Yi Rang said.


    "Why would you stick to your wealth? It''s not yours anyway so just give it up," Wei Jun said.


    "It''s mine!!! It was always mine!!! That bit*h just happened to be born a few years sooner!!!" Yi Rang yelled as she clearly understood what the biker''s words meant.


    "But you still took it from her, didn''t you?" Wei Jun asked, "Including everything she cherished. Her husband as well."


    "Huhu," Yi Rang weakly chuckled, "Are you feeling sympathy for her?"


    "Sympathy?" Wei Jun said before he asked, "Why would I harbor a feeling that''s nothing but a weakness?"


    He yanked Yi Rang''s face and brought it closer to his own helmet-covered face, "It''s mercy. I''m allowing her to live a full quiet life. Nothing less, nothing more."


    He then turned her face around, facing the ground, he said, "No mercy for you."


    Slam!!!


    Slam!!!


    Slam!!!


    After about ten soft slams, Yi Rang was dead. Her face had caved in slightly, apart from being disfigured but if one looked closely one could still tell it was her.


    Wei Jun turned her around. Pulled a scalpel from his inventory and cut Yi Rang''s eyes out. Once he was done with that, he stood up and placed his foot on her neck.


    He applied only a little pressure and his foot went through her neck, separating her head from her body. Wei Jun stored the body in his inventory and picked up the head.


    He walked to Yi Rang''s car and placed the head on top of it vertically, settling it so it wouldn''t fall.


    He crouched a little so he was at eye level with her and said, "I never needed the code."


    And with that, he walked away, leaving a lot of bodies behind.

 Chapter 246: Crime scene

    "How did you know it would be here?" Li Wei asked Wei Jun as they walked through Yi Rang''s pharmaceutical building at night. Wei Jun had just returned from killing Yi Rand and her security team. Getting rid of the building security was much easier. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.They made their way to Yi Rang''s office and turned on her computer. After this, Li Wei connected a scanner and connected the computer to Yi Rang''s account overseas.


    "She can''t go outside the country every time she needs access. Otherwise, there would have been a lot of logs indicating her travel. There was nothing." Wei Jun said calmly as Li Wei completed the connection to the account.


    "The only other method left is the verification method. A connection to the virtual account of the overseas bank would allow her to deposit or withdraw with a simple verification." Wei Jun said.


    Li Wei stopped at that. She turned to Wei Jun and asked, "Then wouldn''t we require her to make the connection?"


    "It''s not a live verification. A simple fingerprint and retinal scan would suffice," Wei Jun said.


    "Wow. How do you know that even when I was the one who hacked into her accounts?" Li Wei had totally missed that which surprised her more how Wei Jun knew of Yi Rang''s moves.


    "You think like a hacker. I think like a businessman." Wei Jun replied as the connection was completed. He stepped forward and turned to Li Wei, "Turn around."


    "And bend over?" Li Wei hurriedly asked.


    "Turn around if you don''t want to have nightmares for weeks." Wei Jun replied without getting flustered.


    His bland reaction depressed Li Wei who turned around. Wei Jun pulled Yi Rang''s headless body out of the inventory and placed her hands on the scanner.


    Once they were scanned, the retinal scan was next. Wei Jun did so by pulling her eyes from the inventory next. Once he was done and he was inside the account, Wei Jun stored the body parts in the inventory and said, "Now get to work."


    Li Wei turned around, trying to pick up what Wei Jun did but not seeing anything out of the ordinary, she simply got to work and did what she was there for.


    She transferred all the black funds to several accounts, beginning a circulation process, and transferring them through thousands of accounts.


    "The process would take about twelve hours. After that, the money would be transferred and all our traces would be gone." Li Wei informed.


    "Does the team know?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes, they were the ones who created those accounts." Li Wei replied.


    "Then we should make sure those accounts belong to dead people." Wei Jun said and left. Li Wei knew what that meant but she didn''t do anything about it.


    Wei Jun was harsh and to the point. He only kept some people close while the rest were expendables. She wasn''t lucky enough to be important while the rest of the intelligence team wasn''t.


    Their fates were set in fate since day one.


    "Make sure they''re not hiding anything to connect them to you." Wei Jun said before he and Li Wei left the building. He knew how careful these hackers could be. No doubt even Li Wei would have some evidence against Wei Jun to use against him if he were to ever threaten her.


    "I will see to it." Li Wei replied without any hesitation.


    ~~


    "That''s¡­ new." Zhao Hui couldn''t help but admit that even he, who had seen many crime scenes, some of them very bizarre, none of them were as ruthless as this one.


    "What do you think he decorated the head for?" A detective asked.


    "Maybe he was trying to send a message." The M.E speculated. Zhao Hui, however, disagreed. There was no hidden message in there. It was simple ruthlessness.


    "The killer had no mercy for her." Zhao Hui said as he looked into the hollowed eyes of the head.


    "Do we know who she is?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "Yi Rang." The detective replied.


    "You mean the director of the big-shot pharmaceutical company?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "Yes, sir," The detective replied before he gave an overview of the situation, "We don''t know what she was doing here and those look like the only ones who would know. Unfortunately, with them dead, we can''t do that either. Whatever it was, it was sketchy and private."


    He then pointed at a location and said, "She was killed over there. There''s blood on the ground that is suspected to be hers and the cause of it is her¡­ face." Even the detective couldn''t find the right words.


    "Then, the killer stepped on her neck and separated both parts with just his foot." The M.E added.


    "He was a cultivator?" Zhao Hui asked.


    "No idea." The detective replied.


    "He definitely was." Zhao Hui heard a voice, a female''s voice and as he turned around, he saw a woman along with a few men making her way to him.


    Her tall figure, coupled with her black hair, black eyes, and snow-white skin attracted everyone on the scene. It was as if she was the reincarnation of the word beautiful itself.


    "What''s the CSF doing here?" Zhao Hui asked, barely able to deny how beautiful she was.


    "Because this is a cultivator murder." The girl replied before she added, "Hence why we''re here."


    "How do you know it is one?" The infatuated detective asked, trying to be smart but it didn''t work for him. In fact, it did the opposite as she replied, "Are you an idiot? Do you know anyone who can kill this many cultivators?"


    "Ahem." The detective coughed, embarrassed by that.


    Zhao Hui looked at her and asked, "Even then, it was a civilian who was murdered. I have all the right to be involved."


    "Cultivators harming civilians is why we exist, Sergeant." The girl replied.


    "Very well," Zhao Hui said before he added, "But I still cannot just hand it over to you guys without proper orders."


    "Oh, we have that." One of the handsome men beside the girl said and handed Zhao Hui a paper.


    Zhao Hui read it and said, "All right. We''re clearing the scene."


    The police didn''t think for a second and started complying with the order when the girl said, "We''re going to need your support."


    "That''s a no. It''s not my first time dealing with the CSF and any screw-ups during your cases are my screw-ups. I''m not gonna let that happen. I was told to hand over the scene to you, not be your puppy." Zhao Hui replied, his tone wasn''t respectful at all.


    There was a reason there was bad blood between the police and the CSF. Whenever they worked on a case jointly, the CSF was the one to take all the credit and the police were the ones who were blamed for the mistakes. They were treated as nothing but slaves, doing the scut work while the CSF took the lead on everything.


    "You don''t understand; we don''t have the manpower to handle this case." The girl said, a little frown on her face.


    "I know. That''s why I said no." Zhao Hui said.


    "Don''t you want to find the killer of this woman?" One of the men beside the girl said.


    "When were you born? Are you really trying to use guilt against me?" Zhao Hui wasn''t one to lose an argument.


    Seeing their attempts fail, the man who handed Zhao Hui the order papers said, "The CSF will hear about this."


    "And they can bend me on one knee and spank me. I''m still not letting my workforce be abused." Zhao Hui replied.


    "We know how the CSF officers treat you and we''re not like that. We promise you credit will be given where it is due." The girl said, her intentions pure to anyone.


    "Like I haven''t heard that one before." Unfortunately, that didn''t work. Zhao Hui had learned from his experience. There was a reason he hated CSF even when his own brother was in it and had offered him a pretty high position many times.


    "No matter how sincere you are, the one sitting on the top would never let go of their glory. Not to mortals like us especially." Zhao Hui said before he yelled to his workforce, "Why isn''t it clear yet?"


    "We''re almost done, sergeant." One of the medical officers replied.


    "Good. Make sure to hand over all the files." Zhao Hui said before he turned to the girl and said, "You can try your luck with some other precinct. I''m sure they would love to have you."


    "That was¡­ something." Once the police cleared the scene, one of the men said.


    "That''s on the CSF itself. They do abuse the local police." The girl replied, not taking her own organization''s side.


    She then turned to the head of the car and said, "Forget about that. Focus on this. This brutality wasn''t something amateur. Whoever we''re looking for is well familiar with killing."


    She then turned to the man next to her and said, "Reach down to the police department. Have them pull out all cases with this manner of brutality. Take all the files, that''s our first lead. And someone search this woman''s apartment and office. We need more detail about what went on here."


    "Yes, captain." The men said and all of them got to their work while the girl turned to look at the head and said, "I will find whoever did this to you. Justice will be delivered."

 Chapter 247 First suspect

    "Any news?" Xiaofei Rin asked a man who just entered.He sighed and replied, "I just returned from Yi Rang''s apartment. It is not invaded in any way. However, her office was rummaged. The guards outside were all either killed or severely injured. Those who survived, don''t remember anything."


    "What do you think it was?" Rin asked the man next to her who was looking at the pattern along with her.


    "It''s a conspiracy so far. It doesn''t look like a hostile takeover because all the competitors look quiet at the moment." The man said.


    "If we look at it like that, has anyone targeted those subsidiaries? Any of the production plants? Labs? Anything at all?" She asked the man who came with the report.


    "Nothing so far but I''m looking into it." The young man replied.


    "Such a big business company must have black fund accounts. Any lead on them?" Rin asked.


    "I looked into that," The man next to her replied before he added, "But that''s a dead end. Everything''s been erased."


    "What do you mean erased?" Rin asked.


    "It means exactly that. The accounts have been closed. And they were closed ten years ago, the day they were created. Whoever it was, they were good and made sure to erase any and every trace." The man elaborated.


    Rin sighed. She looked at the pattern once again but the only lead they had was that whoever it was, they were trying to take over the company but there hadn''t been any move in that regard as well.


    Just as she was about to look at it from another perspective, another man entered the room and said, "I brought good news."


    "What good news?" Rin asked.


    "We know which company took over everything as soon as the director of that company died." The man replied.


    "Who?" Rin hurriedly asked.


    "A company under the name of ''Angelic healers''. It''s a newly created pharmaceutical company." The man informed.


    "How new?" Rin asked.


    "Two days old." The man replied.


    "It''s probably a paper company created to move with this step." The man next to Rin said.


    "The question is; who does it belong to? It must be a big power seeing how fast they moved." Rin said.


    "The Ruan enterprises." The young man replied, turning everyone''s head in the room to him, "It belongs to the behemoth Ruan."


    Rin looked at the files once again. But she wasn''t looking at them. Instead, she was going through the plan in her head. Of course, the CSF was powerful, but Sun Ruan was equally influential given he was an elder of the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect.


    "We have to be careful," The man next to her said as if he could read her mind.


    She nodded and said, "Who''s their current CEO?"


    "Lin Ruan." The young man replied.


    "Schedule a meeting with her. We can''t do much if it''s Sun Ruan but it''s a different story if it''s someone else." Rin said.


    ~~


    "Please come in." A secretary brought Rin and two of her subordinates to Lin Ruan''s office. As Rin''s eyes lay on Lin Ruan, she couldn''t help but compare herself to her. Ignoring her somewhat short stature, she was beautiful in every department.


    Especially the front department.


    "Take a seat," Lin Ruan said, her voice full of confidence and authority.


    "Thanks for making time out of your busy schedule to meet us," Rin said.


    Lin Ruan nodded and said, "What other choice did I have?"


    Granted Lin Ruan knew of the power behind her, but just as the CSF was hesitant about making Sun Ruan an enemy, Sun Ruan was equally hesitant because that power was tied to the emperor.


    "We apologize for the abrupt intrusion so I will get straight to the point." Rin said before she asked, "Are you familiar with one of your subsidiaries, ''Angelic healers''?"


    "No." Lin Ruan straightforwardly replied. "There are many subsidiaries under our companies and it is statistically impossible for me to be familiar with all of them."


    "Even if it''s worth 3 billion yuan?" Rin asked.


    "¡­" Lin Ruan remained silent before she replied, "There''s no such company. Most of our subsidiaries are worth 1 billion, two at most."


    "Are you sure?" Rin asked as she handed Lin Ruan some papers. Lin Ruan checked them and found nothing wrong with them, she found out that the company was indeed a subsidiary of Ruan Enterprises and when she checked the security code, it was named under her brother.


    Lin Ruan''s mind worked at full speed and she looked at Rin with a smile as she replied, "I don''t think I can help you in this regard. This much could be easily planted."


    It was true. Anyone could have created a company and tied it to Ruan Enterprises if they somehow managed to get the codes of any one of the directors.


    Or it could have been one of them as well. Going after smoke and mirrors wasn''t exactly a lead. It was a waste of time. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Can I expect Ruan Enterprises'' cooperation?" Rin asked.


    "As long as nothing internal is disturbed. We are, in the end, the people''s company." Lin Ruan subtly relayed that CSF had no authority over the company issues even if it was a serious case.


    "That much is enough," Rin replied, her expression, however, wasn''t that of a happy person.


    She was stuck.


    However, she also knew that Lin Ruan knew something. Whatever it was, she was aware of something and refused to cooperate.


    "Can I take it that you are done here?" Lin Ruan asked.


    "For now, yes," Rin replied.


    She stood up and left with her team. As they came out, she turned to the young man next to her and said, "Find out anything you can about her."


    "You think she''s related somehow?" The young man asked.


    "She knows something." Rin replied before she added, "And I want to know what."


    ~~


    "Four days and nothing to show. Are you even doing your job properly?" Rin''s superior asked over the phone. Rin silently cursed him before she replied, "I can''t do anything about that, Sir. We''re severely short-staffed."


    "Then find some way to solve that issue. Do you think I can just hire anyone just because you''re short-staffed because of just one case?" He superior condescendingly asked.


    Rin once again cursed him but remained quiet about that. She chose to focus on the case, "I believe that the Ruan family is somehow involved. However, we can''t just barge into their affairs without probable cause."


    "Is your hunch solid?" The superior asked.


    "It is." Rin resolutely replied.


    "¡­" the superior remained quiet for some time before he said, "You will have your clearance in an hour."


    "Yes, sir," Rin replied and the call ended.


    "Do you think it would be that easy?" A young man asked.


    "It would be." The man who was slightly older than Rin replied and added, "They see a chance at politics. The world isn''t just about cultivation, you know."


    "Sun Ruan is a direct line to the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect. A grasp at him is a grasp at the third-strongest sect in the empire. Of course, they wouldn''t let go of this opportunity." Rin added.


    "Mhm." The man nodded, agreeing with Rin.


    While they were discussing that, the man who was asked to monitor Lin Ruan entered the room.


    "Did you find anything?" Rin asked.


    "Except for the fact how uptight she is, nothing about her seems off." The young man replied before he got into elaboration, "She works, works, and works. Doesn''t look like she has any time for her personal life. I don''t think she even has one."


    "Who has she met in the last few days?" The man next to Rin asked.


    Explore hidden tales at empire


    "Except for the business meetings, the only person she has met outside of her home was her brother, Wei Jun Ruan." The young man replied before he placed a picture of a man on the table.


    A man who seemed to be straight out of heaven. His beauty froze everyone for a second before they pulled themselves out of it. The one who couldn''t was none other than Rin, who, for the first time in her life, felt jealous.


    "Ahem!" A jealous cough entered her ears. She raised her head to see four jealous eyes staring at her. She coughed in embarrassment and said, "Did you find anything about him?"


    "So much that it was hard to carry the file here." The young man replied before he gave an overview, "A few months back, he suddenly had a personality change. Before that, he was the typical playboy and a troublemaker. He was on his way to be disowned from the family."


    "Then what happened?" The man next to Rin asked.


    "He changed. Overnight as if a different person. Then he was suspected in cases that made him a priority. Every detail is in here." The young man finally put the heavy file on the table.


    Once Rin gave it a read, she looked at the young man and said, "We have our first suspect, gentlemen."

 Chapter 248 Entanglement

    "They want to meet me?" Wei Jun asked as he sat in his office. Lin Ruan, who was visiting him nodded and said, "I don''t know how you did it, but because of you going after those stocks, you''re now a prime suspect.""I was the one who killed her," Wei Jun easily admitted. Lin Ruan remained silent before she said, "I don''t know how you did it, but because of you going after those stocks, you''re now the prime suspect."


    The meaning behind that was clear. She didn''t hear it. She didn''t want any part in this. And she didn''t want to be the reason someone got to Wei Jun as well.


    Wei Jun silently appreciated that and said, "I need you to actively involve yourself in that business."


    "Are you sure? The Ruan Enterprises don''t deal in pharmaceuticals." Lin Ruan asked as she clarified the purpose of her question.


    "It''s fine." Wei Jun said before he added, "We''ll do great. It''s an enormous sum and with such an investment and everything prepared, we can easily do business in that industry by the end of the week."


    Everything was ready.


    Yi Rang''s company was the same, only the leadership had changed in a way. Lin Ruan also knew why Wei Jun was going so fast. He didn''t want the competitors of the same industry to catch up.


    Just like how Yi Rang was providing quality pharmaceuticals to the empire, the Ruan company would be doing the same now in her stead.


    "How will we explain it to Grandfather?" Lin Ruan asked.


    "He doesn''t have to know." Wei Jun replied.


    "That wouldn''t be possible." Lin Ruan argued, "If we want to make it public, then we will have to let the board know."


    "We will be making it public, just not who''s running it." Wei Jun replied.


    "What do you mean?" Lin Ruan asked.


    "I hear the underworld of Yuan Yin City is in great turmoil." Wei Jun said.


    "Are you out of your mind?" Lin Ruan didn''t need to be a genius to understand what Wei Jun meant as he said it to the point.


    "If we go by that route, then it isn''t medicine but drugs." Lin Ruan worriedly said which made Wei Jun chuckle. It was true and the common name of pharmaceutical medicine was drugs.


    Many of the medicines could be used as high-quality drugs, considering how they were used. In the underworld, how they would be used was obvious.


    "You don''t have to worry about that." Wei Jun said before he added, "We will be cleaning the funds through that."


    "What do you mean?" Lin Ruan asked.


    "We''ll be selling drugs, all right, just not to the others but to ourselves." Wei Jun replied.


    "I don''t get it." Lin Ruan said.


    "Where did we get the funds to operate those drugs? That would be the main question Sun Ruan will ask." Wei Jun said before he added, "However, if we''re buying them and then selling them through our companies with our own money, then we have a proper paper trail."


    "Meanwhile the money we used to buy those drugs comes back into our pockets." Lin Ruan finally understood what Wei Jun was trying to say.


    "But even that would be problematic." Lin Ruan said.


    If caught, they could still be riled into the drug conspiracy. Lin Ruan wasn''t sure what to do about that.


    "Then we don''t go in as cultivators." Wei Jun replied before he added, "We simply choose a representative who''s a mortal. Mortal cases would be handled by the police. Police is easy to buy or deal with."


    Clearly, Wei Jun had thought this out thoroughly. There wasn''t a single point Lin Ruan could point out that could cause them trouble. They had a way of dealing with Sun Ruan, a way of dealing with the authorities, and finally, a way of expanding their own personal pockets outside of Sun Ruan''s influence.


    Lin Ruan had to admit. It was a foolproof plan.


    "There''s just one problem, though." Lin Ruan said.


    "I know. Though they would be dealt with shortly." Wei Jun said, his assurance accompanied by confidence which calmed Lin Ruan down and she left to put the plan in motion before it was too late.


    ~~


    Once Lin Ruan left, Wei Jun turned his attention to the blinking screen with seriousness all over his face. He was confident all right, but he wasn''t completely out of worry.


    [The wheel of fate has been put in motion]


    [Your actions have initiated a chain of events that have brought about the current situation in existence]


    [Main Quest IV has been initiated forcefully]


    [Xiaofei Rin]


    [Description: Your actions have brought consequences that no one could have perceived Read latest chapters at empire


    A protagonist who was supposed to encounter your adventures in the future has come a lot sooner


    Kill her and strike another strong hit to the fate of this world]


    [Task: Kill Xiaofei Ring]


    [Reward(s)


    #1: System update


    #2: An S Tier skill


    #3: Inventory update


    #4: Shop level update


    #5: All stats +10]


    [Punishment: Death]


    [Time limit: One month]


    Not only did he have to deal with two protagonists now, he had to do it faster than ever. All others had a certain time limit but this was the first one that had the time limit of a month.


    ''I guess in one month she will be able to get to me.'' Wei Jun mused. She was currently investigating him. There wasn''t an impossibility that she wouldn''t find anything on him or somehow get to him.


    Wei Jun himself knew that there was no perfect crime. There was a great chance the police would find him, sooner or later, it was bound to happen. What depended then was how well Wei Jun was prepared.


    However, Wei Jun was familiar with the ridiculous luck of the protagonists. Shao Chen managed to escape Yan Rong and Run Long managed to escape Lao Chen even when both of them stood no reasonable and logical chance.


    He had a feeling with the ridiculous luck of this girl, she would somehow find something on Wei Jun. And even if she didn''t, there were still many political ways to get rid of him, and Sun Ruan, worried about his own status, wouldn''t think twice before throwing Wei Jun under the bus.


    ''Who is she?'' Wei Jun asked.


    There was no information about the third protagonist. There wasn''t any about this one as well but this one didn''t seem as special as the third one. He figured this one was a novel. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [It is]


    The system reply confirmed his assumptions.


    [It''s a reverse harem novel]


    ''What''s that?'' Wei Jun seriously asked, unfamiliar with the term.


    [You don''t know what harem is, host?]


    ''I didn''t know what fictional novels were a few months ago.'' Wei Jun retorted.


    [True]


    [Harem novels are where one man and several women are in a happy relationship]


    [In the reverse harem, there would be one female, and¡­]


    ''Multiple males?'' Wei Jun ended the sentence.


    [Yes, it''s a popular genre nowadays]


    ''So what?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Eh?]


    [I just thought I''d tell you]


    ''I don''t care if it''s multiple women or multiple men, all I want is the one who''s my target.'' Wei Jun replied, uninterested in the genre of the novel.


    [I forgot how uninterested you were in everything]


    The system realized its mistake before it steered the conversation in the direction Wei Jun wanted.


    [The level-up condition for this novel is quite easy]


    ''What is it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Kill all the male leads]


    [Kill the male leads that help make her strong]


    Wei Jun simply nodded to that impactful information. He didn''t understand why the system was being so dramatic but he didn''t care nor did he bother to humor the system.


    He hurriedly pulled out his phone and dialed a number.


    "Yes, boss?" Mark Wilson giddily spoke.


    "Boss?" Wei Jun was taken aback.


    "The elixir you gave worked like a charm. From now on, you''re my boss." Mark Wilson happily spoke.


    Wei Jun remembered giving Mark Wilson the body cleaning pill. It must not have worked perfectly since he doubted it did much for the vessels so maybe Mark Wilson had come with the wrong diagnosis.


    "I have a task for you." Wei Jun said.


    "As long as you pay the price, dear customer." Mark Wilson seriously spoke.


    Wei Jun narrowed his eyes at the sudden change in attitude and titles, but he didn''t care. He simply replied, "I have something that will be beneficial to the person you''re giving those elixirs to."


    That was all Mark Wilson needed to hear and replied, "Just tell me the name. I will even find out how they wipe their a*ses."


    Wei Jun told him the heroine''s name and the men around her. He told Mark Wilson to find out what he could about her and then deal with it from there.


    "Don''t worry about it. Although she''s from the CSF which would make things a little tricky, but that wouldn''t be much of a problem since in the end, she is a public figure. It''ll be easy to figure out her background. Her life in the CSF would be a little hard to investigate, but I''ll pull some strings." Mark Wilson replied.


    With the assurance from Mark Wilson, Wei Jun ended the call after setting a meeting for the next day where he would deliver the marrow and blood cleansing pills.


    After that, he decided to take another approach to this matter as well. A political approach. And who better to ask than the one person who would do anything for him? Even betray her current organization.


    "Hello, darling," Yan Rong seductively spoke.


    "Let''s meet. I got a task for you." Wei Jun straightforwardly said.


    "Anything you say, darling."

 Chapter 249 Under Interrogation?

    "Thanks for meeting with us, Mister Ruan," Rin said as she was brought to Wei Jun''s office along with her team. Lao Chen had asked them to leave their guns at the reception which they were easily able to do so because their main weapon wasn''t a gun anyway.Wei Jun nodded, no apparent expression on his face as he replied, "Can I get you anything?"


    "We''re fine, thanks," Just as the young man next to Rin was about to speak, Rin beat him to it and turned the option to refreshments down, making the young man a little disappointed.


    "Then what can I help you with?" Wei Jun got straight to the point.


    "You wouldn''t happen to be familiar with ''Angelic Healers'', would you be?" Rin also got straight to the point and asked.


    Wei Jun made a strange face as if he couldn''t remember before he added, "No, the name doesn''t ring a bell. Sounds lame as well."


    "Are you sure?" Rin asked before she added, "It''s a subsidiary company under Ruan Enterprises."


    "That and many more. It is impossible for us to keep track of each and every one. Proper logs can give you an answer." Wei Jun replied.


    "We already got that from your sister." The young man next to Rin said, his voice a little arrogant as if he could tell Wei Jun was rehearsing a story.


    To the older man behind them though, it sounded entirely different. It sounded like stupidity. Up till now, it was an interview.


    "Then if you already have these answers and you''re still here means you suspect me." Wei Jun said, with a taunting smile on his face.


    Now it was an interrogation and that was how their target was going to act.


    "What my colleague was just trying to point out is that we already followed on the most basic of questions with the company CEO," Rin calmly tried to salvage the situation.


    "But unfortunately, the CEO didn''t have an answer. We are now trying to follow up with the rest of the directors to see if there were any discrepancies." Rin explained.


    "Haha." Wei Jun chuckled. That chuckle said everything that Rin needed to hear.


    Her subordinate was sloppy and had almost cost her the entire situation. Not only had he given them away, he also risked the entire investigation.


    A simple show that Rin had no control over her subordinates. That was what it sounded like.


    "What''s so funny?" The young man distastefully asked.


    "Speaking when your superior is trying so hard to diffuse the situation. That just shows how less of control she has over you." Wei Jun made sure to point that out.


    That changed the older man and Rin''s facial expression a little. Conveying it under the concealment of a chuckle was something else. Saying it to their faces was something else.


    "I apologize for my subordinate''s rude actions," Rin said, her expression not that well. From colleague to subordinate, the difference in those titles was clear.


    "To answer your questions, officer," Wei Jun said, acting as if the subsequent conversation never happened, "You can have access to the company logs. Although I don''t know if such a pharmaceutical company exists, we do have a subsidiary that is about to invest in pharmaceuticals. Once we do that, the ring would become heavily entangled causing your objective to be very hard to fulfill since it would mean giving away company logs to you."


    "And when does that begin?" Rin asked.


    She didn''t have a good feeling about the answer to come. A permission so easily meant only one thing. The other side was playing with them.


    "Tonight at midnight." Wei Jun said with a smile that had mockery written all over it. The young man couldn''t understand the essence of the issue but he could sense something was off from that smirk.


    As for the older man and Rin, they could tell what Wei Jun''s actions signified.


    "Then, I''d rather not waste any of your and my own time. We''d like to begin right away." Rin said, deciding to play along because that was the only option they had.


    "Sure," Wei Jun said before he called someone on his cell phone. After a few minutes, Li Wei appeared with her usual black-colored outfit consisting of jeans and a tight T-shirt.


    Since the intelligence team of Wei Jun had unfortunately run away, Li Wei took an office in the main building as Wei Jun''s secretary. Well, that was her surface role. Her real job was to do the dirty work that required a computer and a virus for Wei Jun.


    "This is my secretary, Miss Wei," Wei Jun said, introducing Li Wei before he added, "She will guide you to the mainframe. You can check the data from there."


    Guide was a fancy word. She was there to keep an eye on them so they didn''t download anything. Rin knew that but once again, she knew she wasn''t in charge.


    With a slight nod, she left with her men before she called the rest of her team in, telling them to drop everything and get there.


    ~~


    "There are millions of them here." The young man frustratingly said after three hours of constant checking.


    "It''s a big company. They create many paper companies a day and then erase them on the same day. Only some of them stick around." The older man with the most experience among them said.


    "And we''re looking for one of those." Another young man raised the question, "This is like finding a needle in the haystack."


    "The purpose of a paper company is to evade many problems. They would be stupid to separate data in case situations like these arise." The older man said.


    "And these guys are quite thorough even in that regard. Everything is detailed perfectly, down to the last line." Another young man said.


    "Which only makes it difficult for us to distinguish between the ones that are real and those that are just for display." Another young man remarked.


    "This isn''t working," Rin said.


    "We don''t even know if it''s in here or he''s just playing with us." The young man from earlier said. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, it''s here. It''s part of the trick." The older man said before he added, "We just don''t have enough time to figure out the pattern."


    "That only leaves us with one option," Rin said.


    "We were permitted to look, not download," The older man said as if he could read what was in Rin''s mind, "Any data obtained otherwise would be dismissed in the court."


    "If we go with a public case. The Ruan family itself is a family of cultivators. The company may be in people''s name, but they themselves come under the jurisdiction of CSF." Rin replied.


    "Doesn''t mean they don''t have a right to defend themselves. Anything that goes against the normal procedure can be held against us." The older man argued.


    "¡­" Rin was quiet in that case before she said, "We have to assume they don''t go that far, and even if they do, we can still count on the Lieutenant and get our jobs done. What happens afterward would be fate."


    A simple theory of it was what it was.


    They couldn''t get the proof the right way so they had to go the wrong way. Once they did, they would be counting on the fact that the CSF could pressure the company into fessing up.


    If they lost, then they just lost. Nothing more, nothing less.


    "But there''s one problem we need to deal with before that." The older man said but didn''t look at the problem itself who was keeping an eye on them as well.


    Rin knew who the man was talking about. The one person who was there to keep an eye on them.


    Li Wei looked at them scheming and whispering among themselves. She was nervous the entire time, to say the least. The reason for that was because the files they were looking for


    were


    among the files that were given to them. She was afraid they would find it at any time and the entire game would be over.


    But¡­


    "The moment they start acting like they''re discussing their strategy, they''re discussing you. Which means they have no useable information and need to occupy your attention." She remembered Wei Jun''s instructions if that situation were to ever happen.


    She also remembered what she had to do about that. She pretended to go back to reading her files on her computer and ignored Rin''s team who were still making plans.


    On the other side, Rin and her team finally finished making their plan. They all looked at the young man who had been rude to Wei Jun earlier.


    The young man smirked, his pearly white teeth on display as he said with the most confident smile that could ever exist, "Leave it to me," Which none of them wanted to but they had no other choice.


    "Watch me swipe her off her feet."

 Chapter 250 Let it begin

    "And what if they do try to distract me?" Li Wei asked Wei Jun who was sitting in his seat with a relaxed expression. Li Wei couldn''t understand why he was so relaxed. Even if there were millions of files, there were still chances that Rin and her team could find the ones they were looking for.If that was done, they would be embroiled with CSF on a larger scale than ever before. Their relation with the underground of the Yuan Yin City would be exposed.


    Wei Jun waved his hand as if he could understand what Li Wei was thinking, "They wouldn''t find them. That''s human nature. They would look seriously for an hour, maybe two or three. But then, they''ll start looking for an alternative."


    "The best alternative would be to download those files. That''s where you come in. You let them." Wei Jun said.


    "And what of when they find it?" Li Wei asked.


    "They won''t have time. They would only download the ones at the deeper level. It''s your job to let them have what they want." Wei Jun replied.


    "And if they don''t?" Li Wei asked.


    "They won''t." Wei Jun replied but he sighed and placated Li Wei as he added, "Even if they do, just in case¡­"


    Li Wei remembered Wei Jun''s instructions and sighed to herself, ''I know you asked me to distract them, boss. But this is a bit¡­''


    "Have anyone told you how beautiful your eyes are?" Sho Xiang, the young talented member of Rin''s team was tasked with keeping Li Wei distracted.


    Li Wei looked at him and had just one thought, ''What''s this brat saying?''


    The flirtation techniques displayed by Sho Xiang were the true definition of amateur. His posture was awkward and his expression was cheesy. Anyone could tell what he was trying to do.


    "Many." Li Wei still remembered her job and engaged him as she added, "They also told me how beautiful hair, ears, nose, lips, face, and body I have."


    "Ye-Yes, they''re amazing too." Sho Xiang replied, caught a little off guard.


    "Are you saying my body''s amazing?" Li Wei asked with a smile.


    "Eh? Ah, yes," Sho Xiang hurriedly replied.


    "That''s sexual harassment, isn''t it?" Li Wei once again asked, her expression this time though was a little dark.


    "What?! Eh?! No! No! No! You have very exquisite curves¡­ NO! What I mean to say is¡­ say is¡­ is¡­" Sho Xiang was caught in a net of his own words.


    Before he could break down any further, Li Wei chuckled cutely and replied, "I''m just messing with you. Of course, I know what a bombshell I am. That''s not harassment but a fact."


    "Oh? I¡­ I see." Sho Xiang replied, a little calm but he had learned his lesson.


    "What''s---What''s your ideal type?" Sho Xiang asked.


    "Bo-Handsome." Li Wei quickly replied.


    Sho Xiang sighed. If there was one thing he was confident about himself, more than his expertise and his cultivation, then that was his god-given beauty.


    If only he knew Li Wei bit her tongue to swallow the word ''Boss'' and change it to ''Handsome''.


    "So, what''s your ideal date?" He asked, furthering the topic to keep Li Wei busy.


    "Fwooooppp¡­" Li Wei sucked in a deep breath before she began, "My ideal date is me binding men in leather ropes and hitting them like the pigs they are. Oh, of course, I make sure not to inflict too much pain. Just so much they squeal like the pigs they are. Then I use wax, candle wax, and the other one as well to make them scream in pain before I pluck their nose hair one by one and do the same with their hair down there. Then making them thank me for what I did and bless them with my feet on their faces."


    Blood came out of Sho Xiang''s ears when he heard Li Wei describe her fetishes. Just as he thought it was finished¡­


    "Fwwooopppp¡­." An even bigger breath was drawn in before¡­


    Before his greatest nightmare began.


    ~~


    "They got it?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes, they did." Li Wei seriously replied.


    "Damn luck of the protagonists." Wei Jun muttered under his breath. Even after taking so many factors into consideration, the protagonist still somehow managed to find the file. Wei Jun realized that logic and human nature failed when it came to these damn protagonists.


    Still, he was very calm because Li Wei wasn''t panicking. It meant the failsafe was in place.


    "When they think they have everything, wouldn''t it be fun to make it so they don''t?" Wei Jun asked.


    Li Wei didn''t need to be told what that meant. She smiled and replied, "I''ll get it done, boss."


    ~~


    "What''s the matter with you?" Jang Long, a colleague of Sho Xiang asked, seeing him lost in a world of his own.


    Sho Xiang looked at him with an expression that couldn''t be read before he replied, "Did you know, Brother Long?"


    "Know what?" Jang Long asked.


    "That we''re pigs." Sho Xiang replied.


    "What? What are you saying, you lunatic?" Jang Long asked.


    "We only exist for one purpose. And that is to kneel in front of women while they bless us by stepping on us." Sho Xiang replied.


    The entirety of the van turned to look at Sho Xiang as if they were looking at a madman. They then turned to Rin, making sure what he said wasn''t true, "Who do you take me for? You perverts?"


    Regardless to say, Rin was more flustered than offended because she held a little of those tendencies as well. After all, she was a woman in power. Power was bound to affect her in many ways than one. There was no reason she wouldn''t derive satisfaction from ordering men who have ordered her all her life.


    Everyone looked at her like they didn''t believe her but they had no choice but to remain silent about it.


    "It''s not you, captain," Sho Xiang replied, his expression full of realization, "It is the nature of men to be showered in you p--"


    "SHUT THIS BASTARD UP!!!!" Rin hurriedly shouted and Jang Long hurriedly knocked him out by striking him at the back of his neck.


    "What did that woman do to him?" The older man, Fei Zhang asked, his expression full of fear. How could someone so innocent be corrupted in a matter of minutes?


    Everyone in the van shivered at that moment.


    "Don''t worry." Rin replied, although she wasn''t sure of it herself, "I''m sure it''s just a phase."


    For some reason, no one believed her.


    "We must avenge him." Jang Long replied, looking at the honest expression of Sho Xiang, the cute child of the entire team.


    "We will." Everyone vowed in their hearts to avenge the sweet and innocent Sho Xiang.


    "We''ll begin with this," Rin replied, looking at the flash drive in her hands.


    As soon as they arrived back at the police station that they were borrowing, they plugged the flash drive into a computer. The data on it was encrypted so they had to connect it to the CSF''s database and decrypt it.


    "We''re in," The older man said.


    Rin nodded and they all began to search through the files. Three days, was the amount of time it took them to find that one single company file that had all the information on it.


    As they did, they examined it and as they did, they were overjoyed because all the data they needed was there. How they took over the subsidiary companies of Yi Rang''s pharmaceutical company.


    How the company was laundering the drugs through the underground of the Yuan Yin City which itself was a crime.


    Every detail, everything they needed to build a case against the Ruan Enterprises, the involvement of the Ruan siblings, and the fact that this was clearly connected to Yi Rang''s murder.


    Every minute detail was there and they couldn''t help but be overjoyed.


    "All right, contact the D.A. We''re going to start working on them." Rin instructed. Jang Long nodded and left to get it done. All said and done, the Ruan Enterprises was still a behemoth they couldn''t easily approach. With the D.A. taking care of the public side and them taking care of the cultivation side, it would be the safest and the fastest route in bringing down Ruan Enterprises and capturing the killer in one go.


    "We got them." Rin smiled to herself.


    Alas, her happiness was short-lived because as soon as she said that, the power went out. Along with that, the computers went out as well.


    But the blackout only lasted for half a minute before it came back. The computers were turned back on but as soon as they were, there was nothing on them. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What the¡­" The older man was speechless and began to check everything on the computer.


    It wasn''t just the flash drive that had been wiped out. All of the data from the computer was gone. And if that wasn''t enough, then what they saw next was even more horrifying.


    "This is¡­" Horror spread throughout the room.


    "What has he done." She couldn''t help but say when she witnessed what was happening. Not just there, but all over the empire.


    ~~


    Sitting in his office, Wei Jun smirked as he saw the program infiltration succeed.


    "Let the havoc begin."

 Chapter 251 Turmoil

    Read new chapters at empire"Last night, the CSF database was hacked and resources confirmed that all the data they had has been erased." A TV reporter spoke on the TV while the CSF was in turmoil.


    "Damn it. How did they get the news? What inside resources is she talking about?" A middle-aged man asked another middle-aged man who seemed to be standing with cold sweat flowing down his back.


    "We are sure that the leak wasn''t from us, Major. Whoever did this must be from the outside." Tae Song, a lieutenant in the CSF said.


    "Must be?" The major, however, didn''t like that news, "So you''re saying you''re not sure where this came from? Where did that virus come from?! Where did this leak come from?!! Where did all this mess come from?!!!"


    Tae Song closed his eyes, feeling a little threatened because the Major was unconsciously leaking his Qi which was too much for a Qi manifestation realm cultivator like Tae Song.


    "We¡­ We know where the virus came from. We just don''t have any proof to tie it to them." Tae Song replied.


    "Then get me proof!!!" The major yelled in return.


    "Sh*t! Do we really not have anything?" Tae Song asked Rin and a man in glasses sitting next to her.


    The man replied, no fear in his voice, "You have to understand, Lieutenant, this virus has been creeping into the system for three days. Unnoticed. And then it was also removed from everything. There''s no trace of it."


    "What do you mean?" Rin asked.


    "Usually such a job is done in a hurry. It''s a get in and get out type of situation that doesn''t give you enough time to erase your traces. But this time, the hacker had a long time on his hands. They were granted access once the encryption was initiated which allowed them to mask their codes. After that, everything was done over a period of three days. All the algorithms were planted and all traces were erased." The man in glasses explained.


    "So what you''re saying is that they had plenty of time." Tae Song understood the essence of the explanation.


    "But why would they target the criminal database?" The man with glasses couldn''t understand. The criminal database was still available on the internet.


    "Because they weren''t looking for anyone. They erased data that could help us recognize criminals. Fingerprints, blood work, and more. Anything that could help us recognize them is now gone." Rin explained.


    "And the archives they took have the data of our officers as well. Some of them wouldn''t want their lives to be exposed." Tae Song explained.


    Cultivation was a dangerous world. Someone who captured cultivators and put them behind bars wasn''t just some street cop. Their enemies were on a level that could wipe their families in a day, even before the news reached their ears.


    So the background information of the CSF officials was concealed in case their loved ones were ever targeted as a form of revenge.


    Now that data was out there and could be used against them. If that wasn''t enough, now they didn''t have records of major criminals. If they were to commit crimes anywhere, there would be no fingerprints in the system to identify them.


    "Are you sure it was them?" Still, Tae Song had to be sure. One mistake and they would be going at odds with one of the strongest sects in the empire. Granted they were powerful as well, but even the emperor wouldn''t want a war between these two without probable cause.


    Probable cause they didn''t have. They needed proof that it was indeed Wei Jun Ruan who stole their data. If they couldn''t, then they couldn''t pursue this matter no matter who they were.


    "There is¡­ one way," Rin spoke, her hesitation apparent in her voice. Whatever it was, it wasn''t a good thing and if went wrong, it could horribly bite them in the back.


    But¡­


    "What more trouble can we get in." Tae Song said before he heard Rin''s plan.


    "If they leaked news, why don''t we leak one of our own?" Rin asked.


    "Do it." Tae Song had no choice but to approve it. They were in bigger trouble than one would think.


    ~~


    "Are you saying you have confirmed this?" A reporter asked at the press conference held by the CSF.


    "Yes. We have traced the location back to the Ruan Enterprises. Unfortunately, they have claimed they know nothing about it which is causing us some issues. But rest assured, we will soon deal with that issue as well." Rin replied.


    "What do you mean by that?" Another reporter asked.


    "We have found out who the biker who has terrorized the city is," Rin replied.


    "You have?" The reporter asked.


    "Yes. We have definite proof that the one to cause various incidents of attack and terrorism all over the city is none other than Wei Jun Ruan." Rin replied calmly but her words brought anything but calm.


    A storm. That was what those words caused.


    Listening to those words, the sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect calmly told his attendant, "Set a meeting with the emperor."


    "Are you sure it would be all right?" The attendant asked. She couldn''t understand why the sect master would get involved with that issue. Cutting Wei Jun Ruan loose was much more safer and anyone, even his own grandfather would do that.


    "The emperor wouldn''t let go of this chance to suppress us if he was in our spot. Why wouldn''t I do the same now that I stand to make the empire owe me one?" The sect master asked before he added, this time with a hint of authority that granted no debate, "Set up a meeting with the emperor."


    "Yes, sect master." The attendant left after respectfully replying.


    ~~


    When he listened to the fact that the CSF was after his family, Sun Ruan''s first instinct was to cut Wei Jun loose. Of course, Wei Jun was important and valuable but he wasn''t even close to being so important that he would risk his entire family.


    "Let the authorities know that we''re willing to give up Wei Jun Ruan and cooperate with the investigation." At Sun Ruan''s announcement, certainly no one was shocked.


    They expected that. Hey expected Sun Ruan to be cold enough to forsake his own family.


    "No!" Pei Ruan, Wei Jun''s mother, slammed her hands on top of the table and yelled loudly, "I will not do that to my son."


    "Don''t be foolish. This is for the sake of the family." Sun Ruan calmly said.


    "And what about the actual family? Are we all pawns that can be discarded to you?!" Pei Ruan asked while her husband tried to calm her down. It wasn''t wise to question Sun Ruan and yelling at him on top of that was even worse.


    "Are you going against me?" Sun Ruan asked, his Qi unleashed on Pei Ruan who didn''t flinch under that pressure. Sure, Sun Ruan was a Qi master but she herself was also at the peak of the Qi manifestation realm now.


    She wasn''t overly talented but she was enough to be known in the world. She was strong enough to resist that much pressure.


    "I agree with Mother," Before Pei Ruan could yell back, Lin Ruan spoke. Sun Ruan''s eyes squinted. It wasn''t long ago when they were all doing as he asked.


    His daughter was one thing because her son was concerned, but he never expected Lin Ruan to take Wei Jun''s side.


    That made him wonder what had that boy done to her.


    "There will be no debate over this." Sun Ruan said and stood up. But before Lin Ruan and Pei Ruan could once again raise their voices, Lao Chen hurriedly approached Sun Ruan and handed him a phone, "The sect master is on the line."


    Sun Ruan didn''t ask why. He hurriedly put the phone to his ear and said, "Good evening, esteem---"


    However, before he could complete his greeting, the Sect Master interrupted him and said his piece. After he was done, he cut the call.


    Sun Ruan, on the other hand, was left puzzled.


    "What has that boy been doing?" Now it really made him wonder why Wei Jun was being so valued by the sect master that he was willing to take it out with the emperor himself.


    "Forget about our earlier conversation." Sun Ruan said before he left, leaving everyone puzzled.


    ~~


    While all of that was happening, the person in question, the person who had caused so much of a mess, was currently locked in a battle of stares with a certain blue-eyed girl.


    It made sense why she was angry. Her entire organization had been harmed and the hit they took was enormous. Not to mention the damage they would take once all that information became public.


    However, contrary to what one might think, that wasn''t what she was angry about.


    "What has she been doing in your room for so many days when I haven''t even spent a night in there?" Yan Rong asked.


    Despite his unwavering eyes, Wei Jun involuntarily gulped and swallowed the reply, ''You have been in my room. More than once, by breaking in.''


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 Chapter 252 Ill bury you

    "What do you think you''re doing?!" Yan Rong yelled as she entered Tae Song''s office. Tae Song, who was busy with his paperwork looked at her.Many years younger than him yet more powerful and talented than him, holding the same rank of lieutenant as him, Yan Rong was a figure no one in the CSF took lightly.


    Not to mention the fact that she was the daughter of the commander. One of the three only commanders of the CSF, an entity no one could take lightly.


    Such a person''s daughter was Yan Rong. If it had been just a connection though, then it wouldn''t have mattered much. However, Yan Rong was equally talented and lived up to her name, no, she actually exceeded the expectations of the top brass.


    The only reason she wasn''t a major yet was because of her age. Achievement-wise, she was at the top of any of the major''s lists.


    "What do you mean?" Tae Song, however, didn''t cower. Of course, Yan Rong was strong and an immense figure in the CSF and normally, he would have to be careful when dealing with her but currently, ignoring the fact that she was at the same rank as him, the CSF was also in danger. Whatever he was to do, the CSF would back him up so he didn''t need to be worried about her.


    "Why are you slandering an innocent man?" Yan Rong asked. It was an open fact that Yan Rong was currently in a relationship with the heir of the Ruan family. Nothing was confirmed, but she was seen with him on several occasions.


    And her anger right now confirmed that fact.


    "We have to pursue every lead. Currently, Wei Jun Ruan is the prime suspect in the incident. We have to make sure nothing is left unchecked." Tae Song calmly replied.


    "Suspect?" Yan Rong squinted her eyes and asked, "If he''s a suspect, then why have declared him a criminal to the public?"


    There was no answer to that question. Wei Jun Ruan was a lead which meant they had to properly investigate him. By announcing to the media that they were sure Wei Jun Ruan was the biker terrorist, they had plunged his reputation down the drain even if the investigation would ever declare him to be innocent. The consequences for them would be severe, but nowhere near as Wei Jun.


    "We had to take extreme measures due to the severity of the situation." Tae Song replied.


    "Oi, Tae Song," No formality in her voice, Yan Rong called Tae Song as one would call a child and asked, "Where''s that bit*h who took this case?" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tae Song''s expression changed at Yan Rong''s informality but he couldn''t do anything about it. Regardless of the age, they were similar in rank after all.


    And regarding Rin, she was his subordinate so he definitely wouldn''t let Yan Rong do anything to her so he replied, "Where she is has nothing to do with this or with you. This was a joint decision by the CSF and approved by them as well. Doing anything against it would be akin to treason. Even the commander wouldn''t defend you on that one."


    "Commander, you say?" Yan Rong asked, her Qi beginning to rage throughout the building, "Oi, Tae Song," she once again called out to Tae Song who calmly sat in his seat but couldn''t help but be wary of the chill spreading throughout around him, "Do you think I''ve ever needed him to defend me?"


    In the end, words were words, titles were titles and actions were actions.


    Words could be manipulated, changed, and exaggerated. Titles could be wrongfully assigned, could once again be a result of an exaggeration, or be the target of some political move.


    However, actions were the only thing that held the essence of truth in them. Actions spoke for themselves, many say and many couldn''t have been more right.


    The girl who was offered a position at the imperial guard, and not just that, was even proposed by one of the princes himself. She was Yan Rong and the one who rejected both of these offers.


    She called the prince a weakling to his face and rejected him in public. While many thought she would be punished for that, she was instead offered a position at the imperial guard.


    If that wasn''t enough, she rejected that position too. The imperial guard was angry and her father tried to defend her but his position was limited. But that was changed when a high-ranking official of the imperial guard was beaten to cr*p by Yan Rong.


    Looking at her now, Tae Song knew that she never cared about treason or loyalty. She didn''t need to be defended. She could do that well enough on her own.


    "Lieutenant!" Suddenly a number of people barged into Tae Song''s office before he could even react to Yan Rong''s Qi.


    Yan Rong turned to them. It was none other than Rin and her team. Seeing her, Yan Rong''s Qi vanished as she turned to Tae Song and asked, "She the one?"


    Tae Song remained quiet but that was all the answer Yan Rong needed. Yan Rong turned to look at Rin, her eyes cold as ice as she said, "Make sure you prove what you''ve done. Cause if you can''t, I''ll bury you."


    Saying so, Yan Rong left the office like the storm that came and passed. Tae Song was left with a headache while Rin was confused about what was happening.


    Later, when she was told what it was all about, she couldn''t help but think back to how Wei Jun Ruan was. If he was able to charm Yan Rong to the extent she was standing up to her own organization, there wasn''t an impossibility that she wasn''t involved in this as well.


    However, accusing Wei Jun Ruan and accusing Yan Rong were two entirely different matters. It wasn''t something Rin was willing to risk her entire career on.


    ~~


    "Mister Ruan, what do you have to say about the CSF''s accusations against you?" A reporter asked while Wei Jun was holding a conference.


    "I don''t honestly know where the CSF is going with this." Wei Jun replied before he added, "They asked for access to the company files, and even though it could have been very dangerous to the company, and I gave it to them. Despite cooperating with them fully, they have still chosen to slander me like this. If they found something, they should have shown it to the world. However, they haven''t which speaks a lot of their intentions."


    "Why do think they have chosen you as a target?" Another reporter asked.


    "All said and done, CSF, like every other organization is also political. Not only am I a link to the Ruan family, but I''m also a link to the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect. It is quite obvious what they are trying to do." Wei Jun also didn''t hold back on accusations, only his were true.


    "Mister Ruan, how much value do your words hold?" Another reporter asked. In the end, CSF was a big organization while Wei Jun was a playboy. It was obvious who the public would side with if both of them were up for a choice.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "To show you how I have been wronged by the CSF, please observe."


    Wei Jun nodded to Li Wei who was sitting next to him and a video began to play. In the video, Rin and her team could be seen, planning to download the sensitive files of the Ruan company.


    "While they were permitted to have access to the files, they were permitted to download them. I can only think that when they didn''t find anything, they resorted to tricks that could easily damage my reputation. I wonder if the news about them being hacked is even true or not." Wei Jun elaborated.


    On the screen, it was clear what was happening. Seeing it with their own eyes, while CSF''s credibility wasn''t severely damaged, it was still questioned. If they could lie about that, then they could lie about anything.


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    "What is your response, Mister Ruan?" Another reporter asked.


    "While my response would have been something else, unfortunately, at the moment I''m nearing my breakthrough in my cultivation. My sect master has ordered me to retire to closed-door cultivation in the sect. Unfortunately, until I finish my breakthrough, I cannot leave the sect so I cannot deal with this matter either. In return, my sect master has assured me that he will deal with everything in my absence so I have to trust him with that." Wei Jun announced and with that, he ended the conference even when there were still a lot of questions left to be answered.


    Still, what he had revealed was more than enough. Now was the time for the CSF to respond about which, the media didn''t have great optimism about. All said and done, they did try to rob the Ruan family of their sensitive data and once they couldn''t find anything, they went with this approach.


    One thing was for sure, for the time being, Wei Jun was out of heat while the same couldn''t be said for the CSF.

 Chapter 253 The chase

    "He''s been spotted in downtown!" Zhang Fei yelled and Rin hurriedly closed the files she was reading. She, along with her team, and a good number of police which was forced to help them out due to the perilous situation left the police station and made their way to the downtown.While everything was going well and dandy for a few days, suddenly, the biker was spotted in the middle of the downtown, just standing in the middle of the road on a bridge.


    Several police units were already surrounding him.


    "Put your hands in the air!" A policewoman yelled with her gun pointed at the biker. The biker, on the other hand, under the night sky, looked up at the sky where a helicopter was shooting a spotlight at him.


    He looked around, the police on the bridge, on both sides, blocking his exit points. On the side of the bridge, there were units down on the road underneath the bridge.


    However, there was none on the bridge next to the one he was on. He looked around and the entire highway on that bridge was empty. There was no traffic as if the entire area had been blocked, but there were no police either.


    The biker calmly turned to look at the policewoman and once again, calmly, boarded his bike.


    "Stop!" The woman yelled and even fired a warning shot but the biker didn''t stop. Once he was on his bike, he started it and burned his tires to turn the bike to the bridge next to the one he was on.


    "Stop!" This time, the woman shot the biker, and the shot landed on his helmet. However, a yellow barrier appeared the moment the shot landed on him which, otherwise, was invisible.


    The shot was ineffective and the biker calmly accelerated, and as he did, a yellow ramp appeared in front of him, which acted as a base for his jump and he easily jumped his bike across to the other bridge.


    "What the¡­" The policewoman, along with everyone else was speechless at that. The biker, on the other hand, sped away and disappeared into the city.


    "What do you mean you lost him?!" Zhao Hui yelled as he was driving in his own car to the scene.


    "He¡­ uh¡­" The officer at the scene was still speechless but since he had to give an answer, he replied, "He¡­ flew?"


    "What do you mean, you bastard?" Zhao Hui asked as he himself couldn''t understand.


    "Get on the scene!" Rin, listening to the transmission from her own radio said to her own subordinate, "Get the trace of his Qi before it vanishes."


    Jang Long nodded and jumped out of the car, activated his Qi skills, and jumped up in the air.


    "The rest of the units, follow him and report!" Zhao Hui yelled on the other end and Rin also made her way to where the biker was last spotted. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The biker still drove in the downtown, evading police units and making his way through the downtown buildings.


    On the other hand, Jang Long finally arrived at the scene where the biker first was but as he did, he saw that there was no trace of Qi. As if it never existed.


    "How is this possible?" Speechless, he asked himself the question but since no answer could possibly explain this, there was only one logical explanation left.


    ''The biker is Qi Grandmaster.'' A common misconception was that only the high-level cultivators could erase the traces of their Qi. That was the only logical explanation available and that was the only conclusion Jang Long arrived at.


    "Captain!" He hurriedly relayed the information to Rin.


    Rin, when she heard the news, turned to look at Zhang Fei, the oldest member of her team who was also looking at her with silent eyes. They both knew what this meant.


    Rin pulled out her phone and dialed a number, "This is Captain Xiaofei Rin. Put me in touch with Major Tan Bing."


    The biker was driving through the streets of downtown but his exit pathways were being blocked one by one. The police, under Zhao Hui''s instructions, were blocking the entire downtown exits, trapping the biker inside the area.


    They knew they couldn''t stop him so the least they could do was buy time for the CSF to get there. The biker, seeing this, turned to a tall building downtown and made his way inside after shooting down the glass.


    The glass was reinforced so the biker had to shoot it with a rocket launcher to bring it down. Once he was inside, he drove to the elevator and before anyone could stop him, he was inside.


    "Shut down the power!" Zhao Hui said.


    Alas, no matter how much the security tried, they just couldn''t shut it down. The power didn''t go down and the biker kept making his way up the building via the elevator and soon arrived at the top.


    "What do you mean you can''t stop it?!" Rin asked, her voice loud.


    "We can''t access the system. The systems aren''t under the control of the security." The officer at the scene reported.


    "Sh*t!" Rin cursed.


    "It must be a hack job. That''s the only explanation." Zhang Fei said.


    "The only problem is that he will be gone by the time we take control of the system," Rin replied.


    As expected, the elevator opened on the last floor of the building, the biker made his way to the west side of the building where, a little away, another building was standing.


    He shot down the glass and revved up his engine. As the cops arrived from the other elevators, they were already too late. They could only watch as the biker drove his bike to the shattered glass and jumped out of the building, leaving many policemen with their mouths hanging open.


    "What the¡­" Once again, the police were left speechless.


    "Where is he now?!" Zhao Hui asked on the radio.


    "He¡­ uh," Once again, left speechless, the policeman replied, not sure of his own answer, "He flew out of the¡­ building."


    "What are you bast*rds doing today?!" Zhao Hui yelled at his own force for giving answers that didn''t make any sense.


    "Where is he now?!" Rin asked.


    "Westbound." A policeman replied.


    "Where?" Rin asked.


    "On top of a building." The policeman replied.


    "...What?" Rin asked for clarification.


    "He''s going on top of the buildings." The policeman replied.


    "Captain." Zhang Fei, as if something clicked, hurriedly turned to Rin and called out.


    "Right there with you." Rin replied before she said, "Track down the hacker. The priority is to track down the hacker. Foot units, keep chasing the biker, and keep eyes on him in the air."


    "Do as she says!" Zhao Hui yelled because he also felt that something was up. The biker was just standing in the middle of the road, doing nothing, and even now, he was keeping the entire police force on him.


    It would be impossible to keep him busy before the reinforcements arrived. He must know that too. He was keeping the entire force busy while the hacker was doing what he or she needed behind the scenes.


    "I''ll check with the biker." Rin said over the radio before she requested, "I''d like you to take care of the other situation."


    "Got it." Zhao Hui didn''t let his pride get in the way. Whatever this was, it was way beyond his ego or anything else.


    "Where is he now?" Rin asked.


    "Westbound. But it is getting harder to keep track of him due to the height." The pilot from the chopper replied.


    "He''s smart," Zhang Fei replied.


    "They all are," Rin replied before she left the car and jumped in the air after she activated all her skills. A whitish hue enveloped her body and her body began to float in the sky and began to push herself forward by emitting a little of her Qi from her hands, imitating the movements of flying.


    The biker, while still going on top of the building felt something and suddenly stopped, causing the chopper spotlight to miss him.


    "Target lost. I repeat! Target lost." The one managing the spotlight reported and they turned the chopper around to look for any of the signs for the biker but they didn''t manage to find anything.


    ~~


    "It''s here!" Rin exclaimed but as soon as she arrived near the bike that was on the roof of a building, it exploded, stopping Rin in her tracks.


    She let out an exhale, knowing she had lost the biker. There was no trace to follow as well. Even the chopper took half an hour to find the bike and when she arrived, it exploded, leaving behind no traces.


    This part of the downtown wasn''t on lockdown so the biker could have easily slipped away and even if he was in the building, the police didn''t have enough manpower to lock down the building and check it.


    "Contact the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect. Ask them to allow us access to their inner wings." Rin spoke over to the radio, not optimistic about that at all but she had no other choice.


    Because what was stolen this time was equally important as the CSF database.


    Actually, it was far more important than that. Explore more at empire


    ''The empire itself will now get involved.''

 Chapter 254 Confirmation

    "To what do I owe this pleasure, Commander Han?" The sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect himself came out to meet one of the commanders of the CSF.The commander was a rank that was automatically given to a cultivator once they reached the realm of grandmaster in their cultivation. Of course, they had to be qualified, or else the position would be wasted on them.


    But those who were truly strong and diligent could achieve that rank in cultivation so that problem never came up before.


    As for why a commander of the CSF himself had come to meet the sect master? Well, it was because the sect master was also supposedly at the peak grandmaster realm. While the commander himself was in the middle realm, his strength was enough to warrant him respect even from the sect master.


    "I doubt you''re feeling any pleasure," Commander Han, a burly man with a beard said. There was ruthlessness on his face and one could tell that he wasn''t there for a friendly chat. While he was told not to be offensive to the sect master, knowing that his entire organization stood behind him, he was free to act however he wanted.


    "Watch how you speak." The attendant of the sect master interjected, upset at the fact that the sect master of his sect, a person everyone said ''Yes, yes'' to, was being spoken to so rudely by someone who wasn''t even of the same rank as him.


    Of course, if he, as well as the commander, knew the true cultivation rank of the sect master, they wouldn''t even be standing in front of him.


    Alas, the real rank of the sect master was only known to one black-haired man and he was currently not available to the public.


    "Get to the point," The sect master said. If the other party was going to be disrespectful, then he didn''t need to treat them amicably.


    "As you know, last night, a terrorist hacked the entire law enforcement system of the entire nation. Not only did they obtain data of great value, they even took the data that could jeopardize the national security." Commander Han got straight to the point, beginning to relay how serious the matter was.


    "My apologies," The sect master said, no such sympathy in his voice as he asked, "But what does that have to do with me? With my sect?"


    "We believe that one of your disciples is the terrorist. It makes sense as well, seeing that the moment he isolated himself for ''Closed-door'' training, the biker appeared." Commander Han, once again, got straight to the point and didn''t beat around the bush.


    "You do know the consequences of your allegations, correct?" The sect master asked, his tone serious and devoid of any place for negotiations. The intent was clear. His sect was his territory where the empire had no authority. Any attempt to invade his territory would result in a war.


    Granted the emperor had the military on his side and a supposed Qi saint, but even he wouldn''t want a war with one of the strongest sects when the situation with the gates was getting severe.


    Commander Han looked at the sect master for some time quietly before he proposed, "Very well. I apologize for my rudeness. But you also know the scale of the matter at hand. We wouldn''t want the empire to be jeopardized by the outside forces, now would we? Why don''t we put our differences aside and you just grant us a visual confirmation of the said disciple?"


    The sect master remained quiet, his silence stretching for a few tense seconds before he said, "I will concede for once even when you don''t have anything to offer in return."


    "I didn''t exactly say that." Commander Han said before he signaled one of his subordinates who stepped forward with a briefcase in his hand. The subordinate opened the briefcase, revealing a glowing round orb.


    "The core of an S rank beast. I''m sure this would suffice for such a favor." Commander Han said. Although he had gotten permission to check Wei Jun''s status, the sect master mentioning that they had nothing in return meant the CSF would owe him a favor. He''d rather lose a precious core that was practically useless to him than owe him one.


    The sect master looked at the lustrous robe. Although it would have been important to any other cultivator, to him, who was stronger to the point that such a core would barely make a dent in his cultivation.


    However, rejecting something from the CSF would also be rudeness that wasn''t necessary in that case. He could just as easily give it to one of his subordinates in return for their loyalty.


    ''Or¡­'' A certain young man came to his mind but his intentions weren''t clear. Nothing about him said that he would be loyal to him.


    Even if he were to offer him a high position, for him, it might not be enough.


    ''Top¡­'' That was the only word that came to his mind when he remembered the eyes of the young man who stood in his court, although with wariness behind his eyes, but devoid of any fear. As if he was used to facing someone far more worse than him.


    "Then I wouldn''t reject such a precious gift." The sect master said. Commander Han didn''t let it show, but he inwardly sighed. If the core was useless to him, then it would be all the more useless to the sect master who had access to more gates than the CSF.


    He was relieved that his gift wasn''t rejected. With all the formalities done, Commander Han asked for confirmation which was swiftly carried out by taking him to a room that observed the status of the disciples behind closed-door training.


    Although it looked like the room was close, it wasn''t actually so. One wall of the room was disguised to look like a wall while it was actually a material that was as tough as concrete but mimicked the properties of a one-way mirror, allowing the sect to observe the disciples from the outside to make sure they weren''t wasting time under the guise of hard training.


    When Commander Han arrived in the observation room of Wei Jun''s training room, he could clearly see Wei Jun behind the mirror, his eyes closed and his expression devoid of any emotion. One could tell he was completely cut off from the world.


    Commander Han remained to see if there would be any change but even after ten hours, when Wei Jun didn''t even move the slightest, only then he chose to believe the sect master and left.


    "I''m sure I don''t need to tell you that this isn''t a visiting ward." The sect master said upon Commander Han''s return. A subtle warning that this wasn''t a common occurrence. Although the sect master didn''t need to say it, still saying it showed how serious he was. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Commander Han simply nodded and left in his helicopter with his subordinates.


    "Do you think that was true?" Commander Han''s subordinate asked.


    "I doubt even one word he said, let alone what I saw. But he did what was asked so we cannot point that out." There was no guarantee that it was indeed Wei Jun behind the screen and even if he was, then there was no guarantee that he was indeed cultivating. He could have just as easily been part of a scheme and retired there just for the show.


    After all, the CSF wasn''t allowed a 24\\7 surveillance of Wei Jun. What he did for the rest of the time when the CSF didn''t monitor him, no one knew.


    And now that the CSF couldn''t confirm it anymore, for all they knew, Wei Jun left at the same time as them and was now terrorizing the city.


    "Then what do we do?" The subordinate asked.


    "What can we do?" Commander Han asked back before he sighed and said, "We need to capture him. I will have to return to the headquarters but I will keep an eye on this place. Make sure to report back to me instantly."


    "I will relay your words to Captain Rin." The subordinate replied.


    ~~


    "Is this how the world feels?" Xia Lu asked herself as she made her way to the lobby of her building. She was trying to go outside because she had this strange impulse to see the sun.


    As she woke up from her cultivation, she didn''t know how long had passed but she felt something was different. And not just a small time difference but a big difference.


    While she couldn''t tell, those on the outside couldn''t keep their eyes off of her. Her beauty, which was enchanting before too, was now at another level that couldn''t be explained by just natural God-given beauty.


    While everyone else was admiring her, and she was basking in the glow of the sun, someone approached her.


    "Hello," A man called out to her. She turned to look at the man who was the ugliest and most obese man she had ever seen and if she wasn''t so kind-hearted, then she would have definitely made a disgusted expression at the look of that man.


    "Yes?" Xia Lu asked.


    "Are you Miss Xia Lu?" The fat man politely asked.


    "Yes." Xia Lu replied.


    "Haha. You''re as beautiful as I thought." The fat man creepily laughed and said before he added, "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Tao Min." Continue your journey with empire


    The fat man paused and what could be said to be the most disgusted smile appeared on his face as he said, "I''m your new master from now on."


    "¡­"


    "What?"

 Chapter 255 Corruption

    "¡­What?" Xia Lu was speechless, instinctively, a gust of disgust welled up inside her and it wasn''t long before her expression relayed that feeling as well."Huhuhu," Tao Min laughed, his creepy laughter disgusting even those around them and making them regret seeing such a sight. Many even averted their gaze, too late, but still not being able to bear seeing it anymore.


    Tao Min moved forward, his hand reaching for Xia Lu, who instinctively jumped back. Her Qi rushed at her intent and she emitted a shockwave from her that pushed Tao Min away.


    "So you were a cultivator?" Tao Min said as he stabilized after stumbling back a little before he added, "But it would make sense seeing your beauty. Only a cultivator could be that beautiful."


    Saying so, Tao Min rushed in again but this time, as Xia Lu once again used her power to move back but she couldn''t put in her power this time. This time, her Qi wasn''t responding.


    Flabbergasted, she turned her attention to why her Qi wasn''t responding when Tao Min, using the opportunity, grabbed her by her hand. A creepy smile on his face as he said, "Huhuhu. You''re mine now."


    Xia Lu didn''t understand what that meant but she felt her power leaving her body. She wasn''t able to reach out to it let alone feel it at all.


    "What are you doing, you pervert?!" Both Tao Min and Xia Lu heard an unfamiliar and familiar voice, respectively, and turned to look at a heel heading for Tao Min''s face.


    As the bottom of the heel dug into the fat cheek of Tao Min, it dug quite deep before it reached his bones. That was how obese he was.


    Yan Rong, who had just arrived at the scene after feeling a chilling cold Qi that resembled hers quite a lot, saw a fat disgusting man reaching for Xia Lu. Even though Xia Lu was her competition, she couldn''t just let someone who was valued by Wei Jun get hurt. She was afraid of what the consequences would be.


    She was too late when the fat man managed to grab Xia Lu, but before even a few seconds passed, she managed to save Xia Lu.


    Tao Min flew back and slammed into a car parked just outside the building on the road. As his body slammed into the car, Yan Rong was about to follow when she heard Xia Lu''s yell. She turned to see Xia Lu on her knees, her hands clutching her head strongly as if someone was drilling holes inside her head.


    Yan Rong didn''t pay any more attention to the fat man and ran to Xia Lu to see what the issue with her was. Just before she arrived, she felt her power leave her body as well. She was as powerless as one could be. Her Qi wasn''t responding to her.


    "Huhuhu," she heard a creepy chuckle from behind. She turned to see Tao Min standing, his face and body bloodied but what could have been said to be the most disgusting smile was on his face.


    "You''re a beauty too. I will be your master as well." Tao Min said, his creepiness on another level.


    Yan Rong, on the other hand, felt chills run down her entire being, chills she never felt even in the presence of a Qi grandmaster.


    She was so disgusted that she couldn''t even say something in return. Tao Min moved, at a speed that could only be called superhuman, his hand extended as he said, "Be my slave!"


    "Guh!" Yan Rong drove her foot down Tao Min''s face, stopping his charge and throwing him down.


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    "Eh?" A whimper of confusion escaped Tao Min''s mouth as he was confused at the fact that Yan Rong was still stronger than him even though her Qi was locked.


    "What is this fat pi*sfart saying?" Yan Rong picked Tao Min from the back of his collar, his giant body effortlessly carried up and Yan Rong punched him in the middle of his face, once again throwing him across the street into the car that was already smashed.


    ''What happened?'' Even in pain, Tao Min couldn''t help but question himself. The power that always worked on every human wasn''t working on Yan Rong right now. Either she was an anomaly, or she was affected but she was just a monster in terms of physical characteristics.


    Yan Rong didn''t hesitate even more for a second and pulled out her gun. Seeing the gun in Yan Rong''s hand, Tao Min panicked. No matter how powerful he was, he still wouldn''t survive a bullet.


    His power allowed him to nullify the Qi of others but he himself couldn''t wield Qi. He was also granted physical attributes he gained every time thanks to the unique power he had, but it wasn''t to the point he would be invulnerable to guns.


    Before he could lose all hope, however, a notification appeared on the watch on his wrist¡­.


    [The target has been partially bound to the host]


    [To complete the bond between the host and the target Xia Lu, please kill her previous owner]


    ''What is this?'' A type of message that had never shown up before. He was confused about what to do about it when Yan Rong brought his attention back to her, "Any last words, pervert of the century?"


    Before Tao Min could once again panic, a hand grabbed Yan Rong''s wrist and yanked her, causing her to be distracted for a moment.


    "What are you doing?" Yan Rong confusedly asked. The one stopping her was none other than Xia Lu, who had a confused expression on her face. However, her eyes were determined and even with the confused expression on her face, she said with great resolution in her voice, "I will not let you hurt my master." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What?" Yan Rong confusedly asked.


    Xia Lu, however, didn''t reply. She pushed Yan Rong with all her might. Of course, without her Qi, all her might was like an ant pushing a mountain. Yan Rong didn''t even budge from her spot but she was distracted, which was enough time for Tao Min to escape.


    She saw him going and was about to chase him when someone beat her to it. Xia Lu yelled, "Master! Please don''t leave me!!!"


    As if Tao Min was her lifeline, Xia Lu deranged, chased after him. Seeing her like this, Yan Rong couldn''t waste her time focusing on Tao Min and grabbed her.


    "NO!!! NO!!! LET ME GO!!! LET ME GOOOO!!!!" Xia Lu thrashed and tried her best to let Yan Rong let go of her who was confused at what was happening. Tao Min had only managed to touch Xia Lu for a couple of seconds. What had happened to her in that short time span?


    Soon enough, Tao Min was out of range and both of their Qi returned. Xia Lu hurriedly pushed Yan Rong with all of her might but with her cultivation rank, she still couldn''t push Yan Rong but it wasn''t as ineffective as before.


    "What the¡­" Yan Rong hurriedly locked Xia Lu, her neck between her arms. She cut off the flow of oxygen for just long enough to make Xia Lu pass out.


    "How do I explain this now?" Yan Rong asked herself while looking at the passed-out Xia Lu on the road. She sighed and picked her up, heading back to the building.


    All she could do now was to wait for Wei Jun. He was the only one who could guide her about the situation now.


    ~~


    "Let me go!!! Why have you kept me here?!!! Let me go!!! LET ME GO!!! I NEED TO SEE MY MASTER!!!"


    Wei Jun saw a tied-up Xia Lu, trashing around the room, her throat croaked due to her yelling nonstop. He had just arrived at the scene after being delayed for ten hours. While he was being observed by the commander from the CSF, he received a few disturbing notifications.


    [Seal of corruption has been used on the party member Xia Lu]


    [Her state of mind will be slowly corrupted over time]


    [Once the time is up, her bond to the system will be broken]


    [To undo the ''Seal of corruption'', have the caster reverse the seal or kill him\\her to free your party member from the seal]


    [The host is warned]


    [If the bond with the system is broken, the party member would be considered dead]


    [In such a case, the incurring penalty would be the same as in the case of a dead party member]


    Wei Jun wanted to rush to the scene but he couldn''t. For all he did, he couldn''t just throw it all down the drain. All he could do was hope for the better and it was better. He didn''t feel the impulse to save Xia Lu as he felt with Natasha when he was fighting the Direhound.


    It meant Xia Lu wasn''t in serious danger. The rest could only be left to Yan Rong who was nearby and he wasn''t disappointed when he saw that Yan Rong prioritized Xia Lu rather than chasing after the fat man.


    Upon hearing the description of the fat man, Wei Jun knew who he was.


    ''The protagonist.''

 Chapter 256 An elaborate plan

    "What do we do now?" Yan Rong asked, her voice tense because of the way Xia Lu was acting. Wei Jun, however, remained calm. He could feel anger, and many more emotions, but outward, he was as still as a still ocean.He pulled out his phone and contacted Mark Wilson, "Find that fat man."


    "Who?" Mark Wilson was confused at such an ambiguous command.


    "Tao Min, the fat one." Wei Jun replied.


    "Ah, I see." He said before he ended the call without even asking about why his boss sounded so serious. He always sounded serious but this time, there was hidden anger deep within. Mark Wilson didn''t want to do anything or be the reason to pull that anger to the surface.


    As Wei Jun ended the call, he turned to Yan Rong and said, "Keep her here. No matter what, don''t let her go out. Break her hands and feet if you have to."


    A sentence that should have been metaphorical but Yan Rong felt like it wasn''t. Wei Jun was serious about breaking Xia Lu''s limbs to keep her there. She nodded because she was also too hesitant to make him angry.


    ~~ S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I found him. Rerouting his phone''s signal to your helmet." Li Wei said from the other side of Wei Jun''s comms. Wei Jun was in his biker outfit, hiding in an ally on his bike. With the scale of trouble he had caused, he knew the police would be on him as soon as he appeared in light.


    But he had no choice but to be out in the open in the light of the day. There was something gnawing at the back of his head.


    Kill Tao Min.


    It wasn''t just the system quest that was telling him to do this. It was also the feeling from the partner system that compelled him to kill Tao Min. To do whatever he could to kill him. Even risk his own life.


    In the morning, when the incident happened, it wasn''t that strong of a feeling. It was just slight anger at someone trying to harm Xia Lu but by noon, it turned into something Wei Jun had never felt before.


    A barrage of intense emotions Wei Jun was never familiar with feeling. This life was one thing, but he hadn''t felt something this massive ever even in his precious life.


    It was difficult for him to cope with such a thing.


    He was not used to feeling so many emotions at once. So many at once that it was getting harder for him to control them. They were spiraling out of his control. That was also the reason why he was making an obvious decision that would get him in trouble.


    Mark Wilson found Tao Min and Li Wei did her best to find his phone. Once she did, she linked the tracking signal to Wei Jun''s modified helmet.


    Wei Jun looked at the location. It was a little far from his current position and no doubt, many would see him on his way there.


    "Destroy the warehouse. Leave no trace behind." Wei Jun said into the comms and started the bike. In full throttle, Wei Jun jumped out of the alley and onto the road. Immediately, everyone noticed him and some of them were also policemen.


    "He''s been spotted in downtown again!" Zhang Fei yelled while Rin was trying to make sense of the situation. She turned to Zhang Fei and asked, "In the light of the day?"


    "No idea." Zhang Fei replied.


    Rin thought for a moment before she said, "Make sure there are no surprises this time. The rest will follow me. And someone contact the commander. He needs to know of the situation here as well."


    With her instructions, the entire police force was out and about. Whereas the third party in all of this was enjoying cake while receiving the disgust of others around him.


    ''Huhuhu. Condemn me all you want. I will soon have your women as well. Huhuhu.'' His inner monologue was as ugly as him.


    Suddenly, when he was immersed in his twisted future plans, his watch suddenly lit up and a notification appeared on it.


    [The invader is coming for you]


    [The host must survive this battle]


    [To support the host, a temporary buff will be provided]


    [Good luck to the host]


    As Tao Min read these notifications, immense power ran through him. So much so that he had never felt anything like this before.


    [Strength 100]


    [Stamina 100]


    [Agility 100]


    As a gust of power, power unlike anything Tao Min had ever felt before, passed through his body, Tao Min couldn''t help but feel threatened. His senses screamed at him that something was coming. Someone he wouldn''t be able to win against.


    The watch had given him buffs before but never a buff as big as this one. This one felt like a threat he would never be able to contend against.


    Boom!!!


    The wall of the cake shop shattered and a bike entered from the shattered glass wall, a biker in red and black on it.


    "Aahhh!!!" People screamed and ran out and the biker let them. His face was fixed on only one person in the caf¨¦ and that was Tao Min. Tao Min could feel it, the anger in the eyes of the biker even though they were covered.


    A chill passed through his fat body as he hurriedly activated his skill¡­


    [Danger zone]


    [Effect: In a set radius around the host, no ethereal power would work]


    [Time limit: 5 minutes]


    The biker lowered his head and raised his hands to look at them. He could feel the power leaving his body.


    Tao Min sighed. His power worked.


    "Huhuhu¡­" Tao Min creepily laughed before he added, fear leaving his body and confidence replacing it, "You may be an invader or whatever. But in my great presence, you''re nothing but a weak, feeble humaa----"


    While Tao Min was in the middle of speaking, the base of a foot landed on the middle of his face at a speed he couldn''t react to.


    He wasn''t even used to the buff he had gotten yet so getting used to the power of his opponent wasn''t easy as well.


    ''Again¡­'' Once again on the same day, he was struck in the same place, slamming into the wall.


    Step¡­


    Step¡­


    Calm but raging steps flowed into his ears as the biker slowly made his way to him. Once again, Tao Min was immensely confused. The cultivator was one thing because he didn''t have a buff then, but even though this biker was a cultivator, he still had a buff he never had before.


    Did that mean the person who was called the invader was stronger than a normal human? Were his base stats higher than a hundred even when he was just a human?


    That wasn''t possible.


    Unless the invader, Tao Min''s assailant, the biker, was also someone like him. Someone who possessed a system.


    [


    Unfortunately, that is your limit at the moment


    ]


    A voice flowed into Tao Min''s head along with the notification on his watch.


    [


    But we at least now know that his power comes from something else


    ]


    [


    Not the laws


    ]


    Tao Min was immensely confused. The voice felt as if it was appearing in his mind, the words on the watch were imprinted on his very being.


    He felt fear from that voice. Fear he hadn''t felt ever before even when his life was in danger. As if his life was owned. Someone owned his life and he had no power over it. Someone else decided his fate.


    "Don''t make me laugh¡­" Tao Min said, realization dawning upon him that the power he had obtained wasn''t his. It belonged to someone else.


    "Do you think I''m your pawn or something!!" Tao Min yelled, trying to stand up but as soon as he did, his heroic moment was interrupted as a punch landed on his face, slamming him into the floor.


    The floor trembled and cracked. Tao Min felt as if his soul was about to leave his body. The biker wasn''t holding back. He wasn''t even enjoying this. He was simply trying to kill him.


    Stay tuned to empire


    Nothing more, nothing less.


    ''Please¡­'' A power he was just rebelling against a few moments ago, he pleaded it to save him. After all, he couldn''t rebel if he wasn''t alive.


    [


    Hahahaha


    ]


    A burst of amused laughter flowed into his mind, and his mind felt like tearing apart.


    Whoever it was, they felt amusement at Tao Min''s desperation. The hero who was rising just a minute ago fell even harder and even that with just one punch.


    Just one punch was enough to let the hero know of the cruel reality.


    He wasn''t special.


    The power he had could have been given to anyone. It could have been anyone''s.


    He wasn''t special at all.


    He was just a pawn


    [


    At least now you know your place


    ]


    [


    And now that you do


    ]


    [


    We can''t just let you die


    ]


    [


    Not before you finish what you''re supposed to anyway


    ]


    [


    So we''ll save you this one time


    ]


    "Stop! Don''t move!" The biker was about to finish the job with one more punch, intending to drill through Tao Min''s head when he heard a feminine voice behind him.


    He stopped because a number of notifications appeared in his view.


    [Destiny has played an elaborate joke on you]


    [Due to the third protagonist, you cannot use your power]


    [However, the fourth protagonist isn''t affected by that power]


    [A quest has arrived]


    [Quest: Survival of the invader]


    [Task: Survive]


    [Reward: 20 APs]


    [Failure: Death]

 Chapter 257 Rin

    The biker stopped. He turned his head to the newcomers. A girl and seven men. His head remained on the girl while he gave a cursory attention to the men.He then turned his attention back to the fat man trembling and browning his pants on the ground. He balled a fist and with all his power, brought it down again.


    "Ahhh!!!"


    Tao Min yelled at the impending death but his shout was interrupted by a loud sound.


    A shot landed on the biker''s fist, piercing his hand and stopping his strike.


    "Argh!" The biker grunted in pain. Without Qi protecting him, it was almost impossible for him to protect himself against gunshots. Although his body was stronger than a normal human by many times, that still didn''t mean he was invincible.


    The biker turned his attention to the rest, his hand already healed. He didn''t use anything to heal his hand. Any other wound that wasn''t inflicted by Qi healed at a very fast pace no matter how severe it was. This was just a minor gunshot wound that didn''t matter much.


    But that wasn''t what occupied his attention at the moment. Something was happening to him. Something he couldn''t quite figure out. Something that pained him as well as made him strong.


    [Warning]


    [The Smith bloodline is going out of control]


    [The user''s emotions are going out of control] S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [A temporary buff will be provided]


    [All stats +100%]


    "Captain. I don''t feel too good." Sho Xiang said, feeling death creeping up on him. It wasn''t just him. They were all feeling the imminent death dawning upon them. And with their Qi blocked for some reason, they didn''t feel as assured as usual.


    "All of you, fall back," Rin said because she herself could understand the danger of the situation. For some reason, her Qi wasn''t blocked but even if it wasn''t, she knew it would be a tough fight with the fighter. And in doing so she had to protect her team, which was powerless at the moment, then the resultant battle wouldn''t be in her favor.


    The biker stepped forward, his movements so fast that Rin didn''t have the slightest time to react. He grabbed her gun and then by her arm. He effortlessly lifted her body and threw her into the northern wall of the caf¨¦, just above Tao Min.


    "What the¡­" Rin was speechless at the demonstration of strength. The power shown by the biker wasn''t something even a cultivator at her rank could have shown. And not just that, she didn''t feel an ounce of Qi in that attack. It meant whatever was affecting her team was affecting the biker too.


    Only he wasn''t in a perilous situation like them.


    "Ugh!" Rin emitted a little of her Qi, blowing the debris on top of her, and then did the same trick only this time, she released Qi from her thighs and shoulders to push her forward.


    As she was pushed towards the biker, she slammed into him, throwing him into the southern wall of the caf¨¦, outside the caf¨¦ in other words. The biker slammed his hand into the asphalt and stopped his progression towards the road.


    "Shoot him!" The biker quickly moved, rushing towards the caf¨¦ because as soon as he did, a rain of bullets fell onto the place he just was. He knew he still wasn''t invulnerable to bullets so he made sure to avoid them.


    Inside the caf¨¦, Rin had just stabilized herself when the biker could be seen rushing at her. She planted her feet firmly into the ground and gave an uppercut to the fast-moving biker. The biker managed to block the strike but he couldn''t block the force that came along with it.


    Still, he made sure to leave a gift of his own too so when he was in range, he kicked Rin in the stomach as well before he was thrown back outside due to the force of Qi that struck him.


    [HP -11]


    An attack by Qi didn''t allow regeneration of his natural body so he couldn''t recover from this attack. Still, it wasn''t to the point where his hand was useless so he moved in again and this time, arrived before Rin before she could recover. While she was still on the floor, he mounted her and rained down attacks on her.


    She crossed her forearms in front of her and strengthened her Qi barrier with Qi but she couldn''t believe that just bare physical attacks without an ounce of any ethereal power behind them could crack her Qi barrier. She knew that if things went like this, she would definitely lose.


    She once again emitted a good amount of her Qi in the form of a shockwave and pushed the biker off of her. She didn''t want to use this attack because it used a lot of her Qi but she had no other choice. If she held back, she would lose. Something was telling him, something beyond her natural human instincts that she shouldn''t play around.


    The biker, on the other hand, was once again damaged by that shockwave of Qi.


    [HP -7]


    Although the damage was low this time, it wasn''t the intensity that struck him but the fact that the damage was widespread. Due to that, just for a moment, he was stunned which was all the time Rin needed to perch herself back up.


    However, before she could move in, the biker had already recovered but he didn''t go for her. The biker turned to the fat man who was already injured but trying to crawl away from the scene.


    The biker completely ignored Rin and jumped at him, trying to kill him in one swift strike.


    "Oh, no you don''t!" Rin yelled and pushed herself forward with the help of Qi once again, smashing into the biker but this time, she managed to control her own push and ended up on top of the biker.


    She punched him on the helmet but he managed to move to the side, avoiding the strike. Rin didn''t give up but before she could follow up with another attack, the biker raised his waist, pushing Rin forward, and grabbed her by her stomach by locking his arms around her.


    He picked the light Rin up like a bag full of cotton and smashed her into the roof of the caf¨¦, before he brought her down, slamming her into the floor before he repeated the process five times before he grabbed her by her shoulder and thigh and threw her out of the caf¨¦, with a speed like a bullet had been fired from a gun.


    "Captain!" Zhang Fei yelled and made his way to Rin but Rin stood up before that and shot herself towards the caf¨¦ once again, where the biker was just about to finish the fat man.


    "Descent of the heaven''s fairy!" A white hue appeared around her hand and she punched the biker with a speed he couldn''t react to and before he could even understand what was going on, he was thrown to the northern wall of the caf¨¦ again, breaking through the wall and more walls to come. Continue reading on empire


    [Critical]


    [Critical]


    [HP below 5%]


    [Qi will be used to heal emergency wounds]


    [Error]


    [Error]


    [Qi cannot be used]


    [Warning]


    [All system shutting down imminent in five seconds]


    [The user is advised to heal himself]


    Wei Jun knew the severity of the situation underneath his helmet. Luckily, his helmet wasn''t broken but his suit from the chest was nowhere to be seen and the state of this wound was retching.


    No matter how tough he was, he was having a very, very hard time trying to keep up with his consciousness. He was so close to losing it and falling asleep that his brain didn''t even function properly when he gave the command of a healing pill.


    Luckily, the command went through and just before he could pass out, his wounds began to heal. Just as his wounds began to heal, he received another notification which wasn''t exactly good news for him.


    [The skill ''Danger Zone'' has been expired]


    [All systems have returned to normal]


    [You can now use Qi]


    As if his soul had been removed from his body and then put back in, his body began to energize at a rate that no adrenaline shot in the world could.


    But the reason why Wei Jun wasn''t happy at receiving this news was simple. If his Qi returned, then everyone else''s would have returned as well.


    Which meant¡­


    "Captain!" Seven figures barged into the caf¨¦, three of them making their way to Rin who was on her knees due to Qi exhaustion, while the rest of them made their way to Wei Jun, their power in the same realm as him.


    Rin was exhausted because she had used up almost all of her Qi and the skill she had used took a great toll on her body as well. Keeping that in mind, she was out of the fight for good unless she had a Qi restoration pill like Wei Jun.


    As for Wei Jun, he hurriedly stood up and activated his skill ''Unknown'' and then activated his Death Qi.


    As soon as he did and activated the skills of Qi, immense power erupted from him that made the others fearful of him. Still, they didn''t stop. The biker was now strong but there were still four of them and they weren''t just anyone but four amazing prospects of the CSF.


    ''Fu*k.''

 Chapter 258 Whip of Death

    Wei Jun knew he needed to leave. His emotions were going haywire and his reasoning was being clouded with each passing moment.However¡­


    [Corruption of Xia Lu at 71%]


    He was at the risk of losing Xia Lu. For some reason, no matter what he did, he just couldn''t leave. He tried every reason. The progress was too slow, he should plan better but such a reason was dismissed once he remembered the scene where Xia Lu was shouting without caring for her own vocal chords.


    He had to kill Tao Min at all costs or he didn''t know what might happen beyond today.


    [Warning]


    [Warning]


    [The user''s emotions have passed the critical stage] sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [The user is advised to control his emotions before irreversible damage to the user''s mental state occurs]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what was happening. Despite the warning of the system, he just couldn''t control himself.


    "GET¡­" Wei Jun yelled, his voice heavily laced with emotion of anger and his Death Qi erupting from his body, "OUT OF MY WAY!!!"


    As if his Qi was waiting for this moment, it ripped out of his hands, destroying the gloves along with it and what looked like black whips were coming out of his hands.


    Three on each hand, those whips moved as if they had a mind of their own and went after everyone in the vicinity.


    But, their base wasn''t being controlled. Wei Jun realized belatedly but he still did, despite how angry he was, that he wasn''t in control of the situation.


    The whips of Death Qi coming out of his hands weren''t under his command. No matter what he did, they wouldn''t listen to him. They would just go after everyone around him.


    Soon, those whips made their way outside the caf¨¦, going after every person in the area.


    "Clear the area!" Zhang Fei yelled and ordered his teammates to help with the evacuation of the civilians and the mortal policemen.


    Some of his members left to deal with that while he, and another teammate of his, Zhou Han, remained to deal with the one going berserk at the moment. They looked at the biker whose arm was a mess, his bone could be seen from multiple spots but since they couldn''t see the face due to the helmet, they couldn''t tell whether this was controlled or not.


    "Something tells me it isn''t," Zhou Han said before he stepped forward, his Qi rummaging through the area, trying to clash with the black whips but as soon as it came in contact with the black whips, the Qi exploded, causing a chain reaction.


    The explosion wasn''t large but after the explosion, what happened next was detrimental to them.


    The black whips turned to Zhou Han and shot at him. He hurriedly backed away, seeing that this wasn''t a positive outcome for him but it was for the others at least. The evacuation wasn''t completed yet and the black whips were going and wreaking havoc all over.


    But with them focused on Zhao Han, the others could at least evacuate safely.


    "Try to stay alive!" Zhang Fei ignored everything else and ran in the direction of the biker who was being dragged by the base of the black whips like a ragdoll. Zhang Fei figured that if he could stop the source, those deadly whips would stop as well. But it was no use, the body was moving too fast and the cluster of whips around him was deadly as well.


    "I can''t get close to him!" Zhang Fei shouted. The others were still busy with the evacuation but at the rate at which the black whips were destroying everything, it wouldn''t be long before there would be large-scale casualties.


    Stay connected with empire


    "They''re not focused on me anymore!" Zhou Han shouted as well, trying his best to somehow capture the attention of the whips again but the whips were outright ignoring him this time and going for where the large crowd of people was still gathered, trying to evacuate.


    "It''s going after the fatty!!!" Rin yelled, using all the leftover power in her. She also enhanced her voice with Qi so she could let her team know that the biker was after the fat man from the beginning.


    The team tried to spot the fat man among the crowd which wasn''t difficult due to how much he was in volume and how ugly and disgusted he seemed to be.


    "Go after him!" Sho Xiang said, visibly hesitating to approach the disgusting fat man who smelled from even so far away.


    "You go after him!" But the rest weren''t willing to go after him as well.


    "For goodness''s sake," Zhang Fei said, and being the mature person he was, he ran towards the fat man and grabbed him by his back collar.


    ''He really does smell.'' Zhang Fei couldn''t help but think before his eyes went to the browned spot on the fat man''s whitish pants. His face scrunched in disgust but he swallowed all the complaints he had before he ran in the direction where there was no one.


    As expected, the black whips followed him, destroying everything in their pathway. Along the way, Rin was also almost caught up in it when Sho Xiang protected her while he sacrificed his own body to a plethora of injuries.


    "Arrgghhh!!!!" Sho Xiang grunted heavily as a pain unlike any before passed through his entire body. His body was injured from the outside but that injury was nothing compared to his injuries from the inside.


    Knowing what was happening, Rin hurriedly put her hand on Sho Xiang''s abdomen and began to pour what little of her Qi she had. Her Qi hurriedly found the dark Qi, from her perspective, and began to eliminate it.


    "Cough!" She coughed up blood because the onslaught of the Death Qi was something she could bear in her depleted state. Luckily, the Qi that entered Sho Xiang was just the remnant of Wei Jun''s Qi so it was eliminated before the damage got too severe.


    However, they were both still heavily damaged and Sho Xiang was out cold while Rin was barely holding onto her consciousness.


    "Captain!" A handsome man, a team member of her team came to her hurriedly and worriedly, but Rin raised her hand and said, "Deliver a message to¡­ to Zhang¡­Fei."


    "Yes?" The team member asked, knowing it must be something important so he concentrated on the next words that came out of Rin''s mouth.


    "The fat man earlier¡­"


    On the other side, Zhang Fei was still trying his best to block out the horrifying smell and carry the heaviest man he had ever picked up in life to a safe spot but unfortunately for him, there was no safe spot.


    The black whips were after the fat man for some reason and it didn''t seem like they would rest until they killed the fat man or there wasn''t even a guarantee they would stop them so Zhang Fei, despite wanting to throw away the fat man due to the horrible stench, still held the fat man and kept running.


    "Zhang Fei!" While he was running, worrying over his depleting Qi, he heard the voice of one of his teammates. He turned to the young man who was running a little distance away from him but in the same direction as him.


    "What?" Zhang Fei asked.


    "The fatso!" The young man said.


    "What?" Zhang Fei asked.


    "Tell the fatso to do what he did earlier! The Qi block thing!" The young man shouted.


    Hearing his words, Zhang Fei lowered his head to look at the fat man who looked like was just realizing something now.


    "Are you serious?" Zhang Fei said, annoyed by the fact that the fat man was so out of it that he forgot to use his ability.


    Tao Min hurriedly touched his watch and just as he did, Zhang Fei lost all his powers and fell to the ground, along with Tao Min of course. They both rolled on the ground and unfortunately for Zhang Fei, his hand ended up in a place where he wouldn''t forget for the rest of his life.


    As for the black whips, they stopped a little away from Zhang Fei and Tao Min before they began to erratically move all over as if they were trying to resist vanishing but in the end, they vanished, throwing the biker whose arm was nowhere to be seen because it had been annihilated. His other arm wasn''t gone but it wasn''t looking that well as well.


    The important thing was that the biker was neutralized.


    "Hurry up and neutralize him!" Jang Long shouted and moved with several of his teammates and many of the policemen to capture the biker who showed signs of getting up.


    The biker looked at everyone coming at him, knowing there was no way out of this.


    ''There must be a way out of this¡­''


    ''If only I could control¡­''


    If only he could control the earlier power, then he could have effortlessly escaped and fulfilled his objectives as well.


    [


    That was your first mistake, brother


    ]


    [


    How the hell can you even imagine controlling death?


    ]


    ''What¡­?''

 Chapter 259 Brother?

    ''Where is this?'' Wei Jun confusedly asked. He looked around, confused over what he was seeing. Unlike a moment ago when he was about to be pounced on by a group of cultivators from the CSF, he was now in an entirely different place."Sit down." A voice flowed into his ears. A voice that he recognized and it wasn''t in his head this time. He turned to look at a man he recognized very well, sitting on a table, enjoying a steak.


    Across him, there was another chair prepared but the prepared cuisine was different. It wasn''t a steak but a Chicago-style pizza.


    "You like this, right? Go ahead, eat." The handsome man who seemed to be somewhere between 20-25 said, not a lot older than Wei Jun but in reality, he was a lot older than he seemed.


    "Sit down, brother. This isn''t an illusion," The young man said once again, claiming to be Wei Jun''s brother. Well, that''s who he was. The brother of the original owner of Wei Jun''s body.


    Wei Jun did as he was asked, he sat down, still confused and acting mostly on autopilot. He took the pizza almost on reflex and began to eat it. The familiar taste and feeling were too real for him to believe it was all in his head.


    "Because none of it is," The brother said, as if he could read his mind.


    "You can hear my thoughts?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Of course." The brother said before he added, "In here, I''m everything. I can do anything. I can be anything."


    "Like a god?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Nope. God can do anything anywhere, I can only do that in here." The brother claimed before he said, his hands under his chin and his eyes analyzing Wei Jun, "You''re not quite there yet. The one I met was a little older."


    "What?" Wei Jun asked, confused over all of this and all the more confused over the ambiguous words of his brother.


    "Nothing. You wouldn''t understand any of it anyway." The brother said before he added as if talking to himself, "But it''s mostly my fault. When you were born, I made sure you weren''t exposed to our world. I wanted you to remain free of it at least. Well, that didn''t turn out so good, did it?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Confused, Wei Jun just let his brother rant like he usually did. It was his brother''s habit to talk to himself, questioning his past decisions. Even though the monologue this time was about him, Wei Jun felt best to ignore it because he''d rather not go deep into it.


    Instead, he focused on the pizza.


    "What? No Chicago in Hekaton?" The brother asked.


    "Hekaton?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes. It means ''Hundred'' in Greek." The brother replied.


    "I know what it means. I''m asking about the¡­ this world." Wei Jun said, momentarily losing himself because he didn''t even know what he was talking about.


    "It''s the name of the world you''re in." The brother replied but he didn''t go in depth over it. Since he didn''t, Wei Jun knew there wouldn''t be an in-depth explanation. That''s how his brother was so he didn''t waste any time. He felt like he didn''t have much in the first place so he just focused on the pizza.


    "You''re right. We don''t." The brother replied, "Even now the world is rejecting me as we speak."


    "Why?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Because it would shatter under my power," The brother replied.


    "But let''s not talk about that." The brother said before he asked, "Now that you''ve used it, I hope you''ve realized what your mistake was?"


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Death. Once you''ve wielded it, I''m sure you understand where you went wrong, right?" The brother asked.


    "No. Not really." Wei Jun said.


    "Haa¡­" The brother sighed before he added, "You tried to control it."


    "Of course, I tried to control it. It''s inside me." Wei Jun replied.


    "Doesn''t mean it belongs to you." The brother said before he added, "There is one thing that Death doesn''t like more than anything and that is being controlled. Many have tried to avoid it, cheat it, confuse it but their fates were predictable. But those who tried to control it, well, they wished they died a horrible death a million times than do that."


    "Death doesn''t belong to anyone. It comes and when it does, nothing can stop it. Stopping it means controlling it and it doesn''t like that. It would do anything in its power to avoid that from happening." The brother continued.


    "Then how do I control it?" Wei Jun asked as he shoved another slice of pizza in his mouth.


    "Didn''t you hear me? You can''t control it." The brother said before he added, "What you need to do is to control yourself."


    "Myself?" Wei Jun asked. He didn''t think he did anything wrong so why was he being asked to do so?


    "Anger is an emotion that can be ignited by any reason. Hate, joy, or just because of one being tired. Many things cause anger and what causes you to be angry is love." The brother replied.


    "I don''t let my anger get to me," Wei Jun replied, his expression as cold as always.


    "Really?" The brother asked before he said, "Julie. Angelina. Millie. Serena. Court---"


    "Enough!" With each name, Wei Jun''s face changed to that of an extremely angered one.


    "Hahaha." The brother laughed, "You were always a sucker for love."


    "But those were all failed loves," The brother said, he stopped laughing and his expression endearing, "But with this one, you actually see a chance. It''s given you''d get angry if anything were to ever happen to her."


    "And I''m not telling you to not be angry. Anger is the base of humankind and it can never get rid of it. What you need to do is control it. Anger is a powerful weapon. You saw the buff you got when you got angry, didn''t you? It was even devoid of the system limitations. But you couldn''t control it. You let it get the better of you. And then, in that anger, you tried to control death as well. All of them were clear mistakes, lil bro." The brother said, pointing out all the flaws and mistakes in Wei Jun.


    "Then what do you suggest I do? I''ve never felt this way before." Wei Jun replied, sincerely asking for help since he really hadn''t ever felt such intense emotions before.


    "Just try hard." The brother replied.


    "Seriously? Try hard? What do you mean by ''try hard''? Ever since I came to this world, I''ve done nothing but work hard." Wei Jun replied as if his hard work was being dismissed.


    "And? Was that all?" The brother asked.


    "Tell me, how many times have you broken yourself and then fixed yourself? How many times have you endured that pain of your bones returning to their structure?" The brother asked.


    "All you''ve done until now is level up and try to end the life of some people. That''s not working hard. That''s doing the bare minimum. You won''t get paid for overtime if you only do what''s asked of you. Do more." The brother said, leaving Wei Jun to ponder on his actions so far. He could have asked the system to train him early on but he didn''t. He did what was working for him. Killing cultivators was working for him so he didn''t pay much attention to cultivation.


    "Break yourself and then let your being repair yourself. That''s how we Smiths grow." The brother said before he added, "And don''t try to control death anymore. Try to befriend it. That would be much more advantageous to you."


    "What now then?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Now you go back. But don''t expect this assistance every time. I only saved you this time because you were in a tough spot and I have a soft spot for you. But if I always acted upon it, you''ll never grow." Wei Jun''s brother said.


    That''s how his brother always was. He always did what Wei Jun asked him to do like a child but when he was strict, he wouldn''t stop no matter what.


    Wei Jun nodded and asked one final question on his mind. He didn''t ask what that place was or why was he there. He simply asked, "I''m destroying this place, aren''t I?"


    A smile appeared on the brother''s face and he said, "Yes, you are."


    "Why?" Wei Jun asked. He had felt it before and he felt it again. It wasn''t apparent when he killed Run Long but when he killed Shao Chen, he felt that something was happening to the world. As if it was weakening.


    "Because you''re destruction, Damien," Wei Jun''s brother spread his hands and said, "And this is your playfield. Play to your heart''s desire."


    "¡­" Wei Jun looked at his brother''s face. His expression not budging in the least.


    "Haa¡­" the brother sighed before he said, "Fine. That''s not the only reason. But you will understand soon. Just not now. You''re, how should I say, in the beginning phase yet. Traverse to the middle one, at least. Only then will some of your questions be answered."


    Before Wei Jun could say something to that, a tremor passed through the entire place, and before Wei Jun knew it, he was back in his penthouse, looking at a shocked Yan Rong and screaming Xia Lu.


    ""What the¡­"" Wei Jun and Yan Rong said at the same time, confused over what was happening.

 Chapter 260 The motive?

    "What¡­ you were just¡­. And now you''re¡­. What¡­" Yan Rong was confused while Wei Jun quickly diverted his attention to Xia Lu who was still showing signs of worsening. The feeling at the back of Wei Jun''s head was getting severe with each passing moment as well.[Corruption of the party member Xia Lu at 89%]


    Wei Jun was running out of time. He quickly pulled out his phone and contacted Li Wei, "I need full police chatter. What''s going in there and where they''re keeping the fat man named Tao Min."


    "Got it, boss," Li Wei didn''t waste a minute and quickly got to work. Even though she was alone now, her capabilities were still at their best. Getting rid of the intelligence team did nothing to Wei Jun''s intelligence network. Li Wei was the only one capable enough among them.


    With her at the job, the order was carried out in a matter of minutes and Wei Jun had inside knowledge of the CSF. Where they were right now and where they were keeping Tao Min.


    "Zhao Hui will get in the way. If you want him alive, keep him busy." Wei Jun said to Yan Rong who looked at Xia Lu. Knowing that the matter wasn''t something small, the upcoming incident would be bigger than Zhao Hui''s pay scale.


    But she was well aware of his nature as well. He''d rather risk his life than back out of something. No matter how much she loved Wei Jun, she also cared about her uncle so she left to get him out of the mess at least.


    As for Wei Jun, he made his way to the bathroom after knocking Xia Lu out. Her corruption progress slowed down at a great rate as it was nearing the end but it was still progressing and Wei Jun could tell he didn''t have much time.


    [Hydra venom has been purchased]


    [Cost: 100,000]


    Wei Jun filled the bathtub with water and then poured just one drop of the venom into the water. The tub didn''t erode instantly but it was showing the signs of crumbling so Wei Jun didn''t have much time.


    He stood in front of the mirror and looked into his own deep black eyes. He took a deep breath before he opened his mouth and reached into it with his finger and then¡­


    "Kugh!!!"


    ~~


    "What did he want with you?!" Sho Xiang asked, trying his best to be the bad cop while Zhang Fei, the good cop in this setting, was shaking his head in a corner of the interrogation room.


    "I told you. I''ve never even met the guy." Tao Min said in his own defense. After he was cleaned, he was brought to the police station for investigation. It was clear that he was the biker''s target so there must be some reason for that.


    "You really expect us to believe that?" Zhang Fei said before he showed Tao Min some pictures on the projector, "This is the state of the downtown. No one would destroy almost half of the area to get to you simply because you did nothing."


    "I''m telling you. I don''t know. I was just enjoying my cake when he just rammed through the wall with his bike and began to hunt me down." Tao Min recounted exactly the truth.


    He couldn''t just tell them that he had a supernatural power that let him corrupt women. It was a pity none of his interrogators were women or he would have been out of there since long ago. He couldn''t risk telling them the truth, afraid his ability might go public.


    He was afraid of what the police might do to him if they were to find such an unethical ability in him.


    So he had no choice but to remain quiet. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If there''s something you''re withholding from us, we


    will


    paint you as an accomplice to the biker. You understand?" Sho Xiang lied through his teeth. But there was nothing else he could do but use the law against an oblivious person.


    "I''m telling you! I don''t know! He just came at me! I''m the victim here!" The truth could be felt in Tao Min''s words. He really didn''t know why the biker was targeting him since he didn''t know who the biker was so in his books, he hadn''t done anything to the biker. He really was the victim in that case so he really was telling the truth.


    Sho Xiang couldn''t help but look at Zhang Fei for guidance but he was also equally stumped. In the end, they had no choice but to leave and discuss this matter further.


    "I''m thinking he came for him so he might come this time as well," Zhang Fei proposed an idea that wasn''t ethical in the least but it wasn''t like the law enforcement didn''t know about the dark streets.


    "Absolutely not!" Zhao Hui yelled, "We''re talking about a civilian here."


    At the end of the day, Tao Min was a mortal civilian. He couldn''t be involved in the cultivation world nor would the law allow it.


    "We may have no other choice, Sergeant," Jang Long said.


    "You''re really going to let this happen?" Zhao Hui turned to Rin who was also standing there with a complicated expression on her face.


    She remained silent for a good while before she finally sighed and said, "I''ll run this by the commander. When will he be here?"


    "He''s stuck in a briefing with the Emperor but he says he will be free by nightfall." Zhang Fei replied.


    "Unbelievable." Zhao Hui said before he added, "If you want to go with this, then me and my department wouldn''t be a part of it."


    "You may not have a choice, Sergeant," Zhang Fei said.


    "Then you can shove that choice up your commander''s as*." With that, Zhao Hui left the police station.


    "Let him go. Just make sure to let it out that we have Tao Min in custody because he seems to be related to the biker," Rin said, looking at the leaving Zhao Hui''s back. She didn''t like this as much as he didn''t but she knew she didn''t have any other choice.


    Something had to be done and if that someone was her, so be it.


    On the other hand, Zhao Hui was on his way out when he bumped into Yan Rong.


    "Uncle! It''s been so long since we''ve spent some time together. Let''s go to the mall. There''s a new pastry shop." Yan Rong naturally said, nothing in his voice or expression giving an indication about her intentions.


    "Make it to a bar. I need a drink." Zhao Hui said.


    "A drink? At this time of the day? Everything all right?" Yan Rong.


    "Nope. Nothing''s right. In fact, everything''s wrong. Your entire organization''s wrong." Zhao Hui said in one breath before he calmed himself and said, "You should have just gone for the police. Why did you have to involve yourself with such an organization that doesn''t care for the people in the least?"


    Yan Rong didn''t know what had happened but whatever it was, it surely had to do something about Zhao Hui''s days at the CSF. Still, she didn''t care about that right now. She just wanted to get Zhao Hui away from there so she said, "Then uncle, first round''s on me."


    "You earn much more than me. All the rounds are on you." Zhao Hui said and left with his smiling niece.


    Unaware of what was to come.


    If only he did, then no matter how angry or disappointed, he would have never left.


    Rin, on the other hand, was still conflicted about her decision. She knew what she was doing was wrong but she had no choice but to go ahead with her plan since that was her only present option.


    "The news is out." Sho Xiang said as he entered her temporary office.


    "That fast?" Rin asked.


    "We work fast," Sho Xiang said with a smug smile.


    "Good. Keep an eye on him then." Rin said. They had relocated Tao Min to a motel. They couldn''t just wait for the biker to come to a police station. No matter what, the biker wasn''t going to come there.


    So the only other option they had was to make it so the biker would appear, thinking they weren''t on the case.


    "Is there anything else?" Rin asked, seeing that Sho Xiang didn''t leave.


    "Do you think he has an agenda, Captain?" Sho Xiang asked, referring to none other than the biker. Rin remained silent. That was something even she didn''t have an answer about.


    She had only met him once and the intense emotions she felt from him even gave her a fright. Those weren''t the emotions of a terrorist. That was a man trying to save something precious to himself.


    "Look into that fatty. Something doesn''t feel right." Rin said, giving in to her hunch. Sho Xiang, who had come exactly for that, smiled and left in a hurry to work on that lead.


    ''What are you really after?'' Rin was left alone, questioning the motives of the biker.

 Chapter 261 One down, one to go

    "Hey! You can''t be here," A security guard spotted a figure in the dark and went to tell him off. He probably guessed it was a kid who was trying to smoke a joint or something so he made his way there to tell him off. With the police controlling the entire area, he had to be on guard so he couldn''t let a kid be in the area.The figure didn''t budge from its spot even when the security guard called him. The security guard sighed and made his way to him, putting his hand on the figure''s shoulder.


    The figure turned and what the security guard saw was enough to give him nightmares for the rest of his life.


    "Aahhh!!!" Sho Xiang turned his head to his right, thinking he heard something but when he asked Jang Long standing next to him, "It must be your imagination. I didn''t hear anything."


    If someone stronger than him didn''t hear anything, then there was a good chance it was just in his head. Sho Xiang nodded and remained on guard outside the motel. He and Jang Long were sitting on a bench near the vending machine, disguised in civil clothes and registered as customers in the motel.


    "Do you really think he''ll come?" Jang Long asked because he wasn''t good at such things.


    "He will." Sho Xiang said with certainty.


    "What makes you so sure?" Jang Long asked.


    "His voice." Sho Xiang replied before he looked at the questioning expression of Jang Long and elaborated, "Frustration could be felt in his voice. He looked like he was about to lose something precious to him and killing that fatty upstairs was the only way to save that someone."


    Jang Long looked at Sho Xiang and said, "You''ve watched too many emotional dramas. It could have been something else."


    "I sure hope so," Sho Xiang said before he added, "Because if it isn''t, then he will make sure he kills the fatso. Even if he has to kill us all and the entire city to do it."


    For some reason, even when Jang Long wanted to make fun of Sho Xiang for saying such a clich¨¦ thing, Jang Long couldn''t do that because he felt the same. His gut was telling him that something was coming. Something, or someone, who would stop at nothing to obtain what was his or what he wanted to take away from the world.


    Regardless of who stood in his way.


    "Hey, you!" Jang Long, while shivering from the slight feeling of caution, spotted a man in security guard attire and said, "Remain in your own place."


    "Yes, sir," The security guard replied and returned to his position. Since it was just a guard, Jang Long didn''t deploy Qi to his eyes to check his face even when he couldn''t see his face in the dark.


    The security guard soon turned the corner and disappeared from his eyes. With him gone, Jang Long and Sho Xiang returned to their task.


    "Anything to report?" Rin asked from the microphone. Jang Long shrugged and replied, "Except for the stifling silence, nothing. But I would appreciate some company, captain."


    "What''s wrong with my company?" Sho Xiang asked.


    "Right. Why wouldn''t I choose the company of a beautiful woman over you?" Jang Long remarked.


    "Well, you''re gonna have to make do. Captain''s accompanying me right now." Zhang Fei said, making sure to relay joy in his voice to irritate Jang Long and the rest.


    "Lucky bastard." All of them collectively said.


    "That''s taking advantage of your position, Senior Fei," Sho Xiang said.


    "Then you should work hard and get to his position faster. Then you get to be by my side," Rin said, putting an end to that conversation but she felt good inside, knowing there were so many people who cared for her.


    "Yes, captain," Sho Xiang replied.


    "Hey! Get back to your position. How many times do I have to tell you?" Jang Long once again spotted the security guard, coming from the other side of the wall this time.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I just couldn''t stand in one spot," The security guard apologized and hurriedly skittered away.


    "Who was that?" Rin asked.


    "Just some security guard who can''t remain in his spot," Jang Long replied.


    "Check him," Rin said.


    "But he''s just a guard," Jang Long replied.


    "Check him regardless," Rin said.


    Jang Long and Sho Xiang looked at each other, shrugging, and stood up, making their way to the security guard who was about to disappear from their view. They both arrived before him, only to find a balaclava on his face.


    "What the¡­" Jang Long said but before he could even move to do anything¡­


    Boomm!!!


    Rin shook, looking at the immense explosion in the night, which was enough to harm even a cultivator. Someone who wasn''t a cultivator would have definitely died from that.


    "All units move in!" Rin yelled and got out of her car along with Zhang Fei. As they arrived at the scene, they saw the entire building collapse and Jang Long and Sho Xiang trying to stand up. The immense explosion had shaken them quite a bit but Sho Xiang was quick enough to deploy a Qi barrier around both of them to protect themselves.


    Rin looked around, looking at the scattered and torn bodies of the policemen who were disguised as customers in the motel. Rin never expected that the scale of the attack would be this big.


    "Find him!" Rin said and told everyone to spread out. She, however, ran towards where the fat man was staying. However, when she arrived, she saw the biker standing on the corpse of the fat man, his helmet in place. He turned to her and said, "Well, that''s one down."


    ~~


    "Save me! Save me!" Tao Min yelled, again and again. For some reason, he wasn''t harmed by the immense explosion but before he could sigh in relief, he saw the biker walk through the burning embers of the building.


    When Tao Min saw him, he yelled for help, both from the people who were trying to use him as bait and from the strange voice on his watch.


    [


    What do you mean, ''help''?


    ]


    [


    Why would I waste my precious resources over saving a waste like you?


    ]


    [


    You''ve served your purpose as a pawn


    ]


    [


    Now''s the turn for my main pieces to move Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ]


    "Why? Why?! WHY?!!!!" Tao Min yelled, again and again, asking why he was the one chosen for that role. Asking why he was the one who was once again used. Asking why his life was as meaningless as it always was.


    "Didn''t I deserve something better for one?" Tao Min asked, quietly, all hope lost.


    "Don''t care," The biker said, not caring in the least what he was saying, and raised his foot, bringing it down on the fat man''s head, crushing it like a tomato.


    The death of Tao Min was quite anticlimactic. However, in that short amount of his significant life, Tao Min had caused Wei Jun more trouble and problems than both of the earlier protagonists had.


    [Corruption of party member Xia Lu has been terminated]


    [You have managed to save your party member]


    [You have shown your role as the proper leader]


    [Affection with Xia Lu increased by 10]


    [Current affection: 51]


    [Quest III complete]


    [Kill Tao Min]


    [Status: Complete]


    [Rewards have been granted]


    [Level up x23] Your next read awaits at empire


    [System, inventory, and shop updates have been put on hold until the completion of Main Quest IV]


    [A special reward has been granted and has been deposited to the user''s inventory]


    [Efficiency of the main quest III has been estimated at 71%]


    [Death Qi +71]


    [You are now level 117]


    [You have crossed the level 100 mark]


    [A class can now be selected]


    [Error]


    [A class has already been selected for the user by default]


    [Class ''Invader'' has been assigned to the user]


    [Please check the newly created class section for more details]


    Wei Jun, assaulted by the plethora of notifications, was too busy feeling the rush of power to deal with that. His stats hadn''t been limited so his stats hadn''t increased by one bit but the rush of the Death Qi in his body was now as strong as ever before.


    It felt amazing, to say the least.


    It was a pity he received nothing from killing Tao Min. The other protagonists he killed were cultivators so he obtained a good number of stats from them. But this time, he obtained nothing because the protagonist wasn''t a cultivator but a normal human.


    Just before he thought that was the end of it¡­


    [You have obtained an ''Upgrade Fragment'']


    [Possessed ''Upgrade Fragment'' 1\\3]


    The watch on the fatso''s left wrist began to shine but before it could become too immense, the shine died out almost instantly. When it disappeared, the watch was no longer on Tao Min''s wrist.


    [The ''Upgrade Fragment'' has been deposited to the user''s inventory]


    Wei Jun was immensely curious about this but before he could do anything about it, he felt someone coming from behind him.


    He turned and saw a black-haired girl appear in his vision¡­


    "Well, that''s one down." Before he turned to her completely and said, "One to go."

 Chapter 262 Objective

    "Kugh!" Rin shot through the torn-down wall of the motel and slammed into a car, stopping her body that was being pushed by the force of the attack she received."Captain!" Sho Xiang yelled as he saw Rin being shot like a bullet, which alerted everyone as well. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Surround him!" Zhang Fei said but the biker was quite quick on his feet and his speed left everyone shocked as he ran and made his way to the parking lot where a black bike could be seen.


    "How the hell did we miss that?!" Jang Long yelled because they were sitting close to the parking lot and the biker should have been easier to spot.


    "Who cares! He''s getting away," Zhou Han shouted and chased after the biker with long strides. He was the fastest in the team and trained in some sort of foot technique that made him lighter and faster. Of course, he was only fast, not strong like the others on the same level in cultivation as him.


    The biker started the bike and began to leave the area, making his way deeper into the city, unlike the outside of the city which would have been a safer option.


    "See to it that there''s no other surprise like last time!" Rin said and Zhang Fei stopped, conversing with the police about the issue but there didn''t seem to be anything about it.


    "It doesn''t look like there''s one this time," Zhang Fei yelled.


    "Then why''s he going to the city?" Jang Long yelled another obvious point.


    "We''re wasting Qi. Get in cars, everyone!" Rin ordered and everyone else followed. Zhou Han had already lost the biker even with his speed so he also broke into a car nearby and drove after him.


    It wasn''t long before they arrived in the middle of the city, the city blocked by the police on short notice. The streets were emptied just in case the biker took someone hostage.


    It wasn''t long before they all arrived in the middle of downtown, where the biker had no choice but to stop because there was a blockade everywhere.


    "Looks like you got nowhere to run now," Zhou Han, the first to arrive at the scene said. The biker just looked at him from behind the helmet but didn''t say anything.


    "What? You''re too cool to say anything?" Zhou Han asked but the biker remained silent. He stood in his place, biding time slowly and it wasn''t long before Rin and the rest of the team arrived.


    "Something''s wrong, captain," The first words to come out of Zhou Han''s mouth were a warning.


    "What is?" Rin asked.


    "He hasn''t moved. I''m sure he has a plan and he was waiting for you to come," Zhou Han replied.


    "He did say ''one down, one to go'' as he looked at you so we have to assume you''re his target," Zhang Fei said. Rin had told him what the biker said as she found him. Considering these present facts, Rin could be the biker''s target.


    "The question is why," Rin said. There shouldn''t have been anything about her and the biker. It wasn''t an M.O. of someone she put away and there was no one like him in the past as well. This biker was a completely new player and a dangerous one.


    But as dangerous as he was, there was nothing linking him with anything that could make him target Rin. Seeing that the fat man was also his target and the fat man and Rin had nothing in common as well, it didn''t make even more sense.


    "No matter what it is," Sho Xiang said, "I don''t think it''s a good idea for you to be a part of this."


    "Don''t be ridiculous," Rin said.


    "Rin," Zhang Fei called, "Listen to me."


    Zhang Fei was Rin''s training officer and had been with her since her beginning at the CSF. She didn''t just treat him like a colleague but a mentor. Even now when she was his superior, she valued his insight greatly. Even more than her own.


    But this time, she couldn''t back off from this. Whatever this was, it involved her so she needed to see what it was.


    "I''ll stay in the back," Rin said, still respecting her team''s decision. It was more than what they could have wished for so they agreed to it.


    Zhang Fei took the lead on this and stepped forward. The biker was standing still, doing nothing at all. He just stood there, looking at the team making their plans.


    "I don''t like the way he''s looking at us," Sho Xiang said before he added, "And I''m a little bit scared to find out who it is underneath. I think it''s a skeleton."


    "Ten thousand it''s that rich douche," Jang Long said.


    "Hey! Not fair. I was going call that," Another team member of Rin, Nang Lo said.


    "Focus," Rin said.


    Zhang Fei finally arrived at the end of the barricade and addressed the biker, "You''re surrounded. It''s better to just give up than drag this out."


    The biker turned to look at him, the black helmet shining under the moonlight of the night. No word left his mouth and he remained where he was, not moving an inch but that was only making everyone more nervous than they already were.


    If there was one thing about the biker, then it was his unpredictability. He was unpredictable. The police haven''t been able to match the attack of the biker. What his motive was and why he was doing this? What he could have gained from all those acts of terrorism?


    All of it was unknown. No link was found between the victims and now, he was seemingly trying to kill a useless fatso with nothing special about him and he was even willing to achieve his task even when there were a hell ton of policemen around the fatso.


    But what they had to admit was dangerous about this guy was the fact that even among all of them, he still managed to achieve his objective and kill the fatty.


    But now, when he should have run out of the city where it would have been harder for the police to catch him, he chose to go deeper into the city which was dangerous, to say the least, and unpredictable.


    Only Rin and her team knew that his possible target was Rin. But how was he planning to achieve that was something none of them could figure out.


    "Why isn''t you captain here, asking these questions from me? Don''t tell me, is she scared?" The biker asked, his voice somewhat hoarse but not so much that it would make an impression.


    "Don''t you want to talk to me? It makes me sad," Zhang Fei dramatically said.


    "I''m wasting time, aren''t I? Letting you set up a perimeter and snipers all around." The biker said which made Zhang Fei nervous because that was exactly what they were doing.


    "Don''t worry, Sergeant," The biker said, addressing Zhang Fei by his proper title before he added, "I won''t run away before I do what I was here to do. But know this," The biker raised his hand, and everyone stepped back, making the biker let out a small chuckle, "Nothing will be able to stop me from doing what I was here for."


    "Step back!" Rin yelled but it was too late. From the hand of the biker, the black whip that was seen earlier in the day came out again but this time, the biker seemed to be in control.


    As soon as those black whips came out of his hands, they swirled and whirled around before they fell into the crowd of police.


    "Fire!" A policeman ordered and all hell broke loose.


    Unfortunately¡­


    [Death Qi has been used]


    [Qi armament]


    A black shield appeared around the biker which couldn''t be penetrated by any manner of weapon.


    While they all attacked the biker, the biker also attacked them. He ran toward the crowd of police, the black whips around his hand swirling at a fast pace and not caring about what or who they slice in half.


    "Stop firing and retreat!" Rin yelled an order and the police were quick to follow.


    "God of Spear: divine pierce!" Sho Xiang yelled and attacked the biker with a mechanical weapon that expanded from just a small cane to a full-fledged spear. His Qi traveled through the spear and pointed at the biker, it shot at him, piercing his defenses.


    The attack wasn''t enough to pierce the black Qi barrier but it was enough to gather the biker''s attention.


    "Blade of Harvest!" Zhang Fei yelled and closed the distance between him and the biker, attacking him with his sword. The biker was forced to protect himself with his forearm. Although the strike didn''t pierce the biker, the force of the Qi still traveled through the barrier and damaged the biker to some extent.


    Before the biker could protect himself, another man appeared out of nowhere and attacked the biker from the other side. The biker hurriedly willed his whips to attack the two individuals but¡­


    [Will of the heavenly fairy]


    Stay connected through empire


    "Argh!" For some reason, massive pain assaulted the biker which forced him to retreat out of the light that was falling on him.


    [That''s¡­ not possible]


    "He''s an evil cultivator!" Rin yelled before Wei Jun could even ask the system.


    But he didn''t have to because the system said it on its own¡­


    [Host]


    [That''s my cultivation technique]

 Chapter 263 Not so innocent

    "Surround him!" Zhang Fei and the rest of the team hurriedly surrounded the biker, marking all the spots around him. Once the biker was covered from all sides, Sho Xiang also covered his bike in case he made a run for it."Nowhere to run now, pal," Jang Long said. The biker looked at everyone. All seven men and Rin''s attention on him, their attacks ready.


    While he looked at everyone, he was also engaged in a conversation with a being only he could talk to.


    ''What do you mean it''s yours?'' Wei Jun asked the system.


    [As it sounds]


    [That''s my divine rank technique]


    ''Nothing alarming then, right? You were born with it so someone else could have been as well.''


    The system told Wei Jun that sometimes, some people were born with a cultivation technique. There was a possibility that two people could have been born with the same type of cultivation technique.


    [Except it''s not the one I was born with]


    [It''s the one I created in my lifetime]


    ''Any idea how it could end up in her hands?'' Wei Jun asked just to be sure. ''I''m not about to kill your extended bloodline, am I?''


    [Not possible]


    [I''m the last of my bloodline]


    [My daughter''s children didn''t inherit anything from my side and my son died, leaving three boys who also died leaving many¡­many children]


    ''Case solved.''


    [Except all of my bloodline descendants died before I did]


    ''Seriously?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Very seriously]


    ''Shut up.''


    [Yes, host]


    [What I''m trying to say is that technique is strong]


    [I made it specially to fight the evil cultivators]


    [It''s strong against any element of darkness]


    ''I have death.''


    [Not at a level to beat that]


    ''Hence the pain.''


    [Hence the pain]


    Wei Jun was struck with immense pain when he was struck by a move from Rin. Even the death whips he had were wiped out.


    [They weren''t wiped out]


    [They were negated]


    ''What''s the difference?''


    [A lot]


    [Just for now know that your Qi isn''t as strong as hers]


    ''So is there a weakness to that technique?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I think you missed the part where I said that it was designed to kill evil cultivators] S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Against you, it''s very strong]


    [And there''s no weakness]


    ''You''ve been very helpful.''


    [Thanks]


    ''Ugh!'' Wei Jun decided not to argue with the system because he was sure there was no weakness in Rin''s techniques.


    If the system said so, then it was how it was.


    ''Then if there''s no weakness in her technique, then I will simply have to find a weakness in her.'' Wei Jun determined himself before he raised his hands.


    The biker raising his hands like that didn''t appease no one. They were still on guard against him which was the correct decision. But the biker didn''t care. The way his hands were up conveyed the mockery of the entire process to Rin and her team and she couldn''t be more pissed off about it.


    The biker, on the other hand, suddenly closed his fist and something appeared in his hand. When Rin looked closely, it looked a lot like a detonator given by the red ominous button on top of it.


    "Sho Xiang!" Rin yelled but she was too late.


    Boom!!!


    A massive explosion struck Sho Xiang from his back. While he was protected by the Qi, the explosion was too massive for there to be zero damage.


    But that wasn''t the biker''s goal at all.


    While everyone was distracted by the blast, the biker jumped into the air and rammed into Jang Long, who was standing on the east side, but the bigger part was the building behind Jang Long where many, many civilians were gathered.


    "Aaahhh!!!" There were screams of panic as two figures broke through the wall of the building and ended up in the middle of the lobby, with the biker on top and Jang Long on the bottom.


    Punch!


    The biker punched Jang Long with all his might, crackling his jaw badly but also consuming a great deal of his own Qi to get past Jang Long''s barrier.


    "Don''t engage!" Rin yelled as she entered the building through the collapsed wall. She checked on Sho Xiang and while he was injured, it wasn''t to the point of an emergency so she chased after the biker, afraid that the civilians might be harmed.


    "You hear that?" The biker said before he added, "Your captain told you not to engage."


    The biker rained down punches on Jang Long faster and more accurately than anything Jang Long was used to which was also the reason why he couldn''t dodge or block any of the strikes. The biker was strong, fast, and precise, an opponent Jang Long had never faced before.


    While it sucked, it was also a good thing that the biker was not using Qi in his attacks which relayed that it was limited.


    "Get everyone out!" Rin yelled but she knew it was useless.


    It wasn''t that deep into the night so the downtown was still lively. With so many people out on the streets, it would be impossible to avoid casualties.


    "You guys sure have a lot to protect, don''t you?" The biker said before he began to infuse Qi in his attacks while Jang Long could still only defend himself.


    The injuries were not only just piling up but they were also getting severe with each passing moment. It wasn''t long before Jang Long was injured a lot.


    But that wasn''t even the worst part.


    Rin was forced to use her power again but it didn''t help this time because the biker wasn''t using the dark Qi, from their perspective, anymore.


    With Rin''s power proving to be useless, they had no other choice but to engage but the problem was that the evacuation wasn''t done yet.


    Any death of civilians would bring heavy repercussions.


    ''Damn it.'' With no other choice, Rin let out a shockwave of Qi, throwing the biker off of Jang Long but it also struck the injured Jang Long and many of the civilians who weren''t as sturdy as Jang Long or the biker.


    "Kyaahh!!!"


    "MY LEG!!!"


    "I can''t feel my legs!!"


    Various shouts of injury erupted shortly after the shockwave ended. Many people were injured due to that shockwave because they weren''t protected from Qi by Qi barriers.


    With them not protected, the scale of injuries on them would be severe as well. Rin couldn''t even tell if someone was dead or not because of how much panic there was.


    "Damn," The biker said as he stood among the people and said, "Didn''t know you had it in you."


    "What do you want?! Whatever it is will be provided. Just leave the civilian''s perimeter." Rin yelled, trying to negotiate because there was no other way out of this.


    "Now why would I do that? Why would I voluntarily abandon my safe haven?" The biker said. He was right, the CSF wasn''t going to harm civilians no matter what.


    Even the excuse ''for the greater good'' wasn''t enough for the CSF to gun down many of the innocent bystanders.


    "Wow, Captain," The biker said, "You sure do stick up to your morals a lot."


    "Tell me," The biker asked, "Would you be the same stickler if one of your team member''s life was concerned?"


    Amidst the chaos, Rin hadn''t noticed but Jang Long ended up very close to the biker among the crowd. Before she could even move, the biker grabbed Jang Long by his neck and held him down in a deadlock with his arm around Jang Long''s neck.


    "I want to see," The biker said, "Would you be willing to break all those morals of yours, all those rules, for the precious men in your life?"


    "Let him go!" Zhang Fei shouted and pointed a gun at the biker. The rest of the team did so too but there were just too many civilians around the biker so, "We both know you''re not gonna shoot me, Sergeant."


    "So back to you, Captain," The biker ignored the threat to him and grabbed Jang Long tighter which made Rin move but she contained herself because even still, there were many lives at stake.


    "I will let this guy go if you kill five people. Five mortals. Kill them and I will let this guy go." The biker said while tightening the hold around Jang Long''s neck.


    "You sick bastard!" Rin yelled, finally not being able to hold herself back. However, before she could go all vengeance on him, the biker pressed harder around Jang Long''s neck which quickly put a stop to her.


    "Now I''m going to count to three. By that time, if you haven''t killed five people, I will snap his neck." The biker said, shaking the unconscious Jang Long.


    Rin stopped. The world revolving around her, she was at a loss. She didn''t know what to do and while every impulse in her body was telling her it was wrong, for a brief moment, a flash passed through her eyes.


    "Huh," The biker said, "You''re not so innocent after all."


    Snap!


    And before anyone could process anything, the biker snapped Jang Long''s neck with full force.


    "NO!!!!!!!" Rin yelled, the power inside her erupting like a volcano and before anyone knew it, there was nothing but blood mist in the building.

 Chapter 264 The Celestial Maiden

    "Kugh!!!!" Everyone was thrown away from Rin, the force of her Qi was too strong for them to bear. But they were the lucky ones, ending up with only minor injuries.The civilians around the biker, however, weren''t so lucky.


    Some of them were torn apart while some turned to mist, redistributed, as one could say. Nothing of them was left behind except tiny particles. But Rin could care less about that. Her entire attention was on the biker who was still standing over Jang Long''s body.


    Rin jumped at him, fully powered, and held nothing back. That was a mistake on Rin''s part. She didn''t really think who and what was behind the biker.


    Luckily enough, the evacuation section was saved from Rin''s assault when Zhang Fei rushed forward and stopped her by ramming into her. As for the biker, not letting go of the opportunity, he once again launched into the air and went after another member of the team.


    While the others weren''t too lost by the sudden death of Jang Long, they were still angry and when they saw the biker coming at them, they didn''t avoid him but prepared themselves to fight back. It was, after all, five to one.


    The biker landed in the middle of them and the first kick landed on Sho Xiang who was thrown away by the unexpected powerful blow. Zhou Han didn''t miss the chance and attacked the biker with a straight punch which the biker easily stopped.


    However, another member of Rin''s team, Sun Wang, attacked the biker, hitting him in the leg. The biker raised his knee slightly and easily blocked the attack but this fight was still five versus one and the biker had only managed to engage three so far.


    Two powerful attacks of Qi landed on his stomach and the biker was pushed back a little but he didn''t let go of the two people he was holding, pulling them back with him.


    The strike was strong but coupled with the biker''s physical strength and Qi skills, the attack didn''t do the expected damage and the biker flung the two individuals in his hands, one pulled by the fist and one pulled by the leg and bashed them together.


    He let go of them and followed up on the rest of the two team members of Rin''s team who were still collecting themselves from delivering the attack.


    "Flank him!" One of them yelled and their teamwork was flawless enough for them to be called almost perfect.


    ''Twins?'' Wei Jun thought inwardly because earlier he wasn''t focusing but now that he was, he noticed that these two were similar in build, and height, and their faces were almost the same.


    ''And they were after the same girl?'' Wei Jun questioned.


    [Yes¡­.]


    [And now that I hear it, I realize how it sounds]


    The biker ignored the inner conversation and divided his attention to his left and right, trying to see who would attack first when he suddenly turned around and grabbed the kick going for him.


    He spun Zhou Han''s foot and once again, picked him up like he did with the other guy by his leg and threw him at one of the twins and jumped at another. The other twin was quick to react and dodged the biker''s assault allowing Sho Xiang to attack the biker with a flying sidekick.


    The biker wasn''t caught off guard but even when he could sense the attack coming, he wasn''t fast enough to be able to dodge it. So he took one hit and delivered another to the unluckiest member of the force. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Han, who had just collected himself from embarrassingly ramming into two of his teammates, male teammates, met with the heel of the biker that struck him straight in the neck, throwing him to the ground.


    But his sacrifice caused the rest of his teammates to jump at the biker and pin him on the ground. The biker struggled, obviously stronger than all of them but he was stronger than all of them individually. Against four of the Rin''s team, he wasn''t quite able to shake them off.


    And then there was another addition. Zhang Fei landed in front of them all, ready to grab the biker by his helmet when the biker emitted a lot of Death Qi, but as amazing as the force was, it died down before it could push all of them off.


    So the only alternative was¡­


    White light shined on the huddle and before the biker knew it, his readied skill was gone before it could even fully spurt.


    "Let''s see who you are underneath." Zhang Fei said, anger evident in his voice as he harshly pulled off the biker''s helmet.


    What they saw, however, was anything like they expected. What they expected to see was a handsome young man with a cold look on his face but what they saw was horrifying.


    > ''The Mummy'' original reference, or something similar <


    A man whose skin was burned and his eyeballs were fully exposed. His head was bald and his skin melted. Something green oozing off of his skin and a stench so horrible that Sho Xiang couldn''t help but lessen his hold but as he did, the biker didn''t let go of the opportunity to free himself and let out another wave of Death Qi.


    [Death Qi has been depleted]


    Unfortunately, he was all out of Qi.


    The others also noticed when the biker jumped back instead of the obvious attack.


    "He''s out of Qi," Sho Xiang said happily but his face was soon to scrunch when¡­


    [You have consumed a Qi replenishing pill]


    [All types of Qi have been fully restored]


    "What the..." It wasn''t just Sho Xiang but everyone in the group who was astonished by that fact. They hadn''t seen the ugly man consume anything so they naturally assumed it was some sort of technique. The problem was that there was no such technique.


    The biker once again emitted a great amount of his Death Qi and pulled everyone out of their reverie and attacked the one closest to him; one of the twins.


    The twin, once again, was quick to react but at the last moment, the biker changed his target and went after the most unluckiest member once again and elbowed Zhou Han in his stomach, making him puke blood.


    The biker was about to follow up when his senses tingled and he hurriedly knelt down and just as he did, a sword passed the place he was just at.


    Zhang Fei was the only one experienced enough to follow up with the biker. But he still didn''t expect the biker to be so good at fighting. Even among six of them, the biker was still not only able to find proper holes in their formation but also utilize them.


    He was after Zhuo Han because Zhou Han was the fastest one in the group. Taking him out would not only cause the team to lose a fast ally that could keep the biker busy but also because Zhou Han''s defense was the weakest in the entire team.


    He was the easiest to kill and the good option to start culling their numeric advantage.


    The biker jumped back to the left and threw a grenade which did nothing to the Qi users but as he did, he also threw an object which everyone dismissed thinking it was nothing once again.


    That was a big mistake.


    The object, which looked like a sack, exploded. It wasn''t a big explosion but what was released from it was a greenish gas that rusted Zhang Fei and Zhou Han''s Qi barriers.


    "What the¡­" Zhang Fei said, speechless at that.


    "Watch out for the gas!" Rin yelled but she kept her eyes on the biker because she was sure he still had a trick up his sleeves. Unfortunately, she was too late because the biker had already thrown that trick before.


    The burning embers from before came into contact with the poisonous gas and it exploded. It wasn''t a big explosion, on half the scale of the grenade but that wasn''t what was important.


    This explosion, unlike from the grenade earlier, got past their Qi barrier and damaged them. It was minor damage but it managed to do what the biker was hoping for.


    It distracted them for a few moments. Just like a flashbang, they all had to close their eyes from the explosion. It wasn''t because it was bright but because it could reach their skins so they involuntarily closed their eyes.


    Rin was no different but when she opened them, there was no sign of the biker.


    "Where did he go?!" Her yell attracted everyone''s attention but no one could spot him. Zhang Fei, on the other hand, hurriedly turned to the big crowd of five, feeling something ominous, and yelled, "Watch out!"


    "Kugh!"


    "Argh!!"


    "Kugh!"


    The twins and Sun Wang were penetrated by six black whips, each whip penetrating their vital organs.


    "Eh?"


    Sho Xiang, the youngest of the squad, was standing along with two more members and when he looked back, three of them were already dead, penetrated by the black whips.


    Sho Xiang looked at the face that was hideous and looked him straight in the eyes.


    He didn''t know why, but he turned his head and looked at Rin, whose eyes were also wide and she was frozen in her spot. Only Zhang Fei and Zhou Han could be seen running towards him while yelling his name but he knew they wouldn''t make it in time so the time he had left, he looked at Rin and just said, "Captain."


    "NOOO!!!!!!!"


    Rin yelled with her Qi going berserk and at the same time, a hand ripped through Sho Xiang''s chest and in that hand, Sho Xiang''s heart could be seen.


    "Cough!" Sho Xiang coughed blood, his eyes wide and disbelief in those eyes. And then, his lifeless body fell, along with three others and what appeared from behind them was the hideous biker, his eyes as cold as ever.


    "Now," The biker spoke, no teeth in his mouth could be seen, "Time to erupt, Captain."


    [Warning]


    [Warning]


    [Five of the seven restraints have been destroyed]


    [The Celestial Maiden has partially awoken]


    [Good luck to the user]


    And then, a bright light engulfed the entire downtown.

 Chapter 265 Captured

    Pure white light, that looked like it was bestowed by the god through his angels upon the unfortunate souls of mankind.Unfortunately, it wasn''t. For normal people, and even some low-level cultivators, this light wasn''t a blessing but death. A pure, white, painful death.


    "Ahhh!!!" Stay connected through empire


    Several people throughout the city yelled. Whoever could see that light, whoever the light fell on began to scream. That part of their body began to burn and burn until that part was no more.


    Some were lucky enough to escape to places where that light couldn''t reach but those who weren''t were burned from inside out. Some even disintegrated, some slowly decayed, and some were lucky enough to have their minds burned before the tremendous pain of this light could truly hurt them.


    As for Rin''s own allies¡­


    "Fu*k!"


    "It''s burning!"


    "Rin! Stop!"


    While Zhou Han depicted what type of pain he felt even past his Qi barrier and expanded his Qi to the fullest, Zhang Fei tried to bring Rin back out of her stunned state where her eyes, which were glowing white, were still fixed on the lifeless and heartless body of Sho Xiang.


    As for the last person who was the cause of all of this¡­


    ''Weird.''


    [Weird indeed]


    [Her body is turning more and more angelic]


    ''Shouldn''t that have a good effect on mankind?''


    Often in books, it was usually stated that angels were the friends of mankind and messengers of gods. They were friends of humanity and weren''t created to harm them.


    [You have never seen a real angel, have you, host?]


    [Angels are made of pure light]


    [The kind that can be devastating for humans because they cannot bear such purity]


    [Angels are usually disguised or their powers blocked when they are sent to lower realms in case they were to ever accidentally come in contact with people]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun replied to the useless information before he asked about the more important one, ''Why isn''t it hurting me? It''s even hurting them.''


    [Because of me]


    [I''m half angel]


    ''Of course, you are.''


    Wei Jun was now almost sure that the system was everything that existed in the world of cultivation. Wei Jun had long since given up trying to figure out what it was.


    [As long as I''m in the system, anything related to angels wouldn''t hurt me]


    [Of course, unless, and of course, it was targeted at your Death Qi so don''t even make the mistake of pulling it out of your body]


    ''Duly noted,'' Wei Jun replied. It made sense. The Death Qi inside his body wasn''t harmed but when he pulled it out in the form of whips earlier, he was harmed by Rin''s skills.


    [Just wait it out]


    [She doesn''t look like she''s in control of her power so she''ll lose it soon]


    ''Ahan, and how long would that be?''


    [Depends on her]


    [How unstable her mind is]


    [Power of angels requires, just like demonic power, sanity]


    [If you''re not in control, then the power itself is]


    [The power, without an aim, would just destroy everything and would run out of battery without any efficiency]


    Wei Jun had a strange d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He remembered how his Death Qi had gone berserk in the middle of the day because he had lost control of his emotions. Because he wasn''t in control, his Death Qi destroyed everything in his path.


    Although the primary focus was still Tao Min, the power was being wasted on other things as well, other people included.


    Just like now, instead of Wei Jun, Rin''s power was focused on everyone, losing its effect slowly. And soon enough, just as the system said, the power began to dim and the effect of burning began to lessen.


    Wei Jun kept his eyes on her but remained in his spot, not moving an inch because he was focused on keeping the Death energy within. Ever since Rin began to let out that power, the Death Qi inside of him was going berserk as well. Wei Jun didn''t know the reason and he didn''t want to know the reason. All he knew was that he would be severely harmed if he tried to fight back. He still remembered the pain from Rin penetrating his whips with her light.


    "Rin!" Rin''s power ended and Zhang Fei hurriedly moved towards her, his body severely injured as well but he was more worried about Rin who fell on the ground, unconscious. Her hair color was now white instead of black like before, and her skin was paler as if all the blood inside of her had been drained and those were the changes Wei Jun could see at the moment.


    [I think this would be the best time for you to leave, host]


    ''I can''t,'' Wei Jun replied before he turned his attention towards the air. He raised his hands and said, "I surrender." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Whoop!!!


    A fist stopped just inches away from his face, the pressure from it destroying everything behind him, the shockwave spreading throughout the entire area.


    The one who appeared out of nowhere was none other than the familiar Commander Han who had come to check on him in the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect. Of course, Commander Han couldn''t know that because of how ugly the current biker was.


    "You bastard," Commander Han calmly said before he calmly looked around. The city was a mess, the number of deaths was beyond cover-up, and if that wasn''t enough, the one who did all that was not the biker but the CSF.


    "Hahahaha." The biker laughed, his voice low which only made the Commander angrier and he punched the biker in his stomach, knocking the air out of him and messing up his intestines than they already were.


    "Cough! Cough!!" The biker huddled on the ground, his hands on his stomach as he tried to cope with the pain.


    Before he could do that though, the Commander was nice enough to help him by hitting him on the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.


    "Haaa¡­ I''m gonna be yelled at." The Commander said before he turned to one of his most promising prospects, passed out on the ground, with two heavily injured men trying to wake her up by shaking her.


    "What a mess has this become," The Commander said before he looked at the biker. As much as he wanted to just step on the head of the biker, he couldn''t. After all, the biker made sure to get all the leverage he needed before surrendering.


    ~~


    "And?" Commander Han asked the M.E. who just inspected the biker. She was frozen stiff as if she had seen the stuff of nightmares and it was coming from an M.E., people who were used to shoving their hands down dead bodies.


    "Ah!" The woman let out a little scream before she calmed down and replied, "I''m sorry, Commander. The stuff I saw was quite¡­ unsettling."


    "I can tell," Commander Han replied before he asked, "Is there any way of getting any form of identification?"


    "First of all, we cannot take a blood sample. The blood comes out contaminated from the green goo his skin oozes." The M.E. began.


    "What is that comes out of him?" Zhang Fei asked. Since Rin was absent, he was the one in charge of the team. Or at least what was left of it.


    "Some kind of venom. What is it though, I have no idea. However, whatever it is, it is perfectly applied. It doesn''t penetrate too deep into his skin and doesn''t come out as well." The M.E. replied before she added a note of her own, "As if he submerged his body into the venom and turned his skin into it."


    "Why isn''t it penetrating his body further?" Commander Han asked.


    "I¡­ don''t know. I can only say it is some sort of power of his that is keeping that from happening. Maybe it''s healing him appropriately but not enough to get rid of the venom." The M.E. replied.


    "Or he can control it and heal only what''s needed and let the venom destroy what isn''t." Commander Han gave his own view which was accepted by all the parties in the room.


    "So fingerprints and blood samples are out of the question." Commander Han said after a few moments of silence. It was a terrible outcome and he needed some sort of good news but there was none so far.


    "Even if we get those, Commander, it would be impossible to find out who he is since he took all the police data. We have nothing." Zhang Fei replied, a point that even Commander Han missed.


    Commander Han solemnly nodded before he turned to Zhang Fei and asked, "Any suggestions?"


    "If all of those are out of the question, then how about dental records? They all public data and we can find out who he is that way." Zhang Fei asked.


    "I can''t," The M.E. replied, her face once again turning stiff as she remembered what she found out about them.


    "Why not?" The commander asked.


    "Because there are no teeth." The M.E. replied.


    "So he had them taken out? That''s bad for us." Commander Han said.


    "No, Commander," The M.E. said, "He didn''t have them taken out. He ripped them out."


    "What?" Zhang Fei asked.


    The M.E. gulped and replied, "The way the lacerations on his gums were made, he ripped them out himself. With his bare hands, he ripped each and every one of them out."

 Chapter 266 Sicko?

    "What kind of a sicko would do that to himself?" Zhou Han asked particularly no one but he was looking for an answer as well. They were in a white room with a giant mirror on one wall through which, they could see a similar white room where a man whose flesh was absent from his body and something green was flowing out of its surface was bound to a chair, dressed in a white outfit and bound in leather belts.The ugly sight was the last thing on their minds at the moment. What they were trying to figure out was the intention of the man in there. What he wanted and what his motive was.


    No one could even guess.


    "All we know is that he''s not a sicko," Zhang Fei said, "He''s smart as hell."


    "That''s smart?" Zhou Han asked.


    "He erased every way we could have identified him. He allowed us to capture him while making sure he had all the insurance on him so we wouldn''t kill him even if he killed many of us." Zhang Fei elaborated.


    "He''s hella smart," Commander Han agreed.


    "Then what do we do, Sir? If it was a lunatic, we could have done something but a ghost we don''t know anything about, not about his life or his goal, would be impossible to reason with." Zhang Fei said.


    "I know." Commander Han added before he asked, "He said anything yet?"


    "The same as you. He hasn''t said a word." Zhou Han replied.


    "I contacted Sergeant Hui from the police and he relayed that this pattern was similarly displayed by Wei Jun Ruan when he was arrested and interrogated." Zhang Fei added.


    "For the moment, act as if it''s someone else, Sergeant," Commander Han said, "We''re already taking heat from the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect. It doesn''t matter who he is, all that matters is that we cannot prove it is Wei Jun Ruan."


    "And since we can''t, it means it''s not him. Whether he is or not, doesn''t matter." Zhang Fei said.


    "Precisely," Commander Han said before he instructed, "Call Yan Rong."


    "But, Sir," Zhang Fei and Zhou Han both collectively protested but the commander interrupted them, "Enough. I know what your concern is but we don''t know who that person is. You were against her because she is in a relationship with Wei Jun Ruan. But now, looking at this," The commander pointed at the skinless man, "It''s some lunatic who''s more intellectual than us. You call in someone intellectual to deal with someone like that."


    Zhang Fei and Zhou Han remained silent in the face of the direct order. The commander left and they both turned to look at the man who was staring straight at the mirror with his eyes, his eyeballs visible to everyone which was not a pleasant scene for anyone.


    "I still can''t believe all that happened," Zhou Han said, "I mean, it all sounds so sudden. There was no such thing a few days ago in our lives in just a week, our lives have turned around completely. While some¡­"


    Zhou Han choked on his own words. Zhang Fei patted him on his shoulder in consolation but even he was barely holding it in. He took a deep breath and said, "And we need to bring them all to justice. No matter the cost."


    "No matter the cost," Zhou Han agreed and they both left to carry out the orders.


    ~~


    Yan Rong entered Wei Jun''s office. While he was supposedly engaged in closed-door cultivation, the business was being handled by Lin Ruan while the shadier aspects were taken care of by Li Wei. Xia Lu was still out of it and for some reason hadn''t woken up since the day she suddenly stopped screaming.


    "Any update?" Yan Rong asked.


    "I''m halfway in. But this would take me some time. The authorities are looking for me now after all," Li Wei replied. If earlier the authorities were focused on the biker and never thought the possibility of a hacker existed, now they were actively looking for her so Li Wei had to spend most of the time trying to dodge them and get very little work done.


    "How long would it take you then?" Yan Rong asked.


    "At the rate I''m going, about three weeks," Li Wei replied. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s within the time frame, right?" Yan Rong asked.


    "It is," Li Wei replied before she added, "Boss was specific that it would go down after twenty-eight days. That''s four weeks. Then he also said that there would be only two days to get it done, so¡­ you know the rest."


    "Jealous much?" Yan Rong teasingly asked.


    "One day, he''s going to strangle me like he strangles you. Just you wait!" Li Wei offensively said.


    However, it only made Yan Rong sad as she replied, "He never strangles me. He isn''t even rough with me ever."


    Li Wei made a face like she sympathized but before they could continue, there was a sound from Li Wei''s laptop. When Li Wei checked it, her expression turned somber.


    "What is it?" Seeing her serious expression, Yan Rong knew something was wrong.


    "I won''t be able to get the job done." Li Wei replied before she added, "They applied ten firewalls at once. To take this down and remain undetected, I''d need months while I have weeks."


    "Not if you''re inside," Yan Rong, however, didn''t panic in the least. She knew what to do in this scenario.


    "He told you, didn''t he?" Li Wei asked.


    "He did," Yan Rong replied, not so smug now.


    "Figure," Yan Rong remarked before she added, "But you won''t have much time. And you''ll also need this."


    "What''s this?" Li Wei asked, looking at the white mask without eye spaces.


    "Wei Jun gave it to me. He said they''ve seen your face." Yan Rong replied. Li Wei, who was just about to state this issue, couldn''t help but be impressed by her boss''s foresight.


    ~~


    "Who is she?" The Lieutenant of the CSF in charge of the site where the biker was held asked Yan Rong because he wasn''t told she wouldn''t be alone.


    "My secretary," Yan Rong coolly replied. The girl with her was a brunette, with hazelnut eyes and fair skin, she looked nothing like who she really was.


    Luckily, crafting a serial ID wasn''t difficult because the CSF was looking for a hacker, not an insider. Li Wei was able to craft an ID as she hacked into the CSF system and created an identity for her.


    "What''s her specialty?" The lieutenant asked. Unless it was relevant, he couldn''t let any unassigned personnel inside.


    "She''s here to do her medically computing thing," Yan Rong replied like a typical jock.


    "It''s called brainwave analysis, Lieutenant." The disguised Li Wei, whose name was now Ai Huiying, interjected to correct Yan Rong.


    "Yeah. That analy thingy." Yan Rong brushed it off.


    "Lieutenant," Ai Huiying made a face as if she had given up hope which the Lieutenant in charge could somewhat understand. Those in charge of the fighting squad weren''t exactly bright so he could sympathize.


    "Very well," The lieutenant said before he led Yan Rong and her secretary inside.


    After about half an hour, the system was set up and everyone was ready.


    "You ready?" Yan Rong asked Ai Huiying who nodded and said, "I''ve set up everything. I will monitor his condition and let you know."


    "Good," Yan Rong said and tapped her earpiece, "You read me?"


    "Clear," Ai Huiying replied.


    With that, Yan Rong left to enter the other room to deal with the biker while Ai Huiying tuned in all her equipment.


    "Can I ask you what that is?" Commander Han, who was also in the room hence why Yan Rong and Ai Huiying weren''t even looking at the biker.


    "This tells me what the target''s brain activity is. Whether he''s anxious, upset, angry, or completely calm. We will proceed depending on that data," Ai Huiying professionally replied.


    "Your analysis thingy is constantly moving though," Zhou Han pointed at one screen that was in constant fluctuation.


    "That doesn''t tell us about his emotions," Ai Huiying nonchalantly replied.


    "Then what is it?" Zhang Fei asked.


    "Pain receptors," Ai Huiying replied before she elaborated, "This monitors the part of his brain that alights when his body is in pain."


    "If it''s going like that, then what does that tell you?" Zhou Han asked, a little spooked while Zhang Fei and Commander Han were also very deeply intrigued. Find more to read at empire


    "That means he''s in a hell of a lot of pain," Ai Huiying replied, her voice a little hitched as if she was uncomfortable about this.


    The men took as her nervous though because the situation, the looks of the target, and the topic of discussion would make anyone uncomfortable, even them.


    "So that lunatic is in constant pain?" Zhou Han asked.


    "Mhm," Ai Huiying replied.


    "Then why doesn''t his face show a shred of it?" Zhou Han asked no one in particular but no one had an answer to that question.


    "About that, officer, I have no idea. I deal in the brain, not willpower," Ai Huiying replied.


    "Shame," Commander Han remarked, "That''s one hell of a strong will."


    "But the bad news is that an enemy possesses that." Zhou Han added.


    "That only makes him much more dangerous," Commander Han said, "Let''s just hope she can get through such a man."


    "I sure hope so," Zhang Fei replied.


    "She will," Ai Huiying replied, determination and trust overflowing in her tone before she added, "She''s about to start."

 Chapter 267 Chaos

    The wall of the white room parted and Yan Rong entered. The door slash wall closed up after her. Once she was inside, she made her way to the biker who was following her with his eyes.Yan Rong controlled her emotions and got to the point, "I feel that in such situations, we should start by introducing ourselves. I''m Yan Rong, a lieutenant in the CSF. My favorite hobby is catching guys like you and blowing their heads off. With a shotgun if possible."


    The biker just stared back, no words leaving his mouth. His eyes, without the cover of the brows and eye guards, took a lot of courage for one to stare into. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My name is Damien Smith. My favorite hobby is chaos. I am the man who singlehandedly crippled the Huanan empire''s law enforcement system." The biker spoke, just when no one was expecting him to say anything.


    "Nothing," Ai Huiying swiftly replied from the other room, relaying to Yan Rong''s earpiece that there was no activity in the biker''s brain.


    "Nice to meet you, Damien." Yan Rong replied.


    "Same," The biker replied.


    "And might I add, your Mandarin is exquisite. Almost as if you''re a native." Yan Rong said.


    "Thanks," The biker replied.


    "Now, as much as I''d love to chat with a handsome fella such as yourself, I''m afraid I must get to business," Yan Rong said.


    "I wouldn''t have it any other way, Lieutenant." The biker replied.


    "What now?" Yan Rong simply asked.


    "What now what?" The biker asked.


    "What do you plan to do now?" Yan Rong asked again.


    "¡­" The biker remained silent before he asked, "What do you think I plan to do?"


    "I think you''re going to spend the rest of your life in this cage. You did kill five CSF officers after all." Yan Rong replied.


    "Then what about the Captain?" The biker asked.


    "Captain Rin is not the topic of this conversation." Yan Rong replied.


    "Is that so? But I still must ask," The biker said before he asked, "What about all the people your Captain killed?"


    "Son of a b****." Zhou Han said angrily. "It was all him."


    "Good luck telling that to the people who died and their families. They don''t remember a biker killing their loved ones but the light coming out of Rin. We''re taking massive heat because of that." Commander Han said, his voice a little strained because of the issue at hand.


    "For now let''s just focus on this one, shall we?" Zhang Fei asked respectfully, trying to pull the topic of conversation away from Rin.


    While Commander Han knew what he was doing, he remained silent because even he didn''t want to address this issue. The CSF was already taking heat from the outside. No need to make things worse on the inside.


    "Well, I wouldn''t be so sure about that," Yan Rong said from the other side of the room, "The public could easily be persuaded that it was a certain biker. Who do you think they''d believe? A terrorist like you or people''s savior like us?"


    "Savior, you say¡­" The biker said before he looked at Yan Rong and said, "What do you think is happening on the outside right now, Lieutenant?"


    Yan Rong remained silent to that, a signal for the biker.


    The biker chuckled and said, "People are fickle, Lieutenant. They need heroes so they worship them. But that''s not all a hero is. A hero is a convenient excuse for them as well."


    "An excuse?" Yan Rong asked.


    "That''s right. People are hypocrites," The biker said, "They wish for heroes, they worship heroes, they revere them and then they make them literal gods. But then, a time comes when a villain, like me, comes. And when he does, the lives of the people get disturbed. Do you know what they do then?"


    "What?" Yan Rong decided to play along.


    "They blame the heroes who couldn''t stop that villain. They know it isn''t the hero''s fault for not being able to stop the villain and the damage that occurred was all because someone decided to go rowdy that day. But still, they''ll always blame the heroes because they know the heroes wouldn''t hurt them. Because that''s what they are. Convenient excuses." The biker stopped.


    He then chuckled and asked, "What do you think is going on out there now, Lieutenant?"


    "I don''t think there''s any use in telling you what''s happening outside. It''s not like you''re going there," Yan Rong said.


    "Haha," The biker chuckled before he asked, "Do you want me to tell you what''s happening out there, Lieutenant?"


    "¡­" Once again, Yan Rong just remained quiet because she didn''t want to give anything away. A game of pretend, it may be that but Yan Rong couldn''t appear to be on the losing side.


    "CSF came into existence exactly ninety-eight years ago. When a man, a just one, saw the injustice done to the people by the cultivators of the empire once the old imperial family was thrown off its long reign and replaced by cultivators. While the new imperial family didn''t mean for such a thing to happen, they didn''t have the manpower to deal with that situation as well."


    "So the man, along with three of his subordinates, created an organization of a hundred men and soon, he was hailed as a hero. Even now, he is still revered as a hero even if his whereabouts have been unknown for the last two decades."


    "For almost a century, the CSF ruled over this empire as its greatest hero under the name of that hero."


    "But¡­ look at it now."


    "People are questioning what you''re doing."


    "Why thousands of them were killed and hundreds and thousands of them were maimed, by none other than their very own hero."


    "Why did you let me, a villain, who is clearly to blame here, cut loose on this city and destroy it beyond measure?"


    "And do you know what the funniest part of it is?"


    A laugh that was full of mockery fell into everyone''s ears as the biker said, "It all took a total of one week to do. The building of Heroes fell faster than it was constructed. All that hard work of years came down on your shoulders in a matter of days."


    "And now you ask me, what I intend to do¡­"


    "But tell me, what more could I do?"


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    Heavy silence in both rooms. No one said anything. The reality of the situation was setting in and slowly very, very slowly, it was making its way down to everyone''s hearts and letting them know how badly they were losing.


    But¡­


    The biker wasn''t done.


    "Right now, people are losing faith in you. And to make matters worse, large organizations are also coming out of the shadows your founding fathers put them in. They won''t act immediately. They''d scope it out first. Small-time criminals, those are the people they''d use. They would see how you react. How you proceed."


    "And once they have, once they realize that you cannot do anything about them because you have no information on them¡­"


    "Well, then you would have truly lost."


    "Hahaha," The biker laughed and this time, he didn''t have to make his mockery apparent because the reality of the situation was now out in the open. And there was nothing they could do about it.


    "You think I don''t know that?" Yan Rong, however, appeared to be completely collected.


    "I''ve already considered all of that.


    We


    already weighed our options and we know the situation we are in. But¡­"


    Yan Rong leaned in and said, "You don''t want all of that to happen as well, now do you? Because if all of what you said became true, the empire would be at war."


    "And what makes you think I don''t want that?" The biker asked.


    "Because then we won''t need you anymore. The damage would have already been done so having the data or not having it wouldn''t matter anymore."


    "Right now, you''re only alive because we value that data," Yan Rong leaned very close, the stench from the biker didn''t bother her in the least as she asked, "What do you think will happen to you once it''d lose its value?"


    Yan Rong chuckled and leaned back, "Then, I might get permission to blow this pretty head off."


    "Still nothing," Ai Huiying said from the other side of Yan Rong''s earpiece, letting her know that the biker wasn''t rattled in the least.


    "Does that mean she''s wrong?" Zhou Han asked.


    "No, she''s right," Zhang Fei said, "The biker isn''t just showing anything. This, in the end, is a game of wits."


    "And we''re on the losing side." Commander Han added, knowing full well what the situation was like.


    "Why do you think so, Commander?" Zhou Han asked. If they found a weakness, shouldn''t that be good news? Why was no one happy then?


    Zhang Fei took the liberty to explain, "The damage of the war is unsalvageable. But the damage until then wouldn''t be mild either. The only problem is¡­"


    "The biker would still be important in that time frame." Zhou Han completed the sentence because he understood what the situation was.

 Chapter 268 Awakening

    "How much more do we have to do this training?" Yan Rong asked as she saw Wei Jun heal up and get up once again."Why? You getting tired?" Wei Jun asked.


    "No," Yan Rong replied, "It''s just a little difficult seeing you getting hurt every day and the state you''re left in is actually very¡­ disturbing."


    "Get used to it," Wei Jun said before he got ready to leave and said, "You''re about to see something much worse."


    "Do we really have to do it? There can be other ways. Xia Lu isn''t that worse yet," Yan Rong tried to persuade Wei Jun from his suicide plan but he wasn''t the one to listen.


    "If there was another way, I would''ve taken it. But there isn''t and we''re stuck with that being our only option," Wei Jun replied as he checked the corruption status of Xia Lu. Compared to earlier in the day when he almost killed Tao Min, the status was progressing much slowly but it was still inching closer to the end.


    But just like Yan Rong said; his plan was dangerous. Luckily, his strange training that the system suggested finally gave a result so that was a plus point in his arsenal.


    "I still don''t have a good feeling about this. I mean, even if I get Li Wei inside, there still won''t be enough time to get through this." Yan Rong argued.


    "I''ll buy you time," Wei Jun said.


    "That''s precisely what I''m worried about. You''re telling me to do the opposite of buying time." Yan Rong replied.


    "They''re a bunch of men in charge. They wouldn''t do what a woman tells them to do even if you''re stronger than most of them. That''s male ego and he hasn''t been able to evolve past that since the beginning of creation. Why would it be any different now?" Wei Jun said with a straight face. Even when he himself was a man, he didn''t deny any of that.


    "Fine. I will trust you with it for now," Yan Rong conceded and got ready. Wei Jun was about to leave to carry out his plan as night was approaching. She had to do her own part.


    ~~


    "So we got jack?" Zhou Han asked.


    "Not necessarily," Zhang Fei replied before he said, "We now at least have one upper hand. This guy made sure to have insurance in case he was caught which means he isn''t your typical psychopath who only wants to see the world burn without caring if they''re burned with it."


    "He isn''t wrong," Commander Han said before he added, "Besides, we now have a name. We can go for that."


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea." Yan Rong replied, "True he isn''t the usual psychopath and he cares about his life, but I doubt we have any upper hand at the moment. We need to figure out his motive. Why would he get caught? We need to figure that out."


    "He''s in there because we caught him," Zhou Han replied. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If he wanted to create public disarray, he wouldn''t have needed to deal with us himself. He could have hired someone, and blown up a large part of the town and the people would have still blamed us. His plan was to


    get


    caught. The ''why'' is the part we need to figure out." Yan Rong replied.


    "Exactly why I called you. While you do that, in the meantime, we''ll figure out who he is." Commander Han said.


    "That''s another thing," Yan Rong said, "I think it''s a waste of time to figure out his identity. What we should be solely focusing on is to find out his goal in here."


    "I get that we need that as well, but we need to follow every lead to make sure we''re not leaving any stone unturned." Commander Han rejected her suggestion.


    "I''m telling you. It''s a waste of time and resources," Yan Rong argued.


    "Which we''ll find out once we do our proper research," Commander Han calmly said and signaled Zhang Fei to carry out his order.


    Yan Rong remained silent and did nothing. She turned to Ai Huiying and nodded, "Begin phase two. I''m going in again."


    "Stay here to assist the lieutenant. I''ll be returning for the day." Commander Han said to Zhou Han and then left.


    "I appreciate the assist," Yan Rong sarcastically replied. Everyone in the room knew what assist really meant. It was nothing but a cloaked term for surveillance to look fancy and favorable.


    Commander Han didn''t say anything to that and left the room. As soon as he did, Yan Rong turned to Zhou Han, her eyes turning light blue but all the more intimidating as she said, "Try and annoy me and I''ll make sure you look worse than the guy in there."


    Gulp!!!


    Zhou Han gulped loudly because every instinct in his body was telling him that this lady wasn''t lying. She''d do what she was saying and she''d do it without fail.


    Zhou Han nervously nodded while he cursed Commander Han in his heart because of the situation he was put in. ''Uncle, what the hell did you put me into?''


    He prayed to any deity out there to help him. While he did that, Zhang Fei left to utilize all of the resources he had at his disposal to check the identity of the biker. But before he left to do that, he decided to visit the infirmary of the facility.


    "You''re here again," The woman who was in charge of the special infirmary, a mage, said to him while she sipped her tea. She was a middle-aged woman with a few wrinkles on her face. Her mana was swirling around her, keeping up the spell she was using.


    "You must really care about her," The woman said.


    "She is my captain," Zhang Fei said but no one was buying it.


    "I know love when I see it," The woman said before she pointed in a certain direction.


    Zhang Fei turned to look there as well and the woman continued, "Her situation hasn''t improved since yesterday. And not only that, the change in her appearance seems to be permanent."


    Zhang Fei looked at on unconscious Rin while a blue glow enveloped her body. Her white colored hair cascaded down to her thigh and her pale skin which looked like it was devoid of blood glowed under the lights of the room.


    "But what about the danger to her?" Zhang Fei asked.


    "For now, there''s none." The woman replied before she added, "But I will tell you this. I don''t think she''s


    in


    any danger. She seems to be awakening. In what though, I have no idea."


    "Can she be moved?" Zhang Fei asked before he added, "I''d rather not have her in the same place as that lunatic. He''s already made clear that he was after her."


    "Honestly, I cannot tell you anything about that. I don''t think she''s in any danger but that''s because I can''t tell what''s going on inside of her. All I know is that she''s stable. But if it''s something else, something I can''t see and it


    is


    dangerous to her. You won''t find another like me in the empire to tend to such a situation." The woman replied, explaining the possibilities of Zhang Fei.


    Zhang Fei nodded, understanding that she was the only magician healer in all of the empire aside from the imperial palace and the royal physicians wouldn''t care for a captain in the CSF no matter how serious the situation was.


    After all, no one was more important than the emperor.


    With that out of the way, Zhang Fei thanked the woman and left to carry out his own task. After all, finding out who the biker was, was just as necessary as caring for Rin because that was also a way to save her.


    ~~


    "Hey old man," A young, rowdy man, almost a boy, said to a man dressed in all whites. He wasn''t wearing a typical robe or a gown of white clothes. He was wearing a white three-piece suit. With how buff he was, in no way could he have been mistaken as an old man but that was proven otherwise due to his white hair and long white beard.


    His face, however, was wrinkles-free, as if his aging had stopped at one point and his hair was white for show.


    The old man turned to look at the young man who was acting so rudely while the old man was just minding his own business.


    Still, the old man didn''t mind and just asked with a benevolent smile on his face, "I''m so glad you reached out to me. I''m a little lost and in need of directions."


    The young man, however, knew nothing about kindness or respect and said, "Screw you, old man. Just cough up all you have and get lost. You''re being an eyesore."


    "Hohoho," The old man benevolently laughed before he reached out and grabbed the young man by his head before he, or anyone else, could even react, "It seems your parents didn''t raise you right. I might have to do it for them."


    Soon, the hand that was grabbing the head of the young man began to glow and the next moment, the young man began to scream in agony. His agony, while it didn''t last long, was excruciating while it lasted.


    The young man soon completely turned to ashes and nothing of him was left behind. Those who stood behind the young man panicked and ran away while the people on the streets who were enjoying the show also ran away. Enjoy new adventures at empire


    "Don''t go away," The old man said with a smile, "I need someone to guide this old man," Before the old man turned in a certain direction and said, "A young angel is awakening. I need to make sure nothing goes wrong."

 Chapter 269 Smoke and Mirrors

    "What is it that you want?" Yan Rong asked the question she must have asked a hundred times, she asked again without backing down."This is a waste of time," Zhou Han replied when the biker didn''t say anything once again. After the biker''s speech, he went silent. He didn''t say one word. While that wasn''t necessarily bad news, it was good news either.


    Yan Rong, however, didn''t think so. She told Commander Han a hundred times that there was something to the biker''s plan. What was it though, she couldn''t figure out.


    "Any leads on his identity?" Commander Han asked Zhang Fei.


    "Given his flawless accent, we first checked within our country. However, there was nothing about him." Zhang Fei replied.


    "That''s what speech therapy is for, Sergeant. Anyone can change the way they talk as long as they have some level of intellect. This guy has a lot." Commander Han replied which was a signal to go on.


    Zhang Fei nodded and continued, "So we expanded our search to the most likely country his name matches."


    "The British Empire." Commander Han guessed.


    "Yes," Zhang Fei replied before he said, "And we got a lead. We were able to find a man named Damien Smith but we couldn''t probe any further because the British royal family cut us off and due to diplomatic conditions, we cannot use less legal methods as well."


    "Those damned Brits." Commander Han said before he asked, "And what then?"


    "We are waiting for them to respond. Hopefully, we''ll hear from them by midnight." Zhang Fei replied.


    "That''s something," Commander Han replied before he asked, "Has she obtained anything?"


    "Nothing. The guy doesn''t talk," Zhou Han replied before he added, "And she''s still persistent that he has a plan of some sort."


    "What do you think?" Commander Han asked Zhang Fei.


    "I¡­ actually don''t know. The problem is that we don''t know anything about the guy. I admit that the guy could have a plan but we could never figure it out if he remained quiet. And I don''t think asking the same question will help," Zhang Fei gave a detailed reply about what he thought and Commander Han agreed with him.


    "Break it up, Lieutenant," Commander Han spoke in the microphone, relaying voice to the other side where Yan Rong was still with the biker.


    Yan Rong turned to the mirror and nodded before she turned to the biker and said, "This will only work if you tell me something. Anything. Conversations go both ways."


    Yan Rong turned to leave but just as she was about to reach for the door, the biker spoke, "11:71:39."


    Yan Rong turned to the biker and Commander Han from the other side, along with others, also stood on attention at the given numbers.


    "Go take a look, Lieutenant. I will wait for you to give me something in return for that." The biker said and once again went silent.


    "What do those random numbers mean?" Zhou Han asked once they were all in one room.


    "Coordinates," Ai Huiying replied before she added, "I thought that was included in basic training, right?"


    It subtly meant that Zhou Han was an idiot. Zhou Han coughed, not so much of an idiot that he couldn''t understand the underlying meaning.


    Commander Han nodded, "They''re coordinates, all right. But where is it?"


    "Just outside of Shannou City," Ai Huiying replied.


    "What''s there?" Commander Han asked.


    "Nothing," Ai Huiying replied before she added, "There aren''t any records of any buildings or old compounds or anything."


    "Then why there?" Commander Han mused before he turned to Zhou Han and said, "Take a team there. Find out what it is."


    "Yes, sir," Zhou Han replied but before he could leave, Yan Rong interrupted them, "I don''t think we should pursue this. I think we need to stay in the building. With him."


    "I think so too, sir," Zhang Fei agreed with Yan Rong but his reason was something else.


    "Why do you think so?" Commander Han asked before it clicked, "Is it because of the Captain?"


    "Yes, sir," Zhang Fei replied before explaining, "He was after Rin. If his motive is her, and with her still in the building, I don''t think we should focus on that."


    "¡­" Commander Han remained silent for a while before he turned to Yan Rong and said, "You''re done for now."


    "What?! NO! I got to him!" Yan Rong protested but Commander Han wasn''t having any of it, "Just stay here and don''t engage with him anymore. I will deal with it later. As for you two," Commander Han turned to Zhou Han and said, "Do as I told you to and you," He turned to Zhang Fei, "Find the identity of the biker."


    Zhang Fei and Zhou Han remained quiet but Yan Rong was enraged over that treatment so she said, "Fine. You can chase smoke and mirrors all you want but I won''t take any part in it. I''m leaving."


    "No, You''re not. That''s an order," Commander Han said but Yan Rong didn''t care in the least and said, "I answer to Commander Rong and him only. I was here on request, not as an official order."


    With that, Yan Rong took Ai Huiying and walked out of the room under the Commander''s enraged eyes but he couldn''t do anything. Yan Rong was correct. She was there at a request and she was free to walk away at any given moment.


    With her gone, Commander Han turned to the rest of the two and said, "Do as you''re told."


    Zhang Fei and Zhou Han weren''t brave like Yan Rong so they both left to do as they were told. As for the Commander, he turned to the biker and asked himself, "What are you doing, huh?"


    Receiving no answer, the Commander turned and left, letting the officers outside know that he was done and they were to watch the prisoner at all times.


    ~~


    "Okay, move quietly from here," Zhou Han said as he set up the equipment and began to analyze the area. After about ten minutes, an officer called out to him quietly and showed him what he found. As Zhou Han saw it, his eyes went wide, "What the¡­" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "WHAT?!" Commander Han stood up, slamming his hands on the table as he heard the words out of Zhou Han''s mouth.


    "Are you certain?" Commander Han asked, containing himself a little.


    "I checked it myself. And I''m pretty sure they haven''t found us. There has been no report of them moving so we can be sure they haven''t spotted us yet." Zhou Han replied.


    While it was pretty good news, he wasn''t happy at the moment. As Yan Rong said, the entire CSF would be on this after this. If they were, then as Yan Rong said earlier, there would be no one in here to stop in case anything happened.


    "We cannot waste any time then. Before they move, we need to capture them." Commander Han said as he went for his jacket but before he could leave, Zhou Han stopped, "Uncle, please listen to me."


    "What?" Commander Han was too excited to care that Zhou Han wasn''t addressing him professionally.


    "We need to stay here. We can''t let this guy go. What if someone attacks this place and frees him once you''re gone?" Zhou Han raised very good points but that was the stuff of the movies.


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    Besides, there was a much more rational counter to this, "First of all, this is a CSF building. Even major organizations wouldn''t be stupid enough to storm this place. Second, who do you think matters more? A guy who blew up a little bit of downtown, or an organization that has existed since the creation of CSF itself?"


    Having no answer, Zhou Han remained quiet. He knew he wouldn''t be able to say anything to change Commander Han''s mind so he opted for the other option he had, "Fine. If that''s what you think is right, then go ahead. But I''m staying here."


    "Don''t be ridiculous," Commander Han said as if his nephew was being childish and said, "This is an opportunity of a lifetime. You wouldn''t have another chance to have an achievement like this. And you''re throwing it away for a girl."


    "Uncle, please," Zhou Han said as he looked into Commander Han''s eyes, "I''m happier with this than with a promotion."


    "Haaa¡­" Commander Han sighed at the stupidity of his nephew but there was nothing he could do. While he could order him, he didn''t want to do that to his nephew so he decided to be a little understanding and replied, "Fine. Do as you wish. But this requires me to be there. I''m the only one who can carry out this operation at the moment."


    With that, Commander Han left. Zhou Han headed to the observation room to assess the situation and found Zhang Fei there already.


    "Any leads?" Zhou Han asked.


    "None so far. His identity was a dead end and we now owe a favor to the British royal family." Zhang Fei replied.


    "Sucks," Zhou Han said.


    "You didn''t go?" Zhang Fei asked.


    "Neither did you," Zhou Han said in return.


    "¡­" No one said anything for a while before Zhou Han said, "He''s going to do something. I can feel it. I won''t forgive myself if I wasn''t here to stop that from happening."


    "Hey," Zhang Fei said, gaining Zhou Han''s attention, "Everything will be fine."


    "I sure hope so," Zhou Han said.

 Chapter 270 Loose

    "Any news?" Zhou Han asked Zhang Fei. It had been four days now and there was no response from Rin. While most of the CSF, along with the military and the imperial forces, was trying to take down one of the biggest crime syndicates that existed before even the founding of CSF, the duo back at the facility was getting worried.The biker had sent almost all of the CSF out. What would happen in the absence of such a major organization was a question no one could answer.


    Zhou Han and Zhang Fei were already very nervous about the biker and Rin being in the same building. They wanted nothing more than to move Rin but she wasn''t waking up and moving her without knowing what was wrong with her wasn''t something both of them were willing to do.


    "Nothing, for now. He hasn''t moved, he hasn''t eaten, and he hasn''t spoken. He hasn''t done anything." Zhang Fei replied before he added, "And what worried me the most is that he hasn''t even asked for anything in return for the major information he gave us."


    "I think he''s just trying to use the CSF to take down a major organization. You know? Trying to have us do the dirty work." Zhou Han speculated.


    "And then what? We aren''t just gonna let him go. He must have thought of that and done something about it." Zhang Fei countered.


    "That would mean Lieutenant Yong was right," Zhou Han said before he asked, "Do you really think he has a plan?"


    "He has to. That''s the only way to get out of here." Zhang Fei replied. "But the only problem is that I don''t see an end goal to this plan. What does he intend to do once he''s out? Take over the major organization? By himself at that?"


    "Are we sure he''s alone? There''s the hacker for one." Zhou Han presented a possibility.


    "Physically, he does seem to be alone. If he had a bigger crew, we would have definitely heard of him." Zhang Fei replied, "And the hacker, even if there is someone like that, wouldn''t be able to help him take over such a big organization alone. They''d still need a crew and a crew to run that big of an organization wouldn''t be small."


    "What if it isn''t a new player? What if it''s another criminal organization?" Zhou Han asked.


    "There is a strong possibility for that but none of our field agents have reported any moves from the major organizations." Zhang Fei replied.


    That wasn''t a surprising thing that didn''t need to be mentioned by Zhou Han. Their field agents weren''t at the top of the tables of those organizations so there were times when they didn''t get any heads up until the organization had already been on the move.


    "So¡­ our only option is to wait?" Zhou Han asked.


    "What else can we do?" Zhang Fei exhaustingly asked. He was the brains of the team and so far, he was coming out blank about everything. He didn''t know what to do or how to deal with the situation they were faced with.


    He was out of ideas and that was the worst for him. With him out, he felt like they had zero chances of going against the biker who had bested them more than any other criminals have in their entire career.


    "I don''t like this," Zhou Han replied, tired as well.


    However, they were soon awoken by their senses alarming them. As soon as they turned their heads to the biker, they saw a chair, the very one he was sitting in, flung at the mirror.


    While the mirror didn''t fall, the cracks in it were enough to indicate that it would be out on its own without anyone even touching it.


    But someone


    was


    trying to touch it. No, that someone was trying to jump through it. The biker broke through the mirror and landed in the other room.


    It all happened so fast that Zhang Fei and Zhou Han couldn''t react in the least. Before they were aware of everything that happened in an instant, the biker was already on the other side. Their side.


    Zhou Han was quick to act on his feet and attacked the biker before he could.


    His fist connected with the biker''s face, a terribly disgusting face, but as it did, the biker''s face turned to the right. However, the biker slowly turned his face back to Zhou Han.


    "What the¡­" Zhou Han confusedly said but before he could do anything, the biker punched him squarely in the stomach and threw him flying into the wall behind him.


    Zhang Fei also moved once he was aware of what was happening and pulled out his sword. The biker looked at the sword and smiled.


    "That''s a nice-looking weapon, Sergeant. I obtained something interesting recently as well. You will be the first one I will use it on." The biker calmly took about ten seconds to say all that. While talking wasn''t something that usually happened in such battles, Zhang Fei wasn''t in a hurry to attack.


    Zhou Han wasn''t up after that hit which meant it was strong. The biker, for some reason, was still strong even though clearly his bracelet was working and there was no Qi in the attack earlier.


    An enemy that wasn''t too light to face. Zhang Fei analyzed that in a second and was waiting for the backup to arrive. As soon as the glass broke, the alarm must have sounded. There were still almost a hundred CSF officers in the building so it was very unlikely the biker would be able to get past all of them unless he slowly took them out in small groups which wouldn''t happen if they all had a chance to regroup.


    The biker, on the other hand, calmly remained in his place, well aware of the sergeant''s intentions. But even when he knew, he didn''t do anything. He simply stood in his spot, waiting for the cultivators to arrive outside.


    As the concentration outside increased, Zhou Han also woke up in the meantime. He also stood up to help once he was aware of his surroundings.


    "What was that?" Zhou Han asked.


    Knowing well to what he was referring to, Zhang Fei replied, "I don''t know. Maybe he''s just strong."


    "Without Qi?" Zhou Han worriedly asked, making sure he wasn''t mistaken. Unfortunately, he wasn''t.


    "Mhm," Zhang Fei replied as he and Zhou Han prepared for the battle.


    Zhou Han also brandished his weapon which was a curved katana. It was bluish in color and it was reflecting light that fell on it.


    "Another nice weapon," The biker calmly said before he looked around the room, "I wonder if your Captain has a nice weapon?"


    "You bastard! Don''t you dare take her name!" Zhou Han angrily said but Zhang Fei stopped him from making any rash decisions.


    "Oh, please. You''re not blaming me for her condition, are you? Or for the condition of your friends? Wait," The biker said as if he made a mistake, "They''re dead. Sorry."


    "Argh!" Zhou Han grunted in anger but he was still stopped by Zhang Fei.


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    "Haha," The biker chuckled at the reaction of Zhou Han before he added, "Well, it wasn''t really my fault."


    "Not your fault?!" Zhou Han yelled.


    "Exactly." The biker said before he asked, "Ask yourselves. Was it worth it to bring one bit*h to justice at the cost of your entire team?"


    While Zhou Han had no idea what the biker was saying, Zhang Fei understood perfectly well.


    "You just had to get on my nerves, didn''t you? If you didn''t find any evidence, the decent thing to do was to drop it. But you had to keep going, didn''t you? Even when you had no evidence, you had to keep on pushing, didn''t you?" The biker asked.


    "The only person we suspected was Wei Jun Ruan. Are you admitting you are him?" Zhang Fei asked. From the beginning, they hadn''t been able to make sure that Wei Jun Ruan was the biker.


    With the biker practically saying he was Wei Jun Ruan, nothing more needed to be said.


    "Haha," The biker once again chuckled before he said, "So you do have a brain. Very well, let me give you the satisfaction of your investigation."


    The biker took a step forward, startling the two men who readied themselves to attack.


    The biker chuckled once again and said, "Yes, as you suspected, I am Wei Jun Ruan. I killed the bit*h whose name I''ve already forgotten. I killed your teammates. I will kill you two so this information doesn''t get out. And I will be kind enough to kill your Captain so you can all be together in the afterlife. If there''s one."


    "You don''t have to," Zhang Fei said before he pointed at a camera above their heads, "Even if we die, your information should be spread throughout the CSF database by now."


    "Will it be now?" The biker asked, "Then don''t you think I would have thought of that?"


    "¡­"


    "Tell me, Sergeant. Why do you think there have been alarms blaring but no attempt of the outside contact yet? Isn''t it protocol, for all of the CSF, to respond to an emergency? Where are the reinforcements, Sergeant?" Upon hearing the biker''s questions, Zhang Fei realized.


    "The hacker¡­" He muttered which induced a laugh from the biker who said, "Bingo."


    "And now," The biker said before he waved his hand in the air and something appeared in his hand, "Let the killing begin."


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 Chapter 271 The final stage

    Zhang Fei and Zhou Han became extra cautious as a sword, a pitch black sword that was rough and chipped away from both sides.That sword didn''t look threatening in the least but the eerie sense coming off of the sword was enough to make them both uncomfortable.


    The biker grinned, the ugly scene so intense that even the battle hardened Zhang Fei was forced to turn his head away. Zhou Han was already swallowing the contents of his stomach that made their way to his mouth.


    Once they were free of sight, Zhang Fei turned to Zhou Han and said, "As soon as we begin, bolt for the infirmary."


    Zhou Han knew what that meant and while he cared for Rin as much as Zhang Fei did, he wasn''t comfortable with that plan so while he agreed to do as Zhang Fei asked, he had no intention of leaving at all.


    The biker smirked. He could clearly hear what they were planning but he wasn''t going to let them go. He needed to kill them, especially these two.


    The biker made the first move. He stepped forward, slashing his sword at Zhang Fei who effortlessly blocked the strike with his own sword and pushed back as he yelled, "NOW!"


    But, his order wasn''t properly relayed when Zhou Han took the connecting shot and struck the biker in his stomach seeing an opening.


    "What are you doing?!" Zhang Fei loudly asked and Zhou Han replied, "I''m not leaving you!"


    But, by the time he yelled that answer, his fist was almost in contact with the biker''s stomach but it didn''t connect because the next moment, the biker was clocking that strike with his hand in front of his stomach.


    Before Zhou Han could even figure out how the biker was so quick to react, the biker struck Zhou Han with the base of his sword hilt right in his forehead temple, making him disoriented, and then pushed him away. It would have been a great opportunity to kill him but¡­


    Clang!


    The biker swiftly blocked a heavy sword strike which was actually strong enough to put great pressure on his arms. As much as he would have wanted to kill Zhou Han just now, Zhou Han wasn''t alone and Zhang Fei''s timely intervention couldn''t allow the biker to finish the job.


    The biker managed to stop the strike but he was pushed back slightly and his arms were a little injured. Still, he couldn''t take off the bracelets around his wrists for some reason. He was counting on his companion but so far there had been no results.


    ''What are you doing, Li Wei?'' Wei Jun worriedly thought because he wasn''t so sure he could take on these guys without Qi. He jumped out of the room because when his restraints unlocked themselves, he thought he was free from all restrictions but from the looks of it, he wasn''t free of this one.


    Zhang Fei didn''t back down and began to strike down the biker. The biker, being better at swordplay, managed to keep himself on his feet even though the attacks he was forced to block sent shivers down his body.


    The strikes were strong, if not precise, and that was the only reason the biker was at defensive play so far. While the biker was good at technique, Zhang Fei, with Qi as his ally, was stronger and faster so the biker was at his mercy.


    The biker, finally backed into a corner, had no choice but to change tactics. He couldn''t just put a stop to this fight just because he couldn''t use his Qi at the moment so he decided to use Zhang Fei''s weakness.


    People.


    The biker locked the last strike, taking a little damage, and ran towards the door while Zhang Fei was preparing to charge at him again.


    Seeing him run, Zhang Fei also followed and attacked the biker. Unfortunately, although he was faster, the biker was too close to the door and he managed to break through the reinforced door even without Qi.


    As the biker jumped out, there was a crowd standing in front of the door, prepared to shoot down the biker but before they could, Zhang Fei shortly followed so they had to halt their attack.


    That was a mistake on their part because the biker didn''t hesitate in the least. He jumped at the nearest person and without caring about anything, swung his dull sword at that person.


    Unprepared, the person couldn''t dodge and could only raise his own weapon to block. Alas, the sword that seemed dull as hell was quite the contrary.


    Slice.


    In one swift slash, the person, along with his weapon, was cut in half from his chest, horrifying the rest.


    Yet, before they could pull themselves out of their trance, the biker continued to slash at people.


    "Fall back!" Zhang Fei yelled and jumped at the biker in an attempt to stop him but the biker wasn''t stopping killing them. He was killing the people in the corridor left and right without caring about their age and gender.


    Zhang Fei was, in the end, at a loss at the poor strategy they utilized to deal with the biker. But as much as he lamented his poor decisions, he had to stop the senseless killing somehow.


    Gritting his teeth, he jumped at the biker, shutting down the gory scene of the innocents being cut down, and just focused on the biker. He tried to use the opportunity to attack the biker but the biker was prepared for that moment. As soon as Zhang Fei was in range, the biker turned and threw something at Zhang Fei.


    "What the¡­" Zhang Fei said before¡­


    Boomm!!!


    An explosion clouded his vision, causing him to be distracted for just a moment but that moment spelled disaster for him. When the obstruction in his view disappeared, the biker was nowhere to be seen as well.


    Zhang Fei frantically looked around for the biker while there were still some people in the corridor, trying to escape but there was no sign of the biker.


    And then it hit him¡­


    Zhang Fei hurriedly turned and bolted back to the room where Zhou Han was left. As he arrived, he realized he was too late. The biker was already standing above a lifeless corpse and it belonged to none other than his comrade.


    "NO!" Zhang Fei yelled and charged at the biker but the biker didn''t budge from his spot.


    "Finally," Zhang Fei heard the biker mutter, and before he could even understand what was happening, something pierced his body and went through him all the way. To be exact, six things pierced his body and impaled him in midair, halting his charge.


    Zhang Fei slowly lowered his head to see his body impaled by something black. To be precise, six pitch-black whips, the familiar ones that were after him that day, piercing his vitals and slowly ending his life.


    And it wasn''t long before his soul left his body, only one word leaving his mouth, "Rin¡­"


    "Pathetic," The biker said before he pulled the whips out of Zhang Fei''s body and crackled his neck. He looked forward, a plethora of notifications in front of his eyes. Looking at those notifications, the biker smirked once again and said, "Finally."


    ~~


    Alarms blared and the entire facility was on lockdown. Emma, the head of the infirmary of the facility calmly sipped her tea and remained in her seat. There was a commotion outside earlier but at the moment, the entire facility was silent except for the alarm still sounding throughout the facility.


    She didn''t need to be told why it was so quiet now. The reason was clear and no matter what she did, there was no escaping from this.


    She turned to look at the girl who was brought to her a few days earlier. Her complexion was getting worse, paler, as time passed but her body didn''t seem to be in any sort of danger.


    Even her eyes and lips were turning paler over time. But that wasn''t the only strange thing. Even the blood of the girl was turning white and all the fluid that left her body had a whitish hue to it.


    "What is happening to you?" Emma asked herself, looking at the girl who she couldn''t understand in the least. She wanted to figure out this puzzle one last time before her life reached her final point but there was nothing that could be answered.


    Her questions remained unanswered.


    "She''s becoming even more special," Emma heard an ethereal voice enter her ears. She turned, slowly, as if her body was frozen and she could only move slowly like that, and saw an old man in a white suit, his presence ethereal just like his voice.


    "And my job is to set the stage," The old man said before he turned to Emma, "Your time has come as well, child. The reaper is coming."


    Emma could only remain silent to the benevolent voice of the old man before the old man disappeared before her eyes. As if he was never there, there was no one else in the room except for her and Rin.


    But that wasn''t so for long. The door to the room opened and a handsome man entered, wielding a pitch-black sword from hit to tip, and with a cold expression on his face, he made his way to Rin.


    While it looked like he was going to ignore Emma, it wasn''t quite so. Something pierced Emma''s heart but she didn''t look down to see what it was. She just closed her eyes and accepted her fate.


    As for the invader, he made his way to the unconscious Rin and raised his sword to slash her and kill her but before he could, his hand was grabbed by the unconscious girl on the table and the girl opened her eyes just at that moment.


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    Seeing her, the man could only say one word¡­


    "F*ck¡­"


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 Chapter 272 Veil of Death

    "Argh!" Wei Jun screamed as he broke through many walls and ended up outside. That one strike was enough to break everything inside of him.[Emergency]


    [Critical]


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    [Warning]


    The system was going bonkers at the level of damage he obtained. The Death Qi was healing him but his damage was faster than he could be healed. Even more than when he literally exploded in the encounter with Yan Rong.


    Still, he managed to stay alive. But the being he was up against, he knew he wouldn''t be able to fight it. Or at least fight and win.


    ''What the hell is that?'' Wei Jun asked as he removed the metal pipe from his stomach. It stung him a lot but Wei Jun had enough pain tolerance to not react much to it.


    Once Wei Jun was clear of it and his wounds healed greatly, he asked the system who replied instantly¡­


    [That, my dear host, is an angel]


    ''A what now?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [An angel]


    ''Ahan,'' Wei Jun''s reaction was rather stale which didn''t amuse the system as it was hoping it would. Wei Jun ignored that part and asked, ''Isn''t she supposed to be weaker now that I''ve killed her reasons to be strong?''


    Wei Jun''s level was supposed to go up, up by a lot once he killed Rin''s team and it did. Wei Jun experienced a level of growth unlike ever before but there was only one inconsistency in that plan and that was that Rin was also supposed to be weaker along with that progression yet she only became stronger. Stronger than he could even imagine.


    [It seems like an elaborate scheme, host]


    [My guess is that someone went through a lot to procure an angel]


    [But angels aren''t human beings]


    [They''re emotionless robots who only know one thing]


    ''Eradication of evil?'' Wei Jun guessed.


    [Wrong]


    [As the god says]


    ''There''s a god?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Where do you think you came from?]


    [Thin air?]


    [Anyway, someone procured an angel but an angel cannot be controlled by a human or anyone else]


    [Even me]


    [And I''m half angel]


    ''How are you half angel?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [My father was an angel]


    ''How did he become an angel and have emotions?''


    [Are you going to derail?]


    ''I''m curious,'' Wei Jun replied.


    [He was turned into one]


    ''By who?''


    [Someone stronger than your imagination]


    It simply meant ''drop the topic'' which Wei Jun wisely did and asked, ''Then what''s the story with her?''


    [My guess is someone captured an angel but they couldn''t control it]


    [So they limited it]


    ''How can someone do that?''


    [By creating vessels that act as limiters]


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    ''That''s one hell of a coincidence.''


    [Which means it isn''t]


    [When you killed five of them at once, too much of her power returned]


    [She ceased to be a human]


    [But she wasn''t fully an angel]


    [But thanks to you]


    [The last of her limiters are gone]


    [And now you have a full-fledged angel]


    ''Yay¡­'' Wei Jun sarcastically said.


    ''How do I deal with her?''


    [Defeat her]


    [Her body is still human]


    ''You said she was originally an angel.'' Wei Jun pointed out.


    [she had emotions]


    [The essence of the angel was merged with a human]


    [Possibly a human child]


    ''What of the angel''s body?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Angels don''t have a body]


    [They''re made of light]


    [She''s a special case]


    [Unlike me who was half angel and half human]


    [She''s full angel and full human]


    ''That doesn''t make sense.''


    [Of course it does]


    Wei Jun fully healed by the end of the conversation. There was only one problem. He was fully out of Qi.


    [You have consumed a Qi replenishment pill]


    [Qi has been fully restored]


    Wei Jun crackled his neck just in time for the building to blow up and something slowly floated over to him. A woman, paler than the word itself and captivating to the point one would forget to breathe.


    Somehow white clothes had appeared on her body and they were glowing along with her body, making her all the more beautiful than she already was.


    Alas, there was no one around to appreciate that view. All that was left in the facility was a string of corpses. Wei Jun made sure to kill everyone.


    The only reason no one from the outside has made was because the facility was on lockdown. No one could go outside and no one could come in. The barrier around the facility was strong enough to bear several Qi grandmasters'' attacks.


    Wei Jun was relieved that there would be no disruptions form the outside but that also meant that he couldn''t go outside.


    He was stuck there and nothing was there to serve as a backup or save him from the human angel slowly floating towards him.


    Her eyes were white so Wei Jun couldn''t differentiate between her pupils and eye whites. Still, he could tell she was looking at him but unlike one would expect, as the system said, there was not a speck of emotion in those eyes.


    ''If she''s not feeling emotions and she''s only programmed to do one thing, which is follow god''s will. Then what would she be programmed to do right now?''


    [Eradicate evil?]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun remained silent because that was a bullsh*t answer.


    [Fine]


    [She''s attracted to the Death Qi inside of you]


    [She''s holy]


    [While you''re dark]


    [What do you think is going to happen?]


    ''One of us will cease to exist.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [Precisely]


    [So]


    [Good luck, host]


    ''Haa¡­''


    Wei Jun sighed and extended his palm. The pitch black and dull-looking sword that he lost once he was shot through many walls came to his hands by itself.


    Wei Jun grabbed it and the moment he did, the Death Qi inside of him began to react and flowed towards his left hand with which he was grabbing the sword.


    The Death Qi, from his hand, began to flow into the sword and from the sword, it began to flow back into him. After that, that Qi returned to his core and a cycle was established that seemed like it would go infinitely.


    However, that was not so.


    Wei Jun felt refreshed, powerful, adrenaline that went beyond his wildest imagination and most of all, the veil of death around him.


    His body was covered in some sort of ethereal black fog that was established thanks to his Death Qi.


    Seeing the sword in his hand, Rin looked at Wei Jun before she also extended her hand. Nothing flew to her but instead, a shiny sword appeared in her hands.


    From one look, Wei Jun could tell it wasn''t a sword made of some material but instead, it was a sword made of light. Its patterns were straight but charming. They were pulling attention to them by just being displayed.


    Yet, it wasn''t just a display piece. It was as threatening as it was beautiful. The feeling the sword gave was anything unlike Wei Jun had ever witnessed.


    [That sword is a part of an angel]


    [It''s incredibly harmful to you]


    ''Thanks for telling me that.''


    Wei Jun replied, his mood a little sour because even he could feel that he wouldn''t be able to do well against that sword.


    [Don''t worry]


    [It wouldn''t harm you like that]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun was confused so he asked.


    [Don''t you see the veil of Death around you?]


    ''That''s a cool name,'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but say.


    [That would block all the angelic effects for you]


    [Unfortunately, it wouldn''t protect you from cutting in half so good luck with that]


    ''Well, at least it''s something.'' Wei Jun braced himself for the worst and prepared to face off with an angel.


    But¡­


    Whoop!


    Rin disappeared in front of him with a flash of light and the next moment, that flash appeared just next to him and before he could react to that speed, he was once again struck with so much power that he was thrown to the other side of the building.


    Fortunately, now that he had the ''veil of Death'' around him, this time he was safe from the additional damage and only incurred the damage from the hit and bashing though a lot of walls.


    [HP -52]


    It was still too much.


    But not enough for him to use his Qi to heal himself which saved him his Qi.


    Wei Jun stood up and prepared himself once again.


    Another flash of light beside him and Wei Jun was prepared for that moment. The moment she appeared, Wei Jun swung his sword but she disappeared in flash of light once again and this time, Wei Jun was struck one again, only on his back.


    Bouncing off the ground like a rock on a lake''s surface, Wei Jun finally came to a stop some distance away. The damage this time was not that great but it was still enough to put him to the lower levels of his health.


    [A health pill has been consumed]


    [Health has been fully restored]


    "You''re strong, aren''t you?" Wei Jun said before he prepared himself once again and said, "Well, you''re not the only one whose gotten strong."


    [Are you sure?]


    ''Do it.''


    [Once again]


    [Good luck]

 Chapter 273 Veil of Death (1)

    Wei Jun moved, as fast as he could, while he struggled against the angelic Rin who was as monstrous as she was beautiful.Wei Jun knew for sure that he wouldn''t be able to fight properly against her with her constant teleporting.


    [It''s called ''Lightspeed'']


    ''Cool name and cool effect. Just one thing¡­''


    It was pointed at Wei Jun. Wei Jun couldn''t predict where she would show up next. She didn''t have a set pattern as well.


    [You wouldn''t be able to predict anything]


    ''Then what should I do?''


    [Feel her]


    ''The moment she stops and let me, sure.''


    [Not feel her, feel her]


    [Feel her]


    [Light always leaves a trace]


    [And it always creates one as well]


    [You just have to be feats enough to reach that point before she completely materializes]


    Wei Jun stopped. He looked around the scene. The system was right. Whenever Rin would teleport, the spot where she would be would be left with a faint scorch. The same went with the place where she would materialize.


    ''But that doesn''t help.''


    [And that''s not what I''m telling you to focus]


    [It''s light]


    [Your senses would pick it up the moment she begins to light up]


    ''What?''


    [You feel light on your body even when your eyes are turned away] S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Do the same]


    [Feel it with your body]


    [Just at a very low level and make it hella fast]


    ''Thanks for making it sound so damn complicated.''


    [You have to utilize your senses]


    [It''s quite easy once you get the hand of it]


    Wei Jun didn''t agree or disagree with the system because he was, for the tenth time, struck by Rin and thrown away. The damage this time was way less because Wei Jun was properly utilizing his Qi and thanks to the Qi veil, he was safe from Rin''s angelic effects.


    And the amount of Qi used was also very low so Wei Jun was doing well in that department. The only problem was not being able to fight back.


    Wei Jun couldn''t extend this fight for a long time because the barrier around the facility was being kept up forcefully. While it was preventing the outsiders from entering, it wasn''t good news as well.


    Li Wei was constantly keeping it up. The longer it was, the stronger the chances of her being discovered. If she was discovered, they would both be out of the game because saving Li Wei would be impossible with her in the custody of the CSF and he doubted Li Wei was strong enough to not spill anything.


    Wei Jun had to deal with this matter here and now. Without taking too much time as well because that spelled trouble for Wei Jun and trouble was one thing Wei Jun hoped to avoid at all costs.


    Wei Jun finally stopped. He took a deep breath and followed Rin''s movements with his senses.


    [What are you doing?]


    ''Trying to sense her!''


    [What do you think this is?]


    [A movie?]


    [There''s no way you''d learn such an advanced technique without zero training]


    ''THEN WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST YOU FU*KER!!!''


    [The answer is already around you]


    [Figure it out]


    Wei Jun wanted to hit the system if he could because the cryptic answers were only making him mad if they were doing anything at all.


    Wei Jun decided to ignore that and focused on sensing her movements again. He, however, didn''t make any progress and he was steadily losing Qi.


    His Qi was now halfway down and it was still gradually falling albeit very slowly.


    ''Huh?'' Wei Jun suddenly stopped. That was a mistake as he was once again hit by Rin but he was too deep into his epiphany to care. He was more focused on the fact that his Qi consumption was too low.


    ''All the other skills suck Qi like vacuum pump yet this skill is barely using any¡­''


    Either it was a great skill, or¡­


    [You''re using it wrong]


    Wei Jun didn''t need to be told anything more. He hurriedly tapped into his sword and began to feel the source of the veil around him. The veil of death wasn''t a registered skill and for some reason, it only worked with the sword.


    Wei Jun, however, didn''t focus on any of that. What he focused on was to spread the radius of the veil. While it was just around his body, he wanted to spread it around him, as much as he could.


    After all, in the veil of death, the angelic skills of Rin had no effect.


    That hopefully also applied to the teleportation effect as well.


    ''But that doesn''t stop her from running away.''


    Wei Jun was worried that Rin wouldn''t enter his veil once he put it up and might even run away. That would be another headache Wei Jun wasn''t willing to deal with. So to deal with that, he needed Rin to come close to him.


    The only problem was that Rin would teleport away every time she''d hit him.


    [Sounds risky]


    ''You think?''


    Wei Jun sighed and stood in his place, without even moving an inch. He remained in his place and just waited for Rin to come near him.


    ''Let''s see how you get away now, bit*h.''


    ~~


    While Wei Jun was fighting with an angelic beauty, the CSF on the outside was also panicking.


    Why?


    "Is Commander Han not waking up?" An old man asked in an overbearing voice from two middle-aged men who were down on their knees and their heads down.


    "No, master," One of the two replied, "so far, there''s no report on his condition."


    "What is his condition?" A man standing next to the old man like a pole asked.


    "He''s¡­ missing both of his legs and his hands were crushed. And for the injuries on his body¡­ they were simply¡­ horrifying," The man who was replying couldn''t even find the right words to answer that question.


    "How certain are you that it was him?" The old man asked, his voice very, very low.


    "Unfortunately, master¡­" The middle-aged man didn''t know how to reply so he looked at the one beside him for confirmation. He nodded and said, "Master, as of this moment, we aren''t certain."


    "All the crew that went with him is dead. Each and every one of them. Even the ones on the enemy side were found dead." The first man reported.


    "What were they doing on the site?" The man standing next to the old man asked.


    "We have no idea. However, we found traces of a material we''ve never seen before," The middle-aged man replied and pulled something out of his pocket.


    It was an evidence bag and a yellowish stone could be seen through it.


    The old man extended his hand and the bag began to float over to him. As the old man grabbed the bag and pulled the stone out of it, he looked at the middle-aged man and asked, "How much of it was there?"


    "I''d say there was enough to fill one cart," The middle-aged man replied.


    "Collect it all. We''ll need it," The old man replied.


    "It''s already been done, master," The middle-aged man replied before he asked, "May I ask what that is, master?"


    "It''s golden jade," The old man replied, "A mineral so old and so rare that no one has ever seen it for centuries. Not in such raw form at least."


    "What it is used for, however, I am unaware of," The old man added.


    The middle-aged men nodded but remained quiet for further instructions or any other question the old man might have.


    "Replace Han. He''s not needed anymore. It would take enormous resources to bring him back to full health. It would be better to find someone else," The old man ruthlessly said, not caring about his subordinate in the least.


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    "Also, are there any traces of the demon?" The old man asked, moving back to the original topic.


    "Like I said, master, we cannot be certain about it because no one has survived and the one who did is not awake. But we have to assume it was him because, who other than him, could do such a thing?" The middle-aged man said.


    "I can name several, young man," The old man said.


    The middle-aged man thought that the old man was offended because he wasn''t concluded in such a powerful list so he apologized, "It was common sense not mentioning you, master."


    "I''m not talking about myself," The old man replied.


    "What is Zhu Jian doing these days?" The old man asked, without waiting for the two middle-aged men to say anything.


    "The sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect?" The middle-aged man asked.


    "Is that what it''s called these days?" The old man asked before he added, "Sure, him. The name of his sect changes every few decades."


    "He''s as arrogant as always," The other middle-aged man, who had said only one thing so far, replied.


    "I see you still hate him," The old man remarked before he added, "Well, he has a right to be arrogant."


    No one knew what that meant and no one dared to ask. The old man remained silent for a while before he asked, "Tell me about this biker I keep hearing about."


    "Actually, master," The middle-aged man awkwardly replied, "We have a bit of a situation about that."


    "What situation?" The old man asked, intrigued as he leaned forward for the first time. He looked at both men, his eyes shining yellow as he asked, "I smell something fun."

 Chapter 274 Growth

    I feel like I haven''t displayed Wei Jun''s progress for quite some time so I will take this chapter to show that before I move on to the finale with Rin.It might be a little confusing but keep up with it. I have tried to explain everything as best as I could.


    That''s it. Enjoy!


    ~~


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 117


    Class: Invader


    HP: 126\\126


    QP: 1900\\1900 S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Death Qi: 431\\431


    Cultivation realm: Qi manifestation realm]


    [Strength: 189]


    [Agility: 251]


    [Stamina: 259]


    [Defense: 255]


    [Qi: 260]


    [Charm: 71]


    [Luck: 49]


    Wei Jun looked at the current stats he had before Rin could find him. Once he killed Tao Min, his level had increased drastically and many of his stats were unlocked. The majority of the stat increase was thanks to his yang qi assimilation and he was glad he had done so before he came today.


    However, that stat increase wasn''t the star of his yang Qi assimilation. It was this¡­


    [Your Qi cultivation grade has increased by one level]


    [Wenyuan cultivation technique (B¨¤A)]


    [Your affinity with Yang Qi has increased by a significant margin]


    [You now have better control over your Qi]


    [Yang Qi replenishment rate +50%]


    [Error]


    [Replenishment not possible]


    [Would you like to change the reward?]


    ''No.'' Wei Jun denied. It was more beneficial to have a faster replenishment rate when he would finally be able to cultivate naturally. Now that there was a chance, although a very long one, to increase the rank of his cultivation technique to divine, he wasn''t going to give it up for anything.


    [That was a good choice, host]


    [To a cultivator, faster replenishment of Qi is more important than treasures to increase the said Qi]


    Wei Jun nodded and moved to the next notification.


    [Your Qi has increased by a great margin]


    [Qi +300]


    That was the end of benefits but it was more than enough. The benefits of the yang Qi cultivation that he barely completed before the deadline were much better than anything else. He couldn''t increase his Qi anymore, which was a bummer, but almost all of his physical stats after bearing the pain from Qi regeneration increased to his current limits.


    Still, this wasn''t enough to kill Rin. Rin was stronger than that and she was a better cultivator as well. It would be a challenge to defeat her so he devised another plan to get rid of her.


    ''Get rid of the reasons keeping her strong.''


    ~~


    [You have killed Jang Long]


    [Your level has increased by 10]


    [You have killed Sun Wang]


    [Your level has increased by 10]


    [You have killed Guo Yu]


    [Your level has increased by 10]


    [You have killed Cao Yu]


    [Your level has increased by 10]


    [You have killed Sho Xiang]


    [Your level has increased by 10]


    [You have killed Zhou Han]


    [Your level has increased by 10]


    [You have killed Zhang Fei]


    [Your level has increased by 10]


    [Strength +34]


    [Agility +51]


    [Stamina +45]


    [Defense +30]


    [Qi +107]


    [Your Qi has passed the 300 threshold]


    [Qi +300]


    [You have entered the realm of ''Qi master'']


    [All related skills would be enhanced by one level]


    [All physical stats +10]


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 187


    Class: Invader


    HP: 196\\196


    QP: 2735\\2735


    Death Qi: 431\\431


    Cultivation realm: Qi master]


    [Strength: 233]


    [Agility: 312]


    [Stamina: 314]


    [Defense: 295]


    [Qi: 367]


    [Charm: 71]


    [Luck: 49]


    Killing the seven men raised Wei Jun''s level drastically but it didn''t benefit him stat-wise. His stat limit, with his new level increase, was now 400. However, other than his Qi, all the rest of his stats were either lower than 300 or just barely above 300.


    Only his Qi had increased and that was counting after killing hundreds of cultivators in the facility along with the seven main characters of Rin''s plot.


    The good news was that he was nearing another 200-level markup. The reward of the first time reaching level 100 was a class which, for some reason, was not accessible at the moment.


    Wei Jun didn''t know the reason behind it and the system didn''t know anything as well. However, that wasn''t what he was worried about at the moment. What he was really worried about was the woman who was after him.


    No matter how hard he tried, and no matter how much his strength had increased, he was still nowhere near Rin''s level. His stat increase was massive and he had given it quite some time for them to settle down so he could get used to them.


    He was in complete control of his body and the superhuman strength along with it. Yet, even with the skills activated, he couldn''t even touch Rin, let alone defeat her.


    Even an increase in cultivation rank couldn''t help him. He was now very strong and in the outside world, he would be considered a master as long as he entered the realm of a ''Qi master''.


    However, even that didn''t matter in front of an angel. The only good news was that he had a lot of Qi to burn so he wasn''t injured. Also, there was one more thing he still had in his inventory which could speed up his healing to grant him better chances at being reckless but he held off on it for now.


    He didn''t know how things would pan out. The world''s will still hadn''t found him because according to the system, if it had, Wei Jun would have known.


    With that out of the way, his only option was the veil of death skill but so far, Wei Jun hadn''t made any progress in that part as well. The simple coating of death Qi around him was almost as if it was instinctual. Like activating a skill from the system, it would appear around him if he just thought about it.


    However, expanding it from his body was a different story. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn''t do it and it wasn''t like Rin was waiting for him to make any progress in that regard.


    It was a luxury he at least had enough senses to avoid any critical strike and focus a little bit of his attention on expanding the smog of death around him but nothing was helping.


    ''A little help would be nice,'' Wei Jun said to the system but the system''s reply was almost as if it shrugged.


    [How would I know?]


    ''What?!''


    ''You proposed the strategy, you son of a bit*h!''


    [Because my battle sense is amazing]


    [I came up with the strategy on the spot]


    Wei Jun froze for one second. The system analyzed both powers and came up with a strategy after noticing the weaknesses and strengths of both of the powers. Enjoy more content from empire


    While it was quite amazing, it didn''t help Wei Jun in the least. He admired how the system came up with it, but he didn''t have anything to use it practically.


    In other words, it was just a theory that couldn''t be put into practice without a long amount of time put into it. However, Wei Jun didn''t have that. Wei Jun had anything but the luxury of time and practice. Whatever he had to do, he had to do on the spot and he had to do it fast because he was running out of airbags on this reckless drive.


    ''If only somehow I could control this power¡­'' Wei Jun thought for a moment. He couldn''t help but click his tongue. While he had the system for guidance in the matters of cultivation, he had zero pointers in the matter of Death Qi.


    He had to always experiment on his own and sometimes, things wouldn''t pan out the way he''d imagined. Whatever the reason was, he was stuck with this power that was even somewhat holding him back.


    ''Wait a minute,'' Wei Jun stopped once again as he had another epiphany. He didn''t learn from his previous mistake because¡­


    Bang!


    He was flung in the air and crashed into the barrier around the facility.


    [Warning]


    [Damage at critical]


    [Health is below 7%]


    [Emergency measures will be carried out upon the consumption of Qi]


    [Qi -500]


    [HP +31]


    It was enough to get him out of the critical. However, Wei Jun wasn''t out of the danger yet. He was still very much injured and it was to the point that he couldn''t move properly without feeling it down to his last bone.


    He was not out of the woods as well because the healing pill was still on cooldown and he couldn''t consume another for another five minutes and that was one of Wei Jun''s strongest backups.


    Anyone in his condition would have been worried about making it out of the situation alive. All the more when the assailant of said injuries was slowly stepping closer to him.


    Still, the grin on his face was the biggest as ever. While he was in pain, he was also celebrating his victory. He hadn''t won yet, but he was very, very close.


    Because he was wrong. It wasn''t that he didn''t have a guideline. He did have one. He just couldn''t make sense of it until now.


    The veil of death was the same as the death whips that came out of his hands. Both of them weren''t system skills yet he instinctively knew how to use them.


    The only difference was that he could use death whips better than the other one. And the only reason for that only because he did as his brother said.


    Let go.


    Then why not just do the same with the veil of death as well?


    Rin stopped in front of him, looking at him without a speck of emotion on her face. She raised the sword in her hand and without any hesitation, she brought it down.


    Shaa!!!


    Something passed Rin and at the same time, her angel blade dissolved into nothingness.


    Grab!


    Wei Jun grabbed the hand that was close to his chest because that was the same hand with which she was holding the light blade.


    "I got you now, you slippery bit*h."

 Chapter 275 Rin

    Crack!Wei Jun''s knuckles crackled as he punched Rin with all his might. But he seemed to have underestimated Rin''s power which was why he was also injured in the process.


    The good news was that Rin also took significant damage. Wei Jun made sure to not let Rin go with his other hand because if Rin escaped the extended veil of death, it would spell trouble for him so he was very careful about that even amidst a world of pain from his fingers shattering.


    Rin, who was injured for the first time, didn''t show any emotion at all and simply ignored the damage that was done to her. She also prepared a fist and struck Wei Jun in the middle of his stomach.


    [Qi -200]


    Wei Jun used 200 points of yang Qi to protect the point of impact. It was very tiring to use all of the skills at once. The extended Veil of Death, the usage of both types of Qi, and then also making sure he would spend the least amount of Qi on blocking Rin''s attack at a pinpoint.


    None of that was easy and it was taking a great amount of Wei Jun''s concentration. But that was currently the only way available to him. Even if it put a strain on his mind, resting temporarily later was always better than resting forever.


    Wei Jun thanked his lucky stars that even though the Qi barrier cracked, Wei Jun didn''t receive any harm. And as long as he used yang Qi to only protect himself, he had plenty of it. If he had Death Qi as much as he had Yang Qi, he wouldn''t have even bothered with the Yang Qi but since he didn''t, he had to make do with what he had.


    With no other choice but to be in close combat, Wei Jun pulled out a gun and shot Rin in the face but the bullets bounced off of her face like on a metal''s surface.


    Wei Jun unequipped the gun and equipped the sword he obtained when he killed Tao Min.


    [Sword of Devastation]


    [Tier: Unknown]


    [Description: A sword made of death¡­???...???....???]


    [Effect(s):


    Makes the flow of Death more refined


    Negates Qi lower than the user''s level


    ???


    ???


    ???]


    [Bound to the user]


    While the sword didn''t have any effect on his stats, it gave him something much better. It was thanks to this sword that he was able to defeat Zhang Fei so easily. His Qi barrier was useless against the sword and it was penetrated like there was nothing.


    But for the sword to do that, he needed to have higher Qi than his opponent and there weren''t many of them. Also, it didn''t seem to work on Rin. Either her Qi was stronger and greater in amount, or the power of the sword didn''t work on holy Qi.


    Wei Jun had a feeling it was the latter but he couldn''t say for sure.


    The sword struck Rin on her skin and while it didn''t go too deep, it still left a wound. It was the first would Wei Jun had left on her that at least showed on the outside.


    Wei Jun once again raised his sword but Rin pulled her hand, the one Wei Jun was holding, back, and along with that, she also pulled Wei Jun, disrupting his flow of an attack.


    Wei Jun pulled himself as well, trying to keep her off of her feet as well but she didn''t move as well as Wei Jun did when he was pulled.


    Rin let the flow take her and she attacked Wei Jun with her fist. Wei Jun once again used Qi to block her attack but¡­


    [Qi -200]


    [HP -11]


    Wei Jun took damage this time. It wasn''t much, but it was still something. It meant that there was more to Rin''s power and Wei Jun needed to match that output.


    Wei Jun hurriedly threw some toxic glans of the venomous bumblebee on the ground and it began to release the toxic gas into the air. Wei Jun was protected from the mist due to his death Qi which he had already tested once before, but the same couldn''t be said for Rin.


    Rin''s skin crumbled like she was made of clay and the cracks in her skin began to spread. Her expression was as neutral as before but Wei Jun could tell that if she could feel pain, she would be feeling a lot of it at the moment.


    Wei Jun hurriedly slashed his sword again and this time, his sword connected with Rin.


    Rin raised her hand to once again block the attack but with her dress melted due to the venomous mist and her flesh also cracked, she wasn''t as invulnerable as before.


    [HP -31]


    However, Wei Jun was surprised when he took damage, more than he ever had.


    [Host!]


    [You have to let go of her]


    Wei Jun didn''t think for one more second and let go of Rin. As soon as he did, something left Rin''s hand but it was snuffed as soon as it entered the veil of Death.


    ''What the hell was that?'' Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Just like her angelic powers don''t hurt what''s inside your body]


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    [Death Qi on the outside wouldn''t harm the power inside her as well]


    [She made it enter your body through your contact]


    ''Then I can''t touch her.''


    Wei Jun hurriedly moved again, keeping Rin in the veil of death. She was almost out of it but Wei Jun moved to make sure she wasn''t again.


    Wei Jun was as fast as Rin so he had to run using all his speed. Even with the immense buff of the Qi skills, his speed wasn''t enough to match Rin''s.


    Wei Jun closed the distance and swung the sword once again which made contact but it didn''t make contact with her body but something hard.


    A sword appeared in Rin''s hand out of nowhere. Wei Jun didn''t know how she got it but he had one guess if he had to.


    [A quest reward]


    ''This fu*king¡­.''


    Wei Jun couldn''t even curse properly because he was also relying on a system. Still, Wei Jun didn''t back down. If it came down to technique, Wei Jun was far more superior than anyone.


    Wei Jun displayed amazing techniques in the sword fight and each and every strike of his was deadly.


    Wei Jun slashed and then stabbed, his motion swift, not giving Rin a lot of time to retaliate. Wei Jun was obviously superior when it came to techniques. However, when it came to power, Rin was far more stronger.


    Wei Jun''s arms would go numb from blocking Rin''s attacks whenever she could somehow make one in. Wei Jun was having a hard time because of that but he was still keeping it up. While Rin attacked, Wei Jun did his best to avoid and if he couldn''t, he''d block her attacks.


    It was difficult for Wei Jun but he was making do given the unfair conditions. Rin was accumulating injuries, and her naked body was almost fully riddled with scars.


    Wei Jun tried his best to get one attack to land on her vital organs but even trying his best wasn''t enough. Rin was just too fast.


    Wei Jun had no other choice but to turn to the system once again because he was also running out of time on his skills.


    [Blood panther''s essence]


    [Temporary raises attack speed, speed, and attack force by 50%]


    [Duration: 10 minutes]


    [Cost: 100,000]


    It was very expensive but Wei Jun didn''t have any other choice. Money was something he could get again but at the moment, he needed to spend it. After all, money was useless if he was dead.


    The system had made it clear that if he died at the hands of Rin, or faster than his death Qi could repair him, he would die and Wei Jun wasn''t very keen on knowing what would happen once he did.


    Wei Jun stepped forward and hit Rin as hard as he could. His agility had increased and matched Rin''s to some extent and his attacks were also faster and sharper than before.


    Wei Jun struck her once more and this time, she was finally in the same situation as him. However, Wei Jun was definitely doing better than before.


    Wei Jun curved his sword and once again delivered a strong attack that Rin couldn''t block. Wei Jun pulled a dagger out of his inventory and threw it at her.


    Rin was able to block that strike but that allowed Wei Jun to pierce her stomach with his sword. With how injured she was, her holy Qi barrier cracked under the attack and the sword managed to pierce her body.


    Rin stopped and Wei Jun stopped as well. Just as he did, the veil of death around him disappeared as well. However, just as he was about to celebrate his victory¡­


    [Host!]


    [Get away!]


    Wei Jun was confused but he didn''t diddle. He pulled the sword out of her and jumped back and as soon as he did, a shockwave left Rin''s body and swept everything away.


    It was like a wave of explosion that was shaped like a dome. It pushed not only Wei but everything in the vicinity away.


    [Critical]


    [Critical]


    [HP below 3%]


    [Error]


    [Error]


    [The system is unable to repair the host through emergency repair]


    Wei Jun, before he could even think about healing himself, couldn''t help but look at the spectacle before him.


    Rin was slowly walking towards him, her steps sending tremors throughout the area, her figure draped in some sort of white light like Wei Jun''s veil of death.


    [Host...]


    [You''re fu*ked]

 Chapter 276 Find them (Fixed)

    "Why isn''t this barrier down?!" A CSF official yelled as he approached a tech member of the team."If the barrier could be taken down so easily, then there would have been no point of a barrier." A woman calmly replied while she stood beside a man who was busy trying to disable the barrier on a computer.


    "For our enemies, not for us," The man argued.


    "In this instance, we''re the enemies," The woman countered which shut up the man because he had no comeback for it.


    "What''s the status?" The woman asked the man who was on the computer.


    "The barrier was designed to bear the attacks of a Qi demon realm martial artist. With our current firepower on hand, we cannot bring it down. From the outside, it is all the more possible." The tech guy explained.


    "So it is only possible to be taken down for the inside," The woman replied, a little down by the fact that they were stuck.


    "If it was activated from the inside, then yeah, we wouldn''t have been able to take it down from the outside." The tech guy said to the woman''s remark who hurriedly asked, "Then you''re saying it wasn''t erected from the inside but the outside?"


    "Yes," The tech guy replied before he added, "However, whoever did it is very good. I''m trying to pinpoint the location of the person but I haven''t been able to specify it out."


    "The hacker," The woman replied. Among the allies of the biker, one was assumed to be a hacker who didn''t operate behind his back, assisting him in various acts of terrorism. The hacker was the reason the biker had been able to get away with many crimes.


    And the biggest mishap in the history of the Huanan empire was the theft of the criminal and classified records of all types of law enforcement agencies of the empire.


    If they could find the hacker, just the hacker, they could cut the power of the biker in half because if they had someone of such skillset on their side, they would be able to reach new heights. Discover stories at empire


    "Okay, now I need you to find her no matter what." The woman leaned in and said into the tech''s ear with intimidation and authority dripping in her voice. The tech guy was obviously scared and started to move his hands faster but the hacker on the other hand was too good for him alone so he said, "I might need backup."


    "Everyone! Drop whatever you''re doing and assist this guy!" The woman loudly announced. The CSF official who was with her wasn''t happy with that announcement and said, displeasure obvious in his tone, "We need to break down that barrier."


    "And the only way to do that is to find the hacker who''s keeping it up." The woman said before he once again rushed the tech guy who began to look for the unknown hacker with the help of his friends.


    ~~


    "Sh*t!" Li Wei loudly exclaimed as she moved her fingers faster to type faster but it didn''t help at all because she was multitasking too many jobs at once.


    "What?" Yan Rong asked as she saw Li Wei in trouble.


    "Those buddies of yours just employed all their attention on me. Whoever this Chan Jiayi is, she''s not making my life any easier here." Li Wei cursed the one leading the mission a lot.


    "I know her. She''s good." Yan Rong replied.


    "And a real bit&h." Li Wei cursed again.


    "And a real bit&h." Yan Rong readily agreed before she asked, "But like how close are they to getting to you?"


    "Ten minutes, tops." Li Wei replied which wasn''t good for both of them.


    "Then we need to get you out of here." Yan Rong replied.


    "Without me, the barrier wouldn''t last for five minutes. I need to replenish it constantly every five minutes or it will go down." Li Wei explained her reason.


    "So that means fifteen minutes," Li Wei said.


    "No. We haven''t received the boss''s signal yet," Li Wei replied.


    "Doesn''t matter." Yan Yong was outright confused, "My orders were to make sure you''re out."


    "You''re seriously going to choose me over him?!" Li Wei yelled.


    "I. Have. My. Orders." Yan Rong said, stressing on each word which wasn''t a good news for Li Wei. There was no way she was going to leave her here and if she didn''t go, Li Wei didn''t doubt for one second that Yan Rong would use the hard way.


    "Look, I need to try. Okay? Please, at least give me twenty minutes," Li Wei said.


    "Fifteen minutes. That''s five minutes more than the deadline. And then we''re gone." Yan Rong threateningly said before she straightened her back and said, "I will buy you those five minutes."


    She picked up the mask lying near Li Wei and wore it on her face. Her facial features and her hair color changed which made her unrecognizable. She looked at Li Wei and said, "Make sure you''re done by then."


    ~~


    "Spread out. Find the hacker. I need him or her alive. Treat him or her with respect. Break a few bones if necessary. But make sure to do it very~~~ respectfully." Chan Jaiyi said as she stepped into the building close to the CSF building. It was an abandoned building close enough to the CSF facility so it was a perfect spot for such an operation. The only problem was that there were more than twelve buildings in the radius and searching each and every building wasn''t something they could afford to do unless they were very, very sure.


    And now that they were, it was capture time.


    "Argh!" Chan Jaiyi heard a grunt as she saw one of her men down on the ground. The assailant didn''t seem to have used Qi but the girl, the assailant, she didn''t seem very girly either.


    If anything, she wouldn''t even need Qi to defeat her enemies. The only problem was that she couldn''t use Qi.


    "Want to hide who you are?" Chan Jaiyi asked. Qi left a trace and if the girl were to use it, it would leave a trace to her which she could pick up as long as it wasn''t faded from the base which would be very easy for Chan Jaiyi.


    "Which also means that I know you, don''t I? But I don''t forget faces and I''m pretty sure a pretty face like you wouldn''t have been on my forget list either." Yang Jaiyi playfully said as a pale blue colored aura enveloped her.


    Yan Rong, on the other hand, remained nonchalant as ever.


    "Ha!" Chan Jaiyi yelled as she rushed in to attack but Yan Rong simply stepped to the side and kicked her opponent with her foot, disrupting her flow. Jaiyi pulled herself and swung her leg which connected with Yan Rong but she managed to block it with her bare hands. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What the¡­" Jaiyi couldn''t help but be confused as Yan Rong spoke, "You are nothing but a bit&h."


    She put her other hand on Jaiyi''s thigh and pushed her around, ramming her into the wall which Jaiyi wasn''t prepared for. She never expected someone without Qi to overpower her which was quite frankly a humiliation.


    However, while she was busy trying to pick herself up, Yan Rong pulled out a gun and began to shoot the astounded CSF officers without mercy.


    Before Jaiyi could even pull herself up, all of them were dead. But just because they were dead, it didn''t mean all troubles were over.


    If they were here, the backup would be following shortly and there wouldn''t be just ten among them. They would be in hundreds and there was no way Yan Rong would be able to hold them off all by herself so she readied herself to kill just these and then escape with Li Wei.


    "You bit&h!" Jaiyi was pissed off, justifiably so, so she threw all caution to the wind and attacked Yan Rong with her Qi fully armed but Yan Rong simply used her brain and threw a grenade on the ground. The grenade blew up, clouding Jaiyi''s vision which was she failed to notice something heading over her face.


    It was a sword and when it struck her, she felt like a shockwave passed through her body.


    She coughed up blood and looked up at the sword. She had no idea where Yan Rong got it from but she knew one thing for sure. That shiny blue sword wasn''t ordinary given her organs were screaming in pain.


    "He did get me a better sword." Yan Rong said before she swung the sword at Jaiyi. The sword, which didn''t break past Jaiyi''s barrier, somehow passed the shockwave through it, hurting Chan Jaiyi anyway.


    "Ahhh!!!" Jaiyi screamed in pain as she tried to stand up but the pain front the tremors of the blue sword was something else compared to the usual pain.


    It was much more worse and it wasn''t long before she passed out. She didn''t even need the third shot. Yan Rong sighed but she tensed up once again as she heard sirens in the distance. She ran over to Li Wei who protested quite a bit but she picked her up like she weighed nothing and pressed a red button while feeling from the scene.


    Shortly after she was out and the CSF was in, they found the equipment the hacker was using but there was another gift lying around.


    "Oh¡­ shi---"


    Boom!!!

 Chapter 277 You?

    I made a terrible mistake in the last chapter and I''m still trying to fix it. It''s about Li Wei and Yan Rong running from the CSF, trying to keep up the barrier. A problem occurred but now, for some reason, I can''t change it. I will look into it and hopefully get it done by tomorrow.Also, "Veil of Death" would be changed to "Death Veil."


    So sorry for the inconvenience. I''ll do better in the future.


    ~~


    Rin slowly made her way towards Wei Jun, her figure draped in a whitish glow just like Wei Jun''s death veil, only shinier and somehow beautiful enough for even Wei Jun to appreciate.


    Rin''s hair was floating in the air magically and her feet were off the ground as well. She was literally walking on air.


    Wei Jun looked at his stats. It was good that the time for the health pill was over and he could take another which he did and restored his health. However, his Qi was another problem. The cooldown for the Qi replenishment pills was still at 48 minutes which was a very long time given Wei Jun''s current condition.


    Wei Jun sighed and turned to his treasures.


    [Qi replenishment pill (Enhanced) x2]


    The Qi pills he obtained when he killed the politician after he tortured him properly. It was gruesome and still made Wei Jun smile, but what made his smile wider was the reward he obtained. Qi pills without a cooldown.


    However, thanks to his training while assimilating with Yang Qi, he had used up most of them.


    He now had only two left and his current situation required him to have way more of them.


    ''Tell me you have more of them in your shop.''


    [¡­]


    ''Why are you quiet, you mothertucker?''


    [You said to tell you if I have any]


    [Wouldn''t make sense to say anything when I don''t]


    ''You useless piece of f***.''


    Wei Jun took one pill and both types of his Qi were restored immediately. Yang Qi was still quite a lot left but the problem was that Yang Qi was actually very useless against Rin. She was too strong for that and her holy Qi also wasn''t affected by yang Qi.


    Wei Jun felt the power coursing through his veins as he activated ''Qi empowerment'' using Death Qi and also remembered to activate ''Unknown'' so his Qi couldn''t be traced but he did that using yang Qi.


    Once he was ready, he readied his sword but didn''t activate the death veil. Not only because it was Qi consuming, but also because Rin wasn''t in his range yet. She could easily activate her skill and teleport away.


    Wei Jun braced himself for an attack from any side and retaliated but as it happened, Rin wasn''t teleporting this time. She just kept making her way over to him in slow steps. However, with each step, Wei Jun''s wariness increased by a notch and he was barely keeping himself from lunging at her.


    Wei Jun waited and waited nervously for a few more moments but when it didn''t look like Rin was going to attack, Wei Jun took a step forward. Nothing. Rin showed no response. Seeing that there was no response, Wei Jun tried taking another step forward. Another, then another until he was close enough to her.


    Seeing that she was in his range, Wei Jun activated the death veil and engulfed Rin in his radius. However, the look of relief on his face changed when Rin teleported.


    ''What the¡­'' Before Wei Jun could even properly curse, Rin appeared right in front of his eyes. Wei Jun hurriedly slashed her with his sword without even properly thinking but Rin disappeared again and appeared behind him.


    "What the hell is this!!!" Wei Jun yelled at the system which calmly replied¡­


    [She got used to your trick]


    [Though there is a silver lining]


    "Wha---!!!" Wei Jun was about to yell when Rin hit him from the side and sent him flying through the air all over to the other side of the barrier. Luckily, he was able to avoid damage because he had covered himself in yang Qi but¡­


    [QP -1017]


    A single hit cost him that much of his Qi. He didn''t even want to consider what the prolonged fight would cost him.


    [She''s using more of her Qi]


    [Angels can replenish their health from almost zero to maximum]


    [There''s only one thing they can''t recover from]


    [They can''t do anything about their Qi and I don''t see an elixir to help with that on her]


    "How lo--!!!" Wei Jun was once again interrupted mid-yell and thrown to the other side of the barrier once again as if he were a ragdoll.


    [A few minutes]


    [Maybe] S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Wei Jun heard the system''s reply and looked at the newest notification in his view, he yelled¡­


    [QP -1419] Discover hidden stories at empire


    "BE MORE CERTAIN!!!"


    Angh!


    Wei Jun grunted as he swung his sword without even thinking about it. Maybe luck was finally on his side and his sword struck the newly appeared Rin who was cut by the sword very deeply even though the sword felt like it wouldn''t even cut through paper.


    Rin, for the first time, moaned in pain. She looked down at her cut and then back at Wei Jun, her expression the same as before but Wei Jun could see anger in her eyes. She grabbed Wei Jun by his neck and threw him away like he didn''t even weigh anything to her.


    Wei Jun flew through the air and crashed into the building, breaking through some of the walls, and finally came to a stop once he was inside some sort of room.


    Before he could even collect himself, Rin appeared in front of him and grabbed him by his neck once again. She picked him up and brought him face-to-face with her. She looked him deep in the eyes before she said, "What would it take to kill you, you vermin?"


    There was clear contempt in her voice and she wasn''t asking Wei Jun because he was also trying to kill her. No, it sounded more like she was talking to a species so beneath her that she couldn''t even stand looking at him.


    Wei Jun smiled even though his face was becoming red and redder as time passed by. He dropped his sword when he was thrown around but he learned a trick from that¡­


    Wei Jun equipped something from his inventory and stabbed Rin with it but the blade didn''t even go through her tough skin.


    She simply looked down at the blade before she turned her eyes back on him.


    ''Uh-oh.'' Wei Jun could only say that in his mind as Rin pulled back a fist and rammed it into his stomach.


    [QP: 0]


    [HP -31]


    Wei Jun felt like his life was sucked out of him and he couldn''t help but breathe loudly.


    Rin still kept looking at him, her white eyes glaring deep into his dark black eyes. Although it would have been confusing for anyone else, Wei Jun could still sense the contempt in her eyes as clear as day.


    Wei Jun raised his hand, and even though he felt like dying, he still raised it and hit Rin with it. Rin didn''t even bother to stop him and raised her own fist to attack Wei Jun when she felt like he was saying something.


    "I¡­. co¡­ yo¡­ tr¡­." His voice was so inaudible that she couldn''t even hear him with her super senses.


    "What?" She brought him closer to him as a final act of mercy and let him say his final words, "What are you saying, you vermin?"


    "I copied your trick," Wei Jun quietly said before he thrust his hand forward. Rin stopped. She felt like something was stabbing her and when she looked down, it was Wei Jun''s hand.


    [Qi construct]


    [-100 Death Qi]


    Around Wei Jun''s hand was a dense mass of Death Qi, which Rin wasn''t impervious against. It was difficult for Wei Jun to maintain the construction and even more difficult for Rin to let her guard down, but Wei Jun managed to do it in the end.


    Rin''s hand loosened around Wei Jun she felt her body failing. Wei Jun hurriedly used the opportunity and kicked her with his legs, freeing himself from her and falling down on the ground.


    Cough!!


    He coughed and let out a lot of blood from his mouth. He was severely injured from that one hit after all.


    Rin, on the other hand, placed her hand on her heart, and intense white light emitted from her hand but it didn''t seem to be working.


    She increased the power output but it still didn''t work.


    "Hahahaha¡­" Wei Jun was laughing a little away from her. He looked at her, madness in his eyes as he said, "There''s only one thing you freaks don''t heal from."


    [Hey!]


    The system interjected because it was also technically an angel.


    "Death." Wei Jun, however, didn''t care. He finally dealt with everything he could and he could now breathe.


    Rin looked at him, her expression unchanged but her eyes contained an emotion Wei Jun hadn''t seen before. Fear.


    "Hahaha!!!"


    "HAHAHAHA!!!"


    But that only made him laugh out loud. Seeing him laugh like that, Rin accepted her death. But fortunately for her, she still had one last shot left in her. She blinked and appeared in front of Wei Jun, her hand going for his chest when something appeared in Wei Jun''s hand and he swung it.


    Slash!


    Thud¡­


    Rin''s severed head fell on the ground as Wei Jun looked into her dimming eyes and said, "Rest in hell, you pale bit*h."


    Several notifications began to appear in Wei Jun''s vision but he didn''t have the time to look at them. He still had to get out of there. The barrier would soon come down and the CSF on the outside would be onto him. He had to protect himself and run away.


    "I''m afraid you''re too late for that." Wei Jun froze as he heard a voice from behind him. He turned and his eyes widened in confusion.


    "What the hell are you doing here?"

 Chapter 278 Quest complete

    I finally fixed chapter 276 which was a headache because of some rules and regulations.And also because I had to pull an all-nighter.


    Anyway, it''s fixed now so you can read it. Enjoy!


    ~~


    "The barrier is down!" The man who was at the scene yelled and made his way to the facility along with his men. They didn''t know what the situation inside was but they knew one thing for sure and that was that the biker was inside.


    While the backup was on the way, they couldn''t wait for it because the biker could flee at that moment. So even if they couldn''t stop the biker, they could at least stall him until the backup arrived.


    "We have to keep him here!" The official yelled before they entered the facility but as soon as they did, they all froze.


    "I''m afraid that would be a little difficult for you. After all, you''re all frozen here." The voice they heard was gentle yet full of power. Although their bodies were frozen, a chill went through their bodies which wasn''t the frozen kind.


    Fear enveloped them as a figure walked past them, his clothes white in color. The black-haired man didn''t even turn to look at them and kept walking until he was out of their sight. They were all left behind, frozen in fear and frozen in real as well because none of them could move a muscle but even if they could, they would never even think of doing so because whoever that black-haired man was, he was out of their league. They should just count themselves lucky he didn''t kill them.


    Experience new tales on empire


    ~~


    "You." Wei Jun was confused or shocked, he couldn''t even tell himself.


    "Me." A middle-aged man playfully said before his expression turned downcast and he said, "You don''t even seem surprised to see me."


    "Oh, I''m surprised. I''m very surprised to see you, sect master." Wei Jun said as he took a step back.


    That was correct. The one who called Wei Jun was none other than his sect master, the current sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect. Wei Jun didn''t know what was going on but given the fact that there were no warning bells ringing up in his gut or no sirens in the distance, he at least knew he wasn''t in danger.


    Or at least that was what he believed in because he knew there was no way he would be able to defeat that monster.


    "Relax," The sect master said before he stepped forward, "I''m just here to take you out of here."


    "Why?" Wei Jun asked, even though he knew he should be just happy such a strong help came for him but he couldn''t help but be paranoid about it. Wary was the word to go to but when it came to the people who were truly strong, he wasn''t just wary, he was straight-up paranoid.


    "I was asked," The sect master replied.


    "By who?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I can either tell you, or we can get out of here because if we didn''t very soon, a very troublesome old man would come. I wouldn''t be able to guarantee your safety then." The sect master clearly avoided the question but the reason he used could have been completely sensible and Wei Jun was smart enough to know one simple fact. Expect any random and the most illogical thing in this messed up world.


    "Okay." Wei Jun simply said and stepped forward. The sect master moved and in an instant, he was before Wei Jun and before he could even react, the scenery in front of his eyes changed to greenery.


    His first thought was that he was in the middle of a dungeon again which wasn''t a good experience last time but he was relieved to see a building on the other side of the green forest.


    Wei Jun turned to ask the sect master some questions but just as he turned, there was no trace of him.


    "What the¡­? Where did he go?" Wei Jun asked no one in particular.


    [Gone]


    [He left the moment he dropped you]


    Came a reply from the system which didn''t really help Wei Jun but before he could follow up, a single notification appeared in his view.


    [The paused update can now be continued]


    Before Wei Jun could even think about it, a sound came from the system.


    [Uh-oh]


    ''What do you mean by uh-oh? What does uh-oh mean?'' Wei Jun asked as he somewhat panicked. He didn''t quite like this part so he was very, very worried about it.


    [Weeellll~~~]


    [You remember how the first update went?]


    [This time there are two]


    ''So, twice as bad, right?''


    Wei Jun was sure he would be able to bear the horrifying pain from back then, and if that pain was twice as hell, he still would be able to tough it out if he had to.


    [Yeah, well, except]


    [You know how in those ridiculous riddles one always fails where the question is what''s 1+1]


    ''Two!'' Wei Jun hurriedly replied as an ominous sense struck him.


    [Yes]


    [Logically]


    [But sometimes]


    [1+1 is 11]


    ''You bleep son of a bleep whose bleep are deep in scorching bleep bleep bleep bleep bleeeeeeeeeepppp.''


    [Wow]


    [Never knew you could be more passionate than that]


    "BLEEP YOU!!!!"


    [You just said bleep]


    "FU*K YOU!!!"


    [Now was the real one]


    [Main quest IV complete]


    [An update will start soon]


    [Brace yourself]


    Somehow the warning from the actual robotic system was even worse.


    Quake!!!


    The whole earth shook. Wei Jun turned in the direction of the city where tall skyscrapers could be seen. Wei Jun knew it was the familiar city in which he had been living for the past few months.


    But right now, dark clouds enveloped the entire city, and the thunder crackled above them. The shaking of the ground only worsened as time passed by and it wasn''t long before the ground split up.


    ''Wait. Ground split up?''


    Something that never happened before happened. The ground literally broke apart and the tear in it widened to the point it felt like the whole city would be swallowed up in it.


    The pushed-up buildings were heading closer to the mountains and the mountains themselves were moving away from the approaching city. Everything was expanding and when something would expand, it was usually because they were making space for something bigger and newer.


    And wasn''t he right?


    Throomm!!!


    Buildings taller than before rose up in the sky in the middle of the already-standing buildings. And it wasn''t just the buildings either. New houses, new roads, new everything was sprouting from left and right.


    It was a scene Wei Jun hadn''t ever seen even in his wildest imagination even if the fact had to be noticed that Wei Jun had no such thing as imagination.


    But his days as a realist were probably over as he saw the scene of the entire city rearranging itself and new things appearing in the midst of it.


    However, the best part hadn''t even arrived yet. The part Wei Jun was in no way looking forward to.


    "AAAARRGGGHHH!!!!!!!"


    Pain.


    A lot, lot, lot of pain.


    ~~


    "Find them!" A man yelled to the rest of his subordinates as he himself got busy searching for the survivors. Today had been an epic fail. They lost the organization the CSF literally came into existence for and then they also lost the man who brought the law enforcement of the city, of the whole empire, to its knees and then spit in their faces by escaping from their hands.


    If that wasn''t worse already, then the fact that they lost a lot of officials in that mission of theirs was even more of a disgrace they would never be able to erase. Even if they were to capture the biker and end him, the losses they recurred that night would remain with them forever to come.


    "This is going to be a headache to report to the top brass." The man said as he tried to enter the facility. As he did, he found a lot of bodies among them. All of his comrades lay lifeless on the ground, never to be awoken again.


    They were killed by some sort of a sword from the wounds on their bodies. He ignored them and looked for survivors until he arrived at a room that was broken more than the others.


    As he entered, the first thing his eyes fell on was the headless body of a girl. She was naked, but other than fact, she was also glowing.


    As he searched for the head, he found it lying not far away from the corpse.


    "Rin?" He questioned himself, unsure whether or not the face he saw was the same one or someone else because the Rin he was familiar with was a little, little, little different from how he remembered.


    "You cannot compare an angel with a human." The man heard a benevolent voice and hurriedly turned, panicking that it was an assailant but he calmed down when all he saw was an old man with a long white beard, a head full of white hair, and clothes of the same color. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Who are you, Sir?" The man warily asked. There was a very good chance that the old man was a CSF top official given that this place was only allowed for the people of the CSF and this old man had to have passed through proper checkups.


    "I didn''t." The old man said.


    "Pardon?" The man asked.


    "I didn''t pass the proper checkups and I have been here since the beginning of this event." The old man said which only confused the man. The old man chuckled and said, "Very well. Since your brain cannot comprehend it anyway, why don''t you just sleep?"


    It wasn''t a suggestion. The old man simply waved his hand as soon as he stopped speaking and the man fell asleep.


    The old man ignored him and stepped towards Rin''s headless body. He waved his hand and the head floated over to him which he grabbed with utmost care by the hair and then also took the body, disappearing into a white-colored hole that appeared out of nowhere.


    And all that was left was silence.

 Chapter 279 A better life

    Discover exclusive content at empire"Hello!!!" A young handsome man yelled in a dark room with only one silver table. Only on top of that table was a lamp that illuminated only the table and the two chairs next to it. Other than that, nothing could be seen for miles.


    The young man, although handsome, was quite scrawny as if he had been malnourished for quite some time. His deep black eyes tried to find any signs of life in that dark space but he saw nothing.


    Nothing except darkness.


    The young man kept on yelling for quite a while until finally, a response came, "Would you just shut up? My head''s banging already. I don''t need your sh*t the first thing I opened my eyes."


    "You¡­?" The young man was very confused as he saw the owner of the voice who looked like he had just woken up from deep sleep involuntarily and was still quite groggy. The distinct features of the newcomer were his dark hair, his deep dark eyes, and the handsomeness that even made the first young man ashamed.


    But what the first young man was most confused about, or terrified by, was the identity of the second young man. He had seen him, just not that handsome, or such lithe. Take all those things out and what was left of the second young man was the first young man. A scrawny but handsome man.


    "Yeah, me. What''re you gonna do about it?" Wei Jun said as he stood up and flexed his muscles. Deep crackles were heard coming from his muscles and his head still ached quite a bit. Still, he toughened through it and looked at the first young man who was also Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun (2) looked at Wei Jun (1) and sighed. "It''s you," He said as he took a seat at the table, looked at Wei Jun (1), and said, "Is this a confrontation or what? You''re still not dead, you son of a bit*h? Do you know how many problems you''ve caused me?"


    Wei Jun (1) looked at Wei Jun (2) incredulously before he lunged at him, grabbed him by his collar, and said out loud, "You have the nerve to say that to me! You took my body!"


    "Of course, I did," Wei Jun (2) said before he grabbed Wei Jun''s (1) arms and pushed them away, still keeping his hold on them and pushing Wei Jun (1) on the floor, throwing him down and putting his foot on his neck.


    Wei Jun (2) sighed and said, "Not that I wanted to. But I did, and that''s all that matters. Besides, I''m living a better life in your body than you ever did."


    "You bastard!" Wei Jun (1) tried to push the foot on his neck away but his scrawny arms were barely able to budge the foot, let alone pushing it off.


    "I get it. You''re angry." Wei Jun (2) said as he knelt down, exchanging his foot with his knee as he looked deep into Wei Jun''s (1) eyes and said, "But tell me one meaningful thing your life did. What is it that you have done in your whole life that could be considered even a little bit important? What was the purpose of your life?"


    "It''s my life! I lived it however I wanted and I''ll live it how I want!" Wei Jun (1) yelled.


    "Such childish beliefs," Wei Jun (2) said as he stood up and kicked Wei Jun (1) on the side of his stomach, throwing him away, "Life is not something you enjoy while doing what you want. Life is something you struggle for something you want. All you did ever was enjoy said life. I struggled for it. That''s why mine lasted more than yours. Because it was meaningful."


    As he said that, Wei Jun (2) slowly walked towards Wei Jun (1) and grabbed him by his chin, making him look into his eyes, "Look into my eyes. See if I''ve ever had fun with my life. You won''t see such a thing. I struggled through it. But when I look into yours, all I see is fun. You felt petty for others who were better than you and never tried to make yourself better than them. I made myself better than them. You ridiculed the weak, never worried that they might rise up one day and cut you down. I made sure they didn''t."


    "Did you ever, even once, in your life, struggle to make yourself better? I did. I did all of those. I did better with this body in these last few months than you did with your entire life."


    "If anyone deserved this body, then it''s me. You, the person who just wasted it, don''t deserve any part of it."


    As he finished saying that, Wei Jun (2) raised his hand and brought it down, finishing it for once and for all but his hand stopped. As if something was blocking his way, an invisible barrier that he couldn''t see but was preventing him from doing what he wanted.


    [I don''t mind if you killed him, brother]


    [But killing him without making proper use of him]


    [That doesn''t sound like my brother]


    Wei Jun (2) stopped. He pulled his hand back, shaping it into a fist, and punched Wei Jun (1) in his face, knocking him out.


    Wei Jun stood up, his eyes fixed on the notifications he just received. It was his brother''s voice, the person who practically raised him. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun remained quiet for a while before he asked one simple question, "Are you the one who trapped me here?"


    [If by here, you mean that world]


    [Then yes]


    [I''m the one who threw you there]


    "Then tell me this. Is there a good reason?" Wei Jun asked.


    [A ve~ry~ good reason]


    Wei Jun heard the usual playfulness in his brother''s voice but that also meant that he was serious about what he said. If his brother, the most unpredictable person in the world, said that, then there must be a good reason for it because there was one thing his brother never did even if he was unpredictable.


    "You never do anything without a reason so I won''t ask what the reason for me being here is." Wei Jun said.


    [You have my gratitude for that]


    "But tell me this," Wei Jun said before he asked, "Why does it have to be me?"


    [Because you''re getting weaker by each passing day]


    [The ferocious little brother of mine was nowhere to be seen]


    [But look at you now]


    [Not even a year and the havoc you''ve caused exceeds any records made ever]


    [And you did all that without even having all the information]


    Wei Jun remained quiet. The system had said the same thing. The system mentioned that there may been more before him but none of them could do what Wei Jun did, in such a short amount of time, and with such little information.


    Wei Jun sighed and asked his next question but before he could, his brother spoke through the system¡­


    [Be careful]


    [That''s your last chance]


    Wei Jun stopped. Whatever he was about to ask, he changed his mind about that. He closed his eyes and opened them again, looking down at the unconscious original Wei Jun on the floor before he asked, "Why him?"


    [Because he''s useless]


    [Nothing about him is special]


    [However, that just makes him special]


    [So useless of a life that even the world laws had abandoned him]


    [What other vessel would be better to drop you in?]


    Wei Jun didn''t understand half of it but he did understand that Wei Jun, the original one, was special for some reason. Not from the point of view of this world but from the point of view of his brother.


    If he was important in that sense, then he was important to Wei Jun. As his brother said, he''d milk every little advantage he could from the original Wei Jun and leave nothing but an empty husk back.


    That was his motto after all.


    Wei Jun sighed and turned to the system panel once again, not to ask any questions because if his brother said no more questions, then there were no more questions left in his arsenal.


    All he could do was deal with the fact that he was in another world and that his sole purpose was to destroy that world. How he did was irrelevant.


    But something told him. Something deep down sent signals to him. The destruction had already begun.


    [Yes, it has, brother]


    [Yes, it has]


    ~~


    Vhroom!!!


    Thunder roared on the top of the Yuan Yin city. Dark clouds formed up in the sky but they didn''t just form on the entire city, but just on top of a few specific spots.


    It was a bizarre scene and not many could make anything out of it.


    Until¡­


    "What is that?" A woman asked the man she was enjoying coffee with, pointing at a strange circular glowing mass of what seemed like clouds in the middle of the road.


    The couple stood up, making their way closer to it. Many people were taking pictures of whatever it was and also standing near it like them.


    That was a mistake.


    Hiss!!!


    Suddenly something slithered out of it. It was a giant snake and the first thing it did as soon as it came out of the circular cloud was to gobble up the person standing closest to it.


    "Ahhh!!!"


    Mayhem struck the city in an instant.


    The day many remembered in the future as¡­


    The prelude to the abyss.

 Chapter 280 A new, new, new beginning

    [Main quest IV complete][All stats +10]


    [An S rank skill has been granted]


    [Please check the skill window to check the details of the skill]


    [System update complete]


    [Inventory update complete]


    [You can now store bigger and more complex structures in the inventory]


    [Shop update complete]


    [You now have access to the vast treasures of the overseer]


    Wei Jun read the notifications as he navigated himself through the dense forest near the city. The forest was somehow bigger and greener than he remembered.


    His focus was on the quests this time. Despite struggling a lot, the rewards he received this time were quite lacking. He was given better rewards for killing Shao Chen than for killing these two.


    [I wouldn''t say that]


    [The sword was an excellent treasure]


    Wei Jun didn''t refute the system on that but he didn''t engage in the conversation about that as well. Instead, he asked, "What is the deal with the inventory?"


    [A fifteenth circle spatial spell]


    [It breaks down things and stores them]


    [If the structure of said things is complex]


    [Then reconstruction when you retrieve them is difficult]


    [That''s why it doesn''t store your bike because of the complex structure]


    ''So with enough updates, it can do that?'' Wei Jun hopefully asked. If he could store his bike or cars, his missions would become a lot more easier than before.


    [Don''t know]


    [Never tried it] S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [There weren''t bikes or cars or planes in my time]


    Wei Jun nodded and since it was a reasonable answer, Wei Jun didn''t curse the system. Instead, he focused on the other reward he got for killing Rin, an S rank skill.


    [Indomitable]


    [Tier: S]


    [Mastery: F]


    [Description: Your strong will to remain standing amidst battle is admirable


    To facilitate such bravery, a blessing has been granted to you


    Now you can enjoy the feats of battle without ever feeling full and falling down]


    [Effect: While the skill is active, your health cannot decrease]


    [Cost: 100 QP]


    [Duration: 5 minutes]


    [Cooldown: 10 hours]


    [As skill mastery increases, the effect can evolve along with a reduction in cool down]


    While the effect of the skill was great, the cooldown time was a bummer. Wei Jun didn''t have such great cooldowns in any of his skills. Still, the skill held good potential and Wei Jun could always level it up. Besides, having an extra set of insurance was something Wei Jun vastly welcomed. HP was one of his bigger problems.


    This skill was a remedy to that so Wei Jun wasn''t so bummed out about it being his reward. On many occasions, his HP had run out before his Qi would so he was in more trouble due to that. Now he didn''t have to be so worried about that aspect.


    However¡­


    ''The skill won''t make me invincible all the time. You must have a way of increasing my defense, right?'' Wei Jun asked the system. Having a skill like that was amazing. But what if that skill was on cool down? Then what? Was Wei Jun just supposed to die?


    He needed to increase his defense stat. As it stood now, he was still in a lot of danger and as he learned from Rin, his defense wasn''t very top-notch.


    [Well, one method is to do what body cultivators do]


    ''Let''s move past doping. What else you got?'' Wei Jun decided to ignore the option of body cultivating for now because it wasn''t financially available at the moment.


    [Then the other option is the old school one where a hella lot of pain exists and the mind can go¡­ uh¡­ mush]


    ''Nice audio-visual.'' Wei Jun remarked before he asked, "What do I need to do?"


    [Simple]


    [Get beaten by Yan Rong]


    [A lot]


    Wei Jun wasn''t sure if this was the right method but he nodded nonetheless. What other option did he have?


    While he had that peaceful conversation, checked the rest of the notifications but he was confused when he didn''t see a certain set of notifications.


    "Oi." He called out loud.


    [Yes, host?]


    "Where are the stats gained from Rin?" Wei Jun asked. Whenever he killed a cultivator, he would always gain stat from them but he didn''t this time and since the enemy was so strong, Wei Jun was sure he''d receive a great amount this time.


    However, he didn''t.


    [Death cannot be gained from life]


    "What?" Wei Jun asked as he didn''t understand the deeper meaning nor did he want to. He just wanted a simple explanation of what was going on.


    [Angels are made of light]


    [A branch of life]


    [You, on the other hand, have death]


    [See the connection?]


    Wei Jun wasn''t fully satisfied with the answer but he couldn''t do anything about what wasn''t in his control so he might as well just ignore it. Getting angry wouldn''t help anyone.


    [That''s very nice of you]


    "FU*K YOU!!!"


    [There it is]


    "She almost killed me!!!"


    Wei Jun was mad beyond because he had almost died many times at the hands of Rin. It drove him mad with anger that he didn''t benefit anything from her death.


    [You did get the quest rewards]


    The system timidly said but that only made Wei Jun angrier.


    "What did you say?!!!"


    [Nothing, host]


    "You---!!!"


    "HELP!"


    Wei Jun was about to yell another stream of curses when he heard someone calling for help. His first instinct was to ignore it but he was going in the same direction anyway so he sighed and arrived at the source of the call for help.


    As he did, he saw a clearing where a man and a woman were trying to fend off something that looked like a little beige man.


    "What the¡­?" Wei Jun couldn''t help but say because the little critter seemed very funny going after two adults like that. But the little critter had more power than the two adults combined.


    The little thing heard Wei Jun and turned to him. Before Wei Jun could even look at the information that appeared in his view, the bizarre little thing lunged at him, waving what appeared to be a spear.


    Wei Jun ignored the notifications in his view and grabbed the little thing by its hand after he stepped aside to dodge it. Once he had a firm hold on it, Wei Jun grabbed the thing by its head and closed his fist, crushing the head of the creature, and killing it on the spot.


    [You have killed a goblin]


    [Miasma concentration found to be too low]


    [The host is advised to kill ten more same rank goblins for Death Qi increment]


    Wei Jun didn''t like the sound of that but he was more curious about what this monster was doing outside of a dungeon. He rolled back the notifications from earlier while the pair he just saved were looking at him warily.


    [Pagny Goblin]


    [Strength: 21]


    [Agility: 33]


    [Stamina: 29]


    [Miasma: 16]


    The stats of the monster were too low. No wonder the system was asking him to kill more of them. Wei Jun looked at the pair of man and woman. They stiffened as Wei Jun turned his gaze towards them. Wei Jun slowly opened his mouth and asked, "What the hell''s going on here?"


    ~~


    "Sir! We have picked up a signal in the woods just outside the city. An E rank instance dungeon just opened up!" An operative reported to a man on the scene who was busy trying to deal with the current situation at hand.


    "An E rank?! Is it an emergency?!" The man asked. Depending on the scale of the emergency, the team deployed would be according to the level of danger.


    "It is a goblin dungeon!" The operative replied before he added, "And they''re rapidly spreading out!"


    "Those damned critters!" The man yelled before he said, "Send squad three in that direction. Have them at least contain them in an area!" The man yelled, relaying a set of instructions. The operative nodded and said something on the radio.


    "Sir! Another instance dungeon has just opened up in the middle of the city. Rank D!" Another operative from across the room yelled.


    "Damn it!" The man yelled before he asked, "What type is it?"


    "Undetermined. We don''t know what might come out of that dungeon." The operative replied.


    "Then send a scouting party for now. Also, ask those people from the sect to back them up!" The man yelled another set of orders which were swiftly carried out by his team.


    "Sir!" The operative from earlier yelled.


    "What now?!" The man asked.


    "Another dungeon has opened up in the woods. Very close to the goblin dungeon. And it''s a worm type." The operative replied with the bad news even when he didn''t want to because that would turn the already foul mood of the man even worse.


    "Fu*k!" The man yelled before he said, "Abandon the woods. We can''t do anything about them."


    Goblins were already worse but with worms in the fold who could go underground, the matter was out of hands. Saving the woods was now impossible. The only thing they could do was to set up Qi barriers so the worms wouldn''t enter the city from the underground.


    "Sir!" The same operative yelled.


    "NOW WHAT!!?" The man yelled, startling the entire room. Realizing his mistake, he took a deep breath and asked, "What?"


    "The¡­ The distance dungeons in the woods have been closed. And the monsters¡­" The operative didn''t finish what he had to say because even he was finding it hard to believe.


    On a screen, the satellite image of woods could be seen, and there were red dots indicating the presence of monsters. And at the moment, those red dots were decreasing at an alarming pace.


    "I''m loving this!!!!!!" The scene changed to the woods where goblins were running away in fear while a man covered in yellow hue was chasing them with a maniacal expression on his face.


    "Come to me! Let me slit your throats!!! HAHAHAHA!!!"

 Chapter 281 Main quest V

    "Kah!!!" Creatures of strange builds, goblins, known to be the ultimate headaches because of their small bodies but the strength of a human male adult, even more than that. What made them even more of a headache was the fact that they were too resilient to pain, hence making them fearless and charging head-on, even ignoring the pain inflicted on them.Furthermore, they usually traveled or hunted in groups which made it difficult for one or two people to deal with them because their composition changed every time. They would travel with long-range fighters or sometimes without them, which made a perfect party to deal with them almost impossible.


    However, the very same creature, creatures, their bond remained strong, only this time, they weren''t running to their prey but running away from it in fear.


    Behind them was what could be said to be a maniac who was chasing them as if his life depended on it. Wei Jun had a maniacal grin on his face as he chased down goblins and smashed their heads, crushed their heads like they were watermelons and all the while having the same expression on his face. Everyone would be terrified.


    [Host]


    ''What?!'' Wei Jun was so excited he even decided to humor the system even though he was chasing the goblins.


    [You''re scaring me]


    "HAHAHAHAHA!!!" That only made Wei Jun happy and he hunted with even more fervor until there were only a few handful of goblins left. But that wasn''t all¡­


    [You have eliminated a Terror worm]


    [Death Qi +1]


    Another dungeon opened up while he was hunting goblins. While goblins didn''t provide him with that much Death Qi, they did give him something else he didn''t mind. But the disappointment of less Death Qi still remained. As if some higher entity was on his side, another dungeon opened, and out of it came worms.


    The scene that would have grossed out anyone only made Wei Jun happier as soon as he killed the first worm. His Death Qi increased by a whole one point when he killed one.


    It was difficult to hunt them because they would hide underground and there weren''t many of them.


    Still, hunting one of them was like hunting ten goblins so Wei Jun made sure to hunt them as well. However, their hiding underground was still a problem but he had the system to help him with that.


    [Terror worms are attracted to Qi]


    [They feed on it]


    Wei Jun applied Qi to his feet and kept running. The next part was taken care of automatically. They would come up and Wei Jun would use Death Qi to create whips and pierce their bodies with it.


    Wei Jun was going on a frenzy when finally, all the worms were dead and the only goblin alive was the one with a full set of armor on it.


    [Pagny goblin boss]


    [Strength: 44] S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Agility: 61]


    [Stamina: 50]


    [Miasma: 41]


    Wei Jun didn''t even hesitate for a second and jumped at the little critter. It was slightly taller and buffer than the usual goblins but Wei Jun was still almost four times that in terms of average stats and just as he was in range, he formed Death Qi whips that penetrated the Miasma barrier of the goblin and killed it on the spot without even wasting a second.


    [You have eliminated a Pagny goblin boss]


    [Death Qi +4]


    [Miasma crystal +3]


    That was the benefit of killing the goblins. Not all of them, but sometimes, almost one out of three, dropped a crystal of miasma which Wei Jun could use.


    [Miasma crystals can be converted to your desired power]


    [Conversion to Death Qi not possible]


    Wei Jun was a little bummed out when he read the last notification but he could at least convert the crystals to pure Qi. But his happiness was amplified when he received the text when he tried to absorb it.


    [Which stat would you like to increase?]


    Wei Jun''s happiness shot through the roof because that was something he didn''t expect. Being able to increase his stats through those crystals was a dream. Of course, there was a drawback as always.


    [Miasma insufficient for stat gain]


    [Please fuse eleven similar rank crystals to gain one stat]


    [Cost of fusion: 1000 coins]


    Wei Jun was annoyed at that but it still didn''t measure up to the drawbacks. He wasn''t gaining any stat points and his stats were falling behind on their limits. Not to mention he didn''t receive any level increment upon killing Rin which he should have.


    His stat limit was closing up but some of his stats were in the initial 300s, he couldn''t just waste this opportunity.


    Wei Jun fused the crystals instantly and¡­


    [You have obtained a Miasma crystal (D)]


    [Effect: Stats under 400: +1]


    Another limit but it wasn''t something that bummed Wei Jun out. HE fused all of the crystals and in the end, he obtained¡­


    [Miasma crystal (D): 23]


    [Miasma crystal (C): 2]


    [Effect: Stats under 500: +2]


    Wei Jun saved the two C tier crystals he obtained after he fused the goblin boss''s crystals. He then stored them all in his inventory because he needed to get out of there. He didn''t know if reinforcements would arrive in the area or not and he couldn''t let them see his face because he was supposed to be in his sect, undergoing a breakthrough.


    "Couldn''t he just take me to the sect?" Wei Jun said before he shot towards the city, away from the area where the bodies of all the monsters he killed were.


    ~~


    "Today at seven thirty in the evening, the chaotic phenomenon that occurred all over the world was finally dealt with in the Huanan Empire. We will now redirect you to the press conference held by the commander Rong of the CSF to brief us on the incident that occurred all over the empire today."


    Wei Jun came out of the shower of his apartment and turned on the TV to find out more about the event that day. According to the media, whatever it was, it began at noon and was handled by the CSF and the military in droves on the same day.


    The casualties all over the empire were at least in millions, going up to almost ten million. Wei Jun sat on his bed and watched as the man on the TV, Yan Rong''s father briefed the public on what happened that day.


    "As of now, the information held from the public will now be revealed. The phenomenon that occurred today at noon is called the formation of dungeons. It is an unknown event about which even we don''t know much about. However, what we do know is that there are monsters in that dungeon and those monsters don''t treat people kindly. If you were to encounter one, then inform the authorities as quickly as you can."


    On the TV, a muscular man gave an overview of the situation and then allowed the media to ask him questions.


    "Are there any emergency measures taken to deal with this threat?" A reporter asked.


    "Yes. Emergency bunkers will be constructed all over the empire for such situations." Commander Yong reported.


    "What is the Emperor''s view of this?" Another reporter asked.


    "The emperor has taken measures to deal with this threat. As of today, all men and women over the age of twenty and below thirty-five will be enlisted to the military and the CSF." Commander Yong replied and as soon as he did, Wei Jun received a number of notifications.


    [Main quest V]


    [Yang Haoran]


    [Description: A man who returned to the present from the future


    With the knowledge of the future on his hands, he will regain his strength quickly


    Find him and kill him before he reaches the pinnacle of his strength]


    [Reward(s):


    #1: System update


    #2: Level +10


    #3: All stats +20


    #4: Skill mastery card]


    [Time limit: 180 days]


    [Punishment: Death]


    The quest this time was very low on detail. The rewards were also amazing compared to the last two so he had to consider that the quest would be very high in difficulty as well.


    As for who Yang Haoran was. Wei Jun decided to splurge a little bit.


    [You have consumed 10 levels to purchase the first volume of the book "The Regressed Mighty Emperor"]


    Information flooded Wei Jun''s head and as it did, he fell into consideration. Deep, deep consideration. There wasn''t any clich¨¦ in the book so far. There wasn''t a lucky event where the MC obtained anything without a reason or out of the blue.


    However, that wasn''t the worst part of it.


    No.


    The worst part was this¡­


    [Date of Regression: 10\\03\\2023]


    That was the day Wei Jun came to this world. It meant that the MC had already obtained a great deal of strength and was probably as strong as him, or maybe even more if he considered the past experiences he had with the protagonists.


    "No wonder it was so easy." Wei Jun muttered before it suddenly hit him. He was twenty-three, wasn''t he?


    Just as the thought entered his mind, he received a text on his phone.


    {All disciples of the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect are to gather in the main courtyard in the morning}


    The ominous feeling just intensified.

 Chapter 282 Military

    "What are you looking at, private?" A burly man asked a timid-looking man who wasn''t even half his size.The timid man, however, couldn''t do anything in response. All he could do was lower his gaze and let himself be treated as he was.


    Private. The lowest rank in any army. That was the rank of the timid man. Not to mention, he wasn''t even an extraordinary cultivator. So he had no choice but to remain silent and just go through the procedure in front of him and get it over with.


    The burly man scoffed at the timid man and moved on. He stopped again, this time in front of a handsome man. A man so handsome that any man would be overcome with jealousy in an instant.


    He was no exception. Seeing a man that handsome, the man couldn''t help but feel jealous and of course, he had to act on that jealousy. He yelled, "What''s your name, private?!"


    "Fu*k off." A simple reply came. A reply that shocked not only the man but everyone in the room because the army had one simple rule, ''Superior rank above all.''


    Explore new worlds at empire


    Defiance to your superior was akin to a sin and was punishable by military laws which mostly included jail time. However, there was someone in the room who hadn''t just defied the burly man, a superior officer, but had also cursed at him.


    "Wha¡ªWhat!!!" The burly man''s Qi went on a rampage, suffocating many in the room. The Qi of a Qi sense realm cultivator was overbearing to many in the room and for those that it wasn''t, they still chose to remain silent because the burly man was, in the end, their superior.


    However, the young handsome man was not in the mood to have all of that so he just looked into the eyes of the superior officer and simply did this¡­


    [Terror]


    [Target has a lower level than the user]


    [Skill success]


    The superior froze in place. He couldn''t move at all, making others very, very confused. However, the next step confused them, or even disgusted some, even more.


    Dribble¡­ Dribble¡­


    Water drops trickled on the ground below the superior which many soon came to know was water from somewhere else. The ultimate humiliation and that had just happened in front of everyone else.


    In front of his subordinates no less. It was safe to assume one thing. His career was over since there was no chance he would be respected here anymore.


    ~~


    The scene was quick to end and the crowd was led by another superior who didn''t make the mistake as his predecessor who left while yelling about the devil or something.


    As for the man who did that, he remained in his spot, straight as a pole and didn''t defy anyone anymore since no one made the mistake of messing with him.


    ''What a load of bull cr*p.'' Wei Jun cursed once again as he settled on his bunk bed. He had no problem living in this closed space with men and basking in the musky scent of sweat. What truly annoyed him was his rank.


    Granted he was also annoyed by the fact that he was forced to serve under someone else and even more annoyed by the fact that he had to endure all of this. Had it not been for the sect master who used one of his favors on this ask, Wei Jun would have never joined the military.


    As the emperor ordered, all men over the age of twenty and below the age of thirty five were to serve in the army for eighteen months. Not only that, they would also be denied discharge if they weren''t able to make it up to at least the rank of Master Sergeant, noncommissioned class.


    Getting commissioned was a choice Wei Jun wasn''t even aiming for so his focus was on the noncommissioned sector.


    The ranks he needed to go through were simple.


    In the enlistment class, the list went like this. Private, private first class, Corporal, and finally Sergeant.


    For the noncommissioned officers that Wei Jun had to go through, the rank went like this. Staff Sergeant, Sergeant First Class, Master Sergeant, and finally, Sergeant Major.


    Wei Jun''s goal was until Master Sergeant and then he would just quietly end his service and get discharged. All the while, he would also make sure to deal with the newest quest he obtained.


    As for the military, his task was simple. Clean the formed instance dungeons. Wei Jun welcomed that task and that was also a reason why Wei Jun hadn''t denied enlistment. Otherwise, Wei Jun had many ways of avoiding that but the problem was that the empire, and in doing so, the military had first rights to the formed instant dungeons.


    No sect or the newly formed anything had the rights to the instant dungeons. Only the military did and according to one''s rank, they would be granted more dungeons.


    Wei Jun''s rank was private and regardless of his cultivation, he was to deal with E rank dungeons with his squad members which was led by a private first class.


    He needed 5000 contribution points to promote to the private first class. That depended on his entire participation in the dungeon. And then, either he would be granted his own squad, or he would have to remain in the same squad but still act under the soldier who was here before him. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The contribution was calculated by a military styles AI which was developed with the help of mages. Wei Jun was a little interested in that thing as well. The watch on his wrist provided him with daily expenditure and his total contribution to his service.


    Wei Jun was annoyed by another thing. It was that he couldn''t use the outside money. He had to use the military-provided money in the military facilities.


    However, the amount of money he would gain as a private every day would be just 1000 yuan. It wasn''t a little amount but the cost of various products in the military or services was also quite high so if Wei Jun wanted to purchase a set of daily utilities, he would have to save at least 5000 yuan which was five days'' worth of savings.


    Not to mention those utilities would only last him a week so that was another minus point. If he wanted luxury, he would have to get promoted as soon as possible.


    Fortunately, such an opportunity was only a week away. After a week of basic training, Wei Jun, along with his squad, would have to clear an E tier dungeon.


    Wei Jun now only had to deal with the more annoying matters such as his superiors, possible ragging, and useless training which wouldn''t benefit him in the least.


    ~~


    As expected, there was ragging but given Wei Jun''s name on the outside, no one made the foolish mistake of messing with him. Other than that, the training was plain and simple physical training.


    Wei Jun, as expected, didn''t benefit in the least from it. It was a spectacle though, to see Wei Jun breeze past the training that made many huff and puff with exhaustion and muscle pain.


    Wei Jun was excited about today because he would be officially entering a dungeon. He made his way to the briefing room where he, along with others, was briefed about the dungeon. Its dangers, what to expect, and definitely what to do and what not to do.


    Wei Jun already knew of that so he listened from one ear and let it out from the other. Besides, he had the system to provide him with information better than anyone else so he wasn''t worried about that as well.


    However, one point came up which Wei Jun frowned upon. It wasn''t something annoying, well, to him it was, quite an important point, but to Wei Jun, it was annoying as well.


    "You must display perfect team play. If you act on your own, your contribution points will be deducted." The private first class explained the rule.


    Wei Jun wasn''t a team player at all. even when he was a child, he would rather play in the sandbox alone than with other children.


    Wei Jun would have dismissed this rule had it not been for his precious contribution points which were his tickets out of there.


    However, his mood was spoiled further when he heard the next sentence, "The maximum contribution points you can gain from this dungeon are 1000. Your contribution wouldn''t be counted beyond that."


    1000 points from one dungeon meant he would have to clear 5 dungeons to clear the requirement of promoting. Five dungeons meant five weeks. That was almost a month.


    ''Fu*k!'' Wei Jun yelled inside with all his might but pinched his thigh on the outside to make sure he wouldn''t do it out loud.


    "I''m so excited." A girl sitting next to him said but when he turned to look at her with his angered expression, alas, she was scarred for life.

 Chapter 283 Promotion

    Wei Jun and his platoon traversed through the cavern-type terrain, going through what was classified as a spider dungeon. It wasn''t an instant dungeon so there was still a lot of time before the dungeon''s capacity was fulfilled and monsters flooded the real world outside.Wei Jun was quite annoyed that he was being forced to go at such a slow speed. If it was up to him, such a dungeon would have been done in an hour, tops. Yet¡­


    "We don''t know what kind of tricks the monsters might have so move with cautiousness." The private first class instructed and the team was more than eager to follow.


    Wei Jun''s patience ran thin but even he knew that acting out too much wasn''t a good idea even for him. No matter how strong he was, he was still a rookie in the world of the strong. The true strong could still snuff him out like a lamp''s flame.


    ''Like him¡­'' A certain sect master came to his mind. A Qi Demon realm cultivator. Wei Jun couldn''t imagine what the final rank would be like. Not to mention, the system was even more stronger than the final realm of cultivation so Wei Jun was having a very, very hard time imagining things.


    "Hostile located! Prepare to shoot!!" The superior yelled, calling for action and the team was quick to respond. Of course, since bullets were useless against monsters, using them against these monsters didn''t make any sense. However, these monsters were relatively low in rank and they would quickly run out of miasma blocking a few bullets so by that count, every seventh bullet injured or killed the monsters.


    Wei Jun, being a very, very good shot, killed the monsters with acute precision. He didn''t care how the others were doing and kept his focus on his own hunt. The hunt went the same for quite a while until they ran out of bullets. Wei Jun didn''t, but he couldn''t just pull them out of thin air, now could he?


    The overlord, or in simpler words, the boss of the dungeon was in sight but since they were out of bullets, they had to resort to hand-to-hand combat and before anyone could do anything, Wei Jun jumped forward and ripped the head of the spider that was at least two times bigger than him.


    Yet, the way Wei Jun snapped the head was quite a scene and two of the female privates even fainted seeing that. Wei Jun wouldn''t have risked moving like that but he was at the end of his patience and he couldn''t take it anymore.


    [You have killed a Baron Arachne]


    [Death Qi +2]


    Another reason Wei Jun was unsatisfied with this dungeon was because of the rewards. Killing one spider didn''t even earn him anything. He had to kill almost twenty spiders for one Death Qi increment and by the end, he only increased his Death Qi by four out of which, two he obtained from the boss.


    Other than that, there were no crystals as a reward as well. Nothing else was obtained from the spiders, not even ingredients of different kinds.


    The only good news he received throughout the entire dungeon was¡­


    [Contribution: 1000]


    "That was amazing, Private Ruan." The first-class private said while Wei Jun checked his contribution. Wei Jun looked at the guy who was leading him. If Wei Jun had to describe this guy in one word, then it would be ''Inadequate''. Not just in looks, talents, or skills, but he was inadequate when he led the soldiers as well.


    Wei Jun firmly believed that command had to be changed depending on the situation but this guy kept this expedition completely by the book. He didn''t do one thing that wasn''t in the instruction manual of dungeons.


    Wei Jun, however, didn''t care. He didn''t care about how this guy was. All he cared about was getting 5000 points so he could rank up and lead the squad on his own and do what he wanted.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "If it''s all right with you, sir, I would like it if you could use me to my full potential."


    "What do you mean, Private Ruan?" The man asked.


    Wei Jun simply said with a stoic expression, "I''m implying that had you used my cultivation to its full potential, we would have been able to clear this gate with much less resources and in a much, much shorter duration."


    The bullets used in this expedition were at least in thousands and just for a few monsters. Wei Jun could have killed them much more easily without even using Qi with his natural physical stats.


    "I don''t doubt you could have," The private first class replied with a smile, "I''ve seen your file. However, you will move on. These guys wouldn''t. They need all the experience they can get."


    It was a good reason and Wei Jun couldn''t argue with it so he remained quiet.


    [That is the sign of a good leader, host]


    Wei Jun had to admit it. While the leader was indeed inadequate in terms of talents and skills, he wasn''t like the one Wei Jun scared off on his first day.


    ~~


    Just like that, five weeks passed. They weren''t the fastest and Wei Jun couldn''t do anything private during time and practically had nothing to do. With his days full of boredom, Wei Jun utilized that time to learn from the system.


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    [I contain a plethora of knowledge, host]


    [Regarding many monsters]


    [Their weaknesses]


    [Their strengths]


    [Everything]


    Wei Jun didn''t have the time to focus on all of them but he still learned about the ranks of the monsters and their habits and everything. Wei Jun made sure to learn all of that and memorized all that stuff.


    Other than that, Wei Jun also learned many things about cultivation. The pathways of the human body, what to do and what not to do, or about the nature of the Qi itself.


    Wei Jun didn''t understand most of it but the basics were easy to understand. After all, Wei Jun wasn''t going to learn thousands of years of knowledge in five weeks. He managed to grasp the basics was actually a feat in itself.


    Also, unlike in most clich¨¦ scenarios, Wei Jun didn''t come across a hidden opportunity to a life or death situation due to the dungeon overload. It was a scenario in which the dungeon''s calculations were wrong and the rank was actually higher than what was calculated.


    Wei Jun somehow made it through the dungeons while following orders. No matter how strong he was, he was still a good soldier and he firmly believed that the hierarchy held the structure of society firm.


    If people started to question their superiors, then the natural order of the world would crumble and since that was the case, Wei Jun made sure to follow that law himself. Except for the first day, of course, when he was quite annoyed by his circumstances.


    The day of his promotion came and he wasn''t alone to be promoted. Even his superior was promoted along with many others. It wasn''t an extravagant ceremony because they were quite low-ranked so not many of the higher brass cared about them.


    He was promoted to the private first class and once he was, Wei Jun was given the reigns of his squad, the one he was in. Wei Jun stood in front of them, seven men and two women and simply said, "I don''t care who you were on the outside and how you managed to survive this far by that pathetic performance. But now that I am in charge, such a performance wouldn''t be allowed."


    "So," Wei Jun said with a slight smile, a smile that could smite people of any gender, he continued, "Run around the ground. Twenty times."


    "¡­" The squad remained silent, thinking their new superior was joking but the superior remained as he was, in a slightly smiling pose, and said once more, "Those who don''t do it before dinner time will have to do without dinner."


    You will complete the task even if you have to skip the dinner. That was how it sounded to everyone. And that sweet smile started to resemble more and more like a devil''s.


    ~~


    One week later, Wei Jun and his team stood in front of a D tier dungeon. It was a worm-type dungeon and the girls were especially hesitant to go in but one gaze from Wei Jun shut them up. Wei Jun had grilled them thoroughly in the last week that he wasn''t someone who would tolerate any defiance from them.


    Military rule or not, they were not allowed to speak back to him. Otherwise, their training would only be twice as difficult. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And just like that, they entered without their weapons because Wei Jun also taught them how to use their Qi to strengthen their limbs which they were never taught. After that, a lot of screaming was heard throughout the dungeon but they never had the mercy to stop. They had to go through it even if worm remains entered their mouths.


    ''Fu*k.'' Wei Jun''s annoyance, however, showed no signs of ending. The reason?


    [Contribution points required to advance to next rank: 10000]


    [Max contribution points per dungeon: 2000]


    ''Nothing''s changed you fu*kers!!!''


    Alas, Wei Jun still had to go through another five weeks.

 Chapter 284 Preparations

    Wei Jun looked at his platoon with clear scorn in his eyes. The dungeon that should have taken them fifteen minutes to clear took an entire sixteen minutes and one second. Wei Jun was beyond annoyed and said, "Tonight''s training would be double."The downcast expression of the platoon was a sight to behold. Still, none of them even thought of talking back. To them, the nighttime training after the military training was a nightmare.


    They did anything and everything to avoid their squad leader''s mood which was terrible most of the time. Their squad leader''s promotion was soon and once he was made corporal, they thought they would be free of the reign of terror of their squad leader. However¡­


    "I''ve decided to take you all with me." Wei Jun said with a gracious smile after the hellish training that night. They were strong enough for Wei Jun to acknowledge them. Wei Jun would rather have his entire squad led by him than move on and do all of it again.


    That was why he decided to train them very hard and raise their cultivation rank. With the knowledge from the system, cultivating them wasn''t anything difficult.


    As expected, the day he made corporal, all of them made private first class as well. Since Wei Jun''s speed was quite good, he was granted the opportunity to join a higher-ranked squad, as a subordinate, or lead this one with lesser rewards.


    Wei Jun chose to lead rather than be led. Wei Jun and his squad were also granted a vacation of two days so Wei Jun left the military base and made his way to his city in a helicopter.


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    Once he was back in the city, the first person he visited was Yue Peng, the woman who earned him big bucks and asked for money.


    "¡­" Yue Peng just silently looked at him. People like Yue Peng, people who had authority, were easily able to dodge the military service with excuses. In the first place, she wasn''t even a cultivator but even those who were had used various means to avoid their service period.


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Nothing," Yue Peng said, "I just didn''t expect you to be such a patriot."


    Wei Jun wisely ignored that comment and asked, "How much have you made me?" S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "781 million." A number that Wei Jun would have been happy to hear just a while ago. After all, he had to destroy the entire Tian family just to get a billion, 1000 million. However, right now, a billion was nothing to him. He needed at least ten times of that. The first thing he had set his eyes on was the cultivation techniques for body cultivators.


    With only those could he increase his physical stats. According to the system, he could create a cultivation technique on his own but given that he could even understand the full basics of Qi, creating a cultivation technique on his own was a pipe dream.


    "Only?" Wei Jun asked, causing Yue Peng to cork an eyebrow in response. However, she didn''t say anything about it nor did she find Wei Jun''s words ridiculous. She just smiled and said one word, "Clean."


    Wei Jun''s expression brightened when Yue Peng showed him a chart of all the earnings, even the backhanded ones and once she did, Wei Jun smiled so much that he instantly purchased one item from the shop and slammed it on the table.


    "What is this?" Yue Peng curiously asked, looking at the strange blue pill.


    "Eat it." Wei Jun said before he said with a threatening smirk, "You need to become a part of me as well."


    With the way Wei Jun said it, any woman would have found it uncomfortable but Yue Peng was different. Every bone in her body was telling her to do as Wei Jun said. She picked up the blue pill and with a little hesitation, swallowed it without even chewing it up.


    After an hour, Wei Jun left her office leaving her red as a tomato. As he did, he said to her secretary, the new one, "Miss Peng will not be receiving anyone for some time now. Cancel all her appointments."


    Wei Jun didn''t have the authority to order Yue Peng''s subordinates but everyone knew that Wei Jun was, in a way, Yue Peng''s boss. In her absence, his words were the law. Even in her presence sometimes, his words held more pressure than hers.


    Besides, the secretary was sensible enough. A young man had left a young woman''s office after coming back from the military after a long time and said that the woman would be unable to receive anyone for some time.


    The meaning behind it was clear to which, the secretary hurriedly nodded, "Yes, Sir."


    For an entirely different reason than the secretary, Wei Jun left Yue Peng''s building completely satisfied and made his way to Ruan Enterprises.


    He went straight to Lin Ruan''s office and a scene like before occurred again. This time, however, he didn''t need to waste money to awaken her and just cleansed her using pills, and when he left her office and said the same thing, the secretary looked at him with a disgusted expression. Wei Jun chalked it up to his precious host''s rotten personality, unaware of the fact that in just one day, he created two rumors that would sweep across the city.


    Finally, he went to the restaurant where he was scheduled to meet Mark Wilson. Mark was already there and Wei Jun got straight to the point by placing another set of constitution-strengthening pills. The system had recommended so and Wei Jun delivered.


    Aside from that Wei Jun gave him the same stuff as well. "Consider this a bonus for the job well done. Also, you will need this because you are going to do some dangerous missions for me from now on. You will need to be this much stronger after all."


    Mark Wilson didn''t know what that was about but he had long since learned to now argue with Wei Jun. He simply nodded and returned with the pills and the additional stuff after Wei Jun asked him to say a simple ''Yes'' which he did without hesitation, unaware what he was getting into.


    Wei, however, remained in his spot. Including Natasha, it was now six.


    [Numbers of party members: 6\\10]


    Wei Jun didn''t want to thoughtlessly add party members to his team because it would be difficult to take care of them if they were useless. However, not one of them was useless.


    Yue Peng would now be entering the world of business where cultivators ruled. She needed strength to not be suppressed at that point. The same was the case with Lin Ruan.


    As for Mark Wilson, he would be venturing into even more dangerous locations and bringing him information such as the one he brought him about the evil cultivation faction which he used to engage the entirety of CSF.


    Mark Wilson was irreplaceable when it came to information gathering. However, his only weakness was his zero cultivation but since he was a mage, Wei Jun couldn''t help with that.


    However, Wei Jun didn''t have anything for mages in his inventory but that was only before the latest system and shop update.


    [The system shop has been updated]


    [Additional items from the ''Overseer'' have been added to the shop]


    ''Overseer'' was the entity in the system and according to it, when he was alive, he was a cultivator and a mage hybrid so it made sense if there were items related to the mages in the inventory.


    [Elixir of vitality]


    [Tier: A]


    [Increases defense and stamina by 100% permanently]


    [Limitations: Only for mages]


    [Cost: 10,000,000]


    The price of this thing was one billion but Wei Jun was willing to spend that much on a promising candidate. Also, as his party members would increase in their rank, his power would also increase.


    He didn''t get the same effect when Xia Lu increased in her rank for some reason but Wei Jun wasn''t disheartened because he soon received this notification in his system a few days ago.


    [Your party member Natasha has achieved the fourth circled heart in her magical journey]


    [Your INT equivalently increases]


    [Error]


    [The user does not possess an INT stat]


    [Would you like to create an INT stat?]


    [Yes\\No]


    [Otherwise, the obtained stats would be randomly distributed among the user''s current stats]


    Wei Jun was stumped over that decision so he asked the system.


    [It''s a stat for mages]


    [Mages need a clear head]


    [This does that]


    [A clear mind also helps to make the mana flow better so increasing it makes storing mana very easy]


    [In simpler words, if Qi is the main stat of cultivators, then INT is the main stat of mages]


    ''What would happen if I obtained it?'' Wei Jun questioned. Would he be able to use mana as well?


    [No idea]


    [Since I was both a cultivator and a mage]


    [I can''t really tell whether Qi was affected by this stat or not]


    Wei Jun fell into serious thought. He didn''t know what it would to do him but he wasn''t sure how it could adversely affect him.


    ''It''s always nice to have more options, but¡­'' Wei Jun finally made a decision and clicked¡­

 Chapter 285 Partners

    "You''re smiling. It seems someone''s about to be robbed." Xia Lu said as she and Wei Jun sat in the same restaurant he was meeting Mark Wilson for lunch, now eating dinner."I''m smiling because I''ve come across great fortune these days." Wei Jun said.


    "Is that so?" Xia Lu asked before she posed a question with a glare, "It wouldn''t have anything to do with spending time with Yue Peng and Lin Ruan behind closed doors, right?"


    "What?" Wei Jun asked, confused by what she meant.


    "As expected," Xia Lu said with a sigh, "There''s a rumor going on around the city. You spent some time with Yue Peng and Lin Ruan in their offices. And then they were left unable to do anything. Apparently, there was a lot of screaming."


    Wei Jun wasn''t so dense that he wouldn''t understand the meaning behind such obvious words. He simply nodded and said, "People can make stories. There''s nothing I can do about it. I''m just surprised."


    "About what?" Xia Lu asked.


    "You''re not throwing a fit." Wei Jun simply said.


    Xia Lu scoffed. It was true she was the jealous type so it really was a surprise she didn''t behead Wei Jun in her mind for a thousandth time by now.


    "I know you''re not the type. We''re clearly in a relationship yet all we''ve done is kiss." Xia Lu said, disappointment evident in her words.


    "Is that so?" Wei Jun, once again, not being dense at all, picked up the true essence of her words and said, "We have been going out for some time now. It really is strange."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    ~~


    Wei Jun woke up in his bed, glancing at the system blinking. Wei Jun willed the notifications to open.


    [Integration with INT stat complete]


    [INT stat +31]


    [Error]


    [Mana not found]


    [Incorporating effect of the INT stat according to the user''s physique]


    [INT stat integration complete]


    [Effect: Your skill''s effects would be enhanced according to your current stat]


    [Current increase 6%]


    ''So it increases by one perfect every five of INT?'' Wei Jun asked the system.


    [It seems so]


    [To be honest, I didn''t expect such an effect]


    [A permanent buff is rare; you know]


    [Quite rare actually]


    ''So it''s a good thing I have it?'' Wei Jun asked just in case. He felt good about it but he didn''t know whether or not the other option would have been more favorable.


    [I have no idea]


    [Every stat is important]


    ''Not every.'' Wei Jun said as he looked at his charm and luck stat. His luck wasn''t particularly good as far as his experience went. As for charm, the only thing it did was make him handsome. Nothing else.


    [Everything is a skill, host]


    [You just don''t know how to properly utilize it]


    [It they were so useless]


    [They wouldn''t have been a part of the system] S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [They''re there for a reason]


    For some reason, Wei Jun couldn''t help but think that the system''s words held great weight. Since the system was never unreliable in any case, Wei Jun decided to trust it this time as well.


    With that done and his vacation drawing near its end, Wei Jun wanted to deal with some more stuff before he headed back to the military this evening. Especially with Yan Rong since she was the only one he hadn''t met yet.


    Wei Jun stood up and went to the bathroom. After properly cleaning himself up, he came out and dressed up properly.


    "I was thinking," A voice said, "I want to make our relationship public."


    "I don''t mind," Wei Jun simply said and approached the owner of the voice on the other side of the bed, "Do as you like."


    He pecked Xia Lu on her lips with a slight smile. Xia Lu smiled in return and asked, "Are you sure you want to leave so early?"


    As she asked, she also removed the blanket covering her body. Wei Jun, however, kept his gaze fixated on her eyes and said, "I love you but a man needs to work as well."


    "Tch." Xia Lu tutted and said, displeasure evident in her voice, "Who knows when you will be back again."


    "Then you can visit me. I''m sure I can disappear into the woods for a while." Wei Jun said with a smirk before he whispered in Xia Lu''s ear, "Besides, I don''t think you''ll be able to take another round."


    Remembering the embarrassing things she did last night, Xia Lu kept her mouth shut. Wei Jun chuckled and left the bedroom. He made breakfast while Xia Lu freshened up. Once they had eaten, Wei Jun left to take care of his matters while Xia Lu left for the agency.


    Wei Jun had stressed that she focused on her cultivation but she was adamant on focusing on the entrainment world as well. The world was going through a rough patch right now and among that tenseness, entertainment was the only way to blow off some steam.


    While Wei Jun didn''t agree with her because his mindset was of ''one''s survival first'', he didn''t want to needlessly meddle with her life, so he agreed with whatever she said while still suggesting that she focused on her cultivation as well.


    Wei Jun went to the same restaurant he frequented for all his meetings and waited for some time. Since he had already eaten, he just ordered some juice and waited for Yan Rong to arrive.


    The meeting time was still an hour away but Wei Jun didn''t have anything to do until then so he just remained in his place, enjoying glass after glass of juice.


    After about five glasses, Yan Rong finally arrived, dressed as fancy as anyone could have. Wei Jun smiled as he looked at her, her expression full of expectancy.


    "Did you wait for long?" She asked with a smile that captivated everyone in the vicinity. Even those who were with their partners.


    Wei Jun shook his head and replied, "I just arrived." He had the glasses cleared away so it really was like he just arrived. They ordered food and some beverages. Although Wei Jun had eaten not too long ago, his stomach was a bottomless pit that was never sated.


    "And so, I had to clear an A rank dungeon all on my own." While they shared stories and talked to each other, Yan Rong told him about her military life. With the CSF basically becoming one with the military, her rank had now changed as well. She was a commissioned brigadier which was actually quite a big rank in the military.


    Too bad she wasn''t in the same region as Wei Jun otherwise she would have definitely pulled some strings for him.


    "Was it dangerous?" Wei Jun asked.


    "It¡­ was." Yan Rong paused before she replied. She raised her hand and said, "I never trained so I don''t know how to do so in the first place. But I feel like my growth is too slow."


    Wei Jun remembered what the system had said about Yan Rong. She was born with a Divine ranked cultivation technique. While she grew stronger every day, she also didn''t know how to tap into her inherent cultivation technique.


    It was also the reason why the system wanted Wei Jun to give the cultivation technique of the frost queen to Yan Rong so she could learn the basics of Qi and then tap into her own.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Eat well. We''ll be focusing on this today as well."


    "Focusing on what?" Yan Rong asked with a confused expression.


    ~~


    "When you said that with such a serious expression," Yan Rong said with a dazed expression before she turned to Wei Jun, "This is definitely not what I expected."


    Wei Jun smiled and stood up, clothes appeared out of nowhere on his body, and said, "It''s only fair."


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    "What is?" Yan Rong once again asked with a confused expression but Wei Jun moved on from the subject and said, "Get dressed. We need to get to work."


    "What work?" Yan Rong asked.


    "To make you stronger." Wei Jun said with a smirk before he turned to his system.


    [Shop coins: 231,091,914]


    Wei Jun had accumulated a revenue of 23 billion yuan so far with the help of Yue Peng and Lin Ruan, his two business giants. He also had great income coming from his fully automated businesses.


    While most of the money was in black, it didn''t matter to the system. It didn''t care what kind of currency it was and whether or not was it legal. As long as Wei Jun had money, he could convert it to shop coins at the ratio of 1:100 with ''one'' being the shop coin.


    Wei Jun was left with twenty-three million coins, his biggest accumulation so far. Unfortunately, it was all about to be evaporated.


    [Lunar Yin Embrace]


    [Tier: S]


    [Description: A cultivation technique that was created by the moon princess when she visited the place where the moon shone the brightest


    Mastering this technique requires tranquility and serenity


    But if you manage to master its secrets, you will become the princess of the moon itself


    Bright, serene, calm, and most importantly, devastating]


    [Effect(s):


    Affinity with water +50%


    Cultivation speed under the full moon +500%


    All skills under the moonlight +100% stronger and cheaper]


    [Cost: 100,000,000]


    Looking at the description and its effects, Wei Jun wanted the technique himself. Too bad he didn''t possess Yin energy but for Yan Rong, it was the best.


    It was recommended by the system so Wei Jun bought it with hesitation even though the price of the technique was a bit too much.


    And also, his expenditure wasn''t over yet¡­


    [Would you like to use 100,000,000 shop coins to activate your class?]


    [Yes\\No]

 Chapter 286 Classes

    Wei Jun couldn''t access his class tab no matter how much he tried. So, he consulted the system.[I have no idea]


    [I''ve never heard of such a class]


    [But you could activate it]


    ''Activate it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [System override]


    [I could do it for you]


    [But the price for that is a bit¡­]


    ''How much?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [A hundred million shop coins]


    ''Ten billion, huh?'' Wei Jun mused once he heard the price. The price was a bit too much for the current Wei Jun. His businesses were just at the starting point so he didn''t think he would be able to make that much.


    However, he was pleasantly surprised when Yue Peng showed him the black money revenue she had generated in the last few months. According to her, with the introduction of the dungeons, there was some new merchandise on the black market.


    Naturally, she dipped her hands into it too, and made quite a buck. On the other hand, with a pharmaceutical company in her hands and her being the sole seller and buyer, Lin Ruan was making a lot of money through the black market as well.


    Wei Jun couldn''t have been more happy when both of them casually slapped him with more than twenty billion yuan.


    His primary goal was a body cultivation technique but he had to push that goal a little forward because he didn''t have the money yet. So, he had to do what he could at the moment. His first goal was to activate his class but he would still have a lot of money left unused.


    That was when Yan Rong raised her point of a blockade. Wei Jun didn''t hesitate for a bit and purchased a technique for her so she could learn about Qi on her own and tap into her own cultivation technique.


    ''But, while she gets ready¡­'' While Yan Rong was washing up, Wei Jun popped open the window of his class and activated it without any hesitation.


    [Congratulations]


    [System override has been accepted]


    [Class ''Invader'' has been activated]


    [To activate a secondary class, please finish class quests]


    [Error]


    [Four class quests have been completed]


    [One secondary class can be selected]


    [Would you like to activate one?]


    [Yes\\No]


    ''Now what the hell is this?'' Wei Jun was expecting a lot of dramatic show but nothing of the sort happened. His class was simply activated but before he could even check what his class did, he was bombarded with another option.


    [I''d recommend selecting one right away]


    [Secondary classes help a lot]


    Wei Jun nodded and accepted the secondary class acquisition.


    [Please choose one of the four classes below]


    [Herald of darkness]


    [The Messiah of Hope]


    [Immortal]


    Wei Jun waited for a bit for more information to appear but nothing else happened except for the names. He clicked on them but nothing happened. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He once again asked the system but the system simply replied¡­


    [I cannot help you with that, host]


    [That has to be your decision]


    ''Tch.'' Wei Jun tutted but clicked on the last one. He didn''t know what all those fancy words meant but he at least knew what darkness and hope meant. However, he also knew what immortality meant and if that meant anything like he thought it would, he had no choice but to accept it.


    As expected¡­


    [You have selected the class ''Immortal'']


    [HP has increased by 100] Explore more at empire


    [Passive skill ''Regeneration'' acquired]


    [Effect: Constant regeneration of health]


    [Sleeping explosively enhances regeneration of health]


    [Active skill ''Sacrifice'' acquired]


    [Effect: Restores a portion of your health upon killing]


    [Duration: 10 minutes]


    [Cost: 500 QP]


    ''That''s¡­'' Wei Jun was a little surprised at the amazing effect of his class. On that note, he couldn''t help but be more anticipated by the effects of his real class.


    [Class: Invader]


    [Effect(s):


    #1: The effect of the world''s laws decreased by 50%


    #2: ???


    #3: ???]


    ''That''s¡­'' Now Wei Jun was disappointed. As amazing as the effects of a secondary class were, the sole effect of his primary class was ambiguous as hell.


    [Want me to explain?]


    ''Yeah.'' Wei Jun said so.


    [You couldn''t have a better class]


    [And the effect is a god send]


    ''How so?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Remember that dragon''s tear from Run Long]


    ''Yeah¡­'' Wei Jun didn''t know where this was going.


    [You couldn''t take it because there was a risk the world''s will will find you]


    [But now you can take it]


    Wei Jun could have already taken it because his stats were almost 300 each, however, that was the minimum requirement and didn''t his safety. Now though, according to the system, the case was different. If Wei Jun had it before, he could have simply consumed the dragon''s tear when his stats were just in the 150s.


    "Ready?" Yan Rong asked as she came out of the shower, her hair still wet.


    Wei Jun nodded, pushing the questions he had to the back of his mind, and sat down on the floor with Yan Rong. Once he was ready, he granted Yan Rong the cultivation technique through the system and just sat back.


    Unlike Xia Lu, Yan Rong had previous knowledge about cultivation so she was easily able to digest all the information, and once she was done, she opened her eyes.


    It took her just an hour to comprehend everything and once she did, she couldn''t help but be amazed by what she had just learned.


    "Master it. You won''t be able to do it fully, but also try and tap into your own technique the same way." Wei Jun said.


    "My own technique?" Yan Rong asked.


    "You were born with it. You will figure it out." Wei Jun said and stood up. It was almost evening and he needed to be back by eight so he gave a small kiss on Yan Rong''s cheek and said, "Focus."


    With that, he left for his base. Wei Jun arrived at his base after about two hours. It was after curfew but since he was on authorized vacation, he wasn''t punished in any way.


    When he returned to his platoon room, he saw that the men were asleep while the light in the girls'' room was still on. Wei Jun ignored them because he wasn''t allowed to exercise any authority when the females were in their room after training hours.


    Instead, he returned to his bed and went to sleep. Tomorrow, he would be joining the big leagues after all.


    ~~


    As a corporal, a soldier had special privileges. One of such privileges was the authority to enter E and D rank dungeons even on days they didn''t have to. On Sunday, a C rank dungeon was mandatory but other than that, for each E and D rank dungeon, he and his team will get 100 and 200 contribution points respectively.


    It was done so because the number of E and D rank dungeons was massive. There were too many of them and not many willing to clear them so a reward was offered to deal with that. The reward offered was contribution points.


    As was going for the last ten weeks, Wei Jun would have to spend five weeks as a corporal granted he didn''t fail even once. For each dungeon, the maximum points he''d obtain were 4,000 while he needed 20,000 to advance to the next rank in the military.


    Wei Jun looked at his soldiers who were also looking at him with stoic expressions, while very much so scared on the inside, and said, "From today onwards, until the weekly mandatory dungeon, we will be clearing 5 E rank and 2 D rank dungeons. Am I clear?"


    "¡­" The platoon remained silent. They weren''t silent because they agreed with Wei Jun. They were just silent because they couldn''t even register Wei Jun''s words.


    Wei Jun, however, took their silence as agreement and proudly nodded, "Gear Up! We leave in ten!"


    And so, that day, and for the next four days, the E and D rank dungeons were cleared at breakneck speed. So many cleared a day and in just five days, their numbers had reduced by half.


    Naturally, the news of such a feat reached the top brass and as it did, all eyes turned to the enlisted platoon''s company five which was doing what no one else was willing to do.


    "Wei Jun Ruan," A man said as he sipped his tea, "Tell me about him."


    A man sitting in front of him, his expression neutral, replied, "Wei Jun Ruan. A descendant of the Ruan family, the sole grandson of Sun Ruan, and as it appears, quite a treasured disciple of the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect as shown by how their sect master stood up against the commander Han of the CSF for him."


    "And?" The man asked, "Why was he wanted by the CSF?"


    "Because CSF had reasons to believe that he was the presumed biker, the one who terrorized the Yuan Yin city." The subordinate replied.


    "And was he?" The man asked.


    "That remains to be undetermined, sir." The subordinate replied before he added, "While it was proven that Wei Jun Ruan was present in his sect behind closed-door training when the biker was in the CSF''s custody. The CSF still firmly believes it was him." The subordinate replied.


    "Is that why, even when his talent and cultivation are massive, he''s given scrubs?" The man asked.


    It didn''t make any sense for a Qi master to be attending to such low-level gates. The reason was only one. Someone was interfering.


    "¡­" The subordinate remained silent. That was all the answer needed.


    The man nodded and said, "Fix a meeting with Wei Jun Ruan. We need to make use of his power while we still can."


    "At once, sir," The subordinate replied and left, leaving the man with his own thoughts.

 Chapter 287 The world of the strong

    A week peacefully passed and Wei Jun was assigned his first C rank dungeon. Wei Jun wasn''t particularly thrilled about this but at least it beat the E and D rank dungeons. Five days of the week Wei Jun spent on them and the points he obtained were just 4500 from his scheduled dungeons.He wanted to increase the number but he wasn''t sure his squad could keep up with that and since he wasn''t a tyrant, he decided to keep the number same. If only he knew that the number, he was keeping to a minimum, was a hell level difficulty for his squad. They had to clear five E rank and two D rank dungeons in a day for five days straight. Wei Jun decided to give them the Saturday off to prepare for the big game the next day.


    The C rank dungeon.


    Still, he wasn''t impressed. The things inside were wolves, or at least they resembled wolves. They were smaller in size and filthier. Way, way filthier. The stench emitting from them was enough to even make Wei Jun frown so it was very easy to assume what the squad was going through.


    [Swamp Jackals]


    [Tier C]


    [Strength: 71]


    [Agility: 82]


    [Stamina: 69]


    [Miasma: 119]


    For Wei Jun these stats weren''t anything too difficult but for his squad, the wolves were opponents one up their levels.


    Still, Wei Jun didn''t care. They had to fight them or die trying. Of course, he wouldn''t let them die but he wasn''t going to take it so easy on them as well. He was going to let them deal with the wolves to the point they were almost dead and then heal them back to full health using a health pill.


    The fight was¡­ anything but professional. Wei Jun couldn''t decide whether to be angry that they forgot all techniques in the face of the stronger opponent or understand their circumstance since the wolves were quite stronger than them.


    ''Should I provide them with resources¡­'' Wei Jun had a thought as he observed them all fight. Every time the jackals appeared, they would be in groups of five or six. Since his platoon consisted of ten, including him, nine of the soldiers were left to fight the wolves.


    By hook or by crook, they all managed to fill up their points and once their contribution points form this dungeon were maxed out, Wei Jun pulled them back from the fights. He still hadn''t done a thing so he was still at zero but he could feel that the boss was very close.


    He didn''t want to waste contribution points so he took the battle into his own hands. Of course, in his hands, there was anything but a battle. It was a one-sided massacre that even scared these hungry wolves.


    For the first time, they tried to run away. However, there was nowhere to run away. They''d die before they could even turn around to run.


    [Contribution points: 2116]


    Wei Jun nodded. There was still the boss left and the boss was a lot of contribution points. He waved his hand and stored all the bodies of the monsters in his inventory.


    He didn''t do so before but now he was doing it because according to Yue Peng, the black market required the corpses of monsters. That was how she made so much money. So she asked Wei Jun to get her some if he could and if by chance there was a crystal in them, it would sell for quite a penny.


    Since there were rarely any E rank miasma crystals, and since they couldn''t increase his Qi because of how massive it was as well, so he decided to save all of them for her. He did the same for the D rank ones. But the C rank ones were different. They could still increase his Qi by a few points, not to mention, he needed his squad to raise their levels as well.


    So deciding to keep the C rank miasma crystals for himself, Wei Jun stored everything else for the past week in his inventory with the intention of delivering them to Yue Peng.


    The soldiers were asked to bring some monsters with them if they could but once the dungeon was cleared, there was enough time to take all of the bodies and run so the soldiers were asked to bring out as much as they could.


    Since most of them went to waste, it didn''t matter if Wei Jun took a lot of them. As for his squad, they thought that it was the ring on Wei Jun''s finger that did the trick of storing the monster corpses.


    As for the greed in their eyes. Well, there was none. Even though they that they had also killed these monsters, they also knew that the military would take them anyway and would only give them scrubs in return for it.


    However, even then they didn''t rat Wei Jun out because they feared him more than they dreamed of being rich. Not to mention that fact that Wei Jun made them stronger every day while the military didn''t even pay them minimum wage for risking their lives.


    "Good." Wei Jun said and then stopped just before they arrived at the boss area. They could see the boss in the distance, sitting in the swamp, asleep.


    "Are we surprise attacking it, boss?" One of the girls asked. While it was mandatory they called Wei Jun by his appropriate title and rank, Wei Jun had asked them to address him like so, so they did as they were told.


    Wei Jun shook his head and said, "No, you''re not doing anything." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun turned to them and then pulled a set of pills from his inventory and handed it to them. "What you''re doing is consuming all of those."


    "What are these, boss?" One of the girls couldn''t help but ask. While they did almost anything Wei Jun told them to without question, they still hesitated before consuming something strange.


    "These will make you strong." Wei Jun simply said before he asked, "Are you sure you just want to remain here and probably die one day? In the military, you are bound to die facing these monsters because you''re not strong enough. Even now, the monsters that couldn''t even stand a wave of my hand were too much for you guys to deal with. Sooner or later, you will die. Wouldn''t it be better to become strong, reach the rank you need to, and be done with this?"


    "And then what?" one of the soldiers asked, looking at Wei Jun with an expectant expression, he asked, "What do we do once we''re out of here?" Continue your journey on empire


    "Do whatever you want." Wei Jun simply said. He didn''t invite them to join him. Granted he needed cultivators on his side as well, but he wasn''t going to make them stay by his side. If they wanted to stay, they would have to choose to do so out of their own volition.


    But for now, if Wei Jun wanted them to follow him to a higher point in the military, he needed them to be strong.


    So for that, even if he had to spend some money, he''d gladly do so because the things that made cultivators strong at their base were quite cheap in the shop but very, very necessary to the cultivators.


    So¡­


    "But brace yourself," Wei Jun said when they were about to eat, "The path to strength, as I''ve learned first hand, comes from pain."


    A choice. That was what he was granting them. He was giving them an option to give up. Because while he did hope they would join him after their military service, he also wanted dependable people on his side.


    People who would cower from pain weren''t worthy of being his followers. He didn''t want someone like that in the first place.


    But to his surprise, none of them chose otherwise and swallowed the first pill without hesitation.


    Wei Jun didn''t know what would happen if they were to take them all at once but he wasn''t curious to find out as well. He was more than happy with spending some time in the filthy, smelly dungeon rather than save time and traverse into the territory of the unknown.


    [They''d die]


    ''That''s what I thought.''


    As expected, the system knew better so Wei Jun just went with the longer way rather than take an unnecessary risk.


    And soon, the swamp was filled with screams of the pained ones but Wei Jun simply remained in his place and observed. The screams did wake up the sleeping jackal, but one gaze from Wei Jun, it remained in its spot, too scared to even move.


    If the boss were to die, they would have to move out of the dungeon. But as long as the boss was alive, they could take as long as they needed.


    Fortunately, they didn''t need a long time because, in just an hour, nine men and women, swimming in their own filth were heavily breathing but also¡­


    [Qi sense realm]


    They had all entered the realm of the third stage of Qi. Wei Jun smiled while they were panting, "Welcome to the world of the strong."


    He paused for a little before he said, "Let us begin in the earnest."

 Chapter 288 The summon

    "Ugh. I stink." One of the women from Wei Jun''s platoon said as they were heading back after clearing the dungeon."Just say you fell into the swamp. It fits the setting anyway." Wei Jun said before he turned to them and asked, "How do you all feel?"


    "Amazing." Everyone swiftly replied. Wei Jun nodded and said, "That''s good. Now that I''ve seen your determination, come find me after your military service."


    Everyone was ecstatic over receiving the offer. However, what truly made up their mind was the scene from fifteen minutes ago. The scene where Wei Jun ripped the head of the dungeon boss with his bare hands.


    The worst part was that the boss jackal could only accept its fate and not even fight back. That was a power that none of them had ever seen before. It was beyond power. Something more. Something deep that fell into the category of authority. Something about Wei Jun''s presence demanded subservience.


    Maybe that was why none of them could ever even think about defying Wei Jun''s orders even when they didn''t really have to. However, now, there was none of that anymore. Now, they would gladly follow Wei Jun if Wei Jun could give them the power they had just witnessed.


    "Boss," The other woman called Wei Jun. Wei Jun turned the corner of his eye to allow her to ask the question, "Can I become as strong as you?"


    "I don''t see why not." Wei Jun simply replied, "If I can, then anyone can."


    Wei Jun had grown stronger under a lot of unfavorable conditions. Still, he managed to push through. The excuse that he had the system was an unfair one. Wei Jun could say with guarantee that he went through enough pain to claim the power he had as his own.


    The female soldier didn''t know how to interpret that answer but she still nodded, taking the answer in a positive sense. Wei Jun looked at her and then turned his attention to the dungeon exit.


    Before he came out, he handed them all some D rank Miasma crystals and said, "Cultivate. I want all of you in top condition for the next dungeon."


    Once he said his part, without even waiting for a reply, he turned and exited the dungeon. As he did, he saw another soldier standing next to the dungeon administrator, and from the way the latter was acting, it was clear the soldier outside the dungeon was a high-ranking one.


    "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan." The man said.


    Wei Jun stood at attention and said, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan reporting, sir."


    "You have been summoned to the office of Brigadier General Tang''s office." The man relayed the message he was there to relay.


    Wei Jun saluted and said, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan acknowledged, sir."


    "Good." The man nodded and left, his expression as stoic as it was in the beginning. However, the faces of those behind Wei Jun were a little tense. Huan Tang was known to be a patriot and a fanatic for the army. His strength as a Qi master in the middle realm was also a real deal.


    Wei Jun, whose strength was also somewhere the same, wasn''t worried about dealing with him. However, he currently had a headache over how to deal with the current situation.


    He wasn''t an idiot that he wouldn''t be able to tell what the Brigadier General wanted. Wei Jun was a talent not many had and strength also didn''t belong to those at the likes of a corporal.


    After all, most of the people at his rank weren''t even in the realm of Qi gathering yet. Yet his squad, a bunch of private first classes, the second lowest rank in the army, were at the third realm of the Qi cultivation.


    Not to mention, Wei Jun was at the level of a Brigadier General and even that was a special case. Most of the people at the same rank were barely in the fourth realm of cultivation, let alone at the second rank of it where Wei Jun currently was.


    [An offer]


    Wei Jun was about to receive an offer to become a commissioned officer rather than a non-commissioned one as it was stated in his enlistment. Wei Jun was, after all, a disciple of the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect. He could only be enlisted in the army until his mandatory service was completed.


    However, the military had enough power to make it so that Wei Jun could remain in the military if he wanted to. And even if he didn''t want to¡­


    Well, that was actually what worried Wei Jun.


    So while he hoped for the otherwise, he didn''t hold much hope for any favorable conditions as well.


    As Wei Jun arrived in front of the Brigadier General''s office, a man in a robe was standing outside who waved his hand and said a few words. As he did, Wei Jun felt something happen around him and he would have acted unfavorably if the system hadn''t calmed him down.


    [Relax]


    [It''s a simple cleansing spell]


    And the system was correct. Wei Jun was suddenly cleaned of all the filth that he accumulated from the swamp. Not even a speck of filth was left on him.


    He didn''t smell fragrant so he considered the spell didn''t provide that effect.


    ''That''s a useful thing.'' Wei Jun remarked.


    [You can purchase the skill from the shop]


    [It can be modified for Qi at a small price]


    ''Can all mage skills be modified like that?'' Wei Jun asked he entered the office only to find it empty.


    [Yes]


    [The price, however, would vary]


    ''How so?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [If you want to modify the highest rank spell for a fire mage which is meteor]


    [Then¡­]


    [Cost: 10,000,000,000]


    If Wei Jun wasn''t trained in the art of stoicism, he would have definitely thrown up at the amount he was seeing on the system.


    [Don''t be too surprised]


    [That''s actually a discount]


    ''That''s a discount?!''


    Wei Jun had to use his all to keep his voice in his head. He didn''t want to yell in the Brigadier''s office which was definitely being monitored.


    [That spell alone can level this entire base and no one can do anything about it]


    [Besides, only a tenth-circle mage can cast that spell alone]


    [Any lower]


    [Then they need to be in groups] S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [The effectiveness of the skill lessens by quite a margin as well]


    [So when I say that that skill is there for a cheap price]


    [You should believe me]


    The system wasn''t one to joke and even Wei Jun knew that well. Still, a trillion yuan was a dream still too far away. While he did make up his mind to purchase some mage skills because they were undeniably useful, he decided to keep that goal secondary because his primary goal yet was a body cultivation technique.


    On that note, while Wei Jun was waiting, he kept his head straight and didn''t move his gaze by an inch.


    [How long do they intend to make you wait?]


    ''It''s to display their authority.''


    Wei Jun had been waiting for almost thirty minutes when finally, the door opened and a man with the build of a bodybuilder entered the room, an apologetic smile on his face as he took his seat and said, "My apologies. I was busy dealing with some urgent matters."


    Wei Jun made sure to point out with his gaze the smudge of sauce on the shirt of the Brigadier General. The Brigadier General, however, remained silent.


    It was a silent question, ''Even if you know, what are you going to do about it?''


    It was an obvious display of Wei Jun''s powerlessness. He had no power there even when he and the Brigadier General were of the same level in strength.


    Wei Jun simply replied, without any nod or change in his facial expression, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan. I understand, sir."


    Huan Tang frowned a little. He hadn''t expected Wei Jun to show no reaction at all. Anyone, even those who were trained to keep their calm, would show some level of dissatisfaction when treated with such blatant disrespect. Especially when they were as strong as Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun, however, showed no reaction at all. It was an answer.


    ''You already lost the first round.'' The answer was clear. The reason for this entire debacle was to unsettle Wei Jun yet the entire point of this scenario was lost when Wei Jun did nothing about it.


    They had done all that for nothing.


    "I thank you for your understanding." The Brigadier replied before he said, "Allow me to get straight to the point." He paused for a little while before he continued, "I want you to join the military. Your talent is too much for it to be wasted at the lower ranks. You can help the empire much better if you join the higher rankings of the military."


    Wei Jun remained silent for a while. The reason for that was¡­


    ''What sort of bullsh*t is this?''

 Chapter 289 The plan

    Wei Jun had come to that office, expecting a play of politics and a game of wits. However, he was being preached about loyalty and patriotism by the man before him. It appeared the Brigadier hadn''t prepared anything else but the power play of making Wei Jun wait. How was he supposed to take this conversation in any way other than take advantage of it?However, fortunately for the Brigadier, Wei Jun was a kind-hearted man. He decided to forgive the man just this once since he wasn''t going to remain in the military for a very long time.


    However, answering the man was an entirely different matter. An outright refusal wasn''t an option from the beginning. They had made sure of that. What Wei Jun needed to do was to buy time and get this word out.


    Read latest chapters at empire


    If his sect received the news of such an offer, it would surely make the military answer. No matter how powerful the military was, they were still trying to poach one of the prospects of the sect. They had to answer their unethical move.


    "As the Brigadier General knows I didn''t come here with the intention of becoming a commissioned officer," Wei Jun began, which sounded like a refusal which made the Brigadier frown, which was exactly what Wei Jun was checking for, and continued what he was saying, "However, I also see what the military is doing for the people. Hence, allow me some time to make up my mind."


    Wei Jun executed many, many ploys at the same time. He relayed how noble the military was but also relayed that his initial goal was something else and since it was something else, he needed some time to make up his mind.


    It would have been difficult for an extension to be granted usually but since Wei Jun had made sure to praise the army and relayed how he saw it in a positive light, he turned his chances pretty up high. And even if he wasn''t granted a time extension, then it would seem like the military was forcing him to do something that would crush that positive view that Wei Jun positively had.


    The military couldn''t afford that. If Wei Jun was forced into the military, the military could lose a potential prospect in doing so.


    However, if they were also to keep that positive image maintained, they needed to show him some perks of the military.


    "There is a dungeon expedition in five days. It''s an A rank dungeon and nothing too difficult of a task. I would like it if you could join that expedition." Huan Tang said. Wei Jun could see the obvious purpose of this dungeon expedition.


    It was to check how he would do and also a great chance to show a power-hungry man like Wei Jun that the military could arrange things for him before any of the sects could. Because if there was one thing Wei Jun had made clear with all of his actions so far, then that was his hunger for power.


    For such a man, the military could offer him a great deal of power. The only requirement was loyalty. Undying, unwavering loyalty to the military and military alone.


    While on the outside, the military was at the beck and call of the emperor, on the inside, the story wasn''t quite so. Wei Jun wasn''t too sure about it since even Mark Wilson, the one who had delivered that information, had only referred to it as a rumor.


    Since Wei Jun wasn''t too sure, he wasn''t going to keep it in mind as well. For now, Wei Jun was simply going to keep the matters strictly related to the military. Even if the imperial family''s information was true, Wei Jun wasn''t going to take a chance and reveal anything here. After all, it was a card against the imperial family and most probably, the military as well. He would be foolish enough to reveal it here.


    Simply, he gave a quick but lively response in the form of a salute and said, "It would be an honor, Sir."


    With that out of the way, Wei Jun simply left the office.


    [That was something]


    [He must think you''re an idiot]


    ''No, he knows I caught on. And that''s the fact he''s relying on.'' Wei Jun replied to the system.


    [Then you''re still going to go?]


    [Even though you know it''s a trap]


    ''Since I know the stage is his, it''s all the more reason to go. That way, all responsibility lies on him.'' Wei Jun replied.


    Wei Jun was wrong. The Brigadier had moves. A lot, lot, and lots of moves after his speech about loyalty and whatnot. It was just a simple ploy to throw Wei Jun off balance and while it would have worked usually, it didn''t this time thanks to the fact that Wei Jun managed to catch on quite quickly.


    But even when he had, he had to face another problem. The Brigadier once again used the power play from earlier. It was still the game of ''Even if you know what are you going to do about it'' and Wei Jun could indeed do nothing about it.


    So behind all that goodwill was nothing but a show of the military''s power. With all that in mind, Wei Jun would have been an idiot to say no. So he tried to buy himself some time.


    However, the Brigadier was able to catch on that as well. What Wei Jun needed was time. Time before he could get the word out. However, weekly visits were on Saturdays. Wei Jun was being asked to join the expedition on Friday, five days from now.


    Not enough time for Wei Jun to get the word out. It was enough for Wei Jun to make up his mind, but not enough for the military''s unethical move to be exposed to the powers on the outside.


    There was one thing Wei Jun figured out about the dungeons and it was a very simple one. That simple fact was that there was no better secret keeper than dungeons. Whatever happened on the inside of the dungeon would remain inside the dungeon before the dungeon closed. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kill anyone inside the dungeon and once it closed when the time ran out, whatever happened on the inside would be the truth only those who made it out would say. The military could easily kill Wei Jun inside and then blame it on the boss. Making him a hero or an idiot on the outside was their choice, but whatever they said would be the truth.


    "Well," Wei Jun said in a low voice, "Two can play that game."


    ~~


    As Wei Jun returned to his base, he pulled something out of his inventory. It was a burner phone. While the personnel of the military couldn''t bring in phones from the outside, Wei Jun was a special case who could bring in anything hidden in his inventory.


    However, the military was cautious regarding that. There were things that could act as an inventory in the outside world too. Rings or artifacts of the mages that could store things in them. Such as Wei Jun''s ring of infinity that acted as a secondary inventory to hide the real one. Of course, it was checked when he came, but his real one wasn''t.


    Still, the military was once again cautious about that fact. Even if someone managed to sneak in a phone, they had signal jammers placed so that no call or video could be made from the inside of the camp.


    What Wei Jun had brought to remedy that was a burner phone but even that was useless because the military had a remedy for that as well. Special jammers could make that attempt useless as well. If the call went for a few more seconds or the phone was activated for more than thirty seconds, it would be picked up easily.


    However, Wei Jun wasn''t going to make a call on the outside. He was simply going to send a message. One message of one word before the phone was activated for too long.


    "The plan is go." Wei Jun wrote in the message before he crushed the phone to shut it the fastest and stored the remnants in his inventory.


    Wei Jun had already considered all those possibilities and had discussed them with his sect master on his vacation. When he did so, he made sure to leave every contingency in place.


    Phrases for different plans. For this one, it was ''The plan is go.''


    What was that plan though, only Wei Jun knew of that. All that was left to do was to execute that plan come this Friday. After all, the perfect way to make sure the military couldn''t do anything to him was in the presence of someone who could defend him as well.


    That job would be the sect master''s. His job would be to simply make it out alive.


    He would be the one to take care of the rest.


    "Let''s get ready."

 Chapter 290 Give an answer

    Time passed and it was Thursday evening. Wei Jun and his platoon had just returned to their dorm and settled down. Well, the one to settle down was Wei Jun, the rest just sprawled down and kept panting as if life was about to leave them any moment.The reason for that was that Wei Jun had them meet their weekly quota one day earlier. Since he would be going to the scheduled dungeon expedition on Friday, tomorrow, his platoon had to meet the quota for five days of dungeons in four days.


    Of course, they obtained a good amount of strength from doing so, but their state wasn''t anything less than miserable at the moment. It was a miracle they were alive as well.


    "Wimps." Wei Jun said as he headed to the bathroom and cleared himself. When a dungeon was cleared, the clearing team was bathed in antibiotics in case they were carrying any foreign form of pathogen on them.


    However, it did nothing about the foul smell from occasional dungeons. Wei Jun smelled terrible so he went to clean himself. Once he was clean, he returned to his bed and opened the system panel.


    There was something he had been delaying for quite some time now but it was time to check that out.


    [Wei Jun Ruan


    Level: 187


    Class: Invader


    HP: 196\\196


    QP: 2835\\2835


    Death Qi: 702\\702


    Cultivation realm: Qi master]


    [Strength: 243]


    [Agility: 322]


    [Stamina: 324]


    [Defense: 305]


    [Qi: 377]


    [Charm: 81]


    [Luck: 59]


    Wei Jun''s current stat limit was 380 whereas only one of his stats was close to that point. Other than that, he couldn''t raise any other stat unless he had a body cultivation technique.


    He had the empowerment from the level-ups accumulated, however, there was just one issue with that. Currently, he had 147 levels worth of level-ups and each volume release was 10 levels worth. While he would have loved to increase his stats with those stats, he was the cautious type who didn''t know when he might need something.


    There was a chance he might need to unlock a few volumes in the moment of crisis. He wasn''t too keen on spending those accumulated stat points when he still had options.


    [Would you like to consume Miasma crystals to increase your Qi?]


    [Yes\\No]


    ''Yes.'' Wei Jun relied without a second thought.


    [300 E tier Miasma crystals will be consumed to raise the user''s Qi stat by 1]


    [150 D tier Miasma crystals will be consumed to raise the user''s Qi stat by 1]


    [Error]


    [C Tier Miasma crystals insufficient to raise the user''s Qi stat]


    [Would you like to combine the lower-level Miasma crystals to raise their rank?]


    [Yes\\No]


    ''Yes.''


    [Acknowledged]


    [27 D tier Miasma crystals have been consumed to raise their rank by 1]


    [27 D tier Miasma crystals have been consumed to raise their rank by 1]


    [27 D tier Miasma crystals have been consumed to raise their rank by 1]


    [Error]


    [D tier Miasma crystals insufficient]


    [Combining lower level Miasma crystals]


    [192 D tier Miasma crystals have been consumed to raise their rank by 2]


    [192 D tier Miasma crystals have been consumed to raise their rank by 2]


    [192 D tier Miasma crystals have been consumed to raise their rank by 2]


    [192 D tier Miasma crystals have been consumed to raise their rank by 2]


    [C tier Miasma crystals now sufficient to raise the user''s Qi by 1]


    [Processing]


    [Qi +3]


    [You have reached the maximum limit of your Qi stat]


    [Please raise your level to raise the limit]


    Wei Jun sighed. The leftover Miasma crystals in his inventory were just E tier and even they were just less than a hundred.


    He still needed to deliver some to Yue Peng to increase his money yet he blew almost all of eleven weeks'' worth of Miasma crystals and even those before that to increase his stat just by 3.


    That just showed how high his level was and how low-level dungeons he was clearing. He needed at least B rank dungeons to increase his Qi stats in single digits.


    Another great increment was his Death Qi stat which he hadn''t been able to use freely for a while now. Since the skill ''Unknown'' only covered his Qi trace, not the look of the Death Qi, Wei Jun couldn''t openly use it. Otherwise, just like how Xia Lu was able to understand from one glance that it was some sort of evil Qi, anyone would be able to do so as well.


    Wei Jun had prepared himself all he could. Other than that, there was literally nothing he could do for tomorrow''s expedition. All he could do was hope the military wouldn''t send some truly powerful ones. Otherwise, he might have to kill all of them, not only some of them.


    ~~


    Tomorrow came faster than anyone expected. The platoon had a kind of off that day and since they only had to do mandatory exercises, they slept till late. Wei Jun left the dorm building and arrived at the meeting point.


    When Wei Jun arrived, he saw the Brigadier General, his build as buffy and tall as always, and a man next to him. The same man who had guided Wei Jun to the Brigadier General''s office.


    Other than them, there were eleven more individuals, dressed the same as the man next to the Brigadier. Wei Jun could already tell who he would be entering the dungeon with.


    Twelve plus one equals thirteen.


    ''My favorite number.''


    [Isn''t that an unlucky number?]


    ''Exactly. It''s unlucky as hell for others.''


    [You''re inherently evil, huh?]


    Wei Jun arrived before the Brigadier and gave a firm salute, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan reporting, Sir!" Stay connected through empire


    "Good day, Corporal Ruan," The Brigadier said with a smile before he pointed at the twelve individuals and said, "These will be your squad members today. You are to follow Captain Lei''s instructions while in there."


    Wei Jun wasn''t the one leading the expedition. While Wei Jun was stronger than the other party, he was being asked to follow someone else''s lead. Especially someone weaker than him.


    Anyone in his place would have exploded. Well, no one else would have been put in his place. Any other individual of Wei Jun''s strength and the said person would have been treated like royalty by the military.


    However, Wei Jun was a special case due to his connection with the Ruan family, his sect, and most importantly, his suspicious identity as the biker who had terrorized the entire empire.


    That was the sole reason he was being asked to enroll in the military. To keep him in their eyes and somehow get rid of him. Of course, Wei Jun didn''t know that.


    Still, the military decided otherwise when they saw the immense talent he possessed. They were willing to overlook such allegations as long as Wei Jun joined the military and served the empire.


    Supposedly unaware of their goal, Wei Jun acknowledged the decision without making a fuss and shortly afterward, entered the dungeon gate.


    Just as he did, he felt as if the world around him was changing and rearranging itself.


    ''What the¡­''


    [Umm¡­ Host?]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [What grade of dungeon did they say it was?]


    ''A rank, why?''


    [This isn''t an A rank dungeon]


    [This is straight-up S rank]


    [And you see those creatures far away?] S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun didn''t even have enough time to check his surroundings when the system called out to him so once the system said, Wei Jun looked at the flying creatures far away.


    They seemed like small dinosaurs but with wings.


    [Wyverns]


    [Lower, lower form of Dragons]


    [Servant race of Dragons]


    ''So?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You cannot kill them unless they''re hostile to you]


    Wei Jun remembered something about the system telling him about the dragon race''s imprint on his soul. If he followed that advice, then he needed to know what was at stake.


    ''What would happen if I attacked them while they weren''t hostile to me?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You wouldn''t be able to]


    [A heavy penalty would be incurred in return]


    [In worst-case scenario, you could end up becoming an enemy of the entire dragon race]


    [Trust me]


    [You don''t want that]


    [You can make angels or even the devil an enemy]


    [But dragon never]


    [The moment you do]


    [You can never escape their wrath no matter what life you''re living]


    Wei Jun didn''t understand most of it but he did understand one key aspect.


    Don''t hunt the dragon race.


    Wei Jun nodded and turned to the Captain, whose name was Huatan Lei, a Qi manifestation realm cultivator. Wei Jun looked at him awaiting instruction but he nodded to his team and said, "Except for Corporal Wei Jun Ruan, everyone else is to follow me."


    "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan, Sir! May I ask a question?" While Wei Jun said so, the rest of the team had already relocated behind the Captain.


    "What is it?" The Captain asked with a cold expression.


    "What am I to do, Sir?" Wei Jun asked.


    "You are to hunt them." The Captain said while pointing at the flying creatures behind Wei Jun.


    "Or¡­" He said, turning Wei Jun''s attention back to him which he did and said, "Give me an answer right now, Corporal Ruan."


    "¡­" Wei Jun remained silent. He didn''t need to be told what that meant. He simply smiled and said, "And if I don''t? You think you can get away from me?"


    There was no respect for the superior rank in Wei Jun''s tone. The gig was up.


    "We don''t have to." The Captain said before he pulled a cylindrical canister from his weapons pack and pulled the pin on top of it.


    As he did, a transparent shield appeared around him and the rest of the team.


    [That''s a 5th circle shield spell]


    [You won''t be able to get through it without Death Qi]


    ''Then wouldn''t that be easy?''


    [Not if you want those on the outside to pick it up]


    [Just because you''re here]


    [Doesn''t mean you''re safe]


    [You''re too close to the gate between the dungeon and the outside world]


    [They''ll feel it on the outside]


    ''Why the hell is everything so complicated¡­''


    [What about an alternative?]


    ''What alternative?''


    [The alternative that''s flying around way over there]


    Wei Jun turned to the flying creatures some distance away, still unaware of the uninvited guests.


    Wei Jun sighed and said, "Let''s see if this sh*t works."

 Chapter 291 The dragons tear

    I made a little change in the Dragon tear''s description but this change makes it more sensible.~~


    "Where are you going?" The Captain asked as he saw Wei Jun turn around and walk in the direction of the wyverns, "All you have to do is give an answer."


    "There was a thing my brother always used to say," Wei Jun said as he kept walking, without even turning to look at the platoon, "We don''t kneel."


    No one understood what that meant yet no one could mock that phrase. They didn''t even understand what he meant yet they all had a natural impulse to take his words to heart.


    And fear them, and in doing so, fear him.


    ~~


    Wei Jun must have walked for about an hour. By now, he was well out of the platoon''s eyes.


    ''What''s stopping them from leaving?'' Wei Jun asked. It was a predetermined plan. Except for Wei Jun, there was no one in that platoon who was at the level of the Wyverns yet all of them had come to this place. The question was why?


    Did they plan to leave once Wei Jun was dead? Or did they have another scheme prepared?


    The answer to that came from the system.


    [They cannot leave]


    [Not unless the guardian of this dungeon is killed or permits them to leave]


    ''Guardian?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Some special cases among the monsters]


    [Like the queen bumblebee or the hound]


    [Special monsters, one could say]


    [They are bound to the dungeon]


    [And only their permission or death can unlock the path of return]


    [It''s not the same for all dungeons]


    [But for almost all of the dungeons]


    [It''s like so]


    ''Which means someone is going to join them soon. Someone who can fight the wyverns.'' Wei Jun speculated.


    [It would have to be someone even more powerful than that Brigadier]


    [After all]


    [A blood wyvern is no easy opponent even for Qi Grandmasters]


    ''Blood wyvern?'' Wei Jun was intrigued so he asked.


    [Superior life from of the wyverns]


    [Closest to dragons]


    [They have the thickest dragon blood in them among all types of wyverns]


    [It also allows them to use the skill of dragons]


    [The famed dragon breath]


    [Of course]


    [It''s nowhere near the original]


    [But it will still do the job and cook you well done]


    ''What are you saying?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I''m saying you have no chance of winning]


    [So take that dragon''s tear]


    [And take it now]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what the urgency was about but he did as the system said.


    He pulled the green stone from his inventory and held it in his hand.


    [Tear of the green dragon (Diluted)]


    [Tier B-]


    [Description: Green dragons are beings known for their vitality and strong healing powers. A characteristic unique to them. Not even the great red dragons, the kings of the dragon race possess such strong healing powers]


    [Effect: Upon usage of a cosmic power, you can heal yourself or others]


    [A.N: This is not a skill


    The amount of health recovered is equivalent to the power used]


    [Would you like to absorb the tear of the green dragon (diluted)?]


    [Yes\\No]


    ''Wouldn''t it be better to take it diluted?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [It would definitely be better]


    [But it will also blow you up]


    Wei Jun decided not to comment on that and simply clicked on yes. The next moment, a warm current passed through him as if his body was dipping into a warm sauna bath.


    The feeling didn''t last very long and unlike what Wei Jun expected from the clich¨¦s like that, there wasn''t an ounce of pain. Slowly, the feeling accumulated at one spot and settled down in his heart.


    [Pain isn''t the only thing that brings death]


    Wei Jun was wise enough to agree and looked at the skill window. However, as the description said, there was no skill addition to his skill window.


    ''How do I use it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [How do you use the Death Qi whip?] sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun had no answer to that. Death Qi came to him as if it was a part of his body. Even that didn''t come to him as naturally at first as it was now, but it was at least something he could see.


    Wei Jun closed his eyes and tried to look into his heart. However, he tried and tried and couldn''t reach into his heart. For some reason, he couldn''t inspect his heart like he could inspect his Qi core.


    So, he decided to take a different approach. Since he couldn''t reach into his heart with his mind, he would let something else take his mind into it.


    Wei Jun reached out to his yang Qi and began to circulate it through his body. Naturally, it passed the vessels in his heart and when it did, that was when Wei Jun noticed nothing at all in his heart.


    It was strange, he could feel it in his body before and even now, he could sense something faint in his heart but he could not just pick it up, and now, even with Qi, he was unable to pick up its traces.


    [The imprint is not on your body, host]


    Wei Jun stopped. He distinctively remembered the system saying the imprint of the dragons was on his soul. If that was the case, he had no clue what to do about it.


    [Soul is not something you can reach into]


    [Just feel it]


    [It is a part of you]


    [Just a part you cannot reach]


    [Like the itch on your back that you just cannot scratch but it is still there]


    ''I''m limber and I can reach my back without an issue.'' Wei Jun replied to the analogy represented by the system.


    [¡­ Right]


    [Just feel it]


    Wei Jun sighed and closed his eyes. Once again, he tried to reach into his heart but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn''t. Seeing that nothing improved even after an hour, Wei Jun decided to give up.


    However, just as he did, he suddenly came up with an idea. Something so simple he felt like an idiot not thinking of it before.


    Wei Jun pulled out a knife and slashed himself on his hand. Blood began to dip and a notification of his losing health popped up in his view.


    Soon enough, his HP was lowered by 10. As it did, Wei Jun used his yang Qi to stop the bleeding but he didn''t heal his HP. Once he was done, he willed something deep down in his heart to heal him.


    This time, he didn''t even have to try it as hard as before. Just as he thought of it, strange green energy began to leave his heart and traveled to his hand via the vessels that were used by Qi.


    In just a moment, it was in his hand and his Qi began to be consumed at a fast rate and his HP began to heal. In just a moment, a time so short that Wei Jun hadn''t even blinked his eyes fully open when he was healed.


    And not just that, the same warm current flowed through him once again. Granted, it was less this time than before, but it was still soothing and if Wei Jun wasn''t so much in control of his body, he would have liked to do it again.


    Wei Jun shook his head and tried to dive back into his heart but just as the same as before, Wei Jun could sense something in his heart, but he couldn''t reach out to it. Since he knew how it worked, Wei Jun stopped trying to waste time and made his way toward the place where the wyverns were still flying.


    Wei Jun was near enough for them to pick his scent up but they still didn''t attack him. Wei Jun was feeling optimistic about this so he kept walking in the direction of the place where he could feel a tremendous amount of power coming from.


    As he approached what looked like a cave, wyverns began to land next to him, eyeing him with intentions unknown, Wei Jun contained his composure and kept walking towards the cave.


    While he appeared calm on the outside, Wei Jun was panicking on the inside. This time, he had no plan in his arsenal. No backup plan for fleeing from there. He hadn''t expected the platoon to have a spell prepared. While he did expect a battle, he didn''t expect one with the wyverns.


    His plan had many blind spots and now that those spots were fulfilled, Wei Jun was left with only one option.


    Take a gamble.


    Something he had rarely done before in his life. Whenever Wei Jun headed into a situation, he always had plans from A to Z prepared but this time, his only hope was to believe in his luck.


    As he arrived before the cave, he stopped. The immense pressure coming from the inside was frightening even for him. Once again, he came to the simple realization that this was an opponent he wouldn''t be able to win against.


    The only option was to make that opponent an ally.


    And so, he stepped inside, hoping for the best and anticipating the worst.

 Chapter 292 A deal

    Unlike what he expected, when Wei Jun got to the deep end of the cave, he saw a man sitting on what seemed like a makeshift throne of stone. His eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping but Wei Jun knew that wasn''t it.His striking spiky red hair, paired with his rosy white skin, he seemed very handsome if not for the fact that he seemed very threatening as well. Of course, the threatening part was for Wei Jun only.


    "What do you want, human?" The man asked, his voice heavy, unlike his appearance which could only be one word. Soft.


    "Help," Wei Jun didn''t know what to say so he said the first thing that came into his mind. Wei Jun kept his eyes straight. A word he hadn''t ever said before left his mouth. It felt strange. But there was no shame in his tone. He would ask for help as long as he needed. He just never needed to was all.


    "And why would I help you?" The red-haired man asked, his eyes still closed, "Because of that green dragon''s power in your heart. Or that imprint on your soul. I have news for you, but that imprint doesn''t make you our owners. It''s simply there so we don''t kill you on the first glance."


    Wei Jun remained silent and took a deep breath. "If that is the case," he said, "Then doesn''t that mean there''s a chance for negotiations?"


    The red-haired man finally opened his eyes, his eyes completely red, even the whites of his eyes as well. He looked at Wei Jun and said with a smile, his smile showed that his teeth were spiky as well, "Well, aren''t you a smart one?"


    "That''s right. We need something from you. But the question is¡­" the red-haired man leaned in, "What do you have to offer?"


    "What do you want?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Surprise me," The red-haired man said.


    "I can''t offer anything unless I know what is it that you want," Wei Jun also didn''t budge from his spot.


    "Haha," The red-haired man chuckled, "Fearless as well."


    The first rule of negotiation. Never let the other party know what you have to offer. They will always ask for something more than that. Wei Jun wasn''t going to fall for the oldest trick in the book.


    "What I want is simple. I want out of this prison. Make that happen, and I''ll let you live." The red-haired man said, closing his eyes and resting his head on the throne once again.


    ''Can I get him out of here?'' Wei Jun asked the only person, or entity, who could tell him anything about it.


    [There''s only one way for the current you]


    [Unfortunately for you]


    [He might not be open to that suggestion]


    ''What is it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [He will have to turn into your familiar]


    [But]


    [I wouldn''t say that out loud if I were you]


    [Wyverns only bow to dragons]


    [To no one else]


    [Even if they have the power to eradicate them all]


    Wei Jun sighed and asked, ''What''s the other method?''


    [It won''t work for you]


    ''Just tell me!'' Wei Jun snapped.


    [Fine]


    [You''ll need knowledge of advanced witchcraft for that]


    [Even if you do]


    [You''ll also need power appropriate to that]


    [Right now]


    [There''s nothing you can offer in return for that power]


    Wei Jun remained silent. It seemed like that just as the system said, there was only one option for the current him. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I know what you''re thinking," The red-haired man opened his eyes, "I won''t become your familiar."


    The red-haired man didn''t even give a chance to Wei Jun to put that option on the table. However, he wanted to get out too. And Wei Jun was counting precisely on that option.


    "However," The red-haired man said, "I''d be open to a contract."


    "A contract?" Wei Jun asked.


    [I don''t think that''s a good idea]


    [Contracts are for magicians]


    [Mana users]


    [Dragons are mana users]


    [You''re not]


    [A stable contract cannot be made between you too]


    [In case of penalties]


    [The weaker party will be affected]


    [That''s you]


    ''What are you saying?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I''m saying you''re gonna have to take a chance]


    [Or call it a leap of faith]


    [But you''re the only one who''ll be affected by the contract]


    [Not him]


    [So if you do get him out of here]


    [You''ll be the one in trouble even if he would be the one to cancel the contract]


    Wei Jun''s mind couldn''t comprehend half of what the system said and even half was a stretch. All he knew was one thing and that was that he needed to trust the wyvern.


    However¡­


    ''You''re a magician, right?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Yes¡­?]


    ''A very, very good one, right?'' Wei Jun asked again.


    [Yes...¡­.?]


    ''Then I''m gonna need you to¡­''


    "Have you decided?" The red-haired man asked.


    "Yes," Wei Jun replied, "I''m willing to make a contract as long as you hold up your end of the bargain."


    "Very well. But you will have to lose the familiar seal as soon as we get out of this space." The red-haired man said.


    "And you cannot kill me afterward," Wei Jun said.


    "Sure," The wyvern replied.


    "Sure?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Haa¡­ Fine. We have an accord. On my name as the eldest blood wyvern, I will not kill you even when our contract ends or our connection as a familiar is terminated." The red-haired man gave a detailed condition which Wei Jun didn''t reply to. At least not for some time.


    [It''s good]


    "We have a deal," Wei Jun said in return.


    ~~


    "What''s the situation?" Huan Tang asked as he entered the dungeon after the agreed time had passed. After four hours, however, when he entered, he didn''t encounter the situation he had hoped for.


    Instead, his subordinate platoon was still inside of a barrier, waiting for him by the looks of it.


    "Captain Huatan Lei reporting, Sir." The captain gave a salute before he reported the whole situation. Once the Brigadier was aware of the situation, he turned to look at the newcomer behind him.


    "It seems I can only depend on you now, Commander Zhao." Huan Tang said as the newcomer came into everyone''s view. The entire squad was shocked to see who it was. After all, it wasn''t every day such a high brass decided to come to an S rank dungeon.


    The newcomer, Commander Zhao of the CSF, the one who reported directly to the knight of the Huanan empire, stood there with an overbearing pressure emitting from him.


    He looked around before his gaze settled on the wyverns in the distance.


    "Wyverns, huh? That boy must have been dead by now. I wonder how that rat''s going to take that news." Commander Zhao said, his heavy voice marred with hate.


    "Well, since the CSF was after him, I thought handing him over to you this way would seem appropriate." The Brigadier said, saying the opposite of his true intentions. And while Commander Zhao was also aware of those intentions, he decided to remain quiet.


    Sure, he was of a higher rank than the Brigadier, however, the military was at the top of the empire right now. So much so that even the CSF was being asked to help them. There was no need to create unnecessary complications when both of their objectives could be easily achieved.


    Commander Zhao nodded, even though he didn''t want to agree, he said, "Well, from the looks of it, the boy is dead. Let''s find the boss of this dungeon and get out of here."


    Just as Commander Zhao finished saying that, an immense wave of power spread throughout the entire area and it didn''t come from the people present.


    "Mana?" The Brigadier was confused. Shouldn''t there be Miasma? How come was there mana in a dungeon? In a dungeon with obvious monsters?


    The answer to that came from Commander Zhao, "Blood Wyvern."


    "Yours truly." A heavy voice entered their ears, freezing everyone in their spots. Except for the Brigadier, who could keep some of his senses under his control, only Commander Zhao was unaffected by that pressure.


    Other than them, everyone was frozen in their spots. Too afraid to do anything at all. Even tremble.


    "A strong human. No wonder you needed my help." The red-haired man said, a reddish hue enveloping him. Commander Zhao looked around, seeing no one the red-haired man could be talking to so he decided to fret about it later.


    For now, he needed to deal with the monster in a human form in front of him.


    A yellowish hue enveloped him, almost as threatening as the one around the red-haired man but anyone, even Commander Zhao himself could tell it was more threatening than his own.


    Out of the two, the most likely to live through that fight was the wyvern. After all, mana was the natural enemy of Qi. There was already a disadvantage. And¡­


    "Mana overload." That disadvantage became twofold when the intense reddish hue around the red-haired man reddened further until it resembled blood color.


    They both moved at the same time, their fists striking against each other, blowing everyone away from them.

 Chapter 293 Battle

    Boom!!!Ground cracked apart and trees blew away. The air pressure from that single contact was enough to blow everyone in the vicinity away from both of the fighters.


    And it wasn''t just that. As hits upon hits collided with each other, more and more shockwaves pushed everyone away. Even Wei Jun, who was significantly stronger than everyone present, and just one rank lower in the realm of cultivation from the two fighters, was swept away in the tempo and had to shield his face from the incoming shockwaves.


    Once again, he realized that there was a vast difference between a grandmaster and a master. Wei Jun being a master, could say with certainty that even with all of his tricks, he wouldn''t be a match against a grandmaster.


    Unfortunately, that''s exactly who his target was.


    Yang Haoran, according to the first volume, was a descendant of the Yang family of the ancient Huanan empire which was known with a different name back then. Whatever the case was, he was strong and incomparable to anyone when it came to yang cultivation. Even to a cultivator with a divine-ranked cultivation technique.


    Wei Jun couldn''t glean much from the first volume, but one thing was for sure. He was steadily increasing in strength and at the end of the first volume, his strength was at the par of a grandmaster. Since there were only three volumes, but long ones, of this novel, Wei Jun did consider reading them but for now, he held that thought off.


    After all, he couldn''t let the wyverns have everything. He needed something out of this incident as well.


    "Block them!" Huan Tang yelled as wyverns attacked them. He could easily defend against the wyverns but it was a different story for the rest of the platoon. They came here, expecting their higher-ups to kill the monsters inside since they were far above their leagues. However, right now, they weren''t so sure if they would survive.


    After all, one of the strongest cultivators was fighting against the boss monster while Huan Tang, the second strongest in that dungeon, was currently overwhelmed by the number of wyverns inside.


    While they were only left to defend themselves because fighting back was out of the question.


    "Captain!" A woman yelled, "Three O''clock!" The Captain turned his head in that direction and saw none other than the man who had walked away from them running at full speed towards them.


    In the blink of an eye, Wei Jun was close to the barrier and began to hit it. Unfortunately, unlike the wyverns who could use mana, Wei Jun couldn''t, and with his Qi, he couldn''t make it through the barrier.


    "You traitor!!!" The Captain yelled as he began to shoot Wei Jun. Wei Jun''s barrier blocked all the shots without even chipping away one point of Wei Jun''s Qi.


    Wei Jun scoffed but remained silent. He was flabbergasted at how hypocritical they could be. They were forcing him to make a decision and if he refused, they were more than happy to let him die. But now that the tables were turned, Wei Jun was suddenly a traitor.


    "Tell me how to get through that barrier." Wei Jun said.


    [I canno--]


    "Tell me. Now." Wei Jun said, his expression as cold as ice.


    [But ho--]


    "Now."


    [I can''t---]


    "Now."


    [¡­]


    The system finally gave up and timidly replied¡­


    [Every spell has a link between circles]


    [That''s where the spell is the weakest]


    [If you target there]


    [The whole circle formation should collapse]


    Wei Jun didn''t know where that would be so he waited for an extension to the system''s answer which soon sighed and replied¡­


    [Just spread your Qi on the barrier]


    [The place where Qi would appear caved in would be your weak spot]


    Wei Jun did so and as the system said, as if there was a dent in a car bonnet, the Qi he spread was caved in from one spot. Wei Jun stepped back, he looked at the platoon with a grin. A grin that said a lot.


    Then, without hesitation, equipped with ten points of Qi, Wei Jun struck the same spot and just like magic, the barrier shattered like glass.


    "What th---" The Captain couldn''t even finish his confusion-filled words when his head went flying. Wei Jun had activated all his skills and as soon as the barrier was out of the way, he ran in, punching and blowing the head of the Captain like a coconut. Only it was messier.


    He didn''t stop. He didn''t give anyone in the platoon a chance to do anything. He killed them with speed beyond their level and in just ten seconds, all of them were dead.


    Wei Jun didn''t wait for any long talks or even let them feel their own deaths. He was quick and precise and most of all, he was efficient.


    The only person left for him was the Brigadier. But first, he checked his gains which made him a little bit disappointed.


    [No strength gain]


    [Agility +1]


    [No stamina gain]


    [Qi +8]


    Wei Jun gained almost nothing from them. His stats were too high for him to gain anything from those at the lower ranks and he couldn''t even dream of killing higher ranks at the moment. So the only opponent he was confident in defeating was¡­


    "How dare you!!!" The Brigadier yelled as he landed a hit on Wei Jun. Wei Hun, however, raised his arm and blocked the attack with his forearm. His arm went a little numb, but it wasn''t anything serious.


    Instead, he delivered a hit of his own straight to the Brigadier''s stomach. The Brigadier managed to stomach the pain and hit Wei Jun in his sheen. Wei Jun felt this one and he felt this one pretty good.


    "Agh!!!" Wei Jun let go of the Brigadier with a grunt and stepped back. The Brigadier also clutched his stomach in pain while Wei Jun remained in his spot.


    He quickly got into a stance and charged the Brigadier who also swallowed the grunts of pain and got ready to defend as well as counterattack.


    Wei Jun threw an upper hook, a lower jab, and a strike to his side which the major managed to block with his forearms over his head. The leg strikes were blocked by his knees as well. The Brigadier remained huddled up to give Wei Jun less opening like in boxing and it was working.


    Unfortunately, Wei Jun, even with his experience, couldn''t find an open spot to land one good strike in. He knew he needed to make one but even that wasn''t possible with him defending punches from the Brigadier.


    The Brigadier''s technique was a lot like boxing but it wasn''t quite boxing. He could block and counterattack almost instantly like a boxer but he wasn''t as quick as one.


    Maybe it was because of his size, but his swiftness didn''t match that of a boxer. However, he was still light on his feet. He would use them to attack whenever he could and assume his posture back. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun had to admit, that no matter how many martial techniques he knew, he wouldn''t be able to get through the natural difference in their builds. His long arms covered his upper body while his thick legs covered his lower body. On top of that with his technique, it was impossible to get a hit in unless the other party made a mistake.


    And Wei Jun knew just how to make him make that mistake.


    Wei Jun took the next hit, which he instantly regretted because it hurt like hell and he fell on his knees.


    The Brigadier finally stopped. He stood up straight which was actually quite tall and grabbed Wei Jun by his hair. He straightened his face to look at him and said, "All you had to do was shut up and serve the empire but you couldn''t do that, could you?"


    "Hahaha." Wei Jun chuckled and showed the Brigadier his middle finger which the Brigadier smiled to, grabbed, and snapped it like a piece of celery.


    "Argh!!!" Wei Jun grunted and fell to the ground. The Brigadier didn''t give him a chance to do anything and kicked him. And then he did it again. And again. And again. Wei Jun remained huddled up on the ground, his arms protecting his head but what annoyed the Brigadier wasn''t that Wei Jun wasn''t dying so quickly. It was one simple fact¡­


    "Hahahahahahahahahaha." Wei Jun kept laughing, increasingly with each hit. The Brigadier couldn''t figure out what was going on. Why would he be laughing when he was about to die?


    "Shut up!!!!" The Brigadier yelled and picked Wei Jun with both hands and threw him into a tree which fell instantly as Wei Jun rammed into it. He went through many of them until he finally came to a stop a few meters away.


    Cough!!! Wei Jun coughed up blood and panted heavily. However, the smile on his face never left and finally, the Brigadier couldn''t take it anymore.


    He stood in front of Wei Jun, calm as the word itself, and asked, "What''s so funny?"


    "You¡­ You¡­ completely forgot about the¡­ wyverns." Wei Jun said the last word so low that the Brigadier couldn''t pick it up.


    "What?" He asked to which, in response, Wei Jun did one simple thing. He raised his hand and pointed at something with his finger. Something behind the Brigadier.


    And as he did, the Brigadier finally felt something behind. Something strong. When he turned around, all he saw were wyverns. About hundreds of wyverns were gathered behind him, eyeing him.


    And then¡­


    "Khaaa!!!"

 Chapter 294 Battle (1)

    [A health pill has been consumed][Health has been restored]


    [A Qi replenishment pill has been consumed]


    [QP has been restored]


    Wei Jun didn''t waste a second and jumped on the Brigadier who had turned his back to him. Wei Jun grabbed him from behind, locking his arms around his neck and choking him.


    The Brigadier tired his best to release himself from Wei Jun''s hold but no matter what he did, no matter how much he elbowed Wei Jun in his ribs or tried techniques to make Wei Jun let go, but Wei Jun was holding onto his neck like he was holding on to his dear like.


    It wasn''t long before the Brigadier realized there was no getting out of this. He finally relented to his fate and reached down to his core.


    His body began to heat up and vibrate.


    [Uhh¡­ Host]


    ''What?!'' Wei Jun asked.


    [He''s overloading his core]


    [He''s gonna blow up]


    ''Shit!'' Wei Jun, however, didn''t let go. For some reason, he knew he wouldn''t be able to make it away in time so he resorted to another method. A surefire one.


    Kill the Brigadier before he could kill himself.


    [Death Qi has been used]


    [All stats +90%]


    Wei Jun''s strength almost doubled in an instant and he applied all the more pressure, blocking the oxygen to the Brigadier''s brain. And as anticipated, it worked. The Brigadier soon died, before his body could blow up.


    "Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Haa¡­" Wei Jun roughly panted as he let go of the dead Brigadier who was still very hot. In a literal sense. Wei Jun panted and panted, looking at the new notifications with a smile.


    [Strength +12]


    [Agility +5]


    [Stamina +15]


    [Qi +37]


    The Brigadier was inherently strong from the looks of it. Wei Jun had killed the people on the same level as him before but he never gained that much. At least not at his current level. He had to kill someone higher ranked than him for such a gain but the Brigadier was indeed very strong.


    Suddenly, as Wei Jun was resting, his senses tingled greatly, as if his death was inches away. Wei Jun didn''t hesitate for even a second and rolled away from his spot. Just as he did, something landed on his spot, blowing everything in the vicinity, even him, away.


    As Wei Jun crashed into the trees, he saw a notification that widened his eyes to the limit. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [HP -193]


    Wei Jun''s health was in the 200s and with just that one hit, he lost almost all of his health. And it wasn''t even a direct hit.


    [Dragon''s tear will be activated as an emergency measure]


    [Health will be restored at the expense of Qi]


    Wei Jun''s Qi went down and his health went up. Having the dragon''s tear was the greatest blessing to him so far. Especially with his defense so low. Wei Jun looked at his assailant as his health went up in the blink of an eye. The Commander, who was fighting the wyvern was¡­


    "You heretic!!!" was now looking at him with nothing but murder in his eyes.


    Wei Jun moved, as hurriedly as he could. However, even he was a bit too late when he saw the foot of the Commander just in front of his face, faster than he could even finish his thought of moving.


    He knew one thing for sure in that shot, very slow, time. His head would burst open like a pi?ata if he was hit by that and he doubted Death Qi would be able to save him from that.


    Just as death was in front of his eyes¡­


    Slam!!!


    From the other side, the wyvern was as fast as well and kicked the commander away, the shockwave from their collision pushing Wei Jun away once again.


    [HP -109]


    The amount of health he lost from just their collision was enough to tell him he wouldn''t be able to survive even for a full minute against these monsters. Even if he prepared as well as he did for all of his fights before, he still wouldn''t be able to last more than a minute.


    Only one word came to mind as he saw the two of them fight¡­


    [Strong]


    [Once one enters the realm of a grandmaster, they learn the truth of Qi]


    [Not all of it]


    [But the comprehension rate between a grandmaster and a master becomes incomprehensible]


    [So even if a grandmaster has ten more points in stats than you]


    [Don''t attempt to fight]


    [You will lose nine out of ten]


    And Wei Jun had a feeling that one chance wouldn''t be much different than death either. He couldn''t wait to enter the realm of the grandmaster. After all, even if he survived this fight with the current quest protagonist, another strong man was coming to Yuan Yin City soon.


    Someone from his past.


    "You still haven''t killed him yet? I killed mine long ago!" Wei Jun yelled as he stood up, his body still aching even though he was fully healed.


    "Your opponent was a joke," The wyvern replied, while blocking a hit from the commander and said, "While this guy is strong. He knows how to defend against mana."


    "What?" Wei Jun was confused. Wasn''t mana a natural enemy of Qi?


    [At a higher level a cultivator can develop barriers that can greatly resist mana]


    ''What?! Why didn''t you tell me that before?''


    [Because you''re not strong yet]


    [No reason to]


    Wei Jun couldn''t even argue with the obvious insult. He remained quiet and took cover as the shockwaves from the ongoing fight were too much for him at such a close distance. Even now, his health was chipping away slowly.


    All he could do was hold on and get away from them as much as he could. Just as the wyverns were getting away from the ongoing fight, he decided to get as far away from them as he could.


    But, just as he thought he was far enough, something blurred past him. As he turned his head slowly, he could see the wyvern on the ground, all bloodied and heaving a difficulty to stand up.


    ''Didn''t you say it would be hard for a grandmaster to defeat him as well?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I said it would be difficult]


    [Look at his state]


    Wei Jun turned to look at the commander. He was panting roughly, bloodied just like the wyvern. But at least he was standing. And not only standing, but he was also manipulating his Qi like Wei Jun to form something like spikes of Qi that were killing the nearby wyverns who were trying to support their leader.


    Each wyvern was dying at a fast rate and soon enough, there were almost no wyverns left. However, that was enough of a timeframe for Wei Jun to run over to the wyvern.


    He was bleeding badly and Wei Jun could see that his health was very low through the system.


    [Feed him your blood]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Also will the power of the dragons infuse with the blood]


    ''Why not just feed him a health pill?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [It won''t help him]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what to do. So far, he wasn''t able to do anything about the power of the dragons in his heart but this time, he just decided to go with the feeling as before. He slit his hand and opened the wyvern''s mouth.


    He also thought of healing himself with the dragon''s power which worked and it instantly healed his hand. But in that short time frame, just a little, a smudge of the green dragon''s power was added to the blood that entered the wyvern''s mouth.


    As soon as it did, the wyvern''s eyes snapped open and he hurriedly moved, as if hitting Wei Jun, he placed his hand next to Wei Jun''s head and stopped the strike that was heading for Wei Jun''s head.


    Wei Jun''s eyes could not widen anymore when he saw death so close. Luckily, he was able to get through this one without harm. As for the wyvern, now as if full power he never had before, grabbed hold of the commander''s hand and pulled him to himself.


    Without hesitation, he punched the commander straight to his face which the commander couldn''t defend against.


    Thaa!!!


    As if a balloon had just exploded, the commander''s head shattered the same way. Only it was way, way messier.


    "Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­" Relief washed over him, and Wei Jun settled down on the ground, breathing harder than before.


    "Haha¡­ Hahahahaha¡­" He soon began to laugh at the comical situation. He couldn''t believe he made it out alive. And the worst part was¡­


    "Now why don''t we get out now? You need to come up with a good excuse as well." The wyvern said. Wei Jun noticed in return. Now that he had managed to survive, dying almost ten times, he still had to get past the situation on the outside.


    He just hoped the sect master did everything according to the plan.


    "Let''s go." Wei Jun stood up and stored everybody in his inventory. After that, he extended his hand to the wyvern. The wyvern grabbed Wei Jun''s hand and he began to glow. Soon enough, when the glow resided, the wyvern was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a mark on Wei Jun''s hand.


    A sort of tattoo of a red wyvern.

 Chapter 295 The plan

    "What are you doing here?" Commander Rong of the CSF came to greet the sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect. The sect master smiled, and replied to the impolite welcome, "Well, I''ve lent you one my best disciples, haven''t I? I''ve just come to check up on him.""This isn''t a park where you can just come and go." Commander Rong replied with a displeased expression.


    "Is that so? Well, I remember someone barging into my sect to check up on something." The sect master said while tapping his chin.


    "We paid the appropriate price." Commander Rong replied.


    "And isn''t it enough price to give you a Master ranked cultivator?" The sect master asked.


    Commander Rong had no answer to that. He simply remained silent about that and asked, "Well, what do you want?"


    "I want to meet him. Call him for me," The sect master simply said. While the way he said seemed like he was giving out an order, Commander Rong had no choice but to stomach it.


    Besides, the matter was about to get complicated so he needed to placate him as well.


    "He''s currently on a dungeon expedition. You will have to wait." Commander Rong said.


    "Very well. Take me to the dungeon he is in." The sect master said, "I''m short on time, you see."


    "It''s a military dungeon," Commander Rong replied.


    "It''s a threat to humanity." The sect master once again said with a smile. Gritting his teeth, Commander Rong had no choice but to lead the sect master to the dungeon. As they arrived, the sect master''s expression turned to one of distaste as he asked, "Remind me again. What was the cultivation realm of Wei Jun Ruan?"


    "¡­" Commander Rong remained quiet.


    "Let me answer for you. Master rank. Yet this is an S rank dungeon, for grandmasters. Don''t tell me you sent him to this dungeon. That wouldn''t mean well for you." A clear-cut threat. Still, Commander Rong had an answer prepared.


    "It was a test of his capabilities. Besides, Commander Zhao is in there with them." Commander Rong replied.


    The sect master looked at Commander Rong, his expression not really readable as he said, "Well, if anything happened to him, I''m sure the military and the CSF would take appropriate responsibility."


    Compensation for a master rank cultivator. There weren''t many of those and the compensation for those was naturally very high. Commander Rong remained silent, hoping nothing went wrong.


    If Wei Jun were to join them, then all was good and they could use the emperor''s authority to deal with the sect master. And if he died, well, things would get a little troublesome then, but they were still confident about dealing with the matter at hand.


    With that done, they simply waited for anyone to come out and it wasn''t long before the dungeon portal turned to normal. It was a sign of it being cleared. Shortly afterward, someone could be seen exiting the dungeon. As Wei Jun came out, he was welcomed by two people standing at the forefront.


    One of them was the sect master and the other man was someone he had seen on TV. His girlfriend''s father. He didn''t have a good feeling about this one. Still, he gave an appropriate salute and then turned to the sect master.


    "What brings you here, sect master?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I have a task for you but that is for later. Where are the rest of your comrades?" The sect master asked since no one else came out.


    "I don''t know. Seeing the wyvern dungeon, I was asked to remain behind and the other went to clear it. Commander Zhao said something about a red wyvern and then left. I remained in my place and when the gate was cleared, I came out." Wei Jun replied, his answer as innocent as it could be, and from the way he said it, it didn''t sound rehearsed at all.


    "What?" Commander Rong, of course, didn''t believe him. But there was no sob story as usual and there was nothing this boy could have done against Commander Zhao so the story logically made sense.


    There was no way that Wei Jun could have done anything to the entire team on his own so doubting him was out of the question. Even if he was aware of their plans, he wouldn''t have been able to predict so far.


    So they waited. They waited for the rest of the team to come out as well but not after half an hour, the dungeon gate began to close. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Something''s not right," Commander Rong said but he didn''t move from his place. Whatever it was, there was nothing he could do for those who were inside because if he went inside, he would be trapped inside as well.


    "Tch," Commander Rong tutted before he turned to Wei Jun and said, "Tell me what happened in there, boy."


    "You''re not saying it is his fault, are you?" The sect master asked, standing between the commander and Wei Jun.


    "This is a military matter." Commander Rong threateningly said.


    "And I''m not saying it isn''t. But my disciple was just following orders." The sect master said, not moving a bit. Seeing there was nothing he could do here, Commander Rong turned to Wei Jun and said, "An investigation will be held into this matter. Be prepared."


    With that, Commander Rong left, to deal with the headache that was soon to come on his head. All said and done, it was the CSF who had planned this scenario with the military. They had something to hide as well. If they were embroiled in this investigation and that fact was to come to light, the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect wouldn''t let go of it so easily. Even the emperor wouldn''t be able to do anything about it.


    Once he was gone, Wei Jun turned to the sect master and said, "It''s good to see you on time."


    Wei Jun would have been screwed heavily had the sect master not arrived on time. The sect master corked an eyebrow but didn''t reply to that comment. Instead, he asked, "I assume you''re done here?"


    "Not yet," Wei Jun replied.


    "If you stay here, they will create troubles for you," The sect master replied. It was true that Wei Jun couldn''t expect a peaceful life what had happened. After all, a Brigadier, a grandmaster, and many talented prospects were lost to that dungeon.


    If Wei Jun were to stay there, he would be blamed without question and if he was, he wouldn''t be able to weasel his way out of it. The best course of action was to leave with the sect master but Wei Jun couldn''t do that yet.


    After all, there was one more agenda left in the military. While Wei Jun could have devised another plan to deal with him had he not been in the military, since he was already here, he wouldn''t mind going through some problems if his other problem was reduced greatly.


    His problem of approaching the current protagonist.


    "For now, I''ll stay," Wei Jun replied before he looked at his hand, "After all, there wouldn''t be much the military would be able to do to me now that I have a hidden card."


    "What hidden card?" The sect master asked but Wei Jun simply smiled to that question. Getting no answer out of Wei Jun, the sect master sighed and left, after making sure his prospect wouldn''t be embroiled in any unjust investigation.


    With him gone as well and Wei Jun being cleared shortly afterwards, he returned to his platoon but as soon as he arrived, there was a soldier waiting for him at the entrance of his platoon dorms.


    "Private Wei Jun Ruan?" The man standing at his door asked, his expression neutral. One catchy thing about him was his handsomeness and¡­


    [You have encountered the protagonist of the current novel]


    Wei Jun looked at the man without any change in his expression and asked, "Private Wei Jun Ruan reporting, sir."


    "You will be joining my platoon from tomorrow onwards. Your platoon will be taken care of by someone else. Be at the barracks number 10 in the morning." With those words, Huatan Yang didn''t even wait for a reply and left.


    As for Wei Jun, he remained in his spot until after he was gone. Once he was, he finally turned to his hand and said, "Would you settle down now?"


    "YOU FU*KER!!! HOW DARE YOU?!!!" He could hear screaming in his head, "YOU THINK I WILL LET YOU GO AFTER THIS?!!!"


    "I know you won''t. That''s why I''ve done this," Wei Jun replied.


    [Contract nullifier]


    [Cost: 10,000,000]


    An item that was available in the shop for just a billion yuan. The function of it was very simple. Any and all contract penalties would be nullified.


    In simpler words, Wei Jun would have been penalized had he not released the wyvern from his seal, with that item, even if he didn''t release the wyvern from the familiar seal, no penalty would befall him.


    "Haha." Wei Jun chuckled and said, "Sucker."

 Chapter 296 Change in command

    Wei Jun had asked the system about a way to get through the contract conditions. According to the system, it wasn''t anything difficult at all. Wei Jun needed to have the strength to break the contract circles, which wasn''t that difficult if one knew how to.Or, there needed to be preexisting conditions that would automatically nullify the contract between both parties. Both of these methods were not applicable in Wei Jun''s case.


    The only method left was to use the system''s resources and the system didn''t disappoint. For a price of a billion yuan, Wei Jun managed to obtain a preexisting spell that could nullify the contract by making the penalties ineffective on one party.


    In Wei Jun''s case, if he had immunity from all status effects, he wouldn''t have been harmed by the nullification of a contract but since Wei Jun didn''t have that, he had to use it using the system shop once.


    With that done, Wei Jun managed to acquire a familiar who was very powerful in every condition. All the more so now since he fed him the dragon-powered blood which visibly increased the wyvern''s power.


    Wei Jun definitely wasn''t going to let him go after he had done that. Not to mention, Wei Jun needed him for his future battles.


    There was just one teeny tiny problem left.


    [He''s stronger than you]


    [Sooner or later, he''ll be able to break the familiar seal on his own]


    ''And I have a feeling once he did, he wouldn''t leave me in one piece.''


    [You expect him to?]


    ''No, I don''t.''


    Wei Jun had already considered such a scenario. He had come a long way since earlier and now, he was confident with the death of the current protagonist, he''d reach the strength of a grandmaster at the very least.


    Once he did, he might be able to learn a few tricks against mana and become strong enough to deal with the wyvern on his own. If he couldn''t, well, he had a contingency prepared for that too. He just hoped he wouldn''t have to use it.


    Wei Jun entered his platoon once everything was done. Once he did, he gathered his squad and relayed them the news. He also put the condition that they should all focus on their strengths and he wouldn''t take any of them unless they reached the strength of a Qi manifestation realm cultivator.


    Wei Jun was confident they would be able to get through military life with the current strength they had. Still, he left them with a few treasures to cleanse themselves and some Miasma crystals to help them raise their cultivation level. Once that was done, they all went to sleep, and the very next day, at 5 in the morning, Wei Jun arrived at the new barracks where he would be staying until his goal was fulfilled.


    ''Is there no way?'' Wei Jun asked.


    Since the system was the one to do that, there must be a way to reverse the process but the system replied¡­


    [It''s not like there''s no way]


    [But it required ancient magic]


    [Magic that doesn''t require some convenient force like mana]


    [But real magic]


    [The one that requires sacrifice and the whole shebang]


    ''And you can''t do it from the inside?'' Wei Jun asked as he walked through the corridors to arrive at the barracks bedrooms.


    [No]


    [You have to be the one to do that]


    [Because I got nothing to sacrifice]


    ''What would I need to sacrifice?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Your power]


    ''So Qi or death would do?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Nope]


    [Granted Qi is the force of life but a very, very diluted force of life]


    [You''d need a Qi saint to perform that kind of magic and even then]


    [What you''re asking for is impossible]


    [As for the power of death]


    [Well, life is the requirement so having any amount of death wouldn''t help]


    Wei Jun was stumped at this point. For his plan to succeed, he needed that to happen but no matter how hard he tried, there was a problem at the end of it.


    [There''s another option]


    [It''s a little tricky but once you understand the trick]


    [It''s pretty easy]


    ''What is it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Souls are the purest form of life]


    [Just sacrifice some poor souls]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun was speechless at the system''s nonchalance for a moment but then he realized¡­


    ''Aren''t I a villain?''


    [That you are, host]


    [That you are]


    ''But what''s so tricky about it?'' Wei Jun asked. If all he had to do was sacrifice some people, wouldn''t it be easy?


    [You think anyone can handle souls]


    [Let me tell you, host]


    [Not even your dad dares to deal with souls]


    [You, with zero knowledge, stand no chance]


    [The only way you can do this is the long and complicated way]


    ''And that is?'' Wei Jun asked, by the time he asked, he was already in front of his dorm room, waiting for the system to finish the conversation.


    [Lend your own soul]


    [Shorten your life span]


    [Sacrifice your own life to bind the spell with the souls sacrificed]


    [Ten or twenty years should do]


    [But be careful, host]


    [That way, your soul becomes weak too]


    [If it did, there is a chance Wei Jun, the original one, might end up taking over]


    Wei Jun was running out of time so even when there was a risk in this situation, he decided to do it anyway. As for the original Wei Jun, Wei Jun had an idea about him as well.


    Knowing the original Wei Jun, it wouldn''t be difficult to keep him under wraps.


    ''Is there a way to restore my soul power?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Many]


    [Mainly your won cultivation]


    [Once you reach the grandmaster realm]


    [You will understand many things about Qi]


    [One of them would lead into your soul]


    [After all, both soul and Qi are closely connected]


    [Unlike any other cosmic power]


    Wei Jun was having a hard time understanding all of that but he understood the key points. And it was as straight as an arrow.


    For his plan to succeed, he needed to sacrifice some of his life''s years. And then, there was a way to reverse that as well. What else was there to think about?


    ''We begin tonight.'' Wei Jun said as he knocked on the door after standing outside for about five minutes.


    As he did, the door was soon to open. It was opened by a woman of ethereal features. Wei Jun didn''t know who she was because, from her description, she wasn''t in the first volume that Wei Jun had read. She must be someone in the later volumes since all the first volume ended with the formation of dungeons when Wei Jun killed Rin.


    Wei Jun looked at the stripes on her shoulder and finding her higher ranked than him, he gave a salute and reported, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan, reporting, Ma''am."


    "Do I look like a ma''am to you?" The girl asked, her tone cold as ice. It wasn''t her usual tone. There was nothing but scorn in her tone. Wei Jun didn''t need to be told how he would be treated in that platoon but he did nothing about it.


    He simply nodded and said, "Yes, you do, ma''am."


    A visible line of anger appeared on the woman''s forehead but knowing Wei Jun was greater than her in strength, she did nothing. She couldn''t do anything after all. She needed a cause.


    "Come in," A masculine voice entered their ears and Wei Jun entered the room, once the young woman moved to the side, allowing Wei Jun to enter.


    Once he was inside, a clear sense of intimidation assaulted him. Everyone''s focus was on him, looking at him as if he was the enemy. Wei Jun didn''t mind. They were all weaklings anyway.


    His real target, no, his real worry was someone else. The only man in the room who wasn''t looking at him like he was an enemy. He wasn''t looking at him like a friend or a potential partner either. There was only one meaning to that gaze. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Insignificant.


    To him, Wei Jun wasn''t a threat because he was worthless in his eyes. Wei Jun full well what that gaze meant for him. He won''t be able to live for long.


    A smile involuntarily appeared on his face. A smile that scared everyone in the room even Yang Haoran wasn''t spared of that. The smile meant only one thing.


    Challenge accepted.


    "Lin will tell you what to do," Yang Haoran pointed at the young woman behind Wei Jun who hadn''t seen his smile so she was still in the very dark of it.


    As for Wei Jun, he gave a salute, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan, acknowledged, sir."


    With that, he left the room, leaving the others behind who worriedly looked at Yang Haoran who remained quiet. He shook his head to signal them to remain silent about whatever it was.


    Wei Jun left the room with the same smile and followed the young woman to wherever she was taking him.

 Chapter 297 Humiliation

    "Clean this place," The young woman named Lin brought Wei Jun to nowhere other than the lavatory. It was the female bathroom and unlike many said, it wasn''t as clean as one would think. And Wei Jun was currently being asked to clean that place.Of course, he wouldn''t be happy about it. However¡­


    "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan, yes, ma''am." Wei Jun replied. Defiance was still defiance. Rank was still rank. Wei Jun''s ideology about rank being everything was still superior to his belief that power was everything. He firmly believed that rank was everything. Without order, there would be nothing but chaos.


    He''d rather clean sh*t than collapse that order.


    "Tch," Lin tutted. She wasn''t happy she was being called ma''am but she had no choice. It wasn''t like it was an insult or anything so she couldn''t punish him for that. She simply turned around and left, saying, "Be careful when you clean it. I sh*t here."


    A clear attempt to make Wei Jun unsettled but he wasn''t unsettled in the least. He began as soon as Lin left, cleaning the toilets with the provided tools.


    [That''s¡­ demeaning]


    ''I''ve done worse,'' Wei Jun replied.


    [How so?]


    Upon hearing the curiosity in the system''s voice, Wei Jun said, ''There was a woman in L.A. I needed her for my business. She controlled bay permits and I needed one.''


    ''However, she wanted me to sleep with her for one night.''


    [Did you?]


    ''No. I slit her throat and threw her in the very ocean she controlled.''


    [¡­]


    ''Anyway, that''s not the point. Getting to her was extremely difficult. To do that, I had to disguise myself as one of her servants, and let''s just say, she had a sick personality and made her servants, especially male ones, some very disgusting things.''


    [Like?]


    ''Like clean her discharges.''


    [¡­ That''s sick alright]


    ''I did that for two days until I finally had the opportunity to kill her.''


    ''I wasn''t as sophisticated in the art of assassination then so I couldn''t take the conventional method. Not to mention, she had some strong people by her side all the time. Getting to her from the outside was almost impossible.''


    [Well, at least half of her wish was granted]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [She wanted to sleep with you]


    [Instead, she was put to sleep by you]


    [That''s something right?] S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha," Wei Jun couldn''t help but laugh out loud at that. He soon realized his mistake and said, ''I guess I never looked at it that way. I was too busy taking over the businesses she left behind.''


    ~~


    "Is it someone like you?" Yang Haoran asked something floating in front of him. It was a woman, just very, very small in size. Her beauty and proportions would have been something to die for had she not been¡­ tiny.


    "I don''t know," The tiny woman replied. There were no wings around her to call her a fairy so it was difficult to call her by her race without knowing what or who she was. Even Yang Haoran didn''t know what her true nature was. All he knew was that she was his helper and she had been with his family for centuries.


    "One thing is for sure, I don''t sense anyone like me. Nor anyone of my race for that matter. I could check but I''d need to touch him for that." The little floating woman said.


    Yang Haoran constantly surveilled Wei Jun ever since he arrived. What he found strange was that chuckle. It wasn''t just an accidental slip or anything like that. Wei Jun was talking to someone and he made the mistake of letting his thoughts out.


    Immediately, Yang Haoran had it checked but the tiny woman near him wasn''t so helpful. "Then touch him," Yang Haoran gave the permission. He needed a way to deal with Wei Jun and if he didn''t know everything about him, it could create difficulties for him when he''d get rid of him.


    "Haa¡­" The tiny woman sighed before she flew away saying, "Fine."


    ~~


    "Clean this place next," A man ordered Wei Jun to clean the male bathrooms as well. Wei Jun complied. After that, it was the room of everyone in the barracks, even those who weren''t a part of Yang Haoran''s battalion. The worst part was that Wei Jun was being forced to clean the rooms of those who were lower ranked than him.


    "Order him however you want. I want to see the place clean." The man who led Wei Jun to a platoon of privates said and left, leaving Wei Jun at the commands of some low-ranked soldiers.


    Wei Jun wasn''t happy in the least but he had to do what he had to do. The privates ordered him to do their laundry, errand running, and many more under the guise of cleaning. This went on and on for quite a few days.


    While everyone thought Wei Jun would erupt any moment now, the more they were proved wrong. Wei Jun didn''t complain for once let alone make a scene. He carried every order perfectly. Whether it was cooking, cleaning, or errand running.


    All orders were carried out so perfectly that the ones making his life harder couldn''t even find one thing to complain about. In the end, they had no choice but to move to an even more demeaning task.


    Clean toilets with broken flushes.


    [Don''t you think that''s a bit too much?]


    Even the system, the entity that had seen many things in life couldn''t help but find it wrong to treat Wei Jun like that.


    ''Is everything ready?'' Wei Jun asked. He didn''t care in the least whether or not he had to clean sh*t-clogged toilets. What he really cared about was his plan. Being an errand boy granted him enough opportunities to finish his tasks.


    After all, he couldn''t be punished for going outside if he was being ordered to do so and what he wanted to do could only be done by going all over the base.


    Good thing, he had to do everything everywhere. This also granted him an opportunity to visit his previous squadron who were taking it easy under the new command. They were a little angered to see Wei Jun being treated like that but he asked them to take a combined vacation on a designated date.


    Since it would appear suspicious that all of them went out on a day like that, they would be the first ones the military would doubt. Wei Jun asked them all to leave and take their families to the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect. He had already talked to the sect master and he would make them all disappear.


    With all the boxes checked, the only unchecked box left was to execute the plan.


    [It would be ready after a little more while]


    [You just need to stabilize two more circles]


    [The rest will be done on its own]


    [Also, you need to have the sacrifices prepared]


    ''Oh, I have them prepared.''


    ''I have them all prepared.''


    ~~


    Two days passed and Yang Haoran was cultivating while the tiny woman was nowhere to be seen. While he was busy cultivating, his battalion was busy humiliating Wei Jun. Of course, Wei Jun didn''t defy their orders and did everything to perfection.


    "If only there was something more demeaning than cleaning sh*t," Lin said, not knowing how to humiliate Wei Jun even further. It was a rule in the military. A superior officer would rather retire than obey someone lower ranked than him.


    However, even that didn''t work for them since Wei Jun remained silent even when the lower-ranked soldiers under the protection of the higher-ranked officers, humiliated Wei Jun to the fullest by making him clean without clothes.


    "He''d have made a perfect soldier with that much determination," One of the men said.


    "That man can never be a soldier. He''s a traitor." Another woman in the room replied, scorn obvious on her face.


    "But what should we do?" Lin asked, "There''s nothing we can pin on him."


    "There''s one thing we can do," Another man replied before he stated his plan. Once everyone heard him, they all looked at Lin who had a complicated expression on her face.


    "Even I think that''s a bit¡­" She wasn''t saying that because she thought it was too much and sympathized with Wei Jun. No. She said that because it implicated her as well and she was afraid of what Yang Haoran would think of her.


    "Well, that''s the only way left," The other woman in the room replied.


    "Then why don''t you do it?" Lin retorted.


    "I don''t feel well in the stomach," The woman replied, making Lin scoff but in the end, after a short while of thinking, she nodded and said, "Fine. Let''s do it."


    "Good. I''ll call him to the bathroom. You just be ready," The woman said before she stormed out of the room while Lin could only sigh and say, "Where''s her stomach pain now?"


    "Haha," The rest in the room laughed at that.

 Chapter 298 Ploy

    Wei Jun was, as usual, minding his own business as he did most of the time when he was not being bossed around. While he was busy doing nothing but staring into an empty space, a man from Yang Haoran''s platoon came to order Wei Jun to clean the bathrooms.Even though he had done the same thing just earlier in the morning, he didn''t say anything about it and went to clean the bathroom. When he entered, there was no one in the bathroom or at least no one in sight, and Wei Jun began to do as he was told.


    While he was cleaning, he heard the click of the door signaling someone locked the door from the outside.


    ''Idiots,'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but admit. Locking the door from the inside would have been more credible. It was clearly their first rodeo.


    Adding to the fact that one of the stall doors opened and a red-faced girl walked out. Had her expression been more on the stoic or cold side, their scenario should have been more believable.


    "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan, cleaning, ma''am," Wei Jun didn''t leave the pretense of the scenario and gave a tense salute to his superior, who was none other than Lin, standing with a red face like that of a ripe tomato.


    ''Pathetic,'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but insult them once again. While he didn''t mind the classic scenario they were trying to pull, he gave them zero for acting and their choice of victim.


    "Wh¡ªWhat are you doing here? Didn''t you know I was here? This is the ladies'' toilet. How da¡ªdare you come in here, li-like that!!?" She stuttered more than she said a few words. Wei Jun couldn''t help but sigh as he said, "I have been cleaning this toilet since my transfer here, ma''am."


    Hearing the answer, Lin couldn''t say anything in return. Wei Jun was even more disappointed. She hadn''t even formulated the entire dialogue, the answer to every question and everything else. She just came in blind without any preparation.


    [Wouldn''t it be better to turn their game against them?]


    ''Why would I?'' Wei Jun replied. There was no need to turn their game against them. Playing along would do plenty and Wei Jun was going to initiate his plan anyway. It was better to attract all the attention to himself so the little companion of Yang Haoran wouldn''t know his plan.


    At least not until it was too late.


    "Wh¡ªWhat did you co¡ªcome here for?!!" Lin yelled, not even knowing what she should do next so all she did was simply take off her shirt. Her milky white skin appeared in plain sight, her body tense like metal, and her beige-colored undergarment could be seen.


    While it was a very difficult decision for her and she was red all over, Wei Jun remained as he always was. Cold.


    But, that didn''t remain for long.


    "Haha¡­ Hahahaha¡­. Hahahahahahahaha!!!" He began to laugh out loud, boisterously even, confusing the half-naked Lin who couldn''t understand what was going on. That wasn''t the anticipated reaction. She looked down at her chest, wondering if it was too small but she had always been confident in her endowment. She was sure that wasn''t why the man before her was laughing.


    "Hahahaha¡­" Wei Jun slowly came to a stop, wiping away the slight tear of laughter that had formed in his eye from the corner, and said, "And? What would be next, Corporal Lin? Are you going to jump me now?"


    There was clear mockery in his voice which only angered Lin. Her earlier embarrassment was nowhere to be seen.


    "Tell you what," Wei Jun said after he had laughed a little more, "Why don''t you send someone who actually knows how to take their shirt off? And with that underwear? Are you trying to turn a man on or off?"


    Every word Wei Jun uttered stung Lin like a bullet. Her pride as a woman was being questioned but she was so inexperienced that she didn''t even know how to tackle the situation.


    "Might as well take everything off then," Wei Jun said, "I might be a little tempted to jump you then."


    "Wha--!!" Lin was all the more shocked at that. She couldn''t believe the man before her was so shameless, asking her to get na.ke.d just like that.


    "What?" Wei Jun''s expression suddenly turned cold which terrified Lin for some reason. Deep down in her heart, she felt as if her heart was about to freeze and she would soon die.


    "If you started something, shouldn''t you finish it?" Wei Jun said, taking a step forward which made Lin take a step back out of instinct. Earlier anger, embarrassment, or any other emotion she felt was now nowhere to be seen. There was only one thing reflected in those eyes.


    Fear.


    Wei Jun suddenly stopped. He turned to his right and smiled, "He''s here, huh?"


    Boom!!!


    The wall shattered like it was made of paper and the person who appeared through that was none other than the favorite child of destiny¡­


    "YOU SCOUNDRAL!!!!!" An immense wave of Qi that even terrified Wei Jun a little. Okay, ''a little'' was an understatement. It terrified him a lot. So much so that his instincts screamed at him to jump back. Lin was already so terrified by Wei Jun that even when Yang Haoran showed, her savior who was supposed to save her from the animal who was trying to assault her, she couldn''t say anything.


    "Ahh~" Wei Jun said with a smile, "The favorite child of destiny. You didn''t enter according to the script so I can only guess you''re not a part of this."


    But, no matter what Wei Jun said, Yang Haoran wasn''t having any of it. He jumped at Wei Jun, who, quickly raised both of his forearms and concentrated all his Qi he could in that short amount of time on one spot.


    The spot of impact.


    But, it didn''t help in the least. The moment Yang Haoran''s fist collided with Wei Jun''s crossed forearms, they shattered like a rice cake.


    "Arrgghh!!!" But that wasn''t what caused the biggest damage. The greatest damage was caused by the Qi of Yang Haoran that penetrated Wei Jun''s Qi barrier, shattering it as well and invading his body, destroying him internally.


    [Warning]


    [Warning]


    [User in critical condition]


    [Initiating emergency measures at the expense of Qi]


    Wei Jun''s health was restored to the max by the time he even touched the wall and crashed through it, flying through the courtyard all the way over to the other side, breaking through another building, and still showing no signs of coming to a stop.


    Yang Haoran''s Qi was still wreaking havoc inside of him while his own Qi was constantly healing him. Luckily for him, Yang Haoran''s Qi ran out before his did. But it was still a very, very close call.


    [A Qi replenishment pill has been consumed]


    [Qi has been fully restored]


    ''The fu*k was that?'' Wei Jun asked as he could still pangs of pain in his arms.


    [Qi emersion]


    [It''s when Qi penetrates your own Qi]


    [A secret technique of the Yang clan]


    [The boy knows how to use it very well as well]


    ''Thanks for the praise to the enemy.'' Wei Jun said with an annoyed tone before he asked, ''Is there any way to counter that?''


    [Haha]


    [You''re a good jokester, host]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun remained silent to that. If the system was being sarcastic, then there was no option to counter that at his current level.


    Asking was a stupidity. Wei Jun knew that as well. So, he did what he could.


    "Activate it," Wei Jun said.


    Just as he said it, he felt someone''s footsteps slowly making their way to him. He remained in his spot, his face downward, his expression a little pained.


    "Impressive. I for sure thought you would have died from that." A voice with slight anger in it fell in Wei Jun''s ears. Wei Jun remained silent to that. He surely would have died had the power of the green dragon not restored him instantly.


    [HP -100]


    [It''s activated, host]


    Wei Jun felt his power drain from his body. He felt tired, not just exhausted, but as if someone had sucked all life out of him, leaving him an empty husk.


    [Warning]


    [Warning]


    [User in critical condition]


    [Initiating emergency measures at the expense of Qi]


    [Error]


    [Error]


    [The nature of damage cannot be healed with Qi]


    [Using alternative methods]


    [Using Death Qi to heal the user]


    [Alternative success]


    [Death Qi -100]


    [HP +100]


    [¡­]


    [Would you look at that?]


    [Isn''t that a lucky break, host?]


    It was true. The kind of damage he obtained could not have been healed and even according to the system, the energy of death could not restore his soul damage yet he was fully healed in a moment.


    [Seems to me there are some mysteries to you as well, host]


    [Aren''t you quite the protagonist]


    "You¡­ Why are you bleeding?" Yang Haoran asked. His expression was a little estranged before his eyes widened to the limit instantly.


    "You fuc---!!!"


    "BOOMM!!!!"


    ~~


    Do not read below this.


    "Check him," Yang Haoran said to the tiny woman who was flying close to him. She nodded and flew towards Wei Jun. While Wei Jun couldn''t see her, she could see and touch him, and she did.


    However, that was a mistake on her part.


    "Impressive. I for sure thought you would have died from that." Yang Haoran said as he stopped in front of Wei Jun. He had expected a sassy reply but the man before him just panted heavily.


    "Check him," Yang Haoran said to the tiny woman who was flying close to him. She nodded and flew towards Wei Jun. While Wei Jun couldn''t see her, she could see and touch him, and she did. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 299 The slaughter

    "Check him," Yang Haoran said to the tiny woman who was flying close to him. She nodded and flew towards Wei Jun. While Wei Jun couldn''t see her, she could see and touch him, and she did.However, that was a mistake on her part.


    "Impressive. I for sure thought you would have died from that." Yang Haoran said as he stopped in front of Wei Jun. He had expected a sassy reply but the man before him just panted heavily.


    While he wanted to end the man before him, he needed to make sure he wasn''t like him. To do that, he needed to see whether or not he had another existence like him. If he did, he''d take it because that''s he his strength grew as well. Massively at that.


    As the tiny woman came close to Wei Jun and touched him, she invaded his consciousness. From her part, that was a mistake for what she saw next blinded her.


    "Seems to me there are some mysteries to you as well, host." She heard an ethereal voice. An unknown voice yet so familiar. She couldn''t remember where she had heard that voice or if was it even the same voice, but the ethereal effect in the voice was the same. But she couldn''t be sure so she had to make sure.


    So she went in deeper.


    "Aren''t you quite the protagonist?" She heard the voice again. It wasn''t like her in nature. Whoever it was, didn''t assist her host like she did.


    "Hmm?" She heard the voice say that again but before she could go in any deeper, she heard the same voice, "What''s a bug like you doing here?"


    Before she could react, she was enveloped by something. A white light. And¡­


    "AAAHHHH!!!!" She screamed as she burned to nothingness. All that was left was¡­


    "Oops."


    On the outside, by the time Yang Haoran asked about Wei Jun''s bleeding, he suddenly felt the connection to the tiny woman cut off. But before he could worry about that, a massive wave of miasma shook the entire base.


    Everything struck by the wave was blown away. Anything or anyone, that came in contact with the miasma wave was injured by a great degree.


    Yang Haoran managed to get out unscathed and many more like him, who were strong enough, managed to remain unharmed in the face of the miasma wave. Naturally, thanks to the Death Qi, Wei Jun was protected from that as well.


    But, that was the least of his worries. Soon enough, the base was swarmed by monsters of different kinds. Dogs, cats, and even bipedal monsters that Wei Jun didn''t even know of.


    [Just because you freed them doesn''t mean they won''t kill you]


    [I suggest you break the connection before too many of them come out or the real troublesome ones do]


    ''How do I do that?'' Wei Jun asked as he quickly stood up and ran, without even caring about Yang Haoran or his group. After all, they had other things to worry about.


    [Just destroy one circle]


    [With any one of them destroyed]


    [All of them would become destabilized and blow up]


    Wei Jun did just that because even he hadn''t anticipated the number of monsters. The plan was to open dungeons in the base, about ten or so of them at once.


    And while everyone was busy with the monsters, Wei Jun would kill Yang Haoran and some others and then get out as a survivor of the attack.


    To do that, he constructed some circles according to the system''s instructions and used some of the privates around the base as sacrifices. He used ten soldiers per circle so he needed a hundred of them.


    He had done all of that in the morning and was just waiting for the circles to become stable before he activated them. The only wrench in his plan was the young woman named Lin''s appearance so he had to stall. The good thing was that she wasn''t a professional and it was her first rodeo so Wei Jun could take advantage of her maidenhood and make her flustered.


    Still, her teammates couldn''t wait and called for Yang Haoran but by the time he arrived, it was all done. If it was up to him, he would have sacrificed them all before but the sudden disappearance of a hundred people would have turned heads. So he only had the time after the morning and before the noon roll call.


    It was very difficult for him, to get all those hundred people out. Killing them was not a problem since he had been putting parasites in their foods since the day he chose them as sacrifices. All that was left was to activate those parasites and they died on the spot. It was a pity the parasites only worked on those who were under the Qi gathering realm in cultivation. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have had to go through all of this trouble and simply killed Yang Haoran like that.


    Still, the plan was to get out of there as well without being implicated in anything. This was the best way to do it. No one knew the dungeons opened because of him. Yang Haoran''s reaction earlier was a little worrisome but it could have been about something else as well.


    [Yeah]


    [That might have something to do with his spirit''s death]


    ''His spirit?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [The tiny woman in the book]


    [She was a spirit]


    [A race from another dimension of a kind]


    [Complicated stuff]


    ''How did she die?'' Wei Jun asked curiously. In the book, she wasn''t mentioned as a spirit but as a tiny woman. Even Yang Haoran himself didn''t know what she was so he referred to her as Xaolan as well.


    [She tried to penetrate your soul]


    [And while I was distracted by how your soul was repaired with your Death Qi]


    [She snuck past my barriers and witnessed me]


    [Yeah]


    [That wasn''t really a smart move]


    ''I really wish I had the time to ask why?'' Wei Jun was really curious. In the novel, at least in the first volume, the tiny woman was very powerful. She possessed Yang Haoran on one occasion and defeated a grandmaster-level monster.


    [Please]


    [She was just a low-ranking spirit]


    [I doubt she was even a warrior ranked] Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [At most she was a scout]


    [A strong scout]


    [But a scout nonetheless]


    ''Stop talking! You''re making me curious again and again.'' Wei Jun yelled. There was some info that didn''t interest Wei Jun in the least while there was some that piqued his interest so hard he''d want to drop everything and focus on that.


    Still, he needed to focus on the task at hand. If even one monster like the red wyvern came out, he would be finished.


    As he arrived on the spot, he could see ten empty shriveled-bodies lying in a circle that was drawn from Wei Jun''s blood. To be honest, he was a little freaked out after seeing all that but he had to do what he had to do so he ignored the sight. It was just freaky was all. He had seen worse.


    Wei Jun hurriedly entered the circle and felt his power drain but before he even lost ten points of his Qi, he stored all the dead bodies in his inventory. As he did, the pressure on him intensified and his power began to drain more rapidly. Still, he managed to get out before he lost half of his HP.


    Just as he succeeded, there was a slight explosion behind him that pushed him away. The same type of explosions happened in nine more places around the base, instantly closing all the dungeons.


    However, even he knew he was one bit too late when he felt something pass through the entire space. Instantly, something dark covered the sky, like a dome.


    What was it, he didn''t know. But he sure didn''t have a nice feeling from it.


    [Veil]


    [It''s a sixth-circle spell]


    ''And what does it do?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [It prevents anyone from going out]


    ''Fu*k.'' Wei Jun cursed but that wasn''t the end of his problems when the system said.


    [That miasma wave you just felt wasn''t from whoever created this veil]


    [It was from an undead knight]


    ''I''m assuming that''s a bad thing?'' Wei Jun asked. A very bad feeling welled up in his heart.


    [Well]


    [Let''s just say]


    [If the blood wyvern and an undead knight fought one-on-one]


    [The undead knight would always win]


    [Ten out of ten times]


    ''Just perfect.''


    [And that''s not the end]


    ''You mothertucker.''


    [That I am]


    [And the worst problem is that the one who created that spell would be very powerful as well]


    [And as it so happens]


    [Cultivators are weak against magic]


    [So¡­]


    After hearing all of that, Wei Jun only had three words to describe his current situation and just portrayed how difficult the situation was for him¡­


    ''Fu*k my life.''


    [Your life is indeed fu*ked, host]

 Chapter 300 The slaughter (1)

    "Is that a¡­?!!!" The other woman in Yang Haoran''s platoon asked, her voice marred in fear because the entity before her wasn''t just anything. Ever seen before only once. A closely guarded secret of the world, not just the Huanan empire, but the world''s secret.The harbinger of death, the Lich. A monster so well versed in magic that even Archmages, the seventh circle magicians, would shy away from its presence. It''s casting speed, its destruction element, and most of all, it''s near infinite mana pool were something no one could stand against.


    Especially to them, who were weak against magic because not only if it penetrated them once, it would reach their heart and directly damage them, but it would also be harder to pierce the Lich''s defenses or defend against its attacks.


    "It''s not the same!" Yang Haoran yelled. While it was a Lich, it wasn''t the same level of Lich that humanity had faced before. It was different. It was weaker than the one recorded.


    ''If only I knew what happened to Xaolan,'' Yang Haoran thought inwardly.


    He didn''t know that his spirit, the tiny woman was dead. All he knew was that his connection to her was cut off. If she was here, she could have helped greatly against the Lich.


    ''It''s all because of him,'' Yang Haoran remembered a certain black-haired man who had been a headache for quite some time now.


    "Get into formation. Round everyone up! Until reinforcements arrive, kill the lower-level monsters while I stall the Lich." Yang Haoran said. Even with all of his confidence, he wasn''t confident in winning against the Lich. But if it was keeping it busy, then that was a different story.


    But before they could put their plan into motion, the Lich began to rise up in the sky and began to chant something. Seeing it busy with chanting, Yang Haoran thought it was the best opportunity to attack it but as soon as he moved to attack it, his sword was blocked by another heavy sword of nowhere.


    As the tremor of the impact passed through his body, he was flung back quite a distance. The same, however, couldn''t be said for his enemy. As Yang Haoran raised his head to see the powerful foe, his eyes widened to see none other than a figure in black heavy armor. The knight of legends.


    The Death Knight.


    An opponent with a strong defense but unlike other knights, who didn''t have a strong offense, this knight had the offense of the century. Even a grandmaster wouldn''t be able to win against it. Yang Haoran was sure of one thing, even if the military top brass or the higher-ups of the CSF arrived, they wouldn''t be able to beat this duo.


    The best option was to retreat. However, soon enough, that option became unavailable as well when the Lich finally finished its casting, and something dark enveloped the entire space.


    "No¡­" Hopelessness dived in when Yang Haoran saw what it was. The infamous barrier that was the authority of every dungeon boss. One that would only be destroyed upon their death or with their authorization.


    Other than that, there was no way to get out of that barrier. In simpler words, this entire place had become a dungeon, and the only way to get out of there was by killing the Lich, the owner of the barrier.


    "Get ready to fight!" Yang Haoran yelled.


    "TO DEATH!!!!"


    Upon his shout, everyone stopped and clenched their fists. They closed their eyes and with a yell, began to fight without any reservation of their strengths.


    As for Yang Haoran himself, as he was distracted by the barrier, the death knight jumped at him with his sword drawn.


    "CAPTAIN!!!!" Lin yelled, not addressing Yang Haoran by his appropriate title but by the title he was used to being called.


    Yang Haoran turned too late. The sword was just inches away from him. In the slowed time frame, Yang Haoran''s focus went on a figure close to him, just next to him. The figure''s foot collided with the death knight''s left side, throwing him off trajectory, and saving Yang Haoran''s life by an inch.


    "Get up," Yang Haoran registered the voice of the figure that had saved his life and it was none other than the young man he was cursing just moments ago.


    "I brought reinforcements." Wei Jun said as he turned to the red-haired man behind him, a distasteful expression on the red-haired man''s face.


    "It had to be a Lich of all things," The red-haired man said as he turned to the pristine bony skeletal figure.


    "Stall it just for a few minutes. I got a plan," Wei Jun said to the red-haired man before he turned to Yang Haoran and said, "For now, let''s call it a truce. You want to defeat that thing, right?"


    Yang Haoran turned to the death knight who was getting up, turning to the person who had attacked him and most of all, cracked its armor.


    While it was impossible for even a grandmaster to get through that defense, Wei Jun still managed to do that.


    "You''re an evil cultivator¡­?" Lin was speechless when she saw the dark strands of Qi around Wei Jun. The others noticed that too once they saw Lin pointing it out.


    "You wanna worry about that? Or do you want to defeat that thing right now?" Upon Wei Jun''s asking, they all turned their heads to the death knight, who was just standing there without doing anything.


    "I''m the only one who can injure it. But I''m weaker than it. You can keep it busy while I attack it. How about it?" Wei Jun asked, making the plan as clear as he could.


    Seeing as it was the best option, Yang Haoran nodded and said, "I will defend against its attacks. You deal damage to it. The rest of you spread throughout the base and kill as many monsters as you can."


    With the plan set, everyone moved in motion but not before giving Wei Jun a hateful eye. Wei Jun ignored them as always and kept his eyes focused on the death knight. The death knight also kept his head turned towards him because, at the moment, Wei Jun was the only danger to him. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Boom!!


    Boom!!!


    In the distance, the Lich and the wyverns had already begun to exchange attacks. It wouldn''t be long before the wyvern was defeated. According to the system, wyverns were physical fighters while Lichs were magical ones. Their casting speed was also ten times the normal of a magician of their level so it was almost impossible for someone at the same level, not to mention if it was a physical fighter who would be at a disadvantage at a range, to defeat them in a head-on battle.


    Someone higher ranked than the Lich was needed to defeat it and even then the chances were slim.


    Leaving it all to the wyvern was nothing but to buy some time. Once Wei Jun and Yang Haoran were done dealing with the death knight, he would then execute the second part of his plan.


    As Wei Jun and Yang Haoran stood side by side, the death knight also prepared himself, ready for an attack that was executed the very next moment.


    The death knight stepped forward, instantly crossing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Wei Jun couldn''t react to that speed but Yang Haoran could. He moved before Wei Jun could be harmed and attacked the death knight.


    The death knight hadn''t faltered in the least but his attack stopped. Wei Jun hurriedly executed the death whips and struck the death knight which dented its armor from many places but¡­


    [Death Qi -100]


    The amount of Qi consumed from that attack was massive. Wei Jun still had a lot of time before he could consume another Qi pill. Another problem was that he had already run out of the unconditional ones so he had to wait for the cooldown to run out. There was another option, but that had to come with the phase 2 of his plan.


    For now, he had to make do with what he had. The death knight, although damaged, raised his sword and brought it down. The heavy sword was slow enough for both of them to dodge but it wasn''t the blunt strike they had to defend against.


    It was the aftershock.


    As the sword fell to the ground, a massive shockwave struck both of them, pushing them in opposite directions from one another. The death knight ignored the one who could defend against him and jumped at the one who couldn''t.


    Seeing the death knight''s obvious intentions, Wei Jun hurriedly activated his Qi skills but used Yang Qi this time. That momentary burst allowed him to dodge that attack and as the death knight missed the attack and was unguarded for that short while, Yang Haoran gathered as much of his Qi as he could in one spot and struck it from behind.


    Alas¡­


    [HP -12]


    There was barely a dent in the death knight''s health. As for the death knight, it turned to look at Yang Haoran and even though there were no eyes of the death knight, Yang Haoran could understand what it seemed to portray¡­


    ''That''s it?''

 Chapter 301 Whats the harm?

    For those wondering why he didn''t use the black sword...The answer is that it didn''t work against Mana, only Qi.


    ~~


    The death knight grabbed Yang Haoran by both of his wrists with only one hand and raised the other one over his head, ready to bring it down and blow Yang Haoran''s head to oblivion.


    Boom!!!


    But the death knight failed to do so when a kick struck its head from the side, throwing it a great distance away. Wei Jun had moved silently, not even making any noise from jumping. He wasn''t an amateur who would announce his attack with a gutsy line.


    He knew the death knight was fast enough to avoid that attack so he kept the attack as silent as he could so that the death knight would have the very least amount of time to react if he somehow managed to detect Wei Jun.


    "Thanks," Yang Haoran said, relieved he didn''t die, he knew he had to thank his savior even though he was just trying to kill the same savior a while ago.


    "I don''t give a rat''s as*," Wei Jun replied before he said, "Your job is to distract him. Just do that. I have my ways of defending myself."


    Yang Haoran sighed. His temporary partner was a very hard person from the way he talked. No wonder the military was trying to get rid of him. A person like Wei Jun who had a problem with authority but also the greatest talent ever seen would be nothing but a threat for the future.


    Not to mention, a great deal of soldiers had died because of him. Keeping all that in mind, killing Wei Jun was the correct move in every way.


    "He''s coming!" Wei Jun said as he moved away from Yang Haoran because the death knight was sure to follow him.


    The only problem was that Wei Jun had a very low amount of Death Qi left. If only he could absorb death Qi from the miasma crystals, he wouldn''t be in that trouble in the first place.


    [Too bad so sad]


    ''Shut up,'' Wei Jun said as he once again dodged the sword heading for his head by a hair''s breadth by using almost all of his yang Qi.


    It wasn''t as bad as it could have been, but whatever it was, Wei Jun wasn''t getting any closer to it being a good battle at all. He had to count on Yang Haoran and he didn''t like that at all. Still, he couldn''t be too arrogant. He knew he needed Yang Haoran''s strength but what irked him most was that nothing was going according to his plan.


    Sure, killing the death knight was the first phase of his plan but the crucial part of it depended on Yang Haoran becoming gravely injured. If he wasn''t, he would be in great trouble over what was soon to come next.


    Yang Haoran once again attacked the death knight which connected but this time, the death knight didn''t even bother turning to him and remained focused on Wei Jun. Wei Jun tutted and kept dodging the death knight''s attacks which were a little slower now thanks to Yang Haoran''s interference.


    So, there was room for a counterattack.


    Wei Jun enveloped his hands in death Qi [Qi construct] and made gauntlets from that.


    He began to play boxing in the situation. Jabs and hooks from the sides of the knight that he couldn''t dodge because of Yang Haoran''s interference. The death knight''s armor was slowly crackling away. It wasn''t as pristine as it was in the beginning. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun''s attacks were working. The death knight''s armor was full of cracks. However, one thing that still bothered Wei Jun was how easy it was.


    According to the system, it wasn''t that difficult to defeat the death knight but this was too easy. Wei Jun was smooth sailing. There was something he was missing. Something crucial.


    [You closed the dungeon, host]


    [Their link to the dungeon core]


    [The thing that was keeping them stable]


    [Is cut off]


    [They''re dying anyway]


    [I''d give them half an hour at most]


    Wei Jun tutted. The severity of the situation became apparent to him. The reason the battle was so easy was because the monsters were preparing for one final move, ignoring every other aspect, keeping the battle only to a defense.


    ''These fu*ks,'' Wei Jun cursed as he saw the cracked armor of the death knight who was still attacking him. Not all of it had cracked because of Wei Jun''s attacks. It was cracking because of its own self-destruction.


    Wei Jun hurriedly stepped back and grabbed Yang Haoran as well.


    "Watch out!!!!" Wei Jun yelled. As if waiting for those words, the wyvern also covered himself with a barrier and abandoned his battle with the Lich.


    Boomm!!!


    ~~


    "What was that?" Lin stood up, her figure bloodied. The giant explosion just now killed almost every monster and cadet around her. Only she managed to survive and even only because she managed to cover herself in her Qi barrier the moment she witnessed a giant force coming towards her.


    "That¡­" She heard someone speak. In panic, as she turned to the voice, she froze as she felt something piercing her heart, "Was the least of your worries."


    Wei Jun pulled his hand back. Having killed everyone who witnessed him using Death Qi or witnessed him killing the members of Yang Haoran''s party, Wei Jun returned to the spot form before. The spot where the death knight had blown himself up.


    "You''re back! What were you doing?!" Yang Haoran asked, bloodied himself but also struggling very much. As it turned out, only the death knight had blown himself up due to the severity of the damage. The Lich hadn''t.


    The Lich was still as pristine as before, a little less lustrous perhaps, but there wasn''t much difference.


    "To complete phase one," Wei Jun said as he moved forward to join the battle. While the wyvern and Yang Haoran kept the Lich busy, Wei Jun left under the guise of getting some treasures that could help them win that battle.


    What he actually did was to take care of the witnesses. As for the Lich, he knew he could leave it unattended for a few minutes. The other two could keep it busy but maybe he underestimated them.


    They were both bloodied.


    The battle kept going. Spell after the spell was suspended by the Lich while the three physical fighters did their best to fend against it but in the end¡­


    "Kugh!!!" Wei Jun vomited blood as the curse spell took hold of him. It was some sort of poison that had penetrated his Qi core and was damaging him from the inside. Yang Haoran had long since passed out and the only reason Wei Jun wasn''t was because most of the Lich''s damage was focused on Yang Haoran and the wyvern.


    The wyvern himself was on his last legs and soon enough disappeared, appearing in the form of a tattoo back on Wei Jun''s hands. Wei Jun hurriedly consumed a health pill but it didn''t help. He consumed a phoenix''s tear but that didn''t help either.


    There was no saving from that single spell.


    "Isn''t there¡­ anything?" Wei Jun asked, his vision groggy. He wasn''t sure that even killing Yang Haoran would help.


    After all, even if he were to obtain something from the death of Yang Haoran, and in doing so, his quest completion, he wasn''t sure anything would help him defeat that monster.


    [Then¡­]


    [What''s the harm in trying?]


    Wei Jun heard his brother''s voice. While his focus was dwindling, he considered it for one last time.


    And his brother was right. There was no harm in trying. If he was going to die anyway, he should at least die while trying everything he could.


    Miracles weren''t something he believed in.


    But before coming there, there were many things he never believed in.


    So what was one more thing?


    Wei Jun grabbed the sword lying near him and turned around, The Lich was preparing some sort of fire spell to deal with Wei Jun, killing him in one swift strike. Wei Jun could feel the heat coming from the round sphere. He was sure he wouldn''t survive that one.


    The Lich was a little confused seeing him like that but if it was his attempt at running away, then it was a pathetic one.


    In that state, there was no proper walking, let alone running.


    Wei Jun stopped just before Yang Haoran. There was no sympathy or hesitation in his eyes. His brother had said there was a chance so there was a chance.


    He didn''t care if he was fighting side by side with this man. He always intended to betray him from the start.


    So, without hesitation, Wei Jun drove the sword through Yang Haoran''s heart, killing him in one swift strike.


    And as he did, he received the usual messages but his sight was far too gone to check them out. He could hear though.


    And through that, he heard a voice.


    "What a surprise. A lich."


    [You?]


    [How''s that possible?]


    Wei Jun didn''t remember what happened after that. All he remembered was the ethereal voice and the system''s shocked voice. What happened after that, he didn''t know.

 Chapter 302 Quest V complete

    [Quest V complete][Quest efficiency 18%]


    [Death Qi +18]


    [Rewards would be deducted]


    [You can either accept all rewards by 80%]


    [Or you can choose one reward among the others]


    [Updates are unaffected]


    As soon as Wei Jun opened his eyes, without even registering his surroundings, he was greeted by such bad news. While it was true that even he considered that quest to be a failure, he didn''t think he had done so badly.


    [Unlike Shao Chen or Run Long]


    [Whom you killed after taking almost everything]


    [You didn''t do the same with this one]


    [Even Tao Min and Rin lost everything]


    [While Yang Haoran didn''t even know you wanted to kill him]


    [Much less about his subordinates who died at your hand]


    [So the quest failure makes sense]


    Wei Jun couldn''t refute all those facts. There were too many discrepancies in his plan against Yang Haoran. Due to the military and SCF''s threat, he had rushed the entire thing, making him resort to such desperate measures.


    Not only did he kill Yang Haoran in quite a hurry, but he couldn''t foresee many of the hindrances in his plan, causing him to lose very much. The appearance of the Lich and the Death Knight was also a factor he hadn''t anticipated.


    Sigh¡­


    Wei Jun sighed and looked around. He was in a luxurious room, but it wasn''t his. He didn''t know who it belonged to but there was currently no threat to his life. Or at least that''s what he liked to believe. It was currently night time so the room was dark as well but given his stats, he could see like it was in the middle of the day.


    There were no paintings or pictures to indicate who this room might belong to. He got up but before getting out of bed, he checked the status of his quest.


    [Please choose one of the following rewards]


    [Level +10]


    [All stats +20]


    [Skill mastery card]


    Wei Jun thought for long and hard. He didn''t gain any level from killing Yang Haoran which was a bummer and he would have liked it if it was otherwise. However, he didn''t obtain anything so he was leaning toward getting the levels to increase his limit.


    Stats were equally enticing but without his level limit increased, it was nothing but a waste. Granted, his physical stats would increase by a good margin but he still felt like it was a waste. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, he wasn''t sure about the last reward. It was strange, the least to say. Not to mention he had never seen it in the shop before and since there was no description, he didn''t know what it did as well.


    ''What do you think?'' Wei Jun asked the system.


    [I can''t help you with that, host]


    [All options are equally important]


    Wei Jun sighed. Just because he hadn''t seen a description, it didn''t mean it wasn''t important. Even the system was saying that all of those rewards were equal in level.


    Besides, there was one thing he wanted to see. Rather than sticking to just one thing, he wanted to properly explore the system, and learn many of its functions to see if he wasn''t missing out on anything.


    Since that was the case, Wei Jun, without hesitation, selected the last option.


    [You have obtained a Skill mastery card]


    [You can Max any of your skill''s mastery]


    [What skill would you like to use it on?]


    Wei Jun was pleasantly surprised. There was one thing he still didn''t know how to do and that was to abruptly raise his skill level. If he used them, eventually they''d level up in mastery but it hadn''t happened so far except for [Terror] skill.


    "Indomitable." Wei Jun simply said one word.


    [Congratulations]


    [Skill ''Indomitable'' has been fully mastered]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what the difference was so he opened up the skill window to check on it.


    [Indomitable]


    [Tier: S]


    [Mastery: Max]


    [Description: Your strong will to remain standing amidst battle is admirable


    To facilitate such bravery, a blessing has been granted to you


    Now you can enjoy the feats of battle without ever feeling full and falling down]


    [Effect: While the skill is active, your health cannot decrease]


    [Cost: 1000 QP]


    [Duration: 30 minutes]


    [Cooldown: 5 hours]


    Wei Jun didn''t know if he should be happy or not. The cost of the skill had increased by tenfold which was a negative but the positives were also equal.


    The cooldown had reduced by half and the skill duration had also increased by 25 minutes. Conflicted, Wei Jun decided to view it positively and didn''t dwell on the topic anymore.


    Before he got out though, he decided to check on the rest of the notification.


    [System update will be initiated in 12 hours]


    Wei Jun sighed and asked the system, ''Now it''s your turn.''


    [Pardon?]


    ''Who appeared when I killed Yang Haoran and saved me? It sounded like you knew him?''


    [You were awake?]


    ''I was out of it but not that much.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [¡­]


    [I cannot tell you anything about that, host]


    [But I will tell you this]


    [That man isn''t a friend]


    [He might not be a foe either]


    [But if it ever came between choosing friend or foe]


    [Always consider him a foe]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun didn''t really know how to reply to that. The system obviously knew something but it wasn''t willing to share the information. Wei Jun wasn''t bothered by that. Everyone was allowed secrets and he had many of his own as well.


    What actually bothered him was the fact that he had heard that voice before. Where, though, was the question. He felt like the answer was at the back of his mind but he couldn''t quite remember where.


    That was what truly bothered him. He was very, very bothered at the moment. Still, he couldn''t do anything about it. Stressing his mind didn''t work and asking the system didn''t work either.


    In the end, the only option was to let it go for now and focus on what he could such as where he was.


    As Wei Jun opened the door and left the room, he met with an empty hallway. It was nighttime so it made sense. Wei Jun made his way towards the lobby of the house which he took some time because he didn''t know the layout.


    [You could spread out your Qi to form a layout]


    ''And let my position be known.'' Wei Jun replied which was another point. He didn''t know whether this place belonged to an enemy or a friend. What he did know was that he had to be vigilant.


    As such, he arrived in the giant lobby of the house. It wasn''t the living room because there wasn''t any piece of furniture except for decorations. A prime place to welcome guests so it was a lobby.


    Still, throughout the house, he didn''t see one picture of people. There were many luxurious paintings and Wei Jun could immediately tell that even one would cost a fortune yet there were so many of them there.


    This house was even more luxurious than the Ruan family mansion. Still, Wei Jun didn''t know where he was and what he should do next. The option of running away was on the table but he didn''t know the situation of the outside. Besides, if it was a friend, running away wouldn''t seem right.


    But if it was an enemy, he needed to run away.


    That was quite a dilemma and in the end, he decided to deal with the situation as it came.


    Besides, he was fully stocked and all his cooldowns were reset. He wasn''t confident at fighting back and winning if it was someone strong like a grandmaster, but with the new skill in his arsenal, running away wouldn''t be a problem at all.


    Luckily, the next moment, a voice entered his ears. A familiar voice.


    "You''re up!" Wei Jun turned towards the voice only to be met with a running woman who smashed into him, throwing him to the ground. Before he could even react, she attacked him with her lips, and before Wei Jun knew it, he was covered in kisses from forehead to chin.


    ''So much for reacting.'' Wei Jun thought. Once again, the system''s words rang in his ears. Yang Rong was monstrously talented. She grew stronger again since the last time he saw her and not just by a small margin but quite a big margin as well.


    If she was level 300 before, she was almost 400 now. It was a massive increment and just because he gave her an S rank technique.


    [She seemed to have comprehended her own cultivation technique to some extent as well]


    [Even I can feel the energy of yin from her]


    [Now would be a good time to smash her host]


    [You just need to learn a good dual cultivation technique]


    ''I''m not doing that.'' While getting stronger rapidly was a good idea, it didn''t sit well with Wei Jun by using such an unreliable way.


    He shook his head and said, "I am injured, you know."


    "Oh, sorry," Yan Rong said but she wasn''t apologetic at all and continued to kiss Wei Jun right then and there in the middle of the lobby.

 Chapter 303 Damien

    "We should really get up now," Wei Jun said while lying in the soft bed he was, Yang Rong in his arms. She was clutching him like he was going to run away the moment she let go of him."Just one more round. I promise it will be the last one." Yang Rong said.


    "You said that ten rounds ago as well," Wei Jun said with narrowed eyes before he asked, "How did I get here?"


    No matter how much he asked throughout the night, Yan Rong wouldn''t divulge any information. Wei Jun thought it had something to do with the severity of the situation, but she was simply withholding the information because she wanted to keep Wei Jun with her.


    "Haa¡­" In the end, she sighed and said, "Well, you and seven others survived the incident this time. While your injuries were something to behold, there wasn''t any danger to your life. There was no sign of a Lich or the Death Knight. Several of the officers were missing as well. They wanted to interrogate you once you woke up but I stole you."


    "Stole me?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Stole you. Wheeled you right out of the base and no one could stop me," Yan Rong said.


    "How did you manage to avoid everyone''s eyes?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Who do you think I am? That much is simple for me," Yan Rong said with a smile. Wei Jun also nodded. Yan Rong was expert enough to avoid some personnel. Or at least he thought the same until Yan Rong said the next words, "Some of them spotted me so I snapped their necks and hid them in the morgue."


    "¡­" Wei Jun was speechless.


    "So how''s the aftermath?" Since he was, he decided not to preach the subject and asked about the aftermath.


    "We still don''t know how so many dungeons opened up at once. We did find some suspicious-looking things drawn in blood around the camp with dried-up husks in them which we suspect to be our soldiers, we don''t know what the cusp of the issue was." Yan Rong explained.


    Wei Jun nodded in return. He wasn''t suspected about those at least since no one knew what they were. Even the system said that and since it did so, Wei Jun believed it. Besides, the other issue he needed to prepare for was a military hearing. There would surely be one and Wei Jun needed to get out of it somehow.


    He was lucky a hearing wasn''t commenced when Commander Zhao and Brigadier Tang died, but ever since he found out that the cultivators had some magicians at their beck and call, especially the mages who could use the truth spell, he was a little worried about questioning.


    Since that was the case, he asked, "What would happen if they didn''t find me?"


    "They''ll probably suspect you of the whole thing and make you the scapegoat." Yan Rong nonchalantly replied.


    "¡­" Speechless by her reply, Wei Jun asked, "And you broke me out despite knowing that?"


    "I missed you," Yan Rong replied in a spoiled tone which was apparently supposed to justify her actions.


    "When did you break me out?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Last night," Yan Rong replied.


    It was still night, four in the morning, so there was still time. According to her, she broke him out at midnight, when the last shift ended. The military shifts changed and the window provided Yan Rong to sneak him out. It meant the new shift personnel didn''t know he was missing yet. Of course, there was only a chance but he still had to try.


    So, he got up and said, "I''m going back. Which hospital was it?"


    "Military hospital XX," She replied. Wei Jun equipped clothes directly from the inventory and left for the hospital.


    Yan Rong didn''t try to stop him since she trusted his decision. Wei Jun, on the other hand, didn''t want to overcomplicate the situation he was already in. Besides, he entrusted one more task to Yan Rong to finish things once and for all.


    ~~


    Wei Jun arrived at the hospital. Seeing no alarms blaring and everyone doing their own things, no one seemed to have missed him. Or the dead staff.


    Wei Jun entered his room where he learned from Yan Rong and changed into a hospital gown. Then he got into his bed and waited. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The sixth quest hadn''t arrived yet since the system update was still pending. It was still an hour away and Wei Jun needed to prepare himself. Although the damage to his soul had been miraculously healed by the death Qi, he still wasn''t so sure about it.


    According to the system, if there was damage to his soul, the original Wei Jun could end up taking over. After all, his connection to Wei Jun''s body was still stronger thanks to the keyword ''original''.


    [Damages to the soul aren''t repaired with its reparation]


    [There are usually side effects]


    [Loss of stamina]


    [Short-term memory loss]


    [Or the worst of them]


    [Identity crisis]


    Wei Jun remained silent. The risks he took to kill Haoran Yang were too many compared to the rewards he obtained. That sole fact was the reflection of how deeply he had involved himself with the powers of that world while still being very much powerless.


    Had there not been interference from the military, Wei Jun would have been able to easily catch up with Yang Haoran with his achievements but one interference from the military due to the CSF threw a wrench in all of his plans.


    Sigh¡­


    He sighed and closed his eyes. He was tired for some reason. The next time he opened his eyes, he found himself in the same dark room with only one roof light, a table, and two chairs in the middle.


    On one side of the table was a scrawny but handsome man. The other side was empty. Wei Jun sighed once again and stood up. He took the second seat and looked at the scrawny man who was looking at him very seriously.


    "What?" Wei Jun (2) asked.


    "Give me my body back," Wei Jun (1) spoke without hesitation.


    "The fact that you''re asking instead of taking it means you can''t," Wei Jun (2) said before he asked, "There''s no merit in doing so."


    "Is everything just a business deal to you? Can''t you see what you''re doing is wrong?" Wei Jun (1) said, a slight scowl on his face.


    "You made your choice while I made mine. You simply got the short stick of the end because of that choice. Don''t you dare put this on me," Wei Jun (2) said before he added, "If you think you deserve this body, then prove it to me. Take it from me."


    "How can I?! You''re too strong!" Wei Jun (1) yelled, slamming his hands on the table, he stood up, conveying his anger.


    Wei Jun (2) remained calm and didn''t move an inch. He simply looked at Wei Jun (1) for a while before he added, "My name is Damien. I don''t exactly know why I''m here or what should I do. But I do know one thing. How I''ve lived my own life."


    "What nonsense is this?" Wei Jun asked, confused about the direction the conversation was going.


    "The very first company I was put in charge of by my father was a toy company. It was run by a bunch of old men and women who would launder money through the business, also embezzle funds and many more losses occurred because of them. For my company, it was too small a company to do anything about it. My father put me in charge of it and told me to stop all that."


    "I gave those old men a chance. Many, many chances, actually. I was taught to respect the elderly after all."


    Damien stopped, a cold glint in his eyes as he looked at Wei Jun, scaring the hell out of him, "But, what those old men were taking was mine. Mine!"


    A rare sight of emotions in his eyes, Damien looked at Wei Jun and said, "So I ripped them apart. I didn''t care if I was ten or they were elderly. I tied them to a table, cut off their fingers and toes one by one until they confessed all of their crimes, told me how to get everything they had, and then I killed them."


    "Tell me, you waste of skin," Damien slammed his hands this time, breaking the metallic table from his side and emitting a shockwave that pushed Wei Jun away, "You, who cannot even protect, take back what is his, how in the hell do you deserve any of this? How dare you call this unjust when you are the weak one?"


    "Weaklings shouldn''t be the one to complain about injustice. They don''t have the right to. Only strong do." Damien said with an overbearing pressure emitting from him, "They just don''t need to because all the justice is on their side."


    Damien knelt before Wei Jun and said, "If you can''t take back what is yours, then stay here, in this darkness, for the rest of your life."


    "This life is now¡­" Wei Jun stood up, and looked down on the original one with a cold gaze, "¡­mine."

 Chapter 304 Truth or lie?

    Damien sat across from Wei Jun who was fidgeting in his seat. Damien kept his eyes on him, his eyes cold as ice as he asked, "So? Do you accept?""In-In return. You will do what you promi¡ªpromised right?" Wei Jun asked, immensely afraid of the man sitting across from him who was the bulkier version of him.


    "Of course," Damien replied. The request wasn''t that difficult to fulfill. ''What else would I expect from a waste like him?''


    When Damien offered the deal, Wei Jun could have asked for anything but instead, he asked for a night with a woman. Any woman would do, even a pro*titute to which Damien agreed. There would be the matter of it becoming a scandal afterwards but Damien could easily snap the neck of the woman afterwards.


    With the deal agreed upon by both parties, Damien closed his eyes and opened them again. Wei Jun looked around the room and it was sometime in the morning. The sun was just rising so it was fairly early. The update had been done and the new quest notification appeared before him.


    [Main Quest VI]


    [Li Fan Sho]


    [Description: Sixth novel, ''Immortal of the World Beyond'' has begun


    His story has begun long before you ever came to know of him and his power is a force to reckon with


    Defeat him. Defeat the immortal of FaJin and take the glory he was supposed to gain]


    [Task: Kill Lin Fan Sho]


    [Reward(s):


    #1: System update


    #2: Inventory Update


    #3: Shop Update


    #4: All stats +50


    #5: Level +25


    #6: 1 SS rank skill


    #7: 5 Skill upgrade cards


    #8: An item of your own choosing from the shop]


    [Punishment: The world will kill you in 300 days]


    Wei Jun''s eyes were open wide as he read the reward skill. He didn''t know what the current level of strength of this new protagonist was, but given the state of the rewards, Wei Jun was sure it wouldn''t be simply at the grandmaster level.


    After all, the previous protagonist was at the same level and Wei Jun could only kill him once he was severely injured. Even if Wei Jun had used the wyvern, the chances of winning were very, very slim.


    ''I might have to read all the volumes this time,'' Wei Jun thought. He had learned his lesson from the previous protagonist. The current rank of the protagonist was nothing like the previous ones. The level of this one and the last one was truly strong. As the system said, the real cultivation began once one stepped into the grandmaster realm.


    So far all he fought were amateurs in one word. Now, he needed to join the big leagues and the people in the big leagues were simply monsters.


    With all those aspects in play, Wei Jun needed to increase his level rapidly and that was only possible if he destroyed this new protagonist''s life.


    While he was mulling all over it, the door to his room opened and a female nurse entered the room. Seeing him awake, she smiled and said, "You''re awake. How do you feel? Anything uncomfortable?"


    Wei Jun didn''t know if this was a rehearsed situation or if the nurse just fell for his charms, but he simply nodded and replied, "I feel as fine as ever. Even better than usual."


    "I see. I will run some tests and see if the doctor is required for an examination. I will report my findings to him and he will decide whether to keep you longer or discharge you." The nurse politely replied and checked Wei Jun''s condition by running the usual responsive tests. Once he was cleared, she left and returned after about ten minutes with a man in a white coat.


    The doctor who seemed to be in charge of him. He had a strict look on his face and his physique was also bulky, unlike many gentle doctors. He didn''t waste any time with pleasantries and said, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan. I am told to keep you here until a military envoy arrives. Do you have any objections?"


    Wei Jun looked at him for a while before he shook his head and replied, "No."


    He nodded and left with the nurse. Wei Jun heard him say once he was outside, ''Keep an eye on him.''


    Of course, there was someone to guard Wei Jun on the outside. Once Wei Jun was alone, he simply lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. Since he lacked some sleep, it was better to get some now before things got hectic.


    He didn''t know when he was woken up by the nurse again but once he checked the clock, it was a little before noon.


    "The military envoy has arrived, Mister Ruan," The nurse politely reported and left. Wei Jun got up, dressed, and came out to greet some Corporals of his rank.


    While they were at the same rank as him, they weren''t as strong. Wei Jun remained silent when the man at the forefront spoke, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan. I am Corporal Xiang. You are to follow my lead and follow me for questioning by the order of the General Ping."


    Wei Jun nodded and simply signaled the man to go ahead. The man was a little irked that Wei Jun didn''t properly introduce himself and wasn''t treating him with the respect he as a leader was due, but he knew that Wei Jun''s current rank allowed him to be as arrogant as he was.


    Wei Jun followed them to the car and shortly afterward, the car arrived outside a military base. It was a similar base to the one he was in but he was sure it wasn''t his because nothing but rubble was left of it.


    As they arrived, Wei Jun was taken straight to a room inside the base. Inside the room, a robed figure sat on one side of the table while the other side was left for him. Wei Jun, without being told to, took the seat and looked at the man in the robe.


    He raised his hand and chanted something for quite some time and once he was done, he looked at one corner of the room and nodded. There was no one else in the room, not even a two-way mirror, so there was no way to tell if someone could look inside.


    "Is you name Wei Jun Ruan?" A voice fell into his ears from somewhere. It was like the sound was coming from everywhere, not one specific location in the room.


    "Ye-Yes." Wei Jun replied.


    "Is your date of birth December 17th?" The voice once again asked.


    "Yes." Wei Jun once again replied but there was no stutter this time.


    "How old are you?" The voice once again asked.


    "24." Wei Jun replied.


    "Are you aware of the attack on military base three?" The voice asked.


    "Yes. I was there." Wei Jun replied.


    "Describe the monsters that were there." The voice said.


    "There were various types of undeads. Bipedal and animal monsters as well." Wei Jun replied.


    "What kind of monsters did you fight?" The voice asked.


    "It was a¡­ giant man type¡­ in black armor or something and a giant sword as well. All black." Wei Jun painted a picture and replied.


    "You mean a death knight?" The voice asked.


    "Yes, that one. Captain Yang dealt with it along with some other officers. I acted as a support." Wei Jun replied.


    "And who dealt with the Lich?" The voice asked.


    "With what?" Wei Jun blurted but immediately, a look of realization appeared on his face as he asked, "You mean that skeleton?"


    "Yes." The voice replied.


    "I don''t know. I had already passed out before the fight with the knight was over," Wei Jun replied.


    "Was there anything else there?" The voice asked. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There was a¡­ man you could say. He had red hair and everything. I had never seen him before but he seemed to be on friendly terms with the captain." Wei Jun replied.


    "Are you sure?" The voice asked.


    "Yes. He was yelling something like release me after you''re done here or something. I can''t remember much." Wei Jun replied.


    The robed figure in the room said, "All is truth."


    "All is what now?" Wei Jun once again blurted to which, the voice said, "Thank you for your cooperation, Corporal Ruan. You may leave."


    Once Wei Jun was gone, the voice asked the robed figure, "Everything was true?"


    "Every one thing." The robed man replied.


    "Could he have used some trick?" The voice asked.


    "My mana properly penetrated his heart. There was no option to lie." The robed figure replied.


    The voice remained silent for some time before it said, "Very well. You''re dismissed."


    In another room, a woman with a scar on her face asked, "Why do you think there''s some sort of trickery?"


    "I¡­ don''t know. My gut tells me there''s something missing. I can''t tell what it is though." The man replied before he turned to the woman and said, "Keep an eye on him. We''re investigating on our side but I need you to be vigilant about him as well. Something about him just screams¡­ dangerous."


    "Aren''t you just reading too much into it?" The woman asked.


    "I certainly hope so." The man replied.

 Chapter 305 The Deal

    "How was the night?" Wei Jun asked the woman next to him who clearly had a disappointed expression on her face but replied, "I-It was amazing.""You don''t have to lie. You can''t expect much from a waste after all." Wei Jun said. The woman was confused by Wei Jun''s words. Was he calling himself that?


    Before she could fathom his words any further, Wei Jun grabbed her by her neck and snapped her clean without a moment''s hesitation. Once he was done, he stored the body in his inventory and went outside the room.


    Outside, there were some burly men waiting for him.


    "Good morning, Sir," One of them said, clear intimidation in his voice, "Did you have a pleasant night?"


    "Can''t say much about the night but I''m surely about to have a pleasant morning," Wei Jun said.


    "Pardon?" The man asked.


    "Nothing," Wei Jun said as a gun appeared in his hand, and before anyone could react, he shot and killed everyone in the room. Once he was done, he killed everyone else in the building. Anyone who could have seen him enter that building died that morning.


    As for Wei Jun, once he was done and erased all traces of his presence, he left for his apartment. Arriving there, he went straight to the shower and took a long lengthy shower.


    ''I feel dirty for some reason,'' He thought inwardly.


    [It''s not like you slept with her]


    ''Only because I have to share this body with that waste.'' Wei Jun cursed. He wanted to kill the original Wei Jun somehow but killing him inside that imaginary world wouldn''t work. Besides, his brother wouldn''t point it out if there was something important to it.


    Since that was the case, he decided to tolerate the original owner of the vessel for a while. Besides, he was helpful in dodging the truth test. Since he wasn''t the one to commit anything, anything and everything he said, despite it being told to him via Damien was the truth to him and according to the system, lies only worked when one knew they were lying.


    It was very much like the polygraph test where one''s heart rate was monitored to see whether they were lying or not. Only this one was in a magical sense and there were some other factors involved than body signs. It was only because of that did Damien required Wei Jun.


    Once he got out of the shower, Wei Jun went straight to the kitchen and cooked himself a healthy breakfast. It was so much that the entire kitchen table was filled with nothing but meat from various animals and monsters. Without caring for decorum or anything, he chowed down everything in front of him.


    Once he was done, he sat cross-legged and began to strengthen his core. He couldn''t increase his Qi due to his poor performance in the last quest but he wasn''t going to make the same mistake this time.


    First of all, came strengthening his core. Once that was done, he''d think about the rest. Unlike before when he was behind the scenes, he decided to actively involve himself in the life of the current protagonist.


    He was too far strong for him to intervene directly still, but he wouldn''t be completely on the sidelines as well. After a week of meditation, he couldn''t proceed anymore due to how tiresome it had become.


    [Even if you cannot endure the strain of Qi concentration on your mind]


    [It is better to give it a rest]


    Wei Jun nodded to the advice given by the system and checked the current state of his own life. He was on temporary leave from the army until all the accusations against him were investigated.


    He stood up and turned on the TV. The date he decided with Yan Rong would be tonight so he''d have the results by then. He remained in his apartment since he knew there were eyes on him. He had to shake them off when he went to fulfill the original Wei Jun''s condition, but he couldn''t fool them around his permanent residence.


    Besides, he needed those eyes on him as well. To prove the CSF and the law enforcement for once and for all, he needed them to see that he was present in his apartment when¡­


    "This just came in. The biker has been spotted in the downtown once again. After a long and strenuous chase, the biker disappeared into mid-air, never to be seen again. The search for the biker is ongoing but the police have yet to come up with anything. The CSF and even the military have involved themselves in this matter but so far, there''s no news of him. Stay with us as we go to the scene and ask our reporter¡­."


    Wei Jun turned off the TV and sighed.


    The presence around his apartment was still there and he was sure there were bugs in his apartment as well. It was nothing difficult for the military or the CSF. And even if there weren''t any, it was always better to be careful about everything than give anything away as long as there was a small chance of it happening.


    The presence remained there for an entire day. Wei Jun also remained in his apartment the entire day, doing nothing at all. He couldn''t cultivate so all he did was roam around the apartment, watching TV and sleeping the day off.


    The next day, the presence was no longer there. His apartment could have still been bugged but he didn''t care about any of it. He was cautious enough to know how to dodge them.


    [You could just fry them with Qi interference]


    It was a good idea but Wei Jun didn''t do so. He needed them to trust him or at least free him from all the suspicions. For that to happen, he must deal with the constant eyes on him.


    But to him, another approach was more appropriate. Something more suited to his nature. Something very much¡­ aggressive.


    Wei Jun called his lawyer and said, "The biker was spotted last night. I have an alibi that I was at my apartment. It''s time to get back at the CSF."


    As he put down the phone, he turned to one of the cameras and said, "I''d appreciate it if you could spare me the video. Well, even if you can''t, I already have it."


    He smiled and went to his shower to get ready. As for the people on the other side of the camera turned to look at each other. The man who was present at Wei Jun''s questioning turned to the scarred woman and said, "I told you. There''s something strange with him."


    "Whatever it is, we now know he isn''t the biker." The scarred woman said.


    "No. The biker is said to have the power of evil cultivators. The biker spotted last night only robbed a bank but didn''t use any of the power of evil cultivators." The man said.


    "You know as well as I do that we can''t use that. He now has an alibi and that''s us. Even the emperor would have no choice but to look the other way with all that irrefutable evidence present." The scarred woman said.


    Had there not been such a strong backing behind Wei Jun, no matter what he would have done, he wouldn''t have been able to have the empire do anything. But the powers behind him were something else and even the emperor wouldn''t want to make an enemy out of the sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With all those factors involved, there was no way they could use their power against Wei Jun and convict him of anything. Underhanded tactics only worked against those who were powerless. Wei Jun himself was anything but powerless. With the support he had, it was nearly impossible to do anything about him now.


    ~~


    At the press conference, everything went as Wei Jun expected. The military itself cleared Wei Jun of all charges and even the present Commander Rong had no choice but to do as he was told by the emperor and cleared Wei Jun''s name.


    Once that was done, Wei Jun''s military service was brought up, about which Wei Jun showed a very interesting video to the entire empire in which he had to clean human feces and such.


    After knowing about such a treatment, the military had to pay a lot as well. Well, many of them weren''t even aware of such things but those who were knew of it very well.


    The sect master was enraged and threatened to bring the matter to the emperor himself. Of course, negotiation was always possible but Wei Jun didn''t want that in the first place. Had he wanted to make a deal with them, he wouldn''t have shown the video to the public.


    All he wanted was to make a deal. A deal which simply stated¡­


    "If Wei Jun was ever harassed by anyone, ever again," The sect master said, "They will have to answer to me."


    A deal disguised as a threat. The military was wise enough to understand everything as well. Wei Jun was now untouchable by the authorities unless they could procure concrete evidence.

 Chapter 306 The Deal (1)

    "Was that really necessary?" A woman with a scar on her left eye asked Wei Jun as she and Wei Jun sat face to face in the company of the sect master of Wei Jun''s sect and some other soldiers from the military.Wei Jun smiled and said, "I needed to hit you back for what you put me through." His reply contained no remorse or logic at all. All it contained was hatred which was shown from his tone, only his words.


    All the more reason why the woman wasn''t willing to believe that. Wei Jun knew exactly what revealing that detail to the public would do. The civilians would be hesitant about joining the military.


    Things were already very hard for them, with that stunt, the public had lost a great deal of trust in the military, making things all the more worse for them. If that wasn''t enough, the original purpose of that revelation was something else entirely.


    "And you want money?" The scarred woman asked.


    Wei Jun simply nodded before he replied, not a shred of emotion in his voice, "I took significant trauma damage from the treatment I received at the military."


    He looked at the man beside the woman and said, "Don''t you think I should be fairly compensated for everything I went through?"


    "¡­" The man remained silent. The woman couldn''t help but agree with what the man said earlier. There was no indication but Wei Jun had still addressed the man standing beside the woman, not the woman herself. He knew she wasn''t the one in charge but he was.


    "What do you really want?" The man asked, dropping all pretenses.


    "¡­" It was Wei Jun''s turn to remain silent. While there were tons of things he wanted, the military couldn''t give them to him. If it was money, he could make it on his own. It was true his true purpose wasn''t money, but he wasn''t so sure what to ask of the military.


    So, he asked for the best thing.


    "Full immunity to murder." Wei Jun said.


    "¡­" It was once again the man''s turn to remain silent. Of all the things, they never expected Wei Jun to say that. Full immunity to murder wasn''t something that could be easily granted. Unless it was some great hero, who could be trusted with that ability, granting it to someone who didn''t think much of a human life wasn''t something they could do.


    After all, a hero would have a conscious they could count on. What did Wei Jun have? The man was bluntly asking for murder immunity. His goals would be anything but pure.


    "We cannot do that." The man replied, pressing on the ''cannot'' to convey his clear refusal. Wei Jun smiled and said, "Well, then I''m sure the military doesn''t want some¡­ dark things to be revealed."


    Stay updated via empire


    "Dark things?" The man asked.


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything and simply handed him a tablet. As the man checked the content on that tablet, his fists clenched, destroying the tablet in his hands. Qi emanated around him as he threateningly asked, "Where did you get this?"


    "You might want to contain yourself." The sect master calmly said. Upon hearing him, the man calmed down a little but he still kept a killer gaze at Wei Jun. Seeing that gaze, Wei Jun couldn''t help but chuckle, "You shouldn''t threaten someone so easily."


    "Where did you get this?" The man asked once again. Wei Jun sighed and said, "You left me inside a military base for almost three months. You think I did nothing in that time frame? I was well aware of your¡­ relations with the CSF. I knew you''d try something."


    At that point, Wei Jun went silent. His silence conveyed only one thing. He had more cards but he had only revealed that much information. With all of that in play, the military had no choice but to take Wei Jun''s words to heart.


    After all, their image was one thing, if the data on the tablet was revealed, war with the neighboring kingdoms or the empire of Britannia wouldn''t be the end of it.


    "You do know what you''re doing is treason against your own country, right?" The man asked, hoping for one last card and also making sure Wei Jun knew he was drawing a permanent line between himself and the military.


    "Hahahaha," Wei Jun laughed out loud. His laughter went on for a while before he said, "You''re quite a jokester, General."


    At once, his expression changed to that of a cold one as he looked at the man and said, "Why would I hold anything like that against an organization that treated me in such a manner? Treated me like a criminal even when there was no proof. Made me do such demeaning tasks even when I was the innocent one."


    "Tell me, General," Wei Jun leaned forward as he asked, "Am I innocent to you even now?"


    "¡­" The man remained quiet. While all the points stated were valid, he still hoped that Wei Jun would look past all that. After all, they had no other choice. His gut constantly told him that he was the innocent party and Wei Jun was everything they suspected him of. But with the lack of proof, all he could do was look at it from Wei Jun''s point.


    "Let me discuss it with the government and I''ll see what I can do." The man in the end had no choice but to stall for now. Wei Jun smiled. While the attempt to stall for time was obvious, Wei Jun decided to play along. Sooner than later, when they wouldn''t be able to take back the information from him, they would have to eventually do as he required.


    And to motivate them to proceed faster, Wei said. "Don''t take too much time to decide. What if someone hacked my information network and took some sensitive¡­ information? We wouldn''t want that now, would we, general?"


    "¡­" The man remained quiet for some time before he nodded and left with his envoy. Once Wei Jun was left alone with the sect master, the sect master said, "You do know it isn''t my job to save you every time, right?"


    "Not like you''re not getting anything out of it." Wei Jun said. Wei Jun was well aware that the sect master was going after the emperor under the guise of injustice to his disciple.


    "Well, I would be an idiot not to take that opportunity," The sect master said before he added, "But this and that are two different matters. I could just as easily step back, leaving you to deal with all of this on yourself."


    It was a bogus threat but it was a threat indeed and Wei Jun didn''t want to risk it. He simply nodded and said, "What do you want?"


    "Another favor. As it occurs to me, we''re even at the moment. I''d like scales to be tipped in my favor, you see." Wei Jun simply nodded and said, "Whatever you want."


    "Haha," The sect master chuckled. He stood up and left the room saying, "See you around, beloved disciple." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun remained silent to that remark.


    [I can almost tell what you''re thinking]


    Just like the sect master liked to have an extra insurance card, Wei Jun also didn''t like owing someone. But he wasn''t the type to repay his debts. He was the type to make sure his debtor didn''t exist.


    [Alas, the same couldn''t be done to that child yet]


    As the system said, the sect master was far too powerful for Wei Jun to do anything. At the moment, he was powerless even against the grandmasters. A battle against a Qi demon realm cultivator wasn''t something he''d even dream of.


    But, he did dream of getting free from the sect master''s influence. Because sooner or later, anyone who stands with you in power, could just as easily stand against you in power. The only way to make sure others were loyal to him was to be the sole competitor in the competition.


    And as long as anyone else other than Wei Jun, who considered themselves to be a power equal to Wei Jun, were alive, Wei Jun wasn''t truly in power.


    He pulled out his phone and contacted Mark Wilson who picked on the first bell as if he was waiting for him, "Boss! What can this loyal servant do for you?!"


    "I see the elixirs I gave you worked in your favor." Wei Jun said. It was true because his INT stat had increased twice that week. Once due to Mark Wilson and once due to Natasha who had finally become a fourth circle mage.


    "Yes, it was," Mark Wilson replied before he asked, "So what can I do for you?"


    "I need you to look someone up." Wei Jun said.


    "Who?" Mark Wilson asked.


    "Xing Xioamei." Wei Jun said before he added, "I need to know everything about her. Even the color of her underwear or how she wipes herself. I need every single detail of her life in a thick book. Understood?"


    "Of course, boss," Mark Wilson replied, without even asking who that woman was. To him, it didn''t matter in the least. All that mattered was to make sure Wei Jun''s task was carried out.

 Chapter 307 Do not read

    "How is she?" Rafael asked me as I exited Alicia''s room. While he was worried, I still advised him to let her rest. I didn''t know what her condition was, but whatever the problem was, she needed rest at the moment. I alleviated the symptoms as much as I could but even I couldn''t do anything about the mana in her brain.Veronica seemed to have learned her lesson well from the last time. This time, there was no divinity, only mana. I could tell it was foreign but I couldn''t do anything about it. I could have asked someone expert like Rafael to take a look but while they were experts when it came to mana, they weren''t very much so when it came to the brain.


    There was a very great chance there could be permanent brain damage and I didn''t want that at all costs. A brain cannot be healed. Organs of the human body can be reconstructed and even a heart could be repaired if a brain could be kept alive for long enough but the brain, otherwise known as the mainframe of the human body, couldn''t be repaired even with the power of life.


    Well, there was the option of making her immortal but she was nowhere near the stage where her body could bear the power of the element of life.


    She''d explode at the very least. At the worst, well, I didn''t even want to imagine that.


    I placated Rafael and returned to my room. As much as I wanted to stay with Alicia, I needed to do something about her current situation as well. Veronica needed Alicia for possession. Her body was made for her possession. I didn''t know what the story in the novel was because in the novel, while the demons constantly targeted Alicia''s mental health, there was no indication of Veronica possessing her until the last part of the seventh volume.


    Since Alicia wasn''t a heroine, Eric didn''t find some miraculous remedy to her ever going bad condition in the first place.


    Body reconstruction was also an option but if the imprint was on her soul as well, well, then it would be impossible to save her. I could do something else but I didn''t have much hope for it.


    Soul was the sole thing in the creation even my father didn''t dare to dabble in. I, the one who was nowhere near his level, and knowledge, couldn''t even dream to do so.


    [He''s not as innocent as you think]


    I was inclined to side with Allison''s remark. I had come to know of many things, many new things, about my father. His fighting style, the one that held nothing back but also very much contained. That was not the father I remembered.


    So there was a case that he could be hiding some things, but there was also an indication that it was nothing. After all, soul was a tricky thing to get into. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But if Allison was saying something, there must surely be something to it. I just didn''t know what.


    Still, there was no way to ask for help from Dad. Ignoring the fact that he might not even listen, even if he did, he couldn''t come down here in the first place. If he ever did, the laws of this world would weaken to the point that there wouldn''t be the need for a demon king or whatever. This world would be destroyed in a matter of days if not in one.


    Well, if nothing worked, there was always the option of killing Veronica. Granted it''d be very tricky to kill a supreme, but it wasn''t anything I had never done before.


    [With how strong their connection is]


    [I strongly advise against it]


    That was also a problem. With how fast her condition was worsening indicated that Alicia''s connection with Veronica was very strong. Killing Veronica would have adverse effects on Alicia as well.


    While I was stuck in this dilemma that didn''t seem to have a way out¡­


    Boom!!!


    A strong explosion shook the foundations of the imperial palace. I turned in the said direction, the direction from where I could feel an immense flow of divine power.


    That wasn''t the divine power of a human. That was the divine power of a supreme. Other than me, they were the only ones in this world who could wield it to such an extent.


    ~~


    "Oh, great goddess Isis, we greet you." As I arrived at the location where I could see Alicia standing in the middle of the destroyed courtyard with a benevolent expression on her face. All around her, everyone, from the emperor Orion to a servant of the imperial family, knelt in reverence of the being possessing Alicia.


    For some reason, they couldn''t see the bodies of the servants who were with Alicia, taking care of her. It didn''t look like they died from divine energy. Their necks were snapped.


    Some goddess.


    "Rise, my child," A voice filled with divinity spread throughout the palace, not just the part where we were, "I, the benevolent goddess Isis, have come to bestow this land with my blessing and help resolve all the troubles that plague you."


    "Oh, my goddess," Orion knelt even more than he already was. Everyone else also bowed even more following his lead, "I cannot expr---"


    "What a load of cr*p," I said. As usual, when someone of great following was called out like that, the entire audience would freeze, trying to comprehend the words of the one who spoke.


    But, on the off chance they didn''t hear me, I gladly repeated myself, "What a load of cr--"


    "I heard you the first time, child," Veronica replied, her expression instantly turned cold the next moment.


    "Haha." I chuckled, "I was worried you hadn''t."


    So glad she did.


    "What are you doing?!!!" Orion yelled, his mana emitting from him at a very strong intensity. Not just him, but everyone present was angered by my remark. Well, almost everyone. Rafael, along with the girls and Max, were looking at me with worry in their eyes.


    Not worried for me though, they were more worried about the meat suit Veronica was using to talk to us.


    "It is all right, my child. He is just¡­ not on the right path." Veronica said, benevolence dripping from her tone and words. I was more and more angered by her words.


    "Shut the fu*k up and get out of her body. If you don''t, I will rip you out of her, kill you, and then kill each and every one of you fuc*ers." I said, my expression cold as hell but there was one difference between mine and Veronica''s earlier expression.


    The intent in my eyes was solely to kill.


    "Stand down!!! I will hear no more insolence from your mouth!!!" Orion got more and more angry at my behavior. I didn''t want to do this, but I really didn''t care about his anger at the moment. Instead, I turned my attention to Veronica and said, "Let her go, Veronica."


    Hearing her name loud and clear, a smile appeared across Veronica''s face as she said, "Well, it does not seem like you are planning on letting me be the goddess for a little longer."


    She stressed the word ''Goddess'' to relay the irony in her sentence before she said, "Let us end this farce. I am running out of time as well."


    [Warning]


    [Warning]


    [An individual beyond the user''s current level has appeared]


    [An emergency quest has arrived]


    [Survive]


    [Time limit: 10 minutes]


    [Reward: All stats +100]


    [Punishment: Death of the being you desire the most]


    I didn''t care about anything else. As soon as I read the last notification, I jumped into action and attacked Veronica.


    [Archangel''s blessing]


    [All stats +50%]


    Boom!!!


    ~~


    As their fists collided, Adrian easily came to a halt. As he was stopped, Alicia raised her head to look at him, a smirk on her face, "Well, you sure are the strong one."


    Push.


    A gentle push of her arms and Adrian was blown away like he was nothing, along with everyone else in the vicinity. Since the attack was focused on Adrian, the others were safe, but they didn''t come out unscathed. Especially the lower-ranked ones.


    Thanks to the quick thinking of Rafael, however, the majority of the people were teleported away.


    Just at that moment, Adrian jumped back, at the speed of lightning, or even faster than that, and he struck Alicia again, his force the fullest he could muster.


    However, the result remained the same.


    "Rafael!!! Evacuate the capital!!!" Adrian yelled as he was once again struck by Alicia''s force but this time, he wasn''t blown away. He was seriously injured though.


    Several of his tendons burst apart like high-pressured pipes and his left arm was gone up until his forearm.


    After all, her divine power was being absorbed. And at a terrifyingly fast rate as well.


    "You heretic!!!"


    Boom!!!

 Chapter 308 Do Not Read

    Shop, inventory, craft, and skills, were all open for a long time. I was level twenty-seven now. I unlocked them all by level 10 but I never used any of them.I mean, I did use the inventory which I must say was amazing. I could store anything in there like in a game and retrieve it whenever I wanted.


    I couldn''t store my car or bike in it which was a bummer but I could still store pretty much everything as long as it wasn''t alive.


    As for skills, I didn''t have any. I had my eyes on some passive skills but I didn''t buy any of them because MP was a requirement to use skills. MP was, probably, related to intelligence and I couldn''t invest any of my stats in intelligence as long as I was focused on the mission at hand.


    I was tempted when I saw some amazing skills like [Fire ball], [Water ball], [Thunder strike] and all but I was wise enough to focus on the matter at hand.


    My balls were at stake.


    Literally.


    As for the shop, there were a ton of things in there. Skills, items, and magical things that excited me the most.


    Unfortunately, the currency of the shop was something called [Gold coins] and I couldn''t use real-time money for it.


    I tried using a gold tooth I punched out of a rich kid and kept as a payment for his sins but it also didn''t work.


    There wasn''t even a hint so I had no idea about how to get gold to buy the items of my dream.


    I was given 100 coins when the shop opened and I sure as hell didn''t know what I was going to buy with it because everything in that price range was trash.


    I sighed and just marveled at the fact that aside from making me the most optimal human in existence, the system wasn''t very useful. Not to mention the fact that it was getting difficult for me to ejaculate now.


    I had no problem getting it hard. With my stamina, I was hard all the time and I could easily go for hours if I wanted to.


    The problem that I was plagued with was that I couldn''t get off with just my hand anymore. I wouldn''t even feel much even if I was watching the hottest of porn.


    Not only that, I also bought a lot of innovative toys which embarrassed me greatly in front of my mother when she found the stash but she understood it was for my condition and allowed me to have them.


    But now, I was also getting used to them. I was getting used to everything there was that a guy could do alone. Some porn would turn me off instead of turning me on and the one that did, I had watched all of it.


    Aside from that, I had used almost all kinds of options there were for me to use. Well, aside from the ladies of the night but I wasn''t really into that.


    I didn''t know what kind of diseases could be associated with them and the system didn''t provide me any protection against them. I mean, there were some skills that helped but I still wasn''t very keen about hookers.


    Haa¡­


    Fuck my life.


    [AP: 29]


    [Stamina: 19]


    I quietly added 1 point to my stamina, bringing it up to 20. I wouldn''t say it was the best feeling, but the rush of power going through me was like a drug, not that I do any drugs but if I did, that was what it would probably feel like.


    [Main quest I ''Terrible'' has been completed]


    [You have received a reward]


    [You have received a B grade skill]


    Before I could excitedly focus on my skill, another quest arrived on the spot.


    [Main quest II has arrived]


    [Optimal]


    [Tier: B]


    [Description: You are now an optimal human but so what?


    That''s not what the possessor of the Hyperspermia system should be


    There are still plenty of things that can kill you


    The user of the Hyperspermia system must be invincible


    Or at least close to it]


    [Task: Raise physical stats to one star]


    [Raise Strength to 50]


    [Raise Agility to 50]


    [Raise stamina to 50]


    [Reward: 1 A grade skill]


    [Punishment: Removal of the system]


    [Time limit: Two years]


    What the hell?


    How the hell was I supposed to do that much?


    I only got 30 EXP a day so how the hell was I supposed to raise my level that much in just two years?


    Great. As much as I wanted to curse out loud, I wasn''t in the mood to. I sighed and closed the window and opened the skill window.


    Why worry about something out of my control?


    I would much rather focus on something in my control.


    [Skill: Restoration (Lv: Max)]


    [Tier: B]


    [Description: What is the requirement of a dream man?


    Handsomeness?


    Wealth?


    Longevity?


    None of them!


    The most required man is the one who can go on all night and all day.


    That''s right.


    The flag that never droops gets the most salutes.] S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Effect: Your penile functions are restored to their optimal conditions]


    [Sperm, strain, or any other factors get fully restored]


    [Cost: 100 MP per use]


    [No limit per use]


    [Condition to use: Stamina 20]


    I was right to follow my instincts. There were many instances where I just wanted to invest in other stats but thankfully, I didn''t.


    Also, with this skill, now I had the option of increasing my EXP income but I couldn''t just jack off all the time. I needed something else as well.


    I sighed and turned my attention to the EXP meter.


    [EXP: 1390\\2700]


    There was no way it was possible for me to raise my level before two months were up. Unless there was another way of leveling up and I just hadn''t come across it yet.


    Seeing there was nothing I could do anymore, I stood up and made my way to the bathroom to get ready for the evening.


    I came down to the hall after about an hour to see all the preparations done. Everyone except Aunt Elsie was here. Aunt Elise couldn''t come because Pennsylvania high school vacations interrupted my birthday time. They had their final exams this time of the year so they couldn''t come to my birthday because of Sara and Mira''s exams, my cousins.


    Sara and Mira were both twins, well, Sara was two minutes older but still twins. I got very well along with Sara who was the confident one while Mira was the shy one so she and I never had a complete conversation.


    Well, it had been almost three years since I saw them so maybe she grew out of it.


    They also had another daughter who was sixteen this year. She was the child of the family and I remembered her as such.


    I actually miss them all given they have missed the third birthday of mine in a row now.


    The birthday ceremony went as it did every year. Me getting richer and my heart churning at how much my Mom spent on the banquet.


    Anyway, my grandmother, as always, managed to outshine everyone and presented me with the deed to the hospital which was finally completed in just two years of construction.


    I really had to attend a medical major now even if I never had any intention to.


    The ceremony ended and I retired to my room at around 3 in the morning. I was about to sleep when there was a knock on my door.


    It was Mom when I opened the door.


    "Can I come in?" She asked awkwardly.


    She was asking for permission meant she was afraid of my reaction to whatever was about to come.


    I nodded and let her in. I led her to my bed and she nervously fidgeted while I patiently waited for fifteen minutes for her to tell me on her own.


    "I¡­ met someone." She finally collected enough courage to say it.


    "I know," I replied.


    "I know you''re disappointed but I''m a wom¡ªwait, what?" She asked.


    "I know. The Montgomery guy, right?" I asked.


    "Ho¡ªHow do you know?" She quietly asked as if she couldn''t believe in what direction this was going in.


    "You really need a lesson on how to be discrete, Mom. You can''t leave restaurant bills for two lying around. Especially restaurants that are under my name." I replied.


    My Mom''s mouth was left hanging open when she figured everything out.


    "How long have you known?" She asked.


    "Maybe it was your second date. When you said you were going to meet an old friend. No science was needed to tell me how giddy you were and how nicely you were dressed." I replied.


    "You''ve known for all this time?" She confusedly asked, "And you didn''t do anything?"


    "Look, Mom," I said as I took her hands, "If you''re looking for my permission, I need you to know you don''t need one. You have never been in a relationship in all these years since that jerk walked out on you. I don''t know why you didn''t go for it but if you think I''m going to be a reason for your unhappiness, then you got another thing coming."


    My Mom smiled at my answer and couldn''t help but sniffle at my response. "Thanks," She said in a squeaky voice.


    "No need. You deserve every second of it." I hugged her and consoled her, while also encouraging her before I stopped and said, "Though I do need to meet him."

 Chapter 309 Do Not Read

    Supremes. In this world, known as gods. But in reality, they weren''t. they were simply people who managed to attain a power so high that the world had to take countermeasures against them, imprisoning them behind a space.A space that was still connected to this universe, a pocket universe if one might say. Same but different as well. There, they have to live their lives happy with the power they gained.


    The Supremes were usually those that pursued divine power hence their status as a god by the residents of this world.


    Just consider it like this, a world where there was nothing. No TV, no internet, no entertainment of any sort and you had to live in that world for hundreds of decades, anyone would go mad.


    Anyone would go mad and desire freedom. But, the greed for power was too much. Although they wished for freedom, they also desired to keep their current power. That was not possible. One would have to give one up for another. If you wanted power, you couldn''t stay in this world and if you wanted to stay, give up your power.


    The deal was simple but in the end, human nature. As stupid as always. Like, a thief would rather break out of the prison than let go of thievery and be released.


    It was the same for them, they would rather bring havoc in this world than give up their power and live as normal people.


    So that brought us to the current issue. With divinity, came another power. The power of entertainment. The sole method of entertainment for the Supremes and it was none other than interference.


    Give a little part of your power in turn for directing the person to do the ''God''s work''. Like if Eric was directed to kill me, he wouldn''t question why. He would simply say that it was the will of the ''God''.


    That was their entertainment, having puppets.


    However, the Supremes of this world seemed to have wanted something more. They wanted to enter this world, one way or another. And the other one was obviously possession.


    "Veronica, I presume," I said as I walked in, closing the door behind me. Alicia, or the one possessing her, Veronica, smiled and said, "It seems you do realize who I am, foolish mortal. But to know and not be on your knees yet, that''s a sin of the highest accord." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I was very glad she wasn''t speaking in ''hadith'', ''giveth'', or ''tis'' type of language. It was still stuck up, but it was easier to converse with at least.


    "Yeah, I am not kneeling or anything. You''re not here anyway." I said as I stepped closer, without fear because I couldn''t sense anything from Alicia. No ounce of divine power.


    The answer was clear.


    "You dare!" She exclaimed and pointed her hand at me, only to have nothing happen. Not even a flicker of power. She looked at her hand, confused. Confused as to why her power that could eradicate cities was nowhere to be seen.


    "You see, the demons didn''t dig in very well," I said as I stepped forward and grabbed her by her hands. Veronica struggled, but she was weak as an unblessed human. She couldn''t put up any power.


    "The demons dug but they could only dig enough for you to enter your consciousness. No power, nothing else. Just your thoughts." I said as I began to run soul power through Alicia''s mind to locate the cavity the parasite had created.


    As I located it, I came in contact with pure divine energy. Free of mana to the point that it could create an apostle.


    However, when I tried to push it out, it didn''t budge.


    "Hmph," A small chuckle of amusement came from the girl in front of me who had stopped struggling and looked at me, "It is futile. She and I are one now. While she lives the world of nightmares, I live her life."


    She was right. If I were to force that power out, it would also damage Alicia''s mind, which could any multitude of medical conditions and I knew that this was no place for brain surgery.


    If anything happened to Alicia''s mind, I wouldn''t be able to save her. Not unless I used some drastic measures at least but that wouldn''t come without damage as well.


    So, there was only one way left. If it was anyone else, or if it was some time before, I wouldn''t have been able to deal with this. But I could now.


    So I let go of her with a smile before I purchased a rope from the shop and before she could react, wrapped her in it like a gift wrapped for opening. Man that was a sight.


    "So, might as well have a chat, shall we?" I asked as I took the seat in front while I placed her on the bed. She looked at me with calm eyes and muttered, loud enough for me to hear, "This is the highest form of humiliation I have received and I will make sure to return the favor."


    She wasn''t saying empty words, she had the power to defeat me. even if I were to reach the pinnacle of the power I could attain in this world, I would still not be a match for her. However, she wasn''t that far out of the reach. She was at most in the range of 4000-4500 stat points on average.


    I was confident I would be able to deal with that given some time. But it wasn''t like she would be able to stay here for longer anyway. She was threatening me, but that vow was for another day, someday, not today.


    "Why her?" I asked, seeing as she had no intention of answering my questions, but I still made an effort.


    "Isn''t it simple? Since you know this much about what I have done, you must know what I am trying to do, right?" She asked, an amused expression on her face.


    "I know you''re trying to possess her, but why her? Why not one of the apostles?" I asked.


    "Then where would the others go?" She counter asked me.


    She wasn''t afraid to reveal that information because she knew I wouldn''t be able to do anything to her or anything about their plan.


    "Why not just be content with what you have? Why do this?" I asked. Usually, Supremes would only have their fun from the other side, never had I ever seen a supreme trying possession, an inherent technique of the demons.


    "What prisoner would be happy with their confinement?" She once again counter asked, giving me no straight reply but it was enough to tell me her motive.


    But if she knew that much, then she must also know this, "You know you wouldn''t be able to utilize your full strength. You will be limited."


    Like I said before, I could only reach the power allowed by the limit of this world. Unless that limit was somehow increased, I would never be able to increase my power beyond that. the power allowed by this world is probably around 3000 stat points on average.


    She wouldn''t be able to utilize her full power, none of them would be able to.


    "And why would we need that much power?" This chick really liked to be stubborn and annoying. Why couldn''t she just answer simply?


    "OS you''re just going to leave the rest of your power?" I asked. they would be strong in this world but nowhere near their full strength. They wouldn''t be able to leave that power.


    She simply smiled at me and said, "Mortal, you have no idea what you''re dealing with."


    True. I had no idea what their plan was. However, why should I care? I didn''t know what I was dealing with here but the same was the truth in her case as well. Not even in their wildest dreams would they understand what manner of being I was.


    I smiled and said, "So this is it then."


    This conversation was over. The moment she said her last piece, it was obvious she wasn''t going to tell me anything anymore. Not anything useless at least.


    I stood up from my seat and made my way to her. I touched her face once again, putting both of my hands on her temples.


    Seeing my actions, she said, "It''s no use. I cannot be separated."


    "True. But you can be absorbed," I replied. It was unwise to pluck a bacterium from the place where it was attached but it was possible to ease it off by absorbing it using a similar bacteria of a powerful quality that could be controlled and was harmless to the human system.


    The bacteria that was injected would travel to the exit, taking along the bacteria of the lower quality. In this case, the bacterium was the divine power of Veronica.


    The injected bacteria would be the power of life. My power of life.


    "This is going to hurt a lot. And not this you, you you. Back in your prison." I gave a fair warning because she gave me enough of the answers I needed.


    And then, "AAAHHHH!!!!!"

 Chapter 310 Do Not Read

    [Qi construct]Wei Jun had no choice but to use [Qi construct], using his precious and limited Death Qi to stop the dog monster while also blocking Shao Chen''s attack.


    However, Wei Jun wasn''t willing to let go of something so precious so he caught the makeshift lance-like spear with his hand before it pierced the dog monster.


    Effortlessly, the makeshift spear went through the monster''s open mouth, penetrating past the Miasma barrier and going straight through the mouth of the monster, killing it on the spot.


    However, his power wasn''t enough to stop Shao Chen''s punch who managed to strike him and throw him away from his location while also dislocating Wei Jun''s shoulder.


    "Arrgh!!" Wei Jun grunted in pain as a good amount of his HP fell. It wasn''t just the pain from the shoulder. The Qi from Shao Chen was also inflicting damage upon Wei Jun although for a very short amount of time because soon the Death Qi devoured it.


    But the damage had been done and Shao Chen followed closely with another attack.


    Wei Jun pulled the makeshift spear and stabbed Shao Chen with it. Seeing the fate of the dog, who was in its last throes, Shao Chen wasn''t willing to risk whether he would be hurt by that blackish spear or not.


    [Ding]


    Shao Chen jumped back to dodge which was also when Wei Jun consumed a health pill and attacked Shao Chen with Qi discharge from one hand and the Qi spear with the other hand.


    With attacks coming from both sides, Shao Chen knew he had to dodge one while he had to block one.


    He chose to block the fist strike because it seemed less harmful than the spear that was able to kill a monster in one strike.


    That was a mistake.


    Wei Jun''s death Qi covered fist struck Shao Chen at close range.


    "Ahhh!!!!" Shao Chen yelled as the power of death broke through his barrier of Qi and entered his body, wreaking havoc throughout his arm but it lost its power and evaporated after it consumed a good chunk of Shao Chen''s Qi and his arm.


    A golden chance that Wei Jun would never ever get again.


    An injured and distracted opponent.


    Wei Jun would be an idiot to miss on a chance like that and even if he had to lose an arm to take that opportunity, he wouldn''t have minded.


    [Host watch out!]


    Wei Jun hurriedly dodged as a deranged dog, like the one Wei Jun had just killed before, almost bit his arm off.


    "I was kidding!" Wei Jun yelled as he thrust the spear in his hands at the dog but unfortunately, before the spear could penetrate the dog, the spear construct disappeared.


    Still, Wei Jun managed to avoid harm, however, he missed the golden opportunity to kill Shao Chen who bolted in the opposite direction.


    Before Wei Jun could follow after him though, he felt the dog from earlier attacking him again but the only difference was that there were two of them this time.


    [Hose, the Barghest race hunts in groups]


    [Like wolves]


    [If there are two, then more would be on their way.]


    [Kill them soon and get away from the place]


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Because their leader, a Direhound might find you]


    [And you''re nowhere in a situation to deal with it let alone hundreds of Barghests along with it]


    Wei Jun didn''t think for another second and used Qi discharge worth five points on each hand and killed the two dogs effortlessly with just his hands.


    The miasma on the dogs'' skin couldn''t offer any resistance at all.


    [Ding]


    [Ding]


    Wei Jun had received a similar sound when he killed the Barghest but for some reason, there was no message showing up. Wei Jun ignored it and turned to the discretion where Shao Chen was running in.


    As Wei Jun began to chase, the Dark Qi [Qi empowerment] ended. Wei Jun didn''t activate it again because he only had enough worth one [Qi discharged] now, he couldn''t afford to waste any of it.


    It was his only trump card against the strange monsters.


    [Yang Qi has been used]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    [All physical stats +35]


    Wei Jun''s speed picked up once again but it wasn''t as fast as before. Still, he was fast enough to reach an injured guy who was slowly losing all his mojo as time passed, second by second.


    Wei Jun caught up with him and slammed into his back, skidding both of them on the ground before Wei Jun straddled Shao Chen and began to rain down and punches on him.


    Shao Chen protected him with his arms as cover but one of his arms was already in a lot of pain and whenever Wei Jun''s punches struck, he would feel a tremendous amount of pain course through his entire arm.


    "Ugh!!" Shao Chen loudly grunted as a great amount of Qi emitted from him, throwing Wei Jun away while also delivering a small amount of damage.


    Wei Jun bit on the pain and stood up in a second. He once again launched himself at Shao Chen while pulling the Adamantium gun out. Wei Jun knew it wouldn''t work given Shao Chen''s current cultivation rank, but it would at least strain a little bit of his Qi which was all that Wei Jun wanted.


    "Are you kidding?!" Shao Chen, like every target of that gun before, also thought it was a joke until Wei Jun took the first shot.


    A clear crack, a very small but clear one, appeared on Shao Chen''s Qi barrier. It wasn''t much to threaten him but Wei Jun shot again, precisely in the same spot.


    Shot after shot after shot.


    In just ten seconds, he emptied the magazine at the same spot of the barrier before Shao Chen could do anything.


    As Shao Chen stood stunned by the scene in front of him, Wei Jun threw a black ball that exploded midair, creating enough cover for Wei Jun to vanish.


    Unfortunately, Shao Chen was strong enough to feel the fluctuations of Qi turning to his left only to find nothing when something struck him from his left, hitting his left arm, the injured one.


    "Aarrrgghh!!!" It was clear to an idiot even that Wei Jun was particularly targeting that arm.


    Shao Chen tried to push Wei Jun away but Wei Jun threw another black ball which exploded in front of Shao Chen''s face. It didn''t do any damage to him but it just impaired his vision for long enough that Wei Jun knelt, hugged Shao Chen''s legs, and pulled back, throwing him on the ground and mounted him once again, throwing punches but this time, with a little bit of surprise added.


    [Qi construct]


    [Qi construct]


    Something similar to brass knuckles appeared on Wei Jun''s knuckles and he just began to hit Shao Chen, anywhere and everywhere.


    Wherever he could hit him, he didn''t hesitate and kept hitting him, his main target was Shao Chen''s face.


    Wei Jun kept on hitting Shao Chen even when blood smeared his face; Shao Chen''s blood.


    He only stopped when he heard the notifications from the system about a successful system completion.


    [Main quest II complete]


    [Shao Chen]


    [Rewards will be granted shortly]


    Wei Jun sighed and stood up. He didn''t immediately feel the power up so there was something about it.


    But before he could sigh in relief, Wei Jun froze in his spot.


    The eye of a predator.


    Step.


    Heavy steps.


    Steps of a predator.


    Who slowly makes his presence known and lets you know that it can blatantly show up in front of you because it doesn''t fear you, at all.


    Wei Jun slowly turned his face to a creature that was at least his size in height but in length, it was almost two times an adult lion. Its width was wider than well-fed cow but muscular, rather than fat.


    A tail that gave off a feeling of being more metallic than flesh, and its skin, which also gave off the feeling of it being metallic was a mixture of dark blood red and black.


    It bore a striking resemblance to the dogs before but this one thing wasn''t a dog.


    Dogs don''t hunt.


    Wolves hunt and that was what this was. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A wolf; the greatest predator to ever exist.


    Aside from its heavy steps, it made no other sound as if still and silent about everything. No snarls, no growling, no saliva dripping, no nothing.


    However, just like the dogs before, it did have no eyes.


    But it didn''t need them at all. Wei Jun was perfectly sure that it could take Wei Jun down with eyes closed even if it had any.


    When it didn''t, there was no need to put that analogy to test.


    [No eyed Direhound]


    [Strength: 328]


    [Agility: 441]


    [Stamina: 438]


    [Defense: 47]


    [Miasma: 501]


    Wei Jun''s eyes couldn''t grow any wider when he saw the stats of the predator in front of him.


    And if that wasn''t the end of bad news, the subsequent notifications were¡­


    [Reward for the Main quest would be granted in five minutes]


    ''Fu*k.''

 Chapter 311 Do Not Read

    "Last night, the CSF database was hacked and resources confirmed that all the data they had has been erased." A TV reporter spoke on the TV while the CSF was in turmoil."Damn it. How did they get the news? What inside resources is she talking about?" A middle-aged man asked another middle-aged man who seemed to be standing with cold sweat flowing down his back. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We are sure that the leak wasn''t from us, Major. Whoever did this must be from the outside." Tae Song, a lieutenant in the CSF said.


    "Must be?" The major, however, didn''t like that news, "So you''re saying you''re not sure where this came from? Where did that virus come from?! Where did this leak come from?!! Where did all this mess come from?!!!"


    Tae Song closed his eyes, feeling a little threatened because the Major was unconsciously leaking his Qi which was too much for a Qi manifestation realm cultivator like Tae Song.


    "We¡­ We know where the virus came from. We just don''t have any proof to tie it to them." Tae Song replied.


    "Then get me proof!!!" The major yelled in return.


    "Sh*t! Do we really not have anything?" Tae Song asked Rin and a man in glasses sitting next to her.


    The man replied, no fear in his voice, "You have to understand, Lieutenant, this virus has been creeping into the system for three days. Unnoticed. And then it was also removed from everything. There''s no trace of it."


    "What do you mean?" Rin asked.


    "Usually such a job is done in a hurry. It''s a get in and get out type of situation that doesn''t give you enough time to erase your traces. But this time, the hacker had a long time on his hands. They were granted access once the encryption was initiated which allowed them to mask their codes. After that, everything was done over a period of three days. All the algorithms were planted and all traces were erased." The man in glasses explained.


    "So what you''re saying is that they had plenty of time." Tae Song understood the essence of the explanation.


    "But why would they target the criminal database?" The man with glasses couldn''t understand. The criminal database was still available on the internet.


    "Because they weren''t looking for anyone. They erased data that could help us recognize criminals. Fingerprints, blood work, and more. Anything that could help us recognize them is now gone." Rin explained.


    "And the archives they took have the data of our officers as well. Some of them wouldn''t want their lives to be exposed." Tae Song explained.


    Cultivation was a dangerous world. Someone who captured cultivators and put them behind bars wasn''t just some street cop. Their enemies were on a level that could wipe their families in a day, even before the news reached their ears.


    So the background information of the CSF officials was concealed in case their loved ones were ever targeted as a form of revenge.


    Now that data was out there and could be used against them. If that wasn''t enough, now they didn''t have records of major criminals. If they were to commit crimes anywhere, there would be no fingerprints in the system to identify them.


    "Are you sure it was them?" Still, Tae Song had to be sure. One mistake and they would be going at odds with one of the strongest sects in the empire. Granted they were powerful as well, but even the emperor wouldn''t want a war between these two without probable cause.


    Probable cause they didn''t have. They needed proof that it was indeed Wei Jun Ruan who stole their data. If they couldn''t, then they couldn''t pursue this matter no matter who they were.


    "There is¡­ one way," Rin spoke, her hesitation apparent in her voice. Whatever it was, it wasn''t a good thing and if went wrong, it could horribly bite them in the back.


    But¡­


    "What more trouble can we get in." Tae Song said before he heard Rin''s plan.


    "If they leaked news, why don''t we leak one of our own?" Rin asked.


    "Do it." Tae Song had no choice but to approve it. They were in bigger trouble than one would think.


    ~~


    "Are you saying you have confirmed this?" A reporter asked at the press conference held by the CSF.


    "Yes. We have traced the location back to the Ruan Enterprises. Unfortunately, they have claimed they know nothing about it which is causing us some issues. But rest assured, we will soon deal with that issue as well." Rin replied.


    "What do you mean by that?" Another reporter asked.


    "We have found out who the biker who has terrorized the city is," Rin replied.


    "You have?" The reporter asked.


    "Yes. We have definite proof that the one to cause various incidents of attack and terrorism all over the city is none other than Wei Jun Ruan." Rin replied calmly but her words brought anything but calm.


    A storm. That was what those words caused.


    Listening to those words, the sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect calmly told his attendant, "Set a meeting with the emperor."


    "Are you sure it would be all right?" The attendant asked. She couldn''t understand why the sect master would get involved with that issue. Cutting Wei Jun Ruan loose was much more safer and anyone, even his own grandfather would do that.


    "The emperor wouldn''t let go of this chance to suppress us if he was in our spot. Why wouldn''t I do the same now that I stand to make the empire owe me one?" The sect master asked before he added, this time with a hint of authority that granted no debate, "Set up a meeting with the emperor."


    "Yes, sect master." The attendant left after respectfully replying.


    ~~


    When he listened to the fact that the CSF was after his family, Sun Ruan''s first instinct was to cut Wei Jun loose. Of course, Wei Jun was important and valuable but he wasn''t even close to being so important that he would risk his entire family.


    "Let the authorities know that we''re willing to give up Wei Jun Ruan and cooperate with the investigation." At Sun Ruan''s announcement, certainly no one was shocked.


    They expected that. Hey expected Sun Ruan to be cold enough to forsake his own family.


    "No!" Pei Ruan, Wei Jun''s mother, slammed her hands on top of the table and yelled loudly, "I will not do that to my son."


    "Don''t be foolish. This is for the sake of the family." Sun Ruan calmly said.


    "And what about the actual family? Are we all pawns that can be discarded to you?!" Pei Ruan asked while her husband tried to calm her down. It wasn''t wise to question Sun Ruan and yelling at him on top of that was even worse.


    "Are you going against me?" Sun Ruan asked, his Qi unleashed on Pei Ruan who didn''t flinch under that pressure. Sure, Sun Ruan was a Qi master but she herself was also at the peak of the Qi manifestation realm now.


    She wasn''t overly talented but she was enough to be known in the world. She was strong enough to resist that much pressure.


    "I agree with Mother," Before Pei Ruan could yell back, Lin Ruan spoke. Sun Ruan''s eyes squinted. It wasn''t long ago when they were all doing as he asked.


    His daughter was one thing because her son was concerned, but he never expected Lin Ruan to take Wei Jun''s side.


    That made him wonder what had that boy done to her.


    "There will be no debate over this." Sun Ruan said and stood up. But before Lin Ruan and Pei Ruan could once again raise their voices, Lao Chen hurriedly approached Sun Ruan and handed him a phone, "The sect master is on the line."


    Sun Ruan didn''t ask why. He hurriedly put the phone to his ear and said, "Good evening, esteem---"


    However, before he could complete his greeting, the Sect Master interrupted him and said his piece. After he was done, he cut the call.


    Sun Ruan, on the other hand, was left puzzled.


    "What has that boy been doing?" Now it really made him wonder why Wei Jun was being so valued by the sect master that he was willing to take it out with the emperor himself.


    "Forget about our earlier conversation." Sun Ruan said before he left, leaving everyone puzzled.


    ~~


    While all of that was happening, the person in question, the person who had caused so much of a mess, was currently locked in a battle of stares with a certain blue-eyed girl.


    It made sense why she was angry. Her entire organization had been harmed and the hit they took was enormous. Not to mention the damage they would take once all that information became public.


    However, contrary to what one might think, that wasn''t what she was angry about.


    "What has she been doing in your room for so many days when I haven''t even spent a night in there?" Yan Rong asked.


    Despite his unwavering eyes, Wei Jun involuntarily gulped and swallowed the reply, ''You have been in my room. More than once, by breaking in.''

 Chapter 312 Do Not Read

    "Was that really necessary?" A woman with a scar on her left eye asked Wei Jun as she and Wei Jun sat face to face in the company of the sect master of Wei Jun''s sect and some other soldiers from the military.Wei Jun smiled and said, "I needed to hit you back for what you put me through." His reply contained no remorse or logic at all. All it contained was hatred which was shown from his tone, only his words.


    All the more reason why the woman wasn''t willing to believe that. Wei Jun knew exactly what revealing that detail to the public would do. The civilians would be hesitant about joining the military.


    Things were already very hard for them, with that stunt, the public had lost a great deal of trust in the military, making things all the more worse for them. If that wasn''t enough, the original purpose of that revelation was something else entirely.


    "And you want money?" The scarred woman asked.


    Wei Jun simply nodded before he replied, not a shred of emotion in his voice, "I took significant trauma damage from the treatment I received at the military."


    He looked at the man beside the woman and said, "Don''t you think I should be fairly compensated for everything I went through?"


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    "¡­" The man remained silent. The woman couldn''t help but agree with what the man said earlier. There was no indication but Wei Jun had still addressed the man standing beside the woman, not the woman herself. He knew she wasn''t the one in charge but he was.


    "What do you really want?" The man asked, dropping all pretenses.


    "¡­" It was Wei Jun''s turn to remain silent. While there were tons of things he wanted, the military couldn''t give them to him. If it was money, he could make it on his own. It was true his true purpose wasn''t money, but he wasn''t so sure what to ask of the military.


    So, he asked for the best thing.


    "Full immunity to murder." Wei Jun said.


    "¡­" It was once again the man''s turn to remain silent. Of all the things, they never expected Wei Jun to say that. Full immunity to murder wasn''t something that could be easily granted. Unless it was some great hero, who could be trusted with that ability, granting it to someone who didn''t think much of a human life wasn''t something they could do.


    After all, a hero would have a conscious they could count on. What did Wei Jun have? The man was bluntly asking for murder immunity. His goals would be anything but pure.


    "We cannot do that." The man replied, pressing on the ''cannot'' to convey his clear refusal. Wei Jun smiled and said, "Well, then I''m sure the military doesn''t want some¡­ dark things to be revealed."


    "Dark things?" The man asked.


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything and simply handed him a tablet. As the man checked the content on that tablet, his fists clenched, destroying the tablet in his hands. Qi emanated around him as he threateningly asked, "Where did you get this?"


    "You might want to contain yourself." The sect master calmly said. Upon hearing him, the man calmed down a little but he still kept a killer gaze at Wei Jun. Seeing that gaze, Wei Jun couldn''t help but chuckle, "You shouldn''t threaten someone so easily."


    "Where did you get this?" The man asked once again. Wei Jun sighed and said, "You left me inside a military base for almost three months. You think I did nothing in that time frame? I was well aware of your¡­ relations with the CSF. I knew you''d try something."


    At that point, Wei Jun went silent. His silence conveyed only one thing. He had more cards but he had only revealed that much information. With all of that in play, the military had no choice but to take Wei Jun''s words to heart.


    After all, their image was one thing, if the data on the tablet was revealed, war with the neighboring kingdoms or the empire of Britannia wouldn''t be the end of it.


    "You do know what you''re doing is treason against your own country, right?" The man asked, hoping for one last card and also making sure Wei Jun knew he was drawing a permanent line between himself and the military.


    "Hahahaha," Wei Jun laughed out loud. His laughter went on for a while before he said, "You''re quite a jokester, General."


    At once, his expression changed to that of a cold one as he looked at the man and said, "Why would I hold anything like that against an organization that treated me in such a manner? Treated me like a criminal even when there was no proof. Made me do such demeaning tasks even when I was the innocent one."


    "Tell me, General," Wei Jun leaned forward as he asked, "Am I innocent to you even now?"


    "¡­" The man remained quiet. While all the points stated were valid, he still hoped that Wei Jun would look past all that. After all, they had no other choice. His gut constantly told him that he was the innocent party and Wei Jun was everything they suspected him of. But with the lack of proof, all he could do was look at it from Wei Jun''s point.


    "Let me discuss it with the government and I''ll see what I can do." The man in the end had no choice but to stall for now. Wei Jun smiled. While the attempt to stall for time was obvious, Wei Jun decided to play along. Sooner than later, when they wouldn''t be able to take back the information from him, they would have to eventually do as he required.


    And to motivate them to proceed faster, Wei said. "Don''t take too much time to decide. What if someone hacked my information network and took some sensitive¡­ information? We wouldn''t want that now, would we, general?"


    "¡­" The man remained quiet for some time before he nodded and left with his envoy. Once Wei Jun was left alone with the sect master, the sect master said, "You do know it isn''t my job to save you every time, right?"


    "Not like you''re not getting anything out of it." Wei Jun said. Wei Jun was well aware that the sect master was going after the emperor under the guise of injustice to his disciple.


    "Well, I would be an idiot not to take that opportunity," The sect master said before he added, "But this and that are two different matters. I could just as easily step back, leaving you to deal with all of this on yourself."


    It was a bogus threat but it was a threat indeed and Wei Jun didn''t want to risk it. He simply nodded and said, "What do you want?"


    "Another favor. As it occurs to me, we''re even at the moment. I''d like scales to be tipped in my favor, you see." Wei Jun simply nodded and said, "Whatever you want." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha," The sect master chuckled. He stood up and left the room saying, "See you around, beloved disciple."


    Wei Jun remained silent to that remark.


    [I can almost tell what you''re thinking]


    Just like the sect master liked to have an extra insurance card, Wei Jun also didn''t like owing someone. But he wasn''t the type to repay his debts. He was the type to make sure his debtor didn''t exist.


    [Alas, the same couldn''t be done to that child yet]


    As the system said, the sect master was far too powerful for Wei Jun to do anything. At the moment, he was powerless even against the grandmasters. A battle against a Qi demon realm cultivator wasn''t something he''d even dream of.


    But, he did dream of getting free from the sect master''s influence. Because sooner or later, anyone who stands with you in power, could just as easily stand against you in power. The only way to make sure others were loyal to him was to be the sole competitor in the competition.


    And as long as anyone else other than Wei Jun, who considered themselves to be a power equal to Wei Jun, were alive, Wei Jun wasn''t truly in power.


    He pulled out his phone and contacted Mark Wilson who picked on the first bell as if he was waiting for him, "Boss! What can this loyal servant do for you?!"


    "I see the elixirs I gave you worked in your favor." Wei Jun said. It was true because his INT stat had increased twice that week. Once due to Mark Wilson and once due to Natasha who had finally become a fourth circle mage.


    "Yes, it was," Mark Wilson replied before he asked, "So what can I do for you?"


    "I need you to look someone up." Wei Jun said.


    "Who?" Mark Wilson asked.


    "Xing Xioamei." Wei Jun said before he added, "I need to know everything about her. Even the color of her underwear or how she wipes herself. I need every single detail of her life in a thick book. Understood?"


    "Of course, boss," Mark Wilson replied, without even asking who that woman was. To him, it didn''t matter in the least. All that mattered was to make sure Wei Jun''s task was carried out.

 Chapter 313 Do Not Read

    "Last night, the CSF database was hacked and resources confirmed that all the data they had has been erased." A TV reporter spoke on the TV while the CSF was in turmoil."Damn it. How did they get the news? What inside resources is she talking about?" A middle-aged man asked another middle-aged man who seemed to be standing with cold sweat flowing down his back.


    "We are sure that the leak wasn''t from us, Major. Whoever did this must be from the outside." Tae Song, a lieutenant in the CSF said.


    "Must be?" The major, however, didn''t like that news, "So you''re saying you''re not sure where this came from? Where did that virus come from?! Where did this leak come from?!! Where did all this mess come from?!!!"


    Tae Song closed his eyes, feeling a little threatened because the Major was unconsciously leaking his Qi which was too much for a Qi manifestation realm cultivator like Tae Song.


    "We¡­ We know where the virus came from. We just don''t have any proof to tie it to them." Tae Song replied.


    "Then get me proof!!!" The major yelled in return.


    "Sh*t! Do we really not have anything?" Tae Song asked Rin and a man in glasses sitting next to her.


    The man replied, no fear in his voice, "You have to understand, Lieutenant, this virus has been creeping into the system for three days. Unnoticed. And then it was also removed from everything. There''s no trace of it."


    "What do you mean?" Rin asked.


    "Usually such a job is done in a hurry. It''s a get in and get out type of situation that doesn''t give you enough time to erase your traces. But this time, the hacker had a long time on his hands. They were granted access once the encryption was initiated which allowed them to mask their codes. After that, everything was done over a period of three days. All the algorithms were planted and all traces were erased." The man in glasses explained.


    "So what you''re saying is that they had plenty of time." Tae Song understood the essence of the explanation.


    "But why would they target the criminal database?" The man with glasses couldn''t understand. The criminal database was still available on the internet.


    "Because they weren''t looking for anyone. They erased data that could help us recognize criminals. Fingerprints, blood work, and more. Anything that could help us recognize them is now gone." Rin explained.


    "And the archives they took have the data of our officers as well. Some of them wouldn''t want their lives to be exposed." Tae Song explained.


    Cultivation was a dangerous world. Someone who captured cultivators and put them behind bars wasn''t just some street cop. Their enemies were on a level that could wipe their families in a day, even before the news reached their ears. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So the background information of the CSF officials was concealed in case their loved ones were ever targeted as a form of revenge.


    Now that data was out there and could be used against them. If that wasn''t enough, now they didn''t have records of major criminals. If they were to commit crimes anywhere, there would be no fingerprints in the system to identify them.


    "Are you sure it was them?" Still, Tae Song had to be sure. One mistake and they would be going at odds with one of the strongest sects in the empire. Granted they were powerful as well, but even the emperor wouldn''t want a war between these two without probable cause.


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    Probable cause they didn''t have. They needed proof that it was indeed Wei Jun Ruan who stole their data. If they couldn''t, then they couldn''t pursue this matter no matter who they were.


    "There is¡­ one way," Rin spoke, her hesitation apparent in her voice. Whatever it was, it wasn''t a good thing and if went wrong, it could horribly bite them in the back.


    But¡­


    "What more trouble can we get in." Tae Song said before he heard Rin''s plan.


    "If they leaked news, why don''t we leak one of our own?" Rin asked.


    "Do it." Tae Song had no choice but to approve it. They were in bigger trouble than one would think.


    ~~


    "Are you saying you have confirmed this?" A reporter asked at the press conference held by the CSF.


    "Yes. We have traced the location back to the Ruan Enterprises. Unfortunately, they have claimed they know nothing about it which is causing us some issues. But rest assured, we will soon deal with that issue as well." Rin replied.


    "What do you mean by that?" Another reporter asked.


    "We have found out who the biker who has terrorized the city is," Rin replied.


    "You have?" The reporter asked.


    "Yes. We have definite proof that the one to cause various incidents of attack and terrorism all over the city is none other than Wei Jun Ruan." Rin replied calmly but her words brought anything but calm.


    A storm. That was what those words caused.


    Listening to those words, the sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect calmly told his attendant, "Set a meeting with the emperor."


    "Are you sure it would be all right?" The attendant asked. She couldn''t understand why the sect master would get involved with that issue. Cutting Wei Jun Ruan loose was much more safer and anyone, even his own grandfather would do that.


    "The emperor wouldn''t let go of this chance to suppress us if he was in our spot. Why wouldn''t I do the same now that I stand to make the empire owe me one?" The sect master asked before he added, this time with a hint of authority that granted no debate, "Set up a meeting with the emperor."


    "Yes, sect master." The attendant left after respectfully replying.


    ~~


    When he listened to the fact that the CSF was after his family, Sun Ruan''s first instinct was to cut Wei Jun loose. Of course, Wei Jun was important and valuable but he wasn''t even close to being so important that he would risk his entire family.


    "Let the authorities know that we''re willing to give up Wei Jun Ruan and cooperate with the investigation." At Sun Ruan''s announcement, certainly no one was shocked.


    They expected that. Hey expected Sun Ruan to be cold enough to forsake his own family.


    "No!" Pei Ruan, Wei Jun''s mother, slammed her hands on top of the table and yelled loudly, "I will not do that to my son."


    "Don''t be foolish. This is for the sake of the family." Sun Ruan calmly said.


    "And what about the actual family? Are we all pawns that can be discarded to you?!" Pei Ruan asked while her husband tried to calm her down. It wasn''t wise to question Sun Ruan and yelling at him on top of that was even worse.


    "Are you going against me?" Sun Ruan asked, his Qi unleashed on Pei Ruan who didn''t flinch under that pressure. Sure, Sun Ruan was a Qi master but she herself was also at the peak of the Qi manifestation realm now.


    She wasn''t overly talented but she was enough to be known in the world. She was strong enough to resist that much pressure.


    "I agree with Mother," Before Pei Ruan could yell back, Lin Ruan spoke. Sun Ruan''s eyes squinted. It wasn''t long ago when they were all doing as he asked.


    His daughter was one thing because her son was concerned, but he never expected Lin Ruan to take Wei Jun''s side.


    That made him wonder what had that boy done to her.


    "There will be no debate over this." Sun Ruan said and stood up. But before Lin Ruan and Pei Ruan could once again raise their voices, Lao Chen hurriedly approached Sun Ruan and handed him a phone, "The sect master is on the line."


    Sun Ruan didn''t ask why. He hurriedly put the phone to his ear and said, "Good evening, esteem---"


    However, before he could complete his greeting, the Sect Master interrupted him and said his piece. After he was done, he cut the call.


    Sun Ruan, on the other hand, was left puzzled.


    "What has that boy been doing?" Now it really made him wonder why Wei Jun was being so valued by the sect master that he was willing to take it out with the emperor himself.


    "Forget about our earlier conversation." Sun Ruan said before he left, leaving everyone puzzled.


    ~~


    While all of that was happening, the person in question, the person who had caused so much of a mess, was currently locked in a battle of stares with a certain blue-eyed girl.


    It made sense why she was angry. Her entire organization had been harmed and the hit they took was enormous. Not to mention the damage they would take once all that information became public.


    However, contrary to what one might think, that wasn''t what she was angry about.


    "What has she been doing in your room for so many days when I haven''t even spent a night in there?" Yan Rong asked.


    Despite his unwavering eyes, Wei Jun involuntarily gulped and swallowed the reply, ''You have been in my room. More than once, by breaking in.''

 Chapter 314 Do Not Read

    [Magic cannon x100]Rose tried to dodge Adrian''s attack but it wasn''t as simple as it seemed. Adrian hadn''t just shot the hundred attacks close to her, but he was spreading them in the surroundings, creating a space where there were only magic cannons.


    If she wanted to dodge them all, she would have to leave that certain area but if she did, she would have to materialize outside of it and outside of it was out of bounds.


    That left her only one option.


    Up.


    Rose turned into lightning and the next time she appeared, she was above the arena, but as soon as she did, she hurriedly crossed her arms in front of her because the next moment, a punch landed on her crossed arms, breaking one and fracturing other, causing her to further gain height in the sky.


    Just as she managed to stop her ascending, she hurriedly channeled mana and began to mend her bones. A trick she discovered herself after observing Adrian''s magic potions.


    Just as her arm was in the working condition, she once again moved them to dodge a kick from above her and as she was struck with it, her body fell faster than it rose up in the sky. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As she fell, she fell into the net of [Magic cannons] Adrian had prepared and a chain of explosions ensued, injuring her further than the damaged insides she already had from that kick.


    Slam!!


    She fell on the stage, her body battered and broken. She tried to stand up but she couldn''t. As for the rest in the arena, they were more than shocked, or stumped.


    They couldn''t believe the scene in front of them. Turning into lightning was impossible even for the emperor who was the king of lightning known in the empire.


    If that wasn''t enough, then it was Adrian''s performance. What he showed was amazing in its own sense and if that wasn''t enough, he was ruthless as hell.


    Bam!


    Adrian landed in the crater with a bang and looked at Rose who was trying to stand up but her body was too damaged to do that. There were multiple concussions on her head from where she was bleeding and multiple bone fractures.


    She couldn''t get up no matter how much she tried. She was down for the good.


    So the match should have ended at that and the referee was also about to do that when Adrian turned his eyes to him and froze him down to his core.


    Adrian turned to look at Rose. She was hurt, battered, and injured beyond anything a tough man could take but even then, she was trying to get up.


    [That should be enough of a wake up call]


    Allison advised him but to him, that didn''t matter. He raised his hand and used the skill [Breath of life] on her.


    ''How can I disrespect my queen when she''s trying her best?'' Rose''s eyes were full of life and determination. There was no sign on giving up in those eyes and that was what mattered to Adrian.


    Rose healed, her blood stopped flowing and power coursed through her veins. As she looked at Adrian with confusion in her eyes, Adrian said, "You''re trying to control it. It''s yours. Don''t control it. Be it."


    To Adrian, who was very well versed in all sorts of elements, lightning was a specialty he also focused on and he could guide Rose greatly if she just listened.


    However, Rose wasn''t going to do that. She wanted something else. She wanted more. She wanted something of her own.


    Adrian could teach her a million things but they would be Adrian''s. She wanted something that was solely hers and to do that, she needed to have this fight. A fight where Adrian wouldn''t hold back juts because of who she was.


    She smiled, a smile that was as rare as the harmony of planets in a straight line. But to Adrian, that smile said everything. She liked it.


    So Adrian smiled back.


    And¡­


    "Kugh!!"


    Rose fell on her knees as Adrian suddenly appeared in front of her and kneed her in the stomach but stood in his place with his knee still raised as Rose coughed blood on the ground.


    "You were distracted just now," Adrian said before he grabbed her by her arm and flung her in the air, slamming her in the ground once again with added intensity to inflict more damage on her.


    "Love is good, it''s amazing." Adrian didn''t let go of her arm and pulled her again, slamming her on the other side of the ground as he said, "Until it becomes a distraction."


    Adrian let go of her and took a step back to let her collect herself.


    As she stood up, stumbling over, Adrian smirked and took another step back. He could have went in at that moment but then that wouldn''t be a lesson, just a beating.


    Rose managed to stand stable on her two feet and looked at Adrian, her eyes a little unfocused from the newfound concussions on her head.


    "Having trouble seeing? Then just let the lightning guide you," Adrian said as he took another step back but this time there was no sound, no indication of him taking a step back.


    Rose closed her eyes because she had long lost Adrian. No matter how hard she tried, her senses just couldn''t pick him up.


    Lightning began to course through her veins as she remembered what Adrian said.


    He was right. The lightning was erratic. So much so that she had to spend a good amount of her concentration to try and control it.


    Still, it wasn''t proving helpful because no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn''t control it. While she did so, Adrian was at the edge of the stage, just waiting there for her.


    "This is a waste of time," A duke from the crowd said.


    However, unlike how he expected for others to go along with him, no one did. They saw what she did and they also saw how Adrian effortlessly put her down.


    No one butted in and the duke had no choice but to grumble to himself and shut up about it. As for the old men in the high tower, they were also exchanging glances with each other.


    When Adrian asked Orion to give her a title of a count, Orion just thought he was trying to secure a girl for himself but seeing the events now, he was changing his mindset.


    "We need to secure her," Zarden said and Orion nodded. Rafael, on the other hand, had a different mindset. A cautious one. He knew what kind of a person Adrian was and if even Orion tried using Rose, he wouldn''t care to make the empire an enemy of himself. And from what he had seen, he was sure the empire wouldn''t exist after he would have had his way with it.


    As the empire talked about various things, Rose was still focusing on controlling her lightning while Adrian was patiently waiting for her.


    As soon as Rose opened her eyes, thinking she had finally had it under her control, she was blown back from the clash of lightning that existed inside of her.


    It was lucky she didn''t die from the impact on the spot but Adrian made sure she wouldn''t as he used the party system to feed her the potion as soon as the lightning inside her clashed.


    "Cough!!! Cough!!!" Mouthful of blood and ragged breathing as if her diaphragm was messed up which it was, Rose tried to contain herself and wondered what happened.


    "Not all lightning is the same," Adrian came closer to her now that the shockwave form the clash of lightning passed.


    "You need to make sure you''re the lightning. Not the lightning inside of you," Adrian said as he cast another skill on her, fixing her back to health.


    She tried to stand up but the impact from before was still fresh in her mind so she tried to take a breather but Adrian wasn''t going to allow her that luxury.


    As soon as she stood up, Adrian once again kicked her in her stomach, once again sending her to her knees.


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    He grabbed her arm again but this time, instead of slamming her into the ground, she threw her up above in the sky.


    She came to her senses as soon as she was up in the sky but before she could focus any further, Adrian appeared before her once again and punched her throwing her in another direction.


    While everyone thought that this would be a match over since it was an out of bounds, Adrian appeared behind her and hit her again, throwing her in another direction.


    And again.


    And then once again.


    And then he just kept doing it until everyone began to feel true pity for Rose but the two individuals involved didn''t care.


    Adrian wasn''t hurting and she could tell because she was barely getting any damage.


    Instead, he was erasing his presence with each hit, leaving Rose''s senses unable to pick him up.


    But that wasn''t how Adrian wanted her to find him.


    She closed her eyes and focused again.


    ''Not all lightning is the same.''


    ''Don''t control it.''


    Suddenly, she opened her eyes, her eye color pale blue instead of her usual dark pink.


    Her entire being was covered in the same glow and her hair color began to change to sky blue.


    And then¡­


    Boomm!!!

 Chapter 315 Artificial

    "Argh!!!" Wei Jun grunted in pain as he stood up.[Still hurts?]


    ''Nah, I''m doing this for fun.'' Wei Jun replied before he took a deep breath after standing up. Once he was stable, he stood up straight, with another grunt of course, before he stretched his muscles.


    He was still in pain and no matter how much he tried, that pain wouldn''t just go away.


    [Sorry host but that pain is with you for life]


    [Divine energy has deeply ingrained itself in your system]


    [It''ll be very painful for you]


    ''All the time?!'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Nah, I''m just pulling your leg]


    [Sooner or later it''d run out]


    [The Death Qi inside you will make sure of that]


    [But it''ll be painful until then]


    Wei Jun remained silent to that. No matter how much he wanted to curse the system, he was too tired and too much in pain to do that. He simply remained silent and kept stretching. Once he got used to the pain a little, he began to walk in the direction of the core.


    According to the system, the core should be where he found the zombie in the beginning.


    ''Tell me, what would happen if I were to use Death Qi while that divine energy is inside me?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [That''s a very good question, host]


    [Right now, the Death Qi inside you is dominant but if you use a lot of it at once and it becomes lesser than the divine energy]


    [Well, the clash would be all the more severe then]


    [Maybe it''ll kill you]


    ''Thanks?'' Wei Jun didn''t know how to react to that.


    [Don''t worry]


    [Death won''t let you die so easily]


    ''Tell me one thing.'' Wei Jun said before he asked, ''Why do you use Death and Death Qi separately?''


    [Because they are separate]


    [Death cannot come to this world in droves so it changed to what it could]


    [Qi]


    [Or in your case]


    [Death Qi]


    ''But what is Death?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [What do you mean by ''What is Death?'']


    [Death is Death]


    [The end]


    [Just like how Life is the beginning]


    [Death is the end]


    ''I know that. What I mean to ask is what does me being Death means?''


    [Oh, you''re not Death]


    [You''re a part of it]


    ''What do you mean?''


    [You''re the literal spawn of Death, host]


    ''Pardon?''


    [You really don''t know anything about your bloodline, do you?]


    [Anything about the Smiths?]


    ''I only know I''m one. And although a little dysfunctional, we''ve been a pretty normal family.'' Wei Jun replied,


    [The Smith family]


    [Or at least the one that started from your father]


    [Is anything but normal]


    [You just don''t know anything]


    ''How will I if you keep going around it in a cryptic sense?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Well]


    [All I can tell you is that your mother is human and your father is¡­]


    ''Also human?'' Wei Jun said but he felt like there was something more to it.


    [Close]


    [He''s half-human]


    ''What is he the other half of it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I think we both know the answer to that question]


    Find adventures on empire


    ''Death.''


    [Ding-Dong]


    [And here I thought you''re more of a jock]


    ''How do you know all of that?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I serve your family, after all]


    [Well, your brother, to be more precise]


    ''Serve?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Everyone does]


    [Everyone in the fragments]


    [Especially your brother]


    [He''s a menace]


    ''I doubt that.'' Wei Jun didn''t really believe that his brother could be a menace. Sure, he was a little crazy and sometimes killed some people over little things but that didn''t mean he was crazy or a menace. Everything he did had a purpose.


    [Exactly]


    [Your father is the jock type]


    [Like you]


    [You both think with your fists]


    [Your brother doesn''t]


    [He thinks with his brain]


    [Millions of fragments, or to be more accurate, worlds]


    [Have been reduced to nothingness under his watch]


    ''Didn''t you say you serve him? You''re really badmouthing him.'' Wei Jun argued once again.


    [Badmouthing?]


    [This is called admiration, host]


    [While your father can be the greatest and most terrifying being]


    [Your brother is more]


    [After all]


    [In this entire wide universe]


    [In all of creation]


    [The only human who can ever stand against your father is your brother]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what all of that meant. What he did understand was that there were many secrets hidden deep about his family.


    ''Is this world under my brother''s watch?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Nope]


    ''But you just said¡­''


    [That I serve your brother so this world is technically his?]


    [Yeah, no]


    [All the fragments belong to the universal cosmic powers]


    [Your father simply controls them because he has an interest]


    [A hobby, one could say]


    [But your brother thinks more like a businessman]


    [He believes controlling the fragments is necessary]


    [But he doesn''t have the authority to]


    [So, he negotiates with the residents]


    ''The world''s laws?'' Wei Jun speculated


    [Exactly]


    [When the said residents don''t listen]


    [He weakens the world and destroys it]


    [Then the world is reconstructed under a new watch]


    ''His¡­''


    [Exactly once again]


    [This time]


    [He set his eyes on this one]


    [And the one he chose to destroy it was you]


    ''And what if I don''t want this world to be destroyed?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Complete destruction isn''t required]


    [Just enough that the hold of the world''s destiny on this world doesn''t remain any longer]


    ''I don''t get that.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [Push a company to the brink that it faces bankruptcy]


    [What do you think will happen then?]


    ''In most conditions, the employees remain the same and the leadership changes.''


    [See?]


    ''So this a business deal?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Yep]


    ''And what does that make me?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [What do you think it does?]


    ''The hitman.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [Does that make you angry?]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun remained silent. Did he mind? Of course, he didn''t. Why would he? Ever since he came to this world, things had been hectic, painful, and a massive headache, but¡­


    [It was never boring, wasn''t it, Damien?]


    ''It sure as hell wasn''t.'' Wei Jun replied with a terrifying grin on his face.


    [There you have it then]


    [And look that]


    [You''ve arrived]


    Wei Jun didn''t know how long he had walked. He was too consumed by the talk he was having with the system that his body was on autopilot.


    [There should be the core of the dungeon]


    [But¡­]


    ''But¡­?''


    [There isn''t one]


    ''What''s that supposed to mean?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [It means there isn''t one]


    [Which is not possible]


    [A dungeon needs a focal point]


    [Without it, it''d collapse on itself]


    ''Then what if the focal point is not inside the dungeon?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [What do you mean?]


    The system, for the first time, asked Wei Jun the question.


    ''If you grow watermelons in a field, they have seeds, but if you don''t, they don''t have any.''


    [What does that mean?]


    ''Is it possible for there to be an artificial dungeon?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I don''t think it is]


    [I mean; I''ve never heard of such a thing in all my time]


    ''So there is a possibility?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I doubt it]


    [This isn''t a watermelon, after all]


    [But an independent space]


    ''But what if the anchor, or in this case, the core, isn''t this but earth? The space outside it?'' Wei Jun argued.


    [¡­]


    [Be honest with me]


    [You''re a nerd, aren''t you?]


    ''My brother is.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [So now that we''ve established this is a fake] S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Or as you put it]


    [An artificial dungeon]


    [What''s holding it together?]


    ''I have a pretty good guess,'' Wei Jun replied.


    From the beginning, there were many points Wei Jun couldn''t comprehend. The biggest of them was the boss''s stats. According to the system, the world went by a certain set of laws and the laws clearly state that a certain being couldn''t be more or less than it.


    In this case, the zombie was very weak in its rank. The case was for the zombie king, though. The rest were in accordance with the rank.


    [So someone put them here and let them eat each other up]


    ''Leaving the strongest scorpion in the pot.''


    Wei Jun thought back to how the military had a dungeon prepared and how they knew exactly what he was heading into.


    They prepared this to bind Wei Jun. They knew Wei Jun wouldn''t be able to clear this dungeon and would only be able to run. They''d sweep in at the right moment and save him, making him indebted to them.


    But something didn''t make any sense to him.


    ''Why in the hell would they do that?''


    There were many other ways to make him indebted. This trick didn''t make any sense.


    [Unless they were also testing something]


    ''What exactly?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Stability]


    ''What?''


    [The most important part of a dungeon is its sustenance]


    [It is constructed in such a way that it doesn''t need an external power source to make it stable]


    [Like a car engine]


    [The battery runs the car and the generator charges the battery]


    [It''s a near-endless cycle]


    [The same goes for a dungeon]


    [And this one isn''t falling apart]


    ''The power source is outside.''


    [And it''s also a test to see how much power is required]


    At the system''s reply, Wei Jun couldn''t help but think back to the time when used soul power from people to power up a certain magic.


    [Host]


    [Someone out there]


    [Knows ancient witchcraft]

 Chapter 316 Do Not Read

    Would you look at her? Her plan was amazing. They weren''t just buying time or turning attention away from them. They were trying to cause tension between us and the heavenly demon sect."There is nothing to worry about," Tae Yong replied, "I can personally vouch that the foreigners were in a meeting with me."


    "All of them?" The platinum-haired woman asked.


    "Yes," Tae Yong replied with certainty.


    "Is it not a little suspicious, your lordship? Are you sure you''re not mistaken?" The platinum-haired woman politely asked. I could see her eyes shining which meant she properly weighed the consequences of her questions.


    But, it also gave me an idea of her power. She wasn''t all-powerful. Because if she were, she would have known on simple rule of the heavenly demon sect.


    The heavenly demon was the heavenly demon sect.


    "Are you questioning the words of the heavenly demon?!" Liu Kuang asked, his rage obvious by the flare of Qi he let out.


    The word of the heavenly demon was the law. Nothing was above that, not even themselves. If Tae Yong said I was with her, then I was with her. If she vouched for everyone in my party, then they were all vouched for. No one in the heavenly demon sect doubted us at this moment.


    "This meeting is adjourned until we find out what the truth is," Tae Yong said and left the court without saying another word under the guidance of her maids. She didn''t even look at me which just showed how good she was.


    I, on the other hand, looked at the platinum-haired woman. In essence, she held the same power as Celandine, the girl whose heart I will win one day for sure.


    I''ll pull it out, with my hand penetrating her chest, her face marred in horror and drizzles of blood escaped her mouth and her eyes show---


    [Focus]


    Right. I always get enthusiastic whenever I talk about her. Anyway, the platinum-haired woman held the same power as her. The power to see the future. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [A seer]


    [Dangerous beings]


    They definitely were. I should know. My sister was one of them.


    [That''s a surprise]


    [Did she ever know when you were about to¡­ hand one out?]


    ''What are you, seven? And no, I never did that. But she''d know my future.''


    Aliya wasn''t like this woman. She lived in the past, the present, and the future constantly. She mostly kept her powers on a lock because of how strong they were, but unlike this woman, she had complete control over her power.


    Once, she knew that I was going to kill someone and came to stop me. It was so frustrating that I couldn''t kill that scumbag and even more frustrating when I had to make do by cutting off his manhood and making him eat it.


    [That''s dark]


    Anyways, the problem with seers was that they felt like they controlled the entire world. The world was theirs to manipulate. Leaving my sister out, not one seer I met in my entire life was free of this characteristic. They were simply manipulators.


    Of course, they had to be strong enough to read my future and no one other than Aliya could ever do that. Even this woman couldn''t if her slight frustration was any indication when her eyes shone slightly when she was looking at me.


    She couldn''t see my future so she was trying to use me as bait. However, I had to be on guard as well. She couldn''t see my future but she could see anyone else''s on my team and that was bad which was why¡­


    "Why?" Laura asked.


    "No questions asked," I replied and said, "No one will leave this place and I mean no one. Not even Asmara and Sasha. You''ve learned what you could have. Now master that."


    "What is about to happen, Adrian?" Asmara asked.


    "Something you have no part in," I replied and silenced her before she could ask anything anymore. She was good at strategy and all of them were smart enough to know what that really meant.


    With that out of the way, I just waited. Waited for the day to come when this matter would be escalated far beyond one''s imagination.


    ~~


    "Who do you think did this?" A man asked another man who calmly sipped his tea and replied with a relaxed expression.


    "Why would it matter?" The second man asked before he said, "The powers of Murim are in one place. We wanted that and that happened. Now we need to make our next move."


    "I know," The first man replied, still a little uneasy, "But I''m more worried about the unknown here. I feel like we''re walking into someone''s trap."


    "You''re just worrying too much," The second man nonchalantly said before he said, "Let''s begin. We move now."


    The first man sighed and nodded. He stood up and took out a strange object from his robe before he put it on his lips and blew hard. No sound came out of the flute-like object but those who needed to hear it did.


    The ground began to tremble as the first man turned to look at the army on his back. The army didn''t end as far as the eye went. It wasn''t just the numbers. Each and every one in that army was at least at the rank of a first-rate martial artist, only they weren''t martial artists. It was a massive army that would have been normally unmatched.


    "Let us conquer the east of this world as well, Bernard. Then we can move on to the other parts of this world. I''m curious as to how far we can go." The second man said before he added in a proud tone, "For the glory of Ashguard Empire."


    "For the glory of the Ashgaurd Empire." The first man, Bernard, joined him in the praise and they both led that massive army to their destination.


    The heavenly demon sect.


    ~~


    "Adrian," Asmara called me while I was looking in the distance but I saw nothing. Whoever they were, they were late.


    "What?" I asked.


    "You''re not hurting anyone, right?" She asked, her eyes fixed on mine. She was judging me. She was deciding whether or not I was the correct man for her.


    "Don''t you know me by now?" I asked, acting as if I was hurt by her question, "I''d never get innocents involved in my goals."


    "I know," She said, her tone clear and precise before she came forward and settled herself on my lap. Had to say, feeling her toned and hard body on mine was a different feeling.


    She placed her ear on my chest and snuggled into it, and said, "I can hear your heartbeat. It''s strong."


    "Despite what you hear, I have a weak heart," I replied as I wrapped my arms around her.


    "You''re worried about leaving here, aren''t you?" I asked.


    "I am," She replied, "But I''m more worried you''ll do something wrong to do that."


    "Nothing I''d do in this world for you would be wrong. Otherwise, I wouldn''t deserve you." I replied.


    "Mhm," she said as she made herself comfortable, "Just promise me one thing."


    "What?" I asked.


    "You wouldn''t hurt them," She said, her tone not of an order but a request. When she asked me to make her strong, she was almost demanding me but this time, she really was requesting something.


    I ran my hand through her hair as I replied, "I promise."


    She closed her eyes and entered deep sleep. I, on the other hand, was now as unsettled as ever. After all¡­


    [You just made a promise that would be very hard to keep]


    But I did. The fact remained unchanged that I did and there would be nothing in this world that would stop me from keeping my promise.


    No matter how hard it was.


    Ding!! Discover exclusive content at empire


    Ding!!


    Ding!!


    While I was still combing Asmara''s hair gently, I heard the sounds of bells and horns in the distance. But that wasn''t what I was focused on. My focus was on the army that was slowly making its way over here on the horizon.


    A truly massive army that was on the level of the empire''s army if we had to count the Silver Knights as well. However, the main highlight, or should I say the cause of concern was the two individuals leading the army.


    One of them had an overbearing sensation emitting from his entire being. As if he was born confident and nothing in this world could stand in his way.


    The heavy sword on his back was also glistening with power and each step of his was creating tremors throughout the ground.


    The other one was meeker compared to the man with the sword but all the more dangerous than the first man.


    [Is that a¡­]


    ''Mage.''


    And the other one was an aura master. The things in this world just got hella complicated and not in a fun way.


    But whatever it was, they were heading over here and the power they were emitting only pointed towards one thing.


    A war was coming.

 Chapter 317 Xing Xiaomei

    "You asked for ten minutes," Xing Xiaomei said, "They began when I entered the caf¨¦."To that, Wei Jun remained silent. He was confident he''d be able to make Xing Xiaomei an ally of his. After all, he knew her secret. To understand her better, Wei Jun had to read the novel again and again, bearing the ridiculous and logical parts of it that made him immensely angry, but he pushed through.


    After all, there were some details hidden in it that only became clear to him after reading the novel again and again. And the one detail he picked about Xing Xiaomei was that she was incomplete.


    There was just something about her that wasn''t whole. She was Xing Xiaomei, but not her at the same time. There was something more to her story but Wei Jun could never figure it out. Still, that didn''t mean he didn''t have a clue about it.


    "The central plain." Wei Jun said. A simple word. Not many would have understood what he meant by that. Maybe no one in the current world knew about it. However, as soon as he said those words, Xing Xiaomei froze in her place.


    But that didn''t last for long. What replaced her gaze was chilling coldness but contrary to her gaze, a smell filled the surroundings. A smell of petals. A soothing smell. A smell that everyone liked. Loved, actually.


    However, the prettiest rose was the thorniest as well. Wei Jun knew that well. That pleasant smell was the deadliest, he knew it better than anyone present.


    "Give me one reason why I shouldn''t cut your head off." Xing Xiaomei said. As she said those words, Wei Jun''s people present should have moved but they were too lost in the fragrant smell around Xing Xiaomei.


    "I can get you the plum blossom sword art." Wei Jun simply replied before he stood up and left but not without a few words, "If you''re not at my house in an hour, I''ll consider we never had this talk."


    Before Xing Xiaomei could even react, Wei Jun was nowhere to be seen. He had pushed his body to the maximum and ran away from the spot. Xing Xiaomei hurriedly snapped out of it and a pinkish hue enveloped her. She hurriedly ran after the trace Wei Jun left.


    Wei Jun looked back, a little uneased, looking at the gradually gaining Xing Xiaomei who had a cold look on her face. Wei Jun, for the first time, took notice of her beauty because it was pulling him in. Her light grey eyes, her dark hair, that pale color of her skin, the sharp features of her eyes, and most of all, that cold look that gave her a look that even attracted Wei Jun.


    Before he even realized it, he was slowing down. She wasn''t just gaining up on him, he realized, it wasn''t just that. He was also slowing down.


    [A common effect of the cultivation technique]


    [It is more suited for women]


    [It makes them¡­]


    [Desirable]


    That didn''t make him feel good. The fact that he was letting his lower body make the decisions for him made him wonder if he should actually pursue Xing Xiaomei. But the story had progressed far enough for him to reconsider.


    All the side heroines had been met with the protagonist and had fallen for him. He had gained all he could from them. The only one left was the untouchable flower.


    Xing Xiaomei.


    Two entire volumes of the novel were dedicated to her.


    Wei Jun realized. If he were to disrupt these two volumes heavily, it would have a massive effect on the story to come. And the key to that disruption was none other than Xing Xiaomei.


    [Calm your breathing]


    [The fragrance of the plums only works the more you resist it]


    [Don''t resist it more than necessary]


    Wei Jun did the same. Beauty was superficial. Beauty that was enhanced was even more. He remembered the lessons he had learned painfully in his life and kept moving forward.


    His feet felt lighter. His attention was more on the road than on the fragrance emitting from the woman behind him. And with those simple acts, the distance between him and her began to widen once again.


    Xing Xiaomei hesitated. A man who could resist her. It was new. Even her own father fell to the curse that she was plagued with. But unlike the movies, that didn''t intrigue her in the man before him. No.


    It made her wary.


    Wary of him.


    Wei Jun looked back at her. As if he could tell what she was thinking, a grin appeared on his face. A grin that only terrified Xing Xiaomei but also angered her. She picked up speed to the maximum she could and before she knew it, she was well onto the highway, away from the city.


    Still, knowing that all too well, she didn''t stop. Even though something deep inside her was telling her to return, something was compelling her to go to the university.


    But¡­


    That grin. The terrifying smile. She just couldn''t get that out of her mind. She wanted nothing but to punch the man in front of her in the face. And then¡­


    She wanted to know.


    What did he know about the central plains?


    However, contrary to what she thought, Wei Jun didn''t know much about the central plains. Even though it was mentioned in the novel for some time, there wasn''t much about it.


    The system, however, knew those answers. However, when asked.


    [Can''t tell you]


    [It''s not like I don''t trust you]


    [But telling you about central plains will have a lot of adverse effects on the world]


    [There is too much power hidden in the central plains]


    [If the world''s will found out about it]


    [It could easily send one of its heralds to take that power]


    [If they managed to do it]


    [They''d be unstoppable]


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun didn''t insist on the matter anymore. If the system said it couldn''t tell him about the place, he didn''t ask for it again but he was interested in why he couldn''t even ask about it. What was there that was so strong?


    [My father]


    [My father''s there]


    Wei Jun went silent. One thing he had established ever since he came to the world was that the overseer, the entity in the system, was the strongest being this world had ever seen. Even though he hadn''t seen anything regarding it, deep down, he believed his hypothesis was correct. The father of such a being, a person even the system was serious about was mentioned¡­


    Well, Wei Jun could only imagine.


    So, all he had on him at the moment for Xing Xiaomei was a bluff. He could only hope that Xing Xiaomei would follow him in the vain hope that he knew anything about the central plains and the cultivation technique she possessed.


    [Not really a bluff]


    [She has the cultivation technique]


    [What she needs is the accompanying sword art]


    [Plum blossom sword art]


    ''But if I''m not wrong, then it''s a clue to the central plains, isn''t it?'' Continue your saga on empire


    [A massive clue]


    [If you''re gonna give it to her]


    [You better make sure she would follow every whim of yours]


    [She should be obedient enough to bare herself in the middle of a crowded street if you wanted her to]


    That was some level of obedience he didn''t even expect from his party members. Besides, it wasn''t him who was going to give her the technique but¡­


    [I will give it to you]


    [Actually, teach it to you]


    [But you have to be a grandmaster for that] Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You wouldn''t even be able to follow the Qi flow with that level of Qi control]


    [My advice is that you work on your core before you hit the grandmaster realm]


    Wei Jun nodded in assent. He hadn''t worked on his core for a while now even when he had the time. It was time he let go of everything useless and focused on what he could.


    For now, he had succeeded in his primary objective. He had succeeded in pulling Xing Xiaomei from the protagonist.


    He had prevented that first meeting. The beginning of it all. The beginning of the third volume. Now all that was left was to make sure she didn''t return.


    Speaking of which, he was so absorbed in his conversation with the system, that he didn''t even focus on the fragrance around him. While it wasn''t as affecting as before, he was sure it had increased in density.


    When he turned his head to look at his pursuer, his eyes widened to the limit to see that he was barely one inch away from her stretched hand. Wei Jun hurriedly increased the speed only to find out he was already at the maximum.


    That made him realize another fact about his pursuer about which he was severely mistaken.


    She was stronger than him.


    And¡­


    Bam!!!

 Chapter 318 Xing Xiaomei

    Crash!!!Wei Jun shook his head as he came to his senses. He looked up and saw the most beautiful face he had ever seen. The girl on top of him was also looking at him and it didn''t help that she had the coldest expression Wei Jun had ever seen on her face.


    "It''d be in your best interest if you didn''t move." Xing Xiaomei said. Wei Jun tried to struggle but the more he did, the more Xing Xiaomei exerted pressure on his arms making him wince in pain.


    Still, Wei Jun wasn''t born yesterday. While he had to admit that she beat him in the contest of strength, when it came to experience, he was confident he was better.


    And he proved that fact by simply saying, "Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?"


    "¡­" A cricket could be heard in the background. Xing Xiaomei was unfazed. However, it wasn''t like there was no reaction. Xing Xiaomei pressed harder, increasing the intensity of pain in Wei Jun''s arms.


    "You know we¡ªwe''re currently in a very provocative position. Anyone could misunderstand." Wei Jun said.


    However, Xing Xiaomei once again remained unfazed as she said, "There''s no one around."


    [She has a point, host]


    ''How the hell was I supposed to know she''d be this experienced?'' Wei Jun retorted as he thought of another attempt after his two failed attempts.


    While he couldn''t struggle by moving his legs, he could still raise one. And raise it he did, landing it perfectly in the middle of Xing Xiaomei''s crotch. It wasn''t an attack, just a gentle rub.


    However, he was once again disappointed to see that there was only an increment in pain, no change in Xing Xiaomei''s expression.


    "Is that it?" She asked. Wei Jun was at a loss. Xing Xiaomei in the novel was like a bashful college girl who hadn''t ever held a man''s hand. Yet the one in front of him was unfazed no matter what he did.


    Xing Xiaomei leaned in closer. She passed Wei Jun''s lips and whispered in his ear, "I thought you had more guts than this."


    A shiver passed through Wei Jun''s body. He felt hot. Wei Jun wasn''t the type to be aroused like this.


    There was only one explanation.


    [Don''t resist it]


    [The more you do, the more it''ll be effective]


    Wei Jun sighed, he let out an exhale, calmed his beating heart, and looked at Xing Xiaomei once again, "How about you stop using that trick on me and see how manly I really am?"


    "It wouldn''t matter. You''re still weaker than me." Xing Xiaomei said with a cold expression. A grin appeared on Wei Jun''s face, his expression maniacal as he began to exert pressure on his arms. Slight crackling sounds could be heard which then intensified.


    Wei Jun was breaking his own limbs, voluntarily.


    "What are you doing?" Xing Xiaomei was a little terrified of Wei Jun at the moment. Correction, looking at that maniacal expression, she was no longer a little terrified.


    "So you haven''t been in an ugly fight before, have you?" Wei Jun didn''t stop and soon enough, his left arm tore off from his body, throwing Xing Xiaomei off balance. As soon as she was, Wei Jun pushed her off with his legs, kicking her with all the might he could. Although Xing Xiaomei managed to react in time, but¡­


    [Phoenix''s tear has been consumed]


    The gory scene of Wei Jun''s arms tearing off and blood squirting on her face, along with it magically healing in a moment was a very baffling scene for her. She was all the more baffled when the same fist landed on her face before she could even collect herself, throwing her a good twenty feet away.


    Her coming to a halt was only possible with all the trees in her path. Otherwise, the force she felt on her face that almost dislocated her jaw was strong enough for her to keep on going.


    Wei Jun crackled his neck. He looked up above at the sky and saw dark clouds forming.


    [Fate is changing]


    [Her chances of going back are decreasing]


    Wei Jun didn''t care. Right now, all he wanted to do was to bash that cold face of hers. He knew what this was. He realized it. He was losing himself once again. Losing himself in his emotions. But¡­


    ''I don''t give a fu*k.''


    Why? Because the girl he was looking at was also looking at him with a grin on her face.


    "Now you''ve done it." She said as she stood up. A sword appeared in her hands out of nowhere. It was an older double-edged sword with strange inscriptions in the middle of it.


    [Runes of the Mount Hua]


    [She has the sword of the founder of the Mount Hua]


    ''Why is it dark, unlike the pinkish hue around it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Because the founder of the Plum blossom sword technique was an evil cultivator]


    ''¡­'' Another piece of history that Wei Jun was immensely curious about but he remained silent about it. Instead, he also prepared himself and enveloped his hands in Yang Qi.


    Clang!


    The first slash of her sword collided with Wei Jun''s hands. Wei Jun could see it coming from miles away but while he intended to change the sword''s trajectory to throw her off balance, her attack power packed more punch than he expected.


    But, he almost instantly realized the one weakness Xing Xiaomei had. The reason why she felt incomplete to him. And it was the simplest fact ever he had faced.


    Harmony.


    Her sword moved differently from the flow of her Qi. She couldn''t exert the proper technique in that slash. That was why while it looked like her slash was going to change trajectory at the last moment to complete the move, it didn''t.


    It was as straight as ever it could be.


    [There are two forms of Plum blossom cultivation]


    [The cultivation technique itself]


    [And the plum blossom sword art]


    [Guess what she has and what she doesn''t]


    Wei Jun smirked and charged at her. While her sword strikes were powerful as hell, they were predictable. At least he could see how to dodge them and how to deal with them. While his hands were numb from the impacts of her strikes, the grin on his face was only widening.


    As for Xing Xiaomei, while she struggled against Wei Jun, she wasn''t completely helpless. Her power was still more than Wei Jun and while she was aware of her weakness, she wasn''t on the losing side of the battle. They both knew their strengths and weaknesses in this fight and the apparent outcome of the battle would be¡­ S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Kugh!!!" Wei Jun''s wrists snapped from the last impact which he had to stop with both of his hands but¡­


    [Qi discharge]


    "Heung!" Xing Xiaomei was also affected, maybe not as much as Wei Jun, but she was still affected and unlike Wei Jun, she didn''t know how to bear the pain that well.


    Experience new stories on empire


    Wei Jun ignored his broken wrists and kicked her. Xing Xiaomei could see the attack coming but couldn''t move her body in time. So she did what she could. She slashed Wei Jun with her sword as well.


    A person was most open to attack while they were attacking. That theory was a perfect fit for the current situation. Wei Jun couldn''t defend against that last slash and his face was slashed by that sword.


    Wei Jun did his best to move away though and that saved his pretty face from a deep slash but the left side of his face still had a pretty good cut just shy away from his eye, with blood trickling down his face.


    [HP -3]


    It wasn''t painful as it seemed and the HP he lost was miniscule as well. But, that was enough of a window for Xing Xiaomei to collect herself and counterattack.


    Wham!


    He was kicked straight in the stomach like he had kicked her and thrown away just like he had thrown her before. Flying through the air like a broken kite, only coming to a stop thanks to the trees behind him, Wei Jun took a deep breath.


    He stopped. The result of the battle was clear. His HP was at his half, a little more than half, but even if he were to heal himself at the cost of his Qi, the Qi consumed when fighting Xing Xiaomei was massive as well. He didn''t lose any HP only because his Qi was taking the brunt.


    His Qi wasn''t even ten percent left. While on the other hand, Xing Xiaomei, although slightly injured, was still standing tall.


    It didn''t seem like she was going to run out of Qi anytime soon as well. Since that was the case, it was better to give up.


    Besides, his main objective was fulfilled in the end, wasn''t it?


    Thunder!!!!


    The sky looked like it was about to split apart.


    [Warning]


    [Fate is changing]


    [The cause for the anomaly is being searched]


    [Title ''Invader'' has activated]


    [You are immune to the effects of the changes]


    [You have gained a massive experience]


    [You have leveled up]


    [You have leveled up]


    [You have leveled up]


    [You have leveled¡­]


    [You have¡­]


    [¡­]


    [.]

 Chapter 319 Where is she?

    Misunderstanding that the shocked look on Wei Jun''s face was due to her show of power, Xing Xiaomei chuckled like a fairy and said, "Now you know your place, huh? Well, good. It would have been a bummer if I had to beat that pretty face of yours. Though I really don''t mind."She raised her sword and licked it from the place where she had cut Wei Jun, licking the small remains of her blood. The character difference was also shocking to Wei Jun who had finally snapped out of the plethora of notifications in his vision.


    He looked at Xing Xiaomei, still silent, and just kept on looking. The new information that came to light about her too baffling after all.


    "It''s great to see you speechless. But let''s not waste any time, shall we?" Xing Xiaomei said as she closed the distance between her and Wei Jun, standing just before him. She raised her hands and cupped her chest as she asked, "So? What are you after? These?"


    She then lowered her left hand and brought it to her crotch, "Or this?"


    "¡­" Wei Jun once again remained silent.


    "Speak up, you bastard. I don''t want to waste my time with you." She said, her expression slightly fed up. Wei Jun, however, once again remained silent. It wasn''t the vulgar questions she was asking that were her true intentions. She wanted to know whether or not Wei Jun was interested in her body or something else.


    If it was her body, then she was doing nothing but wasting time with him. If it wasn''t, she could spare him some time.


    "Unwavering loyalty." Wei Jun said after a brief moment of silence.


    "¡­" Once again, the sound of crickets in the background could be heard for a while before¡­


    "Hahahahahahahahahahaha." Melodious laughter that sounded like the hymn of fairies from heaven rang in the darkened vicinity. Xing Xiaomei laughed and laughed and laughed. She kept on doing that for about five minutes before she came to a stop.


    Wiping the tears away in her eyes, she looked at Wei Jun mid chuckles and said, "Bastard, either you think I''m na?ve, or I just overestimated you."


    [Yeah]


    [Even I don''t believe you could say such a thing, host]


    ''Shut it. You''re the one who asked for her obedience.''


    [Not loyalty]


    ''Fu*k off.''


    "You," Xing Xiaomei said as she looked deep into his eyes and said, "I may not know much about you, but I know this much. Loyalty is the last thing you''d expect from me. So¡­"


    She once again pointed her sword at Wei Jun and asked, "What is it that you really want?"


    What did he want? He never stopped to consider it actually. Was it power? Conquer the world? It was a convenient excuse that his old world was already conquered and he wanted to do the same to this new world.


    But, that wasn''t it. Ever since he found out that he was the reason this world was being destroyed. The cause of its destruction was none other than him. He was having¡­ fun.


    "I want to¡­ destroy this world to ruins. And I¡­" He looked at her, the same maniacal expression on his face, "Invite you to witness it with me."


    "¡­" Xing Xiaomei remained silent for a moment before a smile appeared on her face as well, "Crazy bastard."


    [A new party member has been formed]


    Thunder!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    Boom!!!


    Crackle!!!!!!!


    As if the end of the world was near and the sky was breaking down, the noises around them were devastating. However, the grin and the smile on their faces remained the same.


    ~~ S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What the hell is going on?" A man asked as he looked up at the sky. The dark clouds were one thing but the thunder and lightning in those clouds wasn''t normal. Even the fiercest of storms has ever shown such a thing.


    "I don''t know. But we need to get back to Yuan Yin city," Mark Wilson, standing next to the man who asked the question, said and added, "No delays. We have strict orders."


    "Do you now?" A voice rang out in everyone''s ears. When Mark Wilson turned to look at the source of the voice, Mark Wilson saw a ginger-haired man dressed in a long overcoat. He had a handsome face and a lithe physique. However, the most remarkable feature of him would be¡­


    "Um, boss," One of the men said while pointing at the feet of the man, "His feet are not touching the ground."


    The young man was floating in the air. His feet were just about two inches above the ground but he wasn''t unstable in the least.


    Your journey continues on empire


    "Who are you?" Mark Wilson asked, not unsettled in the least. He couldn''t show fear to the man after all. He was strong and all, but even he wouldn''t publicly attack them in the middle of the street.


    "That''s irrelevant. What I want to know is who do you have those orders from?" The young man said as he moved forward, still floating in the air.


    "No matter how hard I try; I cannot locate my wife anymore. Try to understand, huh? This is a matter of life and death." The young man said as he grabbed one of the men by his neck and before any of them could react, he snapped his neck, killing him on the spot.


    "What the¡­"


    "You bastard!!!"


    Wei Jun''s men withdrew their guns and began to shoot the young man. Those who were cultivators attacked him physically but in just a moment, they were all dead.


    The only one who remained was Mark Wilson. Mark Wilson remained still in his spot. It wasn''t like he was afraid or anything. He simply didn''t know what the man wanted. If he did, maybe negotiations were possible.


    But, one thing was for sure. He wasn''t going to divulge any information regarding Wei Jun.


    "I don''t think you understood my question so I will repeat it. Who do you work for?" The young man once asked with a gentle smile on his face. But, a man like Mark Wilson could easily spot it. No matter how calm he was, he still couldn''t mask it behind that still expression. The young man was a young man in the end.


    "Asking questions when you''re this desperate. Don''t you think it''s an unfair trade to just ask?" Mark Wilson asked with a smile on his face.


    "¡­" The young man''s expression turned chilly when he heard Mark Wilson''s question. He moved once again, appearing before Mark Wilson, and grabbed him by his neck. Mark Wilson remained still. He didn''t prepare any spell or anything of the sort. He simply remained calm.


    "What''s the big idea? Going to kill me as well? I thought you''d have something more up your sleeve when your trick of scaring me by killing my friends didn''t work."


    Upon hearing his words, the young man smiled once again as he said, "I do have one thing. But I wonder if the feeble body of a mage will be able to bear it."


    "You mean the bone-crushing technique?" Mark Wilson asked.


    "Haha," Mark Wilson chuckled before he added, "You think just because you''re a cultivator, you know about the structure of a body more than me?"


    Mark Wilson looked at him without a speck of fear in his eyes, "If only you knew how knowledgeable I am when facing cultivators."


    The young man remained silent for a while before he raised his hand and brought it to Mark Wilson''s left shoulder. Without a word, he moved it slightly and an audible crackle was heard in the surroundings.


    "Argh!!!!" Mark Wilson yelled in pain but as he had said before, the intended effect the young man wanted wasn''t achieved. Mark Wilson''s ligaments were still intact and the pain that he should have been in was nowhere to be seen.


    Almost immediately, a blue-colored light appeared on Mark Wilson''s shoulder and his shoulder was healed in an instant. But that wasn''t the only thing that happened. The young man''s hand was burnt by that blue light and he let go of Mark Wilson involuntarily.


    Mark Wilson hurriedly backed away. He was still in pain but not as much as before.


    "Stinking mages," The young man said as a whitish hue appeared on his hand and his hand healed in an instant. Once he was fully healed, he looked at Mark Wilson, intending to grab him by his neck and just snap it when the space around Mark Wilson crackled.


    The young man, having realized what it was, moved forward in an instant but he was too late. The next moment, Mark Wilson was nowhere to be seen.


    The young man was the only one who remained in the place. Well, he and a crowd around him with their cameras out. He ignored them and focused on what had just happened.


    "A space manipulation of this scale." The young man muttered. He had never seen such perfection.


    "Just who are you?" The young man asked no one in particular, referring to the man who had taken his bride.


    "I swear when I find you," The young man said, "I''ll kill anyone and everyone even remotely related to you."


    Thunder!!!

 Chapter 320 Danger

    Wei Jun''s Qi was consumed at an alarming rate and his HP was restored in return. He sighed and looked at the woman who was looking at him with an interested gaze. Of course, Wei Jun knew she wasn''t interested in him but the strange power he just emitted."I feel like I''ve experienced that power before. Don''t know where though," Xing Xiaomei said as she stepped closer and began to sniff Wei Jun. Wei Jun paid her no mind and looked at the system notifications from a while ago which shocked him to a great degree.


    [You have leveled up x23]


    [You have prevented the meeting of the thicket string of fate]


    [Fate is angry]


    [For converting the bride of fate into an ally]


    [You have been marked as the ''Unfortunate being'' of the world]


    [Effect(s):


    #1: All stats -10%


    #2: EXP gain -30%]


    Wei Jun was more than just shocked. Seeing such a decrease in his power, of course, he was furious, however, the next moment, some of his anger faded away. Of course, not all of it was gone because not all of the effect was gone.


    [Class ''Invader'' has decreased the effects of the title]


    [Title: Unfortunate being]


    [Effect(s):


    #1: All stats -5%


    #2: EXP gain -15%]


    Of course, the notifications made Wei Jun angry but the gain was still something he couldn''t ignore. Just by preventing one meeting, he obtained 23 levels. The amount he didn''t even gain when he killed some of the powerful protagonists.


    But the surprise didn''t just end there.


    [You now have the ruler of the Mount Hua sect as your ally]


    [You have gained a ''Fragment of Truth'']


    [You now possess two ''Fragments of Truth'']


    [Upon collecting three, your class can be upgraded to the next level]


    Wei Jun was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. He was still angry, but he didn''t mind it as much. He knew there were going to be adverse effects of him messing with the affairs of the world. The system had warned him of that before. He was just thankful he didn''t cherish money and used it to unlock his class.


    [Or else you would have been in big trouble]


    [Not just this effect]


    [The world''s will would have found you had you not been in the possession of the class]


    Wei Jun didn''t argue with the system over the world''s affairs. He never did. The system knew more than him and so far, the system hadn''t done anything to harm him. Besides, he was more at ease knowing the system, or at least the entity in it, served his brother.


    Wei Jun remained silent and contemplated his next set of moves. While he wanted to keep messing with the protagonist, he was far too powerful for Wei Jun to deal with him with his current amount of power. No matter how many allies he had by his side, it wouldn''t help.


    Unless the sect master decided to intervene, which he doubted he would, and the military, well, he was doubtful about them as well because the contract didn''t say they''d have to help him deal with his problems, he wasn''t sure there was any other way to beat the protagonist.


    After all, even among grandmasters, he was stronger than most. His power was on another level and even those one step higher than him fell in front of him might. Wei Jun was sure that if he needed to beat the protagonist, he needed to max out his current power.


    For that, there was one simple thing he needed to do.


    Cultivate.


    He was just about to move when he received another set of notifications but he didn''t panic. When Wei Jun stopped once again, Xing Xiaomei asked, "What now?"


    "Nothing. Just need to do one little thing." Wei Jun said.


    [Your party member ''Mark Wilson'' is in danger]


    [Danger level estimated to be ''Black'']


    [Save your party member]


    [Upon Mark Wilson''s death, there will be a severe penalty]


    [Possible penalties]


    [All stat -10]


    [Level -3]


    [INT stat random reduction]


    Wei Jun sighed in relief. His best guess was that the protagonist must have found him. Wei Jun left everything for later and activated the skill from the party system. The one that called his party members to him.


    [Once a day, the user can summon a party member or teleport to them (Cooldown: 24 hours and limited to one party member each)]


    That skill was also the reason Wei Jun wasn''t worried in the least. Now usually, he would have felt a lot of intense emotions when one of his party members was in danger. He had felt like that for Natasha before but then, he didn''t know the cards he possessed.


    Wei Jun activated the skill and Mark Wilson appeared out of thin air before him. He was a little bloodied but otherwise, he was fine. Explore new worlds at empire


    "Whao!" Xing Xiaomei exclaimed as she saw a man appear out of nowhere. Wei Jun ignored her and looked at Mark Wilson who was also looking around with a confused expression on his face, "I take it you''re alright?"


    Mark Wilson looked at Wei Jun and put the pieces together. Once he arrived at a conclusion, he asked, "Did you, boss¡­?"


    "Yeah, I did. Now get up. We need to leave." Wei Jun said. Although they were far away from the city, Wei Jun wasn''t too sure if the current protagonist would be able to trace them somehow.


    [Your Qi would have become untraceable by now]


    [And not everyone can follow the system''s spatial teleportation]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what that meant and oddly enough, he didn''t care what that meant. He only knew one thing and that was that he couldn''t take any sort of risk regarding that so he did what he always did and remained cautious.


    "Let''s move," Wei Jun said and the trio began to walk in the city''s direction. In Yuan Yin''s direction, of course, not Long Bao.


    [A party member feels great gratitude towards you for saving them]


    [Mark Wilson''s affection +30]


    [Affection: 50]


    "Why are you looking at me like that, boss?" Mark Wilson asked as he saw the narrowed expression on Wei Jun''s face. Wei Jun remained silent but increased the distance from Mark Wilson, confusing him even more.


    Wei Jun shook his head and looked at Xing Xiaomei.


    [Affection: 10]


    Her affection was very low. All the party members before had the lowest of twenty affection and that was Mark Wilson''s. Xia Lu''s affection was around fifty, Li Wei''s was around sixty, Natasha had thirty, and Yan Rong had the highest at ninety.


    However, he didn''t know how to raise their affection level as well. Saving them from precarious situations was an option as well but Wei Jun couldn''t willingly put them in danger even if he wanted to and such opportunities rarely ever came on their own.


    "What do you think of me?" Wei Jun asked Xing Xiaomei. She turned to look at him with narrowed eyes and asked, "Don''t hold any strange thoughts, understand?"


    "What strange thoughts?" Wei Jun asked.


    "These," Xing Xiaomei said as she cupped her chest and did the same with her crotch, "are off limits." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What makes you think I''d want them?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Please," Xing Xiaomei said, "Everybody wants them. Just look at your minion."


    Wei Jun looked at Mark Wilson and he was absolutely smitten with Xing Xiaomei''s looks. Wei Jun shook his head and turned back to her, "That''s not what I meant."


    "I know what you meant," Xing Xiaomei said before she added, "I think you''re a crazy bastard but I''m the last person who deserves to call you that."


    "You seem to know yourself very well," Wei Jun commented.


    "Well, I''ve spent most of my life behind a mask and I know that''s not the real me. When it comes to me, I''ve got a pretty good reality check." Xing Xiaomei replied.


    "A mask?" Wei Jun asked.


    Almost immediately, the entire visage of Xing Xiaomei changed and she had something Wei Jun hadn''t seen in a while, "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Let me make it better."


    Xing Xiaomei grabbed his hand and blew on his hand. Wei Jun looked at her incredulously and involuntarily snatched his hand from her.


    "Heuk! What¡ªWhat is it? Are you upset?" Xing Xiaomei worriedly and timidly asked.


    Wei Jun''s expression remained stoic. No, there was a little bit of apprehension in there as well.


    "Hah! Would you look at that?" Almost instantly, Xing Xiaomei was back to the self she was like before, "You actually find this cute girl detestable."


    "Let''s just say that cute girl doesn''t suit my tastes." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "Hey, this one shouldn''t either. Like I said," Xing Xiaomei said as she came close to him, practically touching him with her body, "I''m off limits."


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything to that and stepped back himself. Although he found this Xing Xiaomei to be comfortable, there were no romantic feelings involved at the moment and he''d like to keep it that way.


    With the conversation at an end, the trio resumed their journey as the city was in sight now.

 Chapter 321 A new city

    crash!!!"argh!!!" wei jun grunted loudly as he spat blood in a large magnitude. he tried to pick himself up but he couldn''t. not only had he bled a lot, he was also injured to a great degree that he couldn''t even utilize his legs if he tried.


    he could, however, move his head, which he did and looked at his assailant. power he had never felt ever before. he saw the formidable opponent he was facing for the first time as the assailant asked¡­


    "who is she?"


    the formidable opponent? well, who would that be other than a jealous girlfriend? an opponent he had never faced before. he had to admit that out of all the opponents he had faced so far, this one was the most dangerous.


    "she''s¡­ just an¡­ all¡ªkugh!!" wei jun tried to explain himself but he was interrupted by a heel embedded in his chest as he coughed up more of his blood.


    "and why did she have to be a girl? not a man?" xia lu asked, her eyes dripping with murder. wei jun knew that if he didn''t reply well, he''d be in a lot of trouble.


    [such a dilemma, host]


    [if they''re all girls, you''re a womanizer]


    [if they''re men, then you have gayish tendencies]


    [such a dilemma]


    ''shut up,'' wei jun annoyingly said before he looked at xia lu as his wounds healed. he had been very much surprised by xia lu''s growth. although she was still in the qi sense realm, she had shown remarkable capabilities than her peers of the same rank.


    [not to mention her control over the qi]


    [even in this angered state, she isn''t leaking any of it at all]


    wei jun also admitted that fact. still, that didn''t mean she was extraordinary or anything. given her cultivation technique, she wasn''t performing that well. at best, she was above average a bit. had the same cultivation technique given to yan rong, she would have mastered it by now.


    ''still, compared to others, her growth isn''t nothing.'' wei jun thought as he tried to pull himself up but xia lu wasn''t moving her heel. he sighed and remained on the ground. arguing back was the last thing he could do in the current situation. he simply remained quiet and let her speak.


    "what do i have to do?" wei jun asked.


    "promise me you''ll never, ever sleep with her." xia lu asked.


    "i won''t." wei jun replied without a moment''s hesitation before he added, "i promise."


    [a verbal promise with a party member has been made]


    [breaking the promise would incur heavy penalties]


    ''great.'' wei jun sighed but he didn''t regret his decision. he didn''t care. he intended to keep that promise anyway. sure, xiang xiaomei was attractive and a little crazy like he liked, but he wasn''t interested in her one bit. she was a strong ally, which he admitted. but he didn''t hold any sort of romantic feelings for her like he did for xia lu or yan rong.


    once she received wei jun''s promise, even though it was verbal, she was very relieved for some reason so xia lu lifted her foot off of his chest. as soon as he was free, wei jun stood up and stretched his muscles. once he was done, wei jun looked at xia lu and smiled.


    "what?" she asked, having no idea why he was smiling like that. wei jun didn''t say anything in return and simply pounced on her.


    ~~


    after about two hours, he came out of the gym in his reconstructed villa and locked the door. outside, xing xiaomei was practicing with her sword. when she saw wei jun, she asked, "you were in there for a long time. must have been some workout."


    "it surely was." wei jun simply replied before he left the gym. xing xiaomei was left confused but she didn''t say anything.


    wei jun left the villa and headed straight towards the famed weapon''s shop. he hadn''t been there in a long time and needed to get some things done. first of all, he needed weapons. other than that, he needed information.


    the last time he had been there, three system updates had passed making the yuan yin city much, much larger and different than before. while it was news for him, for the residents of this world, it was as if it was always like this.


    with that in mind, there were many, many new and rich families he had never paid a visit to. it would be a tremendous loss if he didn''t do so. after all, they needed to lose some of their treasures to really know their worth.


    "welco--!!" zi huan stopped in between his greeting when he saw who the customer was. his expression became strange as he asked, "what do you want?"


    "what?" wei jun asked, "just because i threatened you once doesn''t mean we''re not friends anymore."


    "we never were in the first place," zi huan replied. wei jun nodded in return as it was technically true. he simply replied, "whatever you say. so? does that mean i''m not welcome here?"


    "what do you want?" zi huan asked.


    "what could i possibly want?" wei jun asked. zi huan sighed and began to unload the collection he had in his shop. wei jun looked at the guns displayed with twinkling eyes before his eyes stopped on one. it was a pretty peculiar one, after all.


    from the outside, it was a simple gun from the antique colt series but there was something different about it as well.


    "intrigued, huh?" zi huan asked as he picked it up and pointed it towards wei jun before he asked, "you might wanna activate your barrier for this one." stay connected through empire


    wei jun didn''t know what it was about but he didn''t refuse to do so. as soon as a thin, almost transparent, layer of qi appeared on him, zi huan pulled the trigger form the gun. as soon as it touched wei jun''s barrier, it cracked like it was nothing and the bullet passed through wei jun like a hot knife through butter.


    "fu*k!" and the worst part of it was pain. hellish pain assaulted him right away.


    [you have been poisoned by miasma]


    almost immediately, his death qi activated on its own and arrived at his wound. it circled around it before it pushed whatever was causing burning pain to wei jun out of his body.


    once he was pain free, the green power in his body activated on its own and healed him. the entire process must have lasted about three seconds but those three seconds were immensely painful to him.


    wei jun raised his head to yell at zi huan when he heard the audible click of the gun in zi huan''s hands.


    "now that i know it works, i don''t really have to be wary of you, do i?" zi huan asked. wei jun stopped. he paused for a moment before he asked with a lengthy sigh, "what do you get after this?"


    "satisfaction." zi huan replied. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "and do you think that''s worth making an enemy out of me?" wei jun asked.


    "yes." zi huan replied, his answer simple enough to make wei jun chuckle.


    while he was outwardly calm, he was a little wary on the inside. still, he didn''t show his panic to zi huan to show he wasn''t afraid at all.


    [¡­]


    however, all of that faded away when wei jun received the recent notification, or to be more precise, messages from the overseer inside the system.


    he laughed out loud, "hahahaha."


    his laughter confused zi huan but also very much on guard. wei jun was dangerous, he knew that from experience. just because the gun worked on him, didn''t mean there wasn''t any threat anymore.


    "what is that, anyway?" wei jun asked.


    "something for helpless people like us to protect us from you¡­ superhuman bastards." zi huan replied.


    "what''s in it is what i''m more interested in." wei jun replied.


    "made form monster cores. it''s more like a venom to anyone with supernatural powers such as mana or qi." zi huan still explained, even though the situation was very much bizarre.


    wei jun nodded before he asked, "so? what''s the bright plan? do you think you can pull your trigger faster than i can move?"


    "¡­" zi huan remained silent. wei jun chuckled in return. seeing his laidback attitude and having things thought through, zi huan put his gun down. wei jun smiled and became relaxed.


    that was a mistake, or at least that was how it appeared to be, because as soon as his barrier came down, zi huan hurriedly raised his gun and shot wei jun.


    clang!


    the bullet bounced off of wei jun. wei jun smirked, he looked at zi huan and said, "now, now, that''s unexpected, isn''t it?"


    before zi huan could even pull the trigger again, wei jun appeared beside him and grabbed him by his neck, "so you''ve made your choice, huh?"


    "well," wei jun said as he threw zi huan into the showcase behind the counter, "i''ve made mine as well."

 Chapter 322 Do not read

    ter 239after hearing the price of the best metal recommended by the system, wei jun checked the amount of the metal and it was only ten kg.


    ''don''t you think it''s a bit too low?'' wei jun asked.


    [even one kg is enough to make you a treasure of a lifetime]


    [also, this is a one-time item]


    [that''s all i have of it in the shop]


    wei jun nodded and returned to the shop menu. since he couldn''t buy it anyway, there was no need to collect information on it.


    instead, he checked the black iron that was so valued by the dead-alive girl next to him.


    [black iron]


    [tier: a]


    [cost: 1,000,000 per 10kg]


    it was priced at one million coins which meant it was a hundred million in yuan currency. it was high but it wasn''t too high that wei jun couldn''t buy. besides, he needed to see if it would make a good business venture or not.


    every business had a risk factor involved and wei jun wasn''t new to that ideology. everything was associated with risk and he wasn''t childish enough to think it wouldn''t cost him anything.


    but, wei jun was the type to only invest it he was somewhat certain so to be somewhat certain, he went to the zi huan''s weapons shop and opened the door to enter.


    as zi huan saw him, his expression changed to that of a hesitant and fearful one.


    "oh come on, you''re still not hung up on the whole suffocation thing, are you?" wei jun said as if it wasn''t a big deal before he added, "besides, you were the one who tried to hold dust on me."


    zi huan wanted to refute but he wasn''t sure how crazy wei jun would be. after all, this guy had blown up half of the town just for some cash.


    "it''s all forgiven and forgotten. what can i do for you?" in the end, zi huan had no choice but to continue business as usual.


    "if i want to buy black iron, how much would it cost me?" wei jun asked.


    "you can''t," zi huan simply replied.


    "if i wanted to. if." wei jun said ''if'' twice to relay his intentions of assumptions which were still shot down by zi huan who said, "even if it is an ''if'', it is still not possible to buy it because there''s no set price. such an item has never been on the market."


    "not even in auctions?" wei jun asked, a little dumbfounded.


    "those who need money can never have black iron and those who have it, don''t need money." zi huan replied. wei jun only sold something if he needed cash for it but even those with serious cash couldn''t buy black iron.


    "fine. give me an imaginary amount," wei jun asked.


    "i can''t. if you want to trade, then find someone who actually can. we may run the underworld of yuan yin city, but if we ever come across such an item, we will throw it away in a gutter rather than try to sell it because if we throw it away, the ones to come after us would be strong sects. no matter how much political power we have, that wouldn''t help us in front of them." zi huan replied.


    shot down, wei jun couldn''t help but shake his head in disappointment and head for his next option.


    "why would you sell it even? having black iron is just like having ether, and that''s something you cannot afford to give away," mark wilson rebuked wei jun like he was an idiot.


    ''ether?'' wei jun was confused at the unfamiliar term.


    [a material that channels mana just like black iron channels qi]


    wei jun asked, "i don''t have it. i want to buy it."


    "then the answer would be the same, just not for you," mark wilson replied.


    "sigh." wei jun sighed and after being struck down by yue peng the same way like an idiot, he finally ended up in front of yan rong who was looking at him weirdly.


    "is that all you have to say?" yan rong asked. wei jun could sense the hints of dissatisfaction despite the weirdness of his inquiry.


    wei jun hadn''t seen her since his return and she was the one who was most worried about him gone. not only was she worried about his life, but she was also worried that wei jun blamed her for that unfortunate incident since she couldn''t contain shao chen. and that was somewhat confirmed with wei jun not looking for her.


    wei jun waved his hand and replied, "i''m not the type to think like that. it wasn''t your fault anyway."


    it really wasn''t. wei jun better than her knew about the luck the protagonists of the novels had. luck was basically their max stat and everything just turned out to be great for them.


    so he didn''t blame yan rong in the slightest even though if she had succeeded, wei jun wouldn''t have had to go through all of that.


    but then again, he wouldn''t have been able to come across gates and such so there was that.


    in simpler terms, he never blamed yan rong for anything. so he asked again while reassuring her, "i don''t hold anything against you. i''m sure you tried your best and then even more when i went missing. but right now, this is the way you can help me."


    yan rong looked at him for a while before she nodded and said, "i will help you with this but only on one condition."


    "what is it?" wei jun asked.


    "i will help you obtain black iron at a good price. but in return, i want to cement our relationship. i don''t simply want the status of a mistress." yan rong demanded.


    it wasn''t a serious demand and it could be easily provided if it was anyone else. after all, several men had multiple wives but they also had to decide who would be the main wife and who would be the concubine.


    it was a simple decision where the strong one was decided to be the main wife or the most powerful one in different statuses. however, if she wasn''t, then her fate was to be counted as a concubine and they didn''t have much of a value when it came to the family.


    wei jun didn''t bother with this status thing. of course, he admitted he didn''t treat yan rong the way he treated xia lu, but the way he treated her spoke volumes of how much she was important to him as well.


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    but, he guessed that wasn''t enough for yan rong and he should have never expected it to be.


    he nodded and said, "i never cared about the first or second wife status. if you want to be with me, you will be treated the same way xia lu is and you will also have to accept her.


    wei jun simply stated his own demands and waited for her to speak.


    yan rong looked at wei jun with her eyes squinted. it was true that their relationship wasn''t clear at the moment and if she wanted it to be, she needed to be clear about it and accept xia lu.


    "i accept," xia lu said before she added, "but i have a few more conditions of my own which i will tell you later. for now, tell me, how much black iron do you want to buy?"


    "i don''t want to buy it. i want to just know if it was ever out to sale, how much its worth would be." wei jun asked.


    "why do you want to know that?" yan rong asked.


    "just tell me," wei jun said.


    yan rong shrugged and said, "well, everyone has different prices for it. but if we want to convert it to money, then you can easily get a five hundred gram piece for about a hundred million."


    wei jun listened to the words of yan rong and ran calculations in his head. a one kg piece was 200 million by that essence and a ten kg piece would be 2 billion. of course, that may not be a set price, but he could sell something that only cost him one hundred million for about 2 billion, twenty times the price.


    it truly was something to be happy about.


    "what about a ten kg piece?" wei jun asked.


    "hah!" yan rong scoffed and said, "only big sects, big organizations, or the imperial family would have that much. people like us can only dream about it."


    wei jun now understood why sun ruan was so happy about a 5 kg piece.


    "what if i have some of it and i want to sell it? where do you think would be a good place to sell it without it being able to know who i am?" wei jun asked without wasting any time.


    "why would you sell it if you have any?" yan rong strangely asked. sear?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "because i have something better i need to purchase and selling it could get me the money," wei jun said.


    "something better than black iron? i doubt that." yan rong didn''t believe him but she still chose to answer, "in that case, it would be best to sell it to the imperial dark ring."


    "what''s that?" wei jun curiously asked.


    "a place where you can get anything," yan rong said before she added, "the haven of desire."

 Chapter 323 Husband

    wei jun arrived at his newly constructed villa and entered to find someone waiting for him. he had a meeting set with yue peng so he was a little late but that was only because he didn''t think zi huan would end up taking so much of his time."i apologize if i''ve made you wait," wei jun said as he sat on the sofa in front of her. yue peng shook her head as she replied, "i only just arrived. i was busy so i was a little late as well. we''re both late so let''s not dwell on that and move on. do you have it?"


    wei jun nodded and pulled out the core of the d rank monsters he had faced. he also had many of the c rank cores but he decided to give her only d rank cores. as it turned out, even though the military-controlled most of the dungeons around the empire, they were still short of the monster cores needed to make that gun. wei jun would rather not draw their attention to his company with a sudden flux in cores.


    it was always better to keep the government or whoever was in charge away from the matters of a private corporation. the government, when it would utilize its power, could damage the company quite a bit.


    or in this case, it would be the military but the essence of it was the same. keep the government off you as* was the safest way to do business. wei jun, in the end, was doing business.


    "how much can you sell it for?" wei jun asked as he saw yue peng pick up the core and examine it. after a brief examination, she placed it back on the table and replied, "for now, the military is buying it at a hefty price. of course, some¡­ undesirable organizations are asking for the same. this little stone should fetch us a ten million, easy."


    wei jun nodded and pulled a hundred d rank cores of different monsters. he placed them in front of yue peng and said, "sell them. to the military if possible. i take it you know how to get it past them under the table."


    yue peng was a little taken aback by that additional condition. "why not deal with them openly?"


    "because then they''d bring themselves into our organization. you wouldn''t want that, would you?" wei jun asked. yue peng thought for a while and nodded. while it would have been easier to deal with the military out in the open, the reason wei jun asked to deal with them in the dark was to ensure their safety.


    however, doing so would also mean lower prices of their items which wei jun knew about. he waved his hand before yue peng could raise the issue and said, "a little loss is nothing compared to controlling the market. if the military wouldn''t pay our desirable amount, then others would."


    it would have been more profitable to deal with the darker organizations but wei jun wanted the military to have the cores so he could somehow get the refinement method or if he couldn''t get that, he at least wanted the refined bullets which at the moment, according to his knowledge, only the military could make.


    with that out of the way, wei jun gave her some extra cores and taught her how to refine them into qi. it would have been great if he knew how to refine them into bullets but even the system didn''t know how to do that from their conversation earlier so wei jun was stuck putting his bets on the military.


    as for why he wanted yue peng to increase his strength was simple. not only was she his party member, but she was also a very valuable business partner who made him a lot of money. the money he needed to buy items in the shop. with all the matters dealt with, yue peng left.


    once wei jun was alone, he returned to the gym where he didn''t find xing xiaomei or xia lu in the private room. wei jun shook his head to clear his thoughts and began to strengthen his core. s~ea??h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    his core was already very much solidified and if not for his head hurting every time he tried to do so, he would have long since finished. but now, after a long break, he didn''t experience any discomfort while strengthening his core and training for the rest of the week.


    the core strengthening was going flawlessly as ever. it was a lot more difficult this time but only difficult in the sense that he would have to expend more effort to pull strands to his core. while the time taken was also much less than before, he''d have to expend all the more effort. while he couldn''t get the theory behind it, he didn''t care. it wasn''t like he could expend lesser strength to do it. the amount of qi he used to pull the strands of qi increased on its own, increasing the strain on his brain but the time also lessened in return.


    it was very, very difficult this time around, but he couldn''t just take a break from doing so. he repeated the same movements for the rest of the week without a break. as always, the strain on his mind would increase after each strand of qi settled inside his core but the time with it reduced.


    he couldn''t feel it while in that state, but he felt like he was also perspiring and letting out steam from his body which proved to be true when¡­


    [it''s time, host] experience tales with empire


    he suddenly stopped everything and opened his eyes, breathing heavily. his breathing calmed down in an instant after a while but the ground around him was scorched. he sighed and came to a halt after a long exhale.


    ''thanks for waking me up.''


    [no problem, host]


    he had asked the system to inform him when it was sunday because he had something else he wanted to do before the week ended. he wanted to be true to his promise and attend dungeons for the military. while the first dungeon was just a trial dungeon for the military to know who they were signing up with, he wanted to get the rest of his agreement through before they asked him to.


    and if he was being honest, he was also looking forward to doing so. after all, he still remembered the gains he obtained from the giant zombie and while it was a once-in-a-hundred type of opportunity, the other dungeons were still a treasure trove for him given that he could obtain cores from them to sell and strengthen his party members, he could also raise his death qi significantly.


    with all those benefits present, it would have been a foolish thing to not take advantage of it while he could. after all, there was always the risk of the truth about the contract coming out.


    before then, he needed to hit the grandmaster rank and become strong enough for the military to be at least wary of him. it wasn''t like the military would think of him as a threat because he remembered the sect master mentioning some old man from the csf who probably led the military as well even though he was wary of it.


    still, being a grandmaster would make him more than stronger than anyone else other than some monsters out there. not to mention, he needed to be a grandmaster to deal with the upcoming protagonist whom he had already angered a lot by taking xing xiaomei.


    as he stood up, his muscles cracked and settled into place. he felt refreshed but tired at the same time. his body was brimming with energy but his mind was incredibly tired due to strengthening his core.


    he left his villa after refreshing himself but he had only gone a little far when his phone rang. it was an unknown number but wei jun still picked it up. from the other side though, rang a familiar voice.


    "come to the sect. now." without even waiting for a reply, the sect master from the other side disconnected the call. wei jun, on the other hand, could only sigh and return to his villa. after calling for the helicopter which arrived shortly, he boarded it and left for the sect.


    in about an hour, he arrived at the jeju island variant that had a mountain as tall as the sky, and exited the helicopter. waiting for him was a woman with ethereal features and had he not seen xing xiaomei, he would have definitely considered the woman before her beautiful.


    "welcome, disciple ruan. follow me. i will take you to the sect master." the woman said with an expressionless face. wei jun wasn''t interested in anything else either so he simply nodded and followed her to the sect master''s courtyard. as he arrived, he sensed two presences. one belonged to the sect master while the other one was as chilly as hell.


    the worst part was that recognized that presence as well.


    "hello, husband."

 Chapter 324 Line of work?

    "take a seat." the sect master said to wei jun who was looking at liu yu, the woman who just greeted him, addressing him as her husband. she sat across the table from the sect master who was pouring something piping hot into a ceramic cup. it didn''t look like it was tea or something else but whatever it was, it was so hot that even the cup was a little crackling.[it''s made from an herb called xiutang]


    [it''s very beneficial for you since you cultivate yang qi]


    wei jun nodded and took his seat next to liu yu who was all smiles since the moment he entered the room. wei jun could tell there was nothing true about that smile. all of it was as fake as the word itself. still, the chilling presence around her was as intense as ever.


    she wasn''t a grandmaster from the looks of it but she was surely very strong for a master ranked cultivator. still, wei jun wasn''t worried. he was sure that she wouldn''t try anything and even if she did, wei jun had many insurances in place to get out of her assault alive.


    [why not make up with her and rail her for the rest of your life?]


    [your progress would be astonishing]


    ''shut it,'' wei jun said to the system which was always suggesting such things, and turned to the sect master as he asked, "you called for me, sect master?"


    "yes. i have some matters to discuss with you. but before we get to them, how about we discuss matters that concern both of you first?" the sect master asked, or rather ordered before he said to wei jun, "consummate your marriage with her."


    crackle! liu yu''s cup suddenly cracked but no tea or whatever it was spilled out of it. what did spill out was the chilling presence from before. the entire room now felt as cold as ice but neither the sect master nor wei jun was concerned by it.


    however, it wasn''t like wei jun liked the idea of doing so. no matter how beneficial, he wouldn''t sleep with a woman he didn''t like, who hated him which would make it less than favorable to both, and last of all, he was worried¡­


    [she could freeze it when it''d be inside her]


    as his worst fears came true, wei jun gulped down hard and said, "if i would be so presumptuous to say it but could the sect master stay out of our matter? it''s a personal matter between us."


    wei jun was more afraid of losing his precious by having it frozen than the sect master so while his tone was respectful, his words were anything but so. liu yu''s eyes widened at his words though. he was going to that extent just for her.


    her heart couldn''t help but be warmed and a smile couldn''t help but plaster her face.


    ''hah! dumba*s. die.'' though her internal monologue was anything but warm. disrespecting the sect master was akin to a sin that wouldn''t be simply dealt with simply punishment. the punishment for this sin was considered worse than hell. or at least the version of hell liu yu was familiar with.


    "is that so?" the sect master asked, making liu yu more confident that today would be the last day of his on the earth, "then deal with it on your own. for now, i have a task for you two."


    "huh¡­" liu yu dumbly let out a strange sound when she saw that the sect master didn''t even mind his words let alone get angry over them and punish wei jun. wei jun ignored the strange sound and so did the sect master.


    wei jun asked, "what do i have to do?"


    "go to the shannau city for me. there''s someone you need to take care of." the sect master said.


    shannau city. a name wei jun hadn''t heard for a while but he was well familiar with. he was there for only a day but in that time, he gained an ally and destroyed almost half of the city. even now whenever he would remember that day, a smile would creep up on his face, just like now.


    a smile that gave chills even to the chilly liu yu next to him.


    "take care of who?" wei jun asked. wei jun was the only one paying attention because liu yu was too occupied with calming her heart after witnessing the smile on wei jun''s face.


    "someone has betrayed me. you will know when you see him." the sect master said as he handed over a piece of paper. on the paper was a strange drawing that resembled a goat head but the horns were abnormally bigger.


    "it''s somewhat of an evil cult that has taken roots in the shannau city. he leads that cult. find him and kill him." the sect master ordered.


    "what about his followers?" wei jun asked.


    "the followers are called followers for a reason, are they not?" the sect master asked but there was no need for any more words. wei jun stood up and said, "i will see to it that he dies in the worst way possible."


    "i have no doubt you will. see ling hua outside. she will give you the resources you need for this mission." the sect master said before he turned to liu yu and said, "i don''t have to stress that your personal matter wouldn''t affect this mission, do i?"


    a chill passed through liu yu only this chill was the chill of death and although liu yu hadn''t experienced death before, she felt like she now knew exactly what it was.


    "it¡ªit won''t, esteemed sect master." liu yu with a great stutter and tremble in her voice. the sect master nodded and said, "you''re dismissed. return only when you''ve succeeded."


    with that, the short and uneventful meeting came to an end. outside the door, the same woman who led wei jun there stood with the same expression on her face. the woman, who wei jun suspected to be named ling hua, opened her mouth and said, "follow me to the treasury."


    wei jun and liu yu followed the woman wordlessly. wei jun didn''t even look at liu yu and she did the same. as they arrived outside another door, the woman before them opened the door.


    as the door opened, wei jun realized he was sorely mistaken when the woman had said treasury. he thought that it would be the traditional treasury where swords and items related to missions or wars would be kept but inside of this treasury was somewhat¡­ modern.


    operators on computers in the sect uniform were seated behind a glass panel while on the other side, a large lcd displayed the data of whatever was currently happening. wei jun could read some names and then some amounts but he couldn''t figure out the system in such a short time because the woman urged them to follow her once again.


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    they arrived before an operator who asked, "nature of the mission?"


    "black." the woman said. the operator raised her head to look at ling hua to confirm if she hadn''t been mistaken but when she saw who it was, she returned her attention back to the computer and began to type something.


    after about five minutes, she was done and pulled out two envelopes from the drawer where some sort of printer was connected. once she pulled those envelopes out, she checked their contents one by one and handed them over to ling hua.


    ling hua took the envelopes and handed them over to wei jun and liu yu. the envelopes were quite fat so wei jun was curious about their contents.


    "you will find all the information you need about your mission inside. you will be provided with everything you need upon your arrival in shannau city. your plane leaves in three hours. your check-in time is two hours. you will find your passports and tickets inside." ling hua explained everything she needed to and left wei jun and liu yu there.


    once she was gone, without looking at liu yu, wei jun opened the envelope and looked inside. inside, there was a passport with his picture on it but the name wasn''t his.


    not only that, there were other documents of the same identity and some credit cards. it was like a completely different identity and even wei jun was surprised how such flawless work had been done in such a short amount of time.


    [or maybe it was done before and only given to you now]


    ''also a possibility.'' wei jun replied but he still had to admit that the work was pretty thorough. s§×arch* the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''not so sure about the job though.'' wei jun said as he looked at his job description. as he turned to liu yu who had a very nasty expression on her face, he concluded she didn''t like her job, just like him.


    "why¡­?" liu yu said as she looked at her job. wei jun chuckled but he wasn''t in a position to make fun of her. after all, he got the same job as well.

 Chapter 325 Cheating?

    read latest stories on empireshannau city, a therapist''s office. a couple therapist to be more accurate. that day, doctor liang yu had received a pair of patients very unusual than the norm. since it was a very strange situation, even she was having trouble trying to understand the cusp of the situation.


    "so you''re both adult stars?" liang yu asked. the couple sitting opposite her nodded, or at least the man nodded while the woman clenched her fists as if she was facing the most humiliating moment of her life. and as far as liang yu was concerned; she was.


    "and she cheated on you?" liang yu asked.


    "yes." the man replied, his tone cold as ice and so was his expression. it could be clearly seen he was the victim in the entire scenario but liang yu still couldn''t understand. if they were both adult stars then¡­


    "has she never performed with any of the other male stars?" liang yu asked.


    "she has." the man once again coldly replied.


    "then i fail to see how that is alright and this is not." liang yu finally mentioned the fact she found strange. if the man was okay with his wife performing with other adult stars, then how was it cheating if she slept with them as well? unless there was something she wasn''t aware of but¡­


    "she did that outside of work. i have never done such a sin." the man replied.


    at that moment, liang yu was having a terrible time trying to ignore the irony in the sentence. hadn''t he also slept with a lot of women? on camera at that?


    but he still raised a valid point. as long as it was a job, he didn''t really mind but since what the wife had done was outside of the job, it could be considered a case of infidelity, and the woman was at fault in such a scenario.


    so, liang yu looked at the wife and asked, "qingling, what do you have to say to your husband''s claims?"


    "i¡­ i¡­" wei qingling, the wife, stuttered. she couldn''t form the words even in her mind let alone let them out of her mouth. she clenched her fists trying to suppress the current humiliation she faced. her red face clearly displayed how embarrassed she was but¡­


    "i¡­ did it¡­ cause''¡­ i enjoyed it." wei qingling finally uttered a full sentence if it could be called that after a full minute. however, she managed to relay the full sentence in the end. as for the husband, well, liang yu wasn''t watching but he was on the verge of breaking out of the laughter of the century.


    but he hurriedly contained himself. it was his time to act. he hurriedly stood up and yelled, "i enjoy doing it too but that doesn''t mean i sleep with any woman i see!!!"


    "please calm down. why don''t you take a seat and say whatever you want to say to qingling calmly." liang yu hurriedly intervened. the husband went silent but traces of anger could still be spotted on his face. thankfully, he wasn''t the rash kind and sat back down. once he was properly seated, he looked at wei qingling and said, "you ruined our marriage just for the pleasure of one night? couldn''t you have waited one night? i returned the next morning."


    "now, what is your response, qingling?" liang yu asked.


    "what¡­ what is my response? what is my response you say?! what could be my response?! that i''m ashamed of what i did. i regret what i did! i regret nothing! it''s all your fault!" wei qingling suddenly came into character. her earlier embarrassment was nowhere to be seen.


    before liang yu could ask her to calm down, wei qingling picked up the glass at the table and smashed it on her husband''s head. the scenario got out of control so fast that liang yu couldn''t even react. before she could even understand what had happened, the husband was unconscious on the sofa and bleeding from his forehead.


    "oh my god! what have you done?!" liang yu yelled, pulling wei qingling back to her senses. as she came to, wei qingling realized what she had done. she started to break down.


    "no. no. it was an accident. i didn''t know¡­ i didn''t know what i did." wei qingling was on the verge of breaking down when liang yu collected herself. she sighed and stood up from her seat. she knelt down before the husband to check his pulse but there was none. whatever it was, that was a clean shot and had killed the husband before any help could have been delivered.


    she shook her head and fell into contemplation. after a while, she smiled and said, "don''t panic, qingling. i will help you."


    "you---you will?" wei qingling asked with a hopeful expression.


    "yes. i know of just the man who can help make all of this¡­ disappear." liang yu said with a benevolent smile.


    ~~


    "doctor yu, you haven''t met your monthly quota yet." a heavy voice said from the other side of the phone on liang yu''s phone. liang yu remained calm and said, "don''t worry. i''ve found the last candidate for registration. she''s desperate so she''ll do whatever i say. i''ve suggested her to come with me tomorrow. i will bring her with me to the base tomorrow. also, i require cleanup service in my office."


    "very well. i''ll see you tomorrow." the heavy voice from the other end replied. liang yu turned to the still-shaken wei qingling and said, "don''t worry about anything. come. i will drop you home. you need to refresh your mind. don''t worry about the mess as well, it''ll be taken care of."


    constantly reassured, wei qingling nodded and followed after liang yu. after they were gone, about an hour later, a van stopped outside liang yu''s office. two men in black clothes, their faces covered, came out of it and entered liang yu''s office.


    as the two men came inside, they turned their attention to the couch where the supposed dead body was supposed to be. however, they were puzzled when they found no such thing.


    "well, i gotta say. she''s a terrible actor." both of the men heard a cold voice but before they could respond, one of them was neutralized with a blow at the back of his head and the other one had his neck snapped at an odd angle.


    it was a bloodless scene so clean that wei jun didn''t have to do much. he woke up the other one after removing his mask. before the other one could say anything, wei jun held a card in front of his face and said, "read it out loud if you don''t want to see your friend."


    the hostage, afraid for his life, did as wei jun asked. once he had read it out loud, wei jun smiled again and snapped his neck as well. then, he wrapped one body in the cloth they had brought while he swapped his clothes with the other one.


    once he was done, he took the body outside to the van in the sack they had brought but was surprised to find another person in the van, the driver.


    wei jun didn''t panic and stored the body at the back of the van and sat in the passenger seat out front.


    "where''s the other one?" the driver asked.


    "how the hell should i know?" wei jun spoke, but the voice he spoke in wasn''t his but the deceased poor man whose body was in the back of the van. he had stored the other body in his inventory.


    "he said he was going to tell you to get ready and left all the work to me. i had to pick the heavy sh*t all the way here alone. where is that fu*ker so i can give him a piece of my mind?" wei jun spoke in the other man''s voice, and since his face was covered, he wasn''t at risk of being spotted.


    "well, that''s strange. he didn''t come out. should we wait for him?" the driver asked.


    "we can''t risk loitering here. he can take care of himself. we should go and take care of this before we attract the attention of some cop." wei jun said in an annoyed tone. s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the driver nodded and they left the scene. they shortly arrived at the river where they emptied the contents of the back of the van. once they were done, they left the scene once again and arrived outside of a dilapidated building. the driver bid wei jun goodbye in strange words, "may the sect master have mercy on our souls."


    "may the sect master have mercy on our souls." wei jun replied in the same sentence, having enough knowledge about fanatic cults.


    he shortly entered the building but he wasn''t stupid enough to use the front entrance. he took off his clothes and revealed his face. then, in normal clothes, he knocked on the back entrance of the security room at the back of the building.


    he wasn''t just going along with the flow. when he arrived in shannau city, he had been properly informed of all the ins and outs of the cult so he knew how to enter it as well.


    "password?" the man behind the door asked.


    "the sect master will lead us to one scared heaven." wei jun replied.


    the man behind the door opened the door after hearing the password, "welcome, brother."

 Chapter 326 The cult

    "Your mission is to infiltrate the cult and gather information. For now, we do not know who the leader of the cult is but whoever he is, he doesn''t show himself in public. We do not know how to find him either. So you will have to infiltrate the cult for that. We have tried that in the past but we were never able to get past a certain rank and meet him. With only this much information available, how you proceed will be up to you." A man explained to Wei Jun and Liu Yu as soon as they arrived in Shannau City via plane.Wei Jun looked at the man explaining the situation and thought back to what the sect master had said. ''From the way he talked, it looked like he knew about the cult leader. Yet this guy says he''s not known. Something doesn''t add up.''


    Wei Jun listened to the rest of the information in great detail. "As already explained, you are a married couple with a certain profession. Your task is to infiltrate the office of this woman and gain her trust. Doctor Liang Yu. She''s like a field agent for the cult who recruits members for it. She''s desperate to fill her quota at the moment and since she seemed to be the easiest link, we have decided you use her to infiltrate the cult. How you do that will also be left to you." Once the man was done with his explanation, he paused if both of them had any questions.


    Wei Jun remained silent while Liu Yu had an angered expression on her face with how the infiltration process was mentioned. Still, she was sufficiently afraid of the sect master and decided to go with the mission even though she hated the current conditions.


    "Very well, since you have no questions, I will now leave you both to it." The man said and left the apartment where both of them were staying together.


    "What do you think we should do?" Liu Yu asked. Wei Jun remained silent for a while before he said, "You will take the task of entering the sect from the doctor''s recommendation. I will infiltrate it via the other method."


    Liu Yu had no qualms with that and nodded. Still, she was worried about the fact that she would be flying blind in an unfamiliar territory.


    "What if I''m caught? What should I do then?" Liu Yu asked. It was imperative to know about this beforehand. Since she would be the one doing the main infiltration, there was always the chance that she would be captured and tortured for information.


    They needed to decide beforehand about which information to divulge to buy time and about which to remain silent.


    "If you''re caught," Wei Jun looked at her and said, "Then choose the wiser option and tell them everything."


    Puzzled by his response, Liu Yu couldn''t say anything in return. Wei Jun expected that so he sighed and added, "Of course, I''m not asking you to tell them everything at once. Begin from something low-level like the guy who delivered us the information or the guys who are already inside the cult. Deliver the guise that you have decided to side with them and decided to leave ours."


    "Come to me at the end, if it ever became necessary. Never, under any circumstances, lie to them." Wei Jun said. While he didn''t particularly care about Liu Yu, he couldn''t just let her die due to his personal reasons either.


    "Wouldn''t that mean betraying the sect?" Liu Yu asked.


    "Take a break and think for a moment. Who matters more? The people of the sect who have been planted in this city or you? The people who are positioned in this city have no future. They''re useless to the sect. But what about you? You''re the youngest master ranked cultivator in the sect if not the only one. Decide for yourself. Whose life is important?" As Wei Jun asked those questions, there was one thing Liu Yu couldn''t help but admit. His decision-making, while rational, was ruthless as hell.


    From the beginning, he didn''t care about the people of the sect in the least. He was only favoring Liu Yu over them simply because Liu Yu could be more helpful than them if the enemy turned out to be someone strong. Even if that wasn''t the case, as Liu Yu had said, they were flying blind in enemy territory. In such a situation, it was always better to have someone like Liu Yu who was strong enough to have your back than someone like the people of the sect in this city who aren''t even important to the sect.


    With the decision made, they left for their respective roles. The first step was the therapist who they didn''t have a hard time with. She was also desperate to have someone to get into the cult so as soon as she saw an opportunity, she jumped at it. After all, who would miss two adult stars if they were to disappear overnight?


    Besides, for the cult, who was better than an adult star? One that specifically owed her as well. With that all done, Liu Yu was easily able to enter the cult in a few days. As for Wei Jun, he didn''t have a rather hard time entering the cult as well.


    The cult didn''t have a member card or identification system. You could enter as long as you knew the password and only those who were members knew the password. Some magic was used to make sure no one else ever became aware of the password so the sect had to sacrifice two of their people just to get the password.


    Still, they managed to get it in the end. As Wei Jun entered the sect, he immediately drew eyes from all over. Most of the members in the sect were men but there were women as well. One thing about them that he didn''t fail to notice was their bodies and their beauty.


    Each and every one of them was incredibly beautiful and devastatingly curvaceous. If it was one or two, Wei Jun wouldn''t have paid it any heed but all of the women were like so. Liu Yu would have no problem getting in with how beautiful and curvaceous she was.


    However, he couldn''t help but think that that was a requirement to enter the cult. His hypothesis was further cemented when he looked at the males of the cult. They were all incredibly handsome as well. If not for the temple-like interior of the building, Wei Jun would have definitely thought he had entered a fashion agency, not a cult.


    And the detail to notice the most was¡­


    Even in such a place, Wei Jun stood out. His charm attracted everyone in there, men and women alike. Of course, while women were attracted to him a lot, men around him were jealous of how he looked.


    Wei Jun paid them no heed and looked at a woman who was alone among everyone. She had a few books in her hands so Wei Jun decided to help out of the goodness of his heart.


    [¡­]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Nothing, host] S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun dismissed the strange exchange and approached the woman. As he appeared in her field of vision, she abruptly came to a halt. Even with a pair of glasses, the woman was extremely beautiful. But, when compared to the other women in the surroundings, she wasn''t as beautiful as them.


    If Xia Lu was a nine, then the women in the cult were a solid eight, whereas this woman was a seven. He wasn''t aware of the rules of the sect that well yet but if she was beautiful outside, in here, she wasn''t as beautiful. In other words, she was the outcast of this place.


    ''Every place has them. This place is no different.''


    "Um¡ªHo-How can I he-help you?" The woman nervously stuttered. Wei Jun could see how nervous she was and took about eight of the eleven books from the woman and said, "You seem to be struggling a lot so I thought I should help you out."


    "Hu-Huh! The-there''s no need." The woman replied, her expression red as a tomato in an instant. Wei Jun, however, simply smiled and moved next to her while he gestured with his face, "Ladies first."


    The woman was already flustered. At Wei Jun''s aggressive approach, she couldn''t help but give in and began to walk. They shortly arrived before a door at which two men were standing.


    "Who is he?" The guards had no problem with the woman entering but they asked as they saw Wei Jun.


    "He''s helping me take them in." The woman didn''t stutter this time even though the men were sufficiently handsome. However, they weren''t at the level of Wei Jun and that didn''t seem to affect the woman in any way.


    "Very well." The man didn''t stop Wei Jun from entering. If it was a restricted area, he wouldn''t have allowed him to do so but he honestly didn''t care for what was inside behind that door. After all, what could they do in the library?


    "Thank you for helping me." The woman said.


    "It was my pleasure." Wei Jun said with a smile before he hesitated to ask something.


    "What is it?" The woman, seeing his hesitation, asked.


    "Well, you see, I''m new here and I don''t know much about everything. If you could please explain some things to me." Wei Jun said.


    "Huh? Didn''t the recruiter explain anything to you?" The woman asked, her expression a little confused.


    Wei Jun sighed and said, "He was more focused on the girl before me and didn''t even glance at me properly." Wei Jun replied chalking everything to male jealousy. And since it was a good excuse, the woman believed it as well since she had seen it happen before. She smiled and said, "As me whatever you want."


    "Thanks." Wei Jun replied with a smile before he asked, "Then if possible, could you start from the beginning?"

 Chapter 327 The cult (1)

    [Host]''What?'' Wei Jun asked as he left the library, leaving behind a blushing woman who didn''t move for an hour. Experience more on empire


    [You have the tendency to be a perfect womanizer]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun didn''t argue. It was true that he wasn''t a womanizer and flirted with women, but when required, he was easily able to seduce any female when necessary. Though they weren''t his techniques.


    ''It''s not like I mean to demean women, but women do the same you know.'' Wei Jun remembered the conversation he had with his brother when he was young. After his first heartbreak, his brother simply told him this much. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''This is how people are programmed. Men especially so. That''s why female assassins learn the art of seduction with great detail. So it wouldn''t be unfair if you did the same. Playing with the heart of women? That''s just things feminists say to turn the field to their advantage. If men cheat, women do so too. In the end, in this world, Damien, everything is equal and fair, while at the same time, nothing is equal and unfair as well.'' His brother said in great explanation.


    He still remembered his first lesson from his brother, ''People classify anything as bad as long as it goes against their policies. Women call you scum because it works in their favor. The same goes for men because they are scum. Don''t be bound by what''s right and wrong. Because that''s a tale as old as chicken and egg. You will only be caught up in it. So do whatever you have to do to win. Who gets hurt in the way is none of your concern as long as it''s not an ally.''


    Wei Jun had lived his life over what his brother taught him. The first lesson was very special. It was the first lesson he learned after experiencing the first lesson of life. The cruelty that everyone would always and foremost think of themselves and their family. And his brother then taught him how to utilize that in his favor.


    ''This world is unfair. Life is unfair. But when needed, it''s fair as hell.'' Wei Jun replied to the system''s words finally after he remembered the day he was betrayed for the first time in his life. The first time when his family name felt like a curse, not a blessing.


    [¡­]


    [I won''t say what you do is wrong or right because I don''t have the right to do so]


    [But I will ask you this]


    [Did you never make the same mistake again?]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun didn''t have an answer to that. He did, but he couldn''t say it. He simply brushed past it and said, ''If she is indeed hurt by my methods, I''ll apologize.''


    [I see]


    ''But I will also say this¡­'' Wei Jun said immediately after the system replied, ''No one ever apologized to me.''


    A conversation in which no one was right but no one was wrong either. That conversation could never come to an end. Just like the tale of chicken and egg, everyone was right in their own ideals. Wei Jun knew that well enough. Nothing he said would change the system''s opinion and nothing the system said would change his opinion.


    It was a never-ending conversation and Wei Jun would rather not delve more into it.


    With the conversation with the woman earlier, Wei Jun had come to know about the mechanics of the cult. The cult wasn''t as simple as it sounded. It was a cult that pursued the eternal life. It wasn''t like Wei Jun wasn''t familiar with these kinds of concepts. Even in the world he came from, a world where no supernatural power resided, or at least he thought didn''t, had people like such who wanted to pursue immortality.


    He had seen a businessman with sufficient knowledge, a non-believer, turn into a lunatic and sacrifice hundreds to think he could become immortal by sacrificing people and drinking their blood.


    So the current world he was in, a world with supernatural powers, was bound to have people who pursued immortality. In the first place, according to Mark Wilson, most of the dark sects of the world containing evil magicians or cultivators pursued similar goals.


    The woman didn''t know about the internal ceremonies as she hadn''t advanced in the cult that much, but there were ceremonies being held every week that the cult master himself attended along with the higher-ups of the cult.


    There were simply three ranks in the cult. Adept, disciple, and Master. There were hundreds of Adepts but to become a disciple, one must perform well in the weekly ceremony for the cult. It wasn''t the same one that the cult master attended but for the lower ones. The performance wasn''t an issue for Wei Jun but what was being asked to do was a little unorthodox.


    [I do think it''s a little unorthodox]


    ''Yep.'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but agree. As he entered the ceremonial hall, he could not help but sigh. In front of him, hundreds of men and women, nak.ed, were engaged in the activities done behind closed bedrooms.


    [It''s an or*gy]


    ''It''s a fuc*ing or*gy.''


    Looking at the scene happening in front of him, Wei Jun was sure of one thing. ''This certainly isn''t a place for Liu Yu.''


    If he was uncertain before about Liu Yu''s difficulty with this mission, now he was a hundred percent sure that she wouldn''t be able to do this mission and would be caught on the first day.


    The method of this ceremony was to collect. The more such immoral acts were conducted, the more the pillar in the room shined. And the more the pillar in the room shined, the more the necklace around everyone''s neck shined. It depended upon their participation.


    Wei Jun had taken the necklace of the man he killed and it turned out to be the necklace of someone new. He hadn''t accumulated much energy. Energy accumulation depended on how much one had done it and with how many partners. It wasn''t like all women were willing to throw themselves into this just because of the power gained from it. Consent from both sides was needed.


    The women in the cult were very haughty and since they were lesser in quantity, their demand was equally higher. In other words, it was a simple case of supply and demand. Women didn''t lack partners because each woman had about ten partners to select from. The problem arose when it came to men.


    Attractiveness and handsomeness were a crucial quality if one wanted to be selected. Something Wei Jun knew he wouldn''t have a problem with. However, the issue wasn''t that he was lacking women. The issue was solely that he didn''t want to.


    As long as it was seducing them for a task in his favor, Wei Jun didn''t have any qualms with that but he never slept with them. He felt nothing from doing so. He didn''t even feel the desire to do so.


    [That would make things a little difficult, wouldn''t it?]


    ''Not necessarily.'' Wei Jun replied. Sure, he wouldn''t sleep with these women. But that didn''t mean there were no women to perform the task with. He left the hall and arrived in the remote corner and took out his phone.


    He dialed a phone number and waited for the call to be picked up. As soon as it was, Wei Jun simply asked before the other person could even speak, "How crazy are you?"


    "¡­" There was silence from the other side but after a little while, a very charming voice replied, "Very~~~"


    ~~


    "Why the long face?" Wei Jun asked Liu Yu who sat in the library while clutching her head. She remained silent to Wei Jun''s question. Wei Jun chuckled to infuriate her even more but that didn''t work either.


    "I''m resigning. How can I even remain in such a vulgar place? Even in my dreams, I hear those vulgar sounds." Liu Yu complained. While she didn''t like Wei Jun, he was the only one in the place whom she could have a conversation with.


    "Hold it in. Some of the higher-ups have their eyes on you." Wei Jun replied.


    "That''s what makes me all the more angry. I''m not some who*e they can look at like that." Liu Yu replied.


    "Then do what I''m doing." Wei Jun said.


    "Never in a million years would I demean myself like that. Just because you have that loose woman, doesn''t mean I have someone like that as well." Liu Yu said, insulting Wei Jun''s companion but he didn''t mind. He had to admit that while she wasn''t a loose woman, she was a little strange.


    [A little?]


    ''Okay, very, very strange.''


    Since Wei Jun needed a partner, he called the one who was already his partner.


    Yan Rong.


    While he thought that she would have a problem in the cult, she didn''t at all. No man dared to approach her because of her power and she quickly caught the eyes of the higher-ups of the cult just like Liu Yu.


    Of course, she had only done the deed with Wei Jun, but she was¡­ a little too enthusiastic.


    [The word is insatiable, host]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun had no reply. He looked at Liu Yu and said, "Here you go. Your pendant is fully charged."

 Chapter 328 The cult (2)

    "Ugh~ Did you properly wash it?" Liu Yu asked as she eyed the pendant in Wei Jun''s hand but didn''t touch it. After all, that pendant was the same one that needed to be charged from the pillar in the fornication room of the cult.It was very difficult to fill the pillar so the simple fact that Wei Jun was doing it for Liu Yu was already a great favor. No one would even share an ounce of their created energy even if Liu Yu was the goddess of beauty.


    "You want it or not?" Wei Jun asked.


    "¡­" Liu Yu remained quiet and simply took the pendant. While it took others at least a month to charge their pendants just once, Wei Jun had done that in a night with the help of Yan Rong. And that was precisely the fact that bothered Liu Yu, ''Just how much these animals went at it?''


    Of course, she didn''t state her thoughts out loud. She depended on Wei Jun to get through this mission. Wei Jun also knew that fact and it was always better to get a favor from someone so strong.


    With that, he left the library and just as he came out, Yang Rong jumped at him from behind. Locking her arms around his shoulders, she asked, "Darling, when can we do it again?"


    "We did all night last night, though." Wei Jun argued but Yan Rong simply chuckled in response. "That was for that bit*h you wouldn''t let me kill. This would be for both of us, wouldn''t it?"


    "Nope." Wei Jun simply replied before he said, "Leave tonight. And by leave, I mean the city by itself. I don''t think we''ll need to do this any longer."


    Since Wei Jun had filled his pendant several times in the last few days and donated the energy to the so-called cult god, he was now a disciple. Any moment now, a master could choose him under his wing. Masters were the true higher-ups of the cult, just beneath the cult master.


    "Oh come on. Surely you need some more of it." Yan Rong asked, her voice as seductive as the word itself but Wei Jun wasn''t having any of it. Ever since he found out the effect of what he was doing, he was wary of doing it but it was necessary for the sake of the mission.


    "We''ll talk about it when I return to the city. Leave for now. I won''t say it again." Wei Jun said once again, but this time, there was a tinge of authority in his voice and it worked like a charm.


    Yan Rong grumbled a bit but ultimately left. She was just happy with the fact that Wei Jun had called for her instead of doing it with random women of the cult. Since she was happy, she didn''t show any stubbornness.


    Once she was gone, Wei Jun resumed the conversation he had had before with the system. While participating in the activities of the cult, some startling information was given to him by the overseer in the system.


    [It''s called Lu*t energy]


    [Some cultivators or other cosmic power users feed on it to make themselves stronger]


    [There are others too]


    [Such as rage, greed]


    [Some simply crave to kill]


    [There are countless of wrong ways to gain strength]


    [Of course, all of them are unstable]


    [This is the same]


    [Whoever is doing this is collecting the power of l*st from the fornication of many individuals]


    [Under the guise of offering it to the god]


    [They are absorbing for themself]


    ''So I''m making my enemy stronger?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Yes]


    ''Any suggestions?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [What if you build a very tall building on poor foundations?]


    [What do you think would happen?]


    ''The building would collapse.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [Exactly]


    [As long as it was a three or four-story building]


    [It would last over those foundations]


    [But as you increase those stories]


    [The building would become more and more unstable]


    [The same case is here]


    [Unstable cultivation shows its signs at higher levels more than on lower levels]


    [I''m not saying you should take it easy because of that]


    [But if your opponent has more strength, it would make things easier for you]


    Wei Jun fell into a long contemplation. While he didn''t want to face a strong enemy, he was sure that the system wouldn''t just spout nonsense. The system wasn''t the type to do so. And besides, when it came to cultivation, any kind, the system was more knowledgeable about it.


    ''Is there any other weakness I could utilize?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Loss of rationality]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Unstable cultivation]


    [No matter what kind]


    [Has a severe effect on the mind of the said individual]


    [You should look for things that make that said person tick]


    [Even a small provocation would incur a severe response]


    [I don''t think I need to tell you how easy a mentally unstable opponent can be]


    Wei Jun had to agree with that point as well. It was true that the people who lacked the patience to gain power and did it this way wouldn''t be very bright. An unstable mentality was a very big advantage.


    [Other than that]


    [There''s one more thing]


    ''What is it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [A medium]


    ''¡­A what now?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Do you know what the difference between magic and sorcery is?]


    ''No¡­?'' Wei Jun was unsure how to reply to that.


    [Magic requires mana where the medium is the user itself]


    [Mana flows through you and you will it to change it however you want to]


    [Fire, light, water, earth, etc]


    [However, sorcery can be done by anyone as long as they can prepare two things]


    [Do you know what they are?]


    Wei Jun didn''t know the answer to that question but he felt like he knew. So, almost on instinct, he spoke, ''A sacrifice and a medium.''


    [Exactly]


    [Medium takes the sacrifice and executes the spell you want to activate]


    [The host has done that before when he tried to open the dungeon gates temporarily]


    Wei Jun remembered that part clearly. Still, he wasn''t discussing magic or whatnot right now. The topic of discussion was unstable cultivation and a method to stop it.


    [A medium is required to do anything and everything unnatural]


    [Not just in case of sorcery or witchcraft]


    [Since holding the power that isn''t yours in your body can be dangerous for several reasons]


    [A number of mediums or vessels are selected to that for that said purpose]


    ''So you mean to say that the cult master has his power divided among several things?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Or people] Enjoy more content from empire


    ''Like Voldemo*t?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Kind of]


    [Only in this case]


    [When the vessel holding the power is destroyed]


    [The original owner''s power returns to him or her]


    ''If stores in such a way, isn''t it a waste?'' Wei Jun asked. If the power was stored in someone else, what was the point of having power in the first place if one couldn''t use it? Wei Jun believed there must be a reason behind it.


    [Half]


    [The person is able to use half of that person in the main vessel] S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [But if you destroy the secondary vessel]


    [The power would return to the primary vessel]


    [I have already told you what happens when unstable power is held within one vessel at once]


    ''It explodes.''


    [No person would be able to bear the burden of that power]


    [Their mind would sooner or later corrupt beyond redemption]


    [There was a saying in my time]


    [Mind is the cusp of a person]


    [A mentally broken person is as good as dead]


    [No]


    [Death would be better]


    [I just don''t understand why people do that]


    [Anyone can obtain power if they try hard enough]


    ''You don''t know even when you''re so old?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [¡­]


    However, the system remained silent. It wasn''t that it didn''t know the answer. It was just unsure whether or not that answer was correct to define the entirety of humanity.


    But, Wei Jun wasn''t the type to think so. All humans are the same, their programming is done the same way. All humans are born with one natural instinct¡­


    Survival.


    He wouldn''t deny that everyone was born different. Some were born kind while some were born with a cruel mentality. Some were talented while some were talentless.


    But, the baser instinct of every human was the same. Survival was the key instinct of a human.


    Whenever a human, no matter how just or kind, would see a shortcut to their end goal, they''d take it. They''d use the path that would help them survive with the least amount of effort. Only those who can block that instinct can truly grow.


    But if it was that easy, why would they be called humans?


    [I won''t disagree with you but I won''t agree either]


    [I am not one who grew up that way]


    ''Then you simply suppressed your instinct to some extent.'' Wei Jun didn''t argue. He simply admitted that the overseer was one such person he admired.


    With that out of the way, he now basically knew how to deal with the cult leader. All he had to do now was to wait for him to be approached.


    "Disciple Tao," Just as he was about to move, someone called him. As he turned to look at a charming woman behind him, the woman said, "Mistress Song would like to see you."


    ''And the game begins.'' With that thought in mind, Wei Jun simply nodded and followed the woman with a smile.

 Chapter 329 The cult (3)

    There were eight masters in the cult. Five of them were men and three of them were women. Men had only female disciples under them while females only had male disciples under them. One of them was Mistress Song Lihui, the second female master.She was the strongest one in the cult according to the people of the cult. If one was invited by her, they were already accepted. The reason? Well, Wei Jun could tell the reason once he saw her.


    If he thought Xia Lu was a nine, and Xing Xiaomei was a solid ten, then the woman before him was at least seventeen, if not eighteen. Her beauty surpassed the logical level and entered the realm of impossibility.


    [If she''s beautiful in your eyes]


    [What would happen if you saw the women of Yin Sect?]


    [You would just cream your pants on the spot]


    ''I''m not saying I''m attracted to her. I''m just saying she''s beautiful.'' Wei Jun replied as he briefly closed his eyes to escape the view before him. He would be lying if he said he didn''t think she was the most beautiful woman he had seen ever since coming to this world.


    But to Wei Jun, no, to the members of his family, beauty held a different meaning. His mother and sister-in-law were both exceptional beauties who managed to charm the men like his father and elder brother respectively. If it was just beauty, he was sure this woman didn''t hold a candle to them.


    ''There''s something else that''s making me this way.'' Wei Jun said.


    [A very astute observation]


    [To answer your question simply]


    [She''s vessel]


    Wei Jun didn''t need to be told anymore. He simply checked her stats first and foremost to see how strong she was. After all, if she was the strongest among all the masters, then he''d be able to get a rough gauge of their strength.


    [Song Lihui]


    [Strength: 240]


    [Agility: 249]


    [Stamina: 301]


    [Qi: 602]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun remained silent for a while before he asked the system, ''Is there any other way to defeat them?''


    [Don''t worry]


    [Despite her stamina]


    [She wouldn''t last five minutes in a battle]


    [He Qi would be exhausted in a very short time]


    That wasn''t the main problem. Even her basic stats were too high. Of course, Wei Jun, whose stats averaged in the mid-300s with one in the 400s, was confident he could defeat her, but there were seven more individuals like her. Even if they weren''t as strong as her, they would be a force to reckon with.


    Not to mention there was the cult master.


    ''Why is her stats so ridiculously high?'' Wei Jun asked. If he went by the normal standards of this world, her stats shouldn''t be this high. They should only increase when Qi skills were applied. While he didn''t expect them to remain within mortal limits, he didn''t expect them to be this high either.


    [Power of darkness comes with many advantages]


    [This is just one of those many]


    ''I have the strongest such power yet I haven''t received such privileges.'' Wei Jun argued.


    [Do you really think you haven''t?]


    [Besides, the power of darkness I''m mentioning is different from the element of darkness itself]


    [Demonic]


    [Corruption]


    [While still under the power of the main element of Death]


    [They cannot be regarded as the same]


    [Every power of death is double-edged]


    [It can be used naturally and in an evil way as well]


    [It just depends on how one uses it]


    [While you have less advantages]


    [Aren''t they long-lasting?]


    [While her advantages are powerful but short]


    [You decide which is better]


    A conversation Wei Jun could never win in the first place. He had no knowledge about such powers since recently so there was no way he could win in an argument with the system.


    Besides, that argument soon came to a halt as the woman before Wei Jun finally spoke after gauging him for a long time.


    "The weekly ceremony for the master is tomorrow. Disciple Tao, you will assist me in tomorrow''s ceremony." Song Lihui simply said and waved her hand, signaling Wei Jun to leave. Wei Jun didn''t linger for even a second more and left. Assistance was as it was mentioned.


    Wei Jun had to sleep with her but the difference was that the cult master would also be participating. If it was a male master, then they would be sharing the female disciple, if it was a female master, then she would be the one shared between the cult master and the disciple or in this case, Wei Jun.


    ''Just thinking about such a thing fills me with disgust.'' Wei Jun inwardly said but he was also relieved as well. Tomorrow would be his last day in this immoral and vulgar cult. Only masters attended the ceremony of the cult master. So, there would be the cult master, the eight masters, and eight disciples one of which would be Wei Jun and another would be Liu Yu hopefully.


    But even if she wasn''t selected, Wei Jun was sure that he would be able to stall until she got there.


    The only problem was the location. Wei Jun didn''t know how, and where the ceremony would be carried out. He knew it would be tomorrow and knew it would be after the sun would set, but where and how was the issue. Would it be all at once, one by one, or would there be some other way? Would be in the temple-like building, or somewhere else. These were the questions he didn''t have an answer to.


    Variables he couldn''t foresee, in other words, unforeseen and unknown variables. Such variables screwed up the most iron-tight and well-thought plans so Wei Jun was sure his plan wouldn''t exactly go out as he expected as well. He wasn''t foolish enough to think so. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But¡­


    ''What other option do I have?'' Wei Jun thought. He was running out of time. Not just in the case of this mission, but for the system quest as well. He needed to become stronger for the protagonist but not just that, he needed support. That was exactly why he didn''t deny this mission.


    Everything else aside, wasn''t the sect master the most powerful being he had seen so far in this world? There was no reason he shouldn''t curry favor with such a person. If this mission was the key to doing that, Wei Jun had no reason to refuse this mission. Besides, it wasn''t like there was no reward in this mission. What the sect master would give him would be secondary. The sole fact that they were evil cultivators in a sense was enough to entice Wei Jun.


    After all, his Death Qi was free of his level restriction. Since he couldn''t raise his simple stats, he wanted to focus on what he could do.


    ~~


    "Kill me. Kill me now." Liu Yu as soon as Wei Jun arrived at their meeting spot. Wei Jun looked at her for a moment before he asked, "So you were invited, huh?"


    "He touched me. He touched me almost everywhere. Do you know how humiliating it was? And then when I heard what I had to do tomorrow¡­ Kill me. Just kill me." Liu Yu said, and while her voice wasn''t raised, the chill of Qi emitting from her was enough to remind Wei Jun once again how strong she was.


    "The keyword in all of it is almost. Besides, we don''t have to do anything tomorrow. Just endure until then." Wei Jun said before he added, "Also, be prepared and on your peak tomorrow. We must kill the masters first before moving to the main target."


    "Why? Wouldn''t killing the main target be easier if we''re making it a surprise attack?" Liu Yu asked. The element of surprise would be lost if they were to attack the masters first but Wei Jun shook his head and said, "Without the masters, he wouldn''t be much of a problem."


    Of course, he wasn''t sure of it either. Whether or not the target would be easy without the masters but one thing was for sure, the system was never wrong. If there were something to speculate, the system wouldn''t give a definite answer.


    In other words, the system was as honest as the word itself. If it wasn''t sure of something, it would just say so. It wouldn''t waste time on speculations. Wei Jun trusted the system. And through that, he was also wary of the cult master. If just the masters of the cult were master-ranked cultivators with high physical stats, then the cult master, after gaining his strength from the deceased masters, would be a force to reckon with even if his time limit was very short.


    That risk was clearly pointed out by the system and it was honest about it. Wei Jun could be in trouble tomorrow. He just hoped that his plan B would be received.


    "Take this." Wei Jun gave Liu Yu an item.


    "What is this?" She asked.


    Wei Jun told her its function and said, "You''ll need it when the time comes. Remember, you must kill the masters first no matter what. Ignore everything else."


    Liu Yu looked at Wei Jun for a while and even though she didn''t have to comply, she still nodded and said, "I''ll see."


    That much was enough. Now all the plans were in place. All he had to do was wait for the opposition to move. And he didn''t have to wait long, "Disciple Tao. I have been assigned to be your guard until the ceremony."


    ''Guard my as*. But at least now I know they''re moving.''

 Chapter 330 Plan B?

    Wei Jun waited for the next day to arrive before executing his plan. Of course, he also had to hope that his plan was executed before it could even be set in motion. Since that was the risky part, there was nothing he could do. The worst part was that every means of communication was cut off. His phone was taken away but while he had more phones stored in the inventory, he was assigned a guard who observed him the whole night like a hawk.Liu Yu received the same treatment. The observation continued until it was time for the ceremony. Since he couldn''t get his word out, he was left with only one option. Leave it to chance.


    "Disciple Tao, it is time for the ceremony. Put this on." The observer who was with him all night handed him a balaclava. Wei Jun didn''t put up much effort and did as he was told. Then, he was taken somewhere by the guard.


    While walking, he suddenly felt all of his strength leaving him. No, he hadn''t lost consciousness. He simply couldn''t feel Qi anymore.


    [Qi dampeners]


    [This will surely be tough for you, host]


    [I''d advise caution]


    It wasn''t like Wei Jun didn''t know that. Still, even if he did, he wasn''t just going to be reckless. He was planning to let things play out. After all, he was already caught, wasn''t he?


    Shortly afterward, he felt another presence near him aside from him and the observer bringing him. He wasn''t supposed to know he was caught so Wei Jun wasn''t struggling in the least.


    The observer calmly seated Wei Jun but didn''t remove the balaclava on his head. "Keep it on your face until the masters enter."


    Wei Jun did so and the other presence in the room remained still as well. Wei Jun could guess who it was but with his Qi blocked, there was no definitive way of telling. He remained silent and so did the other figure. Talking about anything at the moment could give anything away. Wei Jun couldn''t afford that. There was also the risk that the other presence wasn''t Liu Yu but someone else, again at the risk of giving something away, he remained quiet.


    So did the other presence. Soon, about ten minutes later, the door to the room opened and a few more presences entered. He could discern how many of them were with the sound of their footsteps. However, without his Qi, he still couldn''t tell who they were. Whether or not they were ordinary people or not was an unknown fact and Wei Jun wasn''t willing to risk it.


    But, he didn''t have to wait for long as the balaclava on his face was removed. As soon as he could see, he looked at the room he was in before he even took a glance at the people in front of him.


    It took him only ten seconds under the guise of getting accustomed to the light to observe the entire layout of the room.


    The room was like a temple room, like the main room of a church. What was it called again? A religion-less man like Wei Jun had a hard time recalling what it was called even though he held the knowledge of history.


    ''Right¡­ Nave. Typical.'' Wei Jun thought but he didn''t linger on it for long. The room wasn''t the same though. There were places of worship and offerings just like in any religious construct, the place was somewhat¡­ dark.


    "Are you done with your observation?" A calm, serene, smooth, and soothing voice penetrated his ears. He looked at the figure sitting on the altar in the room. The way he was sitting didn''t seem like someone offering a prayer or someone who respected the so-called god of the religion he was serving.


    No, he was the said religion. Wei Jun looked past the eight figures standing at the bottom of the stairs that led to the altar and looked straight at the handsome young man sitting on the altar cross-legged.


    One look at his cold, ethereal face and any woman in the world would fall for him. She would no longer find any other male to be appetizing. She would not be able to resist the charm exuding from that face. As proven by the lost individual sitting next to him.


    Wei Jun turned to look at the person sitting next to him about three chairs away and saw Liu Yu lost in the gaze of the young man on the altar.


    ''So much for disgust,'' Wei Jun internally thought but even he couldn''t help but admit that Liu Yu wasn''t to blame. The young man sitting on the altar was that much handsome. Blonde hair, yellow golden eyes like fire, a sharp nose, lips as if sculpted carefully, and pale skin.


    All in all, it was a combination that even Wei Jun would have to admit was handsome and beautiful. Of course, if he had to compare the young man on the altar to himself, the real himself, then¡­


    ''I''ll give him a five if not four.'' sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You know?" Wei Jun answered, or at least attempted to. As he asked that question, one of the men at the bottom of the stairs snickered and said, "Our master knew everything from the beginning, Wei Jun Ruan."


    Knowing Wei Jun''s name was known to these people. While that would have unsettled many of the people in Wei Jun''s situation, Wei Jun remained calm and said, "Yeah, no, he didn''t."


    He then looked at the third man standing in the row and said, "Long time no see."


    The third man didn''t say anything. But that small sentence did serve to shut up the first man who had spoken like they knew everything from the start. The man Wei Jun had talked to was none other than the man who had chased him down when he had last visited Shannau City.


    The same who had jumped after him on the helicopter and almost managed to get a hold of him. Wei Jun wasn''t that good with names but he was better with faces. He knew the faces of the people who were strong and that man that day was strong. So that image was etched into his mind and when he was given data about the cult, he had recognized the man in an instant.


    But he didn''t say anything. He chose to keep that information quiet. The plan had already been made. Not the sect''s plan but his own. And the stage had been set.


    "So you got caught on purpose?" The young man at the altar spoke. But he wasn''t particularly disturbed. He asked again, "I assume you''re sent by my brother. How is he? Is he well?"


    That was the second detail that Wei Jun had noticed. The young man sitting on the altar was the spitting image of the sect master. With how young he was, he was either the son of the sect master or a younger brother. The chances of the latter were lesser but the young man''s words confirmed that fact.


    "He''s doing well. I''d say he misses you as much as you miss him but that would be me lying considering he sent me here to kill you." Wei Jun said.


    "Haha," The young man chuckled, the cold expression on his face melted into one of a benevolent one as he smiled and said, "That''s just my brother''s way of telling me he misses me."


    "Really?" Wei Jun asked, "Because that wasn''t the emotion I perceived."


    "Oh? And what did you perceive?" The young man asked.


    "Hate and anger. That''s what I saw in his eyes." Wei Jun replied.


    It was a lie. The sect master was as expressionless as always. Wei Jun couldn''t perceive any emotion as he observed the sect master giving the order. But, there was a change in the expression of the young man when he said that his brother missed him.


    The younger brother desired the attention of his brother. Or at least that was what Wei Jun picked. He took a gamble and¡­


    "You will watch your words going forward, young man," The young man said, the cold expression instantly replacing the benevolent expression on his face.


    Wei Jun, however, only smirked in return. "So that''s your weak chain, huh?"


    "What?" The young man asked, confused at what Wei Jun was talking about.


    "So? What''s the story? Did your brother favor someone else more than you? Cast you aside and give your position to someone else. What was it? Or was it something you did? Or maybe he simply couldn''t bear a weak brother and expunged you from his life? What was it? I''m really curious to know." Wei Jun asked and asked and as he asked one question after the other, ripples of anger passed the young man''s eyes.


    Although he remained outwardly, Wei Jun knew it was affecting him. He smiled again. However, the young man smiled as well. He looked at Wei Jun and said, "Well, you''ve succeeded in agitating me. Now what? You have no Qi, your companion is out of commission, and you''re caught and surrounded. What''s the next move?"


    "Makes you curious, doesn''t it? Why, even when I knew him and knew he''d recognize me, I went with this plan. Makes you curious, right?" Wei Jun asked pointing at the man who he had encountered in the Shannau city.


    "¡­" The young man didn''t reply. Everything could be understood if Wei Jun didn''t know about the man in the masters but he did. That made his actions unpredictable.


    "As far as my companion is concerned, I''m sure she''ll pull through. But, I''m not the type to pull all my hopes in someone else. I put my hopes in myself. And¡­" Wei Jun as he stood up, a terrifying glint passed through his eyes, "The dampeners don''t suppress your Qi, right? Then they shouldn''t suppress that little one thing I have as well."


    [Death Qi has been used]


    [Skill ''Qi empowerment'' has been activated]


    Boom!


    Wham!


    Wei Jun jumped from his place and aimed at the cult master but he was stopped by an invisible barrier just an inch away. The young man, astonished, looked at Wei Jun while Wei Jun had a terrifying grin on his face.


    "How dare you!"


    "Attack him!"


    The masters yelled but before they could even move¡­


    Boom!!!!


    The door to the room collapsed and chill invaded the room.


    "Honey~~ I''m home~~~"

 Chapter 331 Plan B

    "How mean. We could have played for a longer time." Yan Rong thought as she was about to leave the building when she felt something strange. Her Qi was blocked and she couldn''t reach down into her dantian.Before she could ponder on the issue, a man approached her. "Oh my, what a beauty you are."


    Looking at his face, he was as handsome as Wei Jun, or he could compete with his charm at least. However, Yan Rong, even with her Qi blocked, could see the true face of the man before her. She never told anyone about it but her eyes weren''t just blue for show.


    The truth behind the world. That was what she could see with those eyes. The only person they never worked on was Wei Jun. Other than that, they always worked on everyone. And right now, she could only see a man shriveled like a malnourished husk and smiling. Yan Rong was disgusted if anything when she saw the man.


    "It would be in your best interest to come with me, young lady. I can''t harm you just yet." The man spoke. Yan Rong, however, didn''t reply. She had come at Wei Jun''s request but she could tell there was something going on here. Something dangerous and dark.


    She wasn''t an idiot and although she only did the deed with Wei Jun every day and every night she was there, she could also see the reality of that place with her eyes. The life force of the people in the place was being depleted every time they engaged in immoral activity.


    And it was flowing towards somewhere. Through the pendant that every disciple was given, it was given to someone. Who, though, was a mystery she couldn''t discover because she was too busy enjoying her time with Wei Jun.


    But now that trouble had come knocking at her door on its own, there was no reason why she couldn''t reply in kind. She smiled and pulled out the ring Wei Jun had gifted her before. She pulled out an item from the ring but before she could use it, the man spoke, "If you don''t cooperate, your lover will bear the brunt of your actions."


    Yan Rong wasn''t threatened in the least. She knew that the man before her was the last person Wei Jun would have trouble with. At most, he would be able to take care of him in five minutes. Still, ''Isn''t it a convenient excuse to stay?''


    Yan Rong didn''t want to leave Wei Jun in such a dangerous place and now that there was an excuse to stay, why wouldn''t she take advantage of it and use it well? So she did as the opportunity was represented.


    "Fine. I surrender. But touch me and I will kill you." Yan Rong said with a smile. The man didn''t react in the least. He simply ordered the disciples behind him to bind Yan Rong and take her away.


    Yan Rong obediently complied. She was imprisoned in a dark room and wasn''t bothered for the rest of the day and night. The next day, some other men showed up and said, "Restrain her. We need a hostage to make that bastard comply."


    She didn''t need to be told who they were talking about. There was only one person in the cult whom she could be used against. But, it wasn''t as easy as everyone thought. She finally activated the thing in her ring and equipped it. As soon as she did, the Qi in her dantian burst forward.


    "KAG-!!!" Before they could even yell properly, everything in the room was frozen, the people included. Yan Rong waved her finger and the ice turned to thousands of small cubes. The people in them included. And then, she simply went on a rampage.


    No matter who it was who came before her, she froze them and then killed them. No mercy for anyone.


    She felt the presence of Wei Jun and made her way over there. A path that led to some sort of basement. There were Qi dampeners there too but the artifact in her possession was still working well.


    Though it wouldn''t work for a long time. Luckily, it wouldn''t have to. As soon as she reached the place where Wei Jun was, she would see what plan he had and then go along with it.


    As she arrived in front of a fabulous black and golden blend door, she saw a few men and women standing outside. As soon as they saw her, they went on high alert and¡ª


    "Too bothersome." Yan Rong said as she waved her hand and froze them to death. She then once again broke the ice with the wave of her hand and split them into thousands of pieces. She accumulated Qi on her hand and¡­


    Boom!!!


    "Honey~~ I''m home~~~" She said with a lascivious tone as soon as she entered but instead of seeing a glad Wei Jun, she saw a narrowed eyes one who looked at her as if she had spoiled all of his plans. And it was further proven as he asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"


    "Eh?" Yan Rong was severely mistaken when she thought Wei Jun would be happy to see her and when he wasn''t, she simply tapped her forehead cutely and said, "I got lost."


    Wei Jun looked at her with the same narrowed eyes but he didn''t have to luxury to pay attention to her. There were four men and two women about to strike him with a strong bout of their Qi.


    [Qi armament]


    The qi barrier of the Death Qi was much more sturdier than a Qi barrier made of yang Qi. As soon as the barrier appeared, the attack from all of the masters was stopped but it wasn''t like there was no blowback. Wei Jun''s barrier broke down and a hundred points of his Death Qi vanished into thin air.


    He wasn''t harmed but that was at the expense of his precious Death Qi. He was about to counterattack when blood passed before his eyes. As he turned to look at the source, Liu Yu passed by him and struck the man closest to him straight in the chest, piercing through his heart and killing him in an instant. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''So she woke up, huh?'' Wei Jun thought internally but he didn''t waste any time either. He turned his attention to a master as well but before he could attack him, a terrifying wave of dark Qi swept through the entire room, prompting everyone to freeze where they were.


    "Enough!" The young man at the altar said. There was still a man and a woman beside her. The same man Wei Jun had encountered last time and Song Lihui. "I don''t intend for a battle, young man. Join me and we will put everything behind us. You already possess the power of darkness. Join me and we can become immortals for the rest of the time."


    [You''re already an immortal]


    Before the young man could even finish, the system spoke to Wei Jun. Wei Jun was confused as he heard that because he had definitely been under the threat of death ever since he came to that world.


    [Not this you]


    [The ''you'' you]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun remained silent. There was no indication that he was an immortal in his life.


    [You never got sick]


    [Your wounds healed at a very fast pace]


    [And there were many more signs]


    [You just didn''t bother with them]


    Wei Jun wanted to get into it more but the young man on the altar once again spoke, "You''ve had enough time to think. Now what is your answer? Will you join me or perish?"


    "Sorry, I wasn''t thinking about your proposal. And besides, why the hell would I become as ugly as you?" Wei Jun asked. As he said, while others could see a number of handsome men and women what he could see was different. The Death Qi was showing him a different image from his normal eyes.


    "So that''s your final answer then?" The young man spoke as a wave of Qi emitted from him. It struck Wei Jun and took a good chuck of his Qi but not so much that he would be troubled.


    "Take him on! Keep him busy!" Wei Jun said to Yan Rong before he created the Death whip on his hands and killed the woman closest to him.


    "Argh!" As soon as the woman died, the young man grunted but the whites of his eyes turned black for a second.


    "Kill him!!!!" The young man said with a ferocity unmatched in his voice. However, ever the obedient, Yan Rong appeared next to the cult master and said, "Not before I get a piece of you!"


    However, as she struck the young man, the young man didn''t budge in the least. Instead, he looked at her and said with anger in his eyes, "And which piece would you like?"


    Before she could react, the young man struck her with a kick and a punch simultaneously.


    "Would these parts do?" He asked.


    Ptui. Yan Rong spat the blood that came to her mouth and said with a maniacal smile on her face, "It''d do plenty."


    Dash!


    Wham!!!


    Booommm!!!!

 Chapter 332 The masters (Bonus)

    Yan Rong evaded the next attack and counterattacked only to be blocked by the young man. Yan Rong wasn''t discouraged and tried to attack from another direction but the young man was well versed in combat and effortlessly evaded the attack while delivering one of his own which Yan Rong blocked but not without any repercussions."Argh!" Even though she blocked the attack, she wasn''t able to avoid complete damage from the young man. However, just as the young man could utilize the newly created opening, he suddenly grunted once again. His power returned to him with an impact harder than before and it was too much for him to handle.


    While he was distracted, Yan Rong managed to get one of her strikes laced with an immense amount of Qi that was very effective against the young man.


    However, while he did gain some damage, it didn''t particularly seem to have affected him because it was also very easy for the young man to endure that strike now that his power had increased by another level.


    But, the new power wasn''t without a price. A headache worse than any other assaulted him, distracting him from the fight. He turned to Song Lihui and the man from Shannau City and commanded, "Deal with her. I will take care of that annoying man."


    "Not so fast!" Yan Rong intervened seeing the young man was about to ditch her and go for Wei Jun. However, she didn''t have to worry because before Song Lihui and the man with her could make a move, Liu Yu attacked them, making sure they weren''t interfering with the battle.


    While this happened, Wei Jun managed to kill another one of the masters. With three of the six dead, the battle was very easy for him but he was also running out of Qi. While they were inferior to him in terms of strength and experience, they were superior in terms of Qi. While Wei Jun stingily used Death Qi, the masters didn''t hold back, making Wei Jun lose Death Qi from defending.


    Still, the loss that way was still lesser than the loss he''d give out while attacking. He was attacking several individuals at the same time and while their control over Qi wasn''t as perfect as Wei Jun, it still wasn''t enough to face these opponents who were strong, albeit very linear.


    Their fighting experience left little to be desired. They only seemed to have focused on cultivation, leaving practical combat out of the equation.


    Wei Jun could be considered the same in that regard but his experience from his past life was vast like an ocean and while he wasn''t displaying any overwhelming display, since he was not trying to be wasteful, he had already killed three of them with the least amount of effort.


    While he could have used the artifact he gave Yan Rong and Liu Yu to unlock his Qi, he didn''t do so. Death Qi was much more effective against these guys and needed in much lesser quantity.


    Wei Jun dodged another strike while he parried another. He focused his attacks on the one who was fastest in the group but also pathetic in terms of defense and strength. The male master was on his last legs when Wei Jun didn''t hesitate to deliver the finishing blow.


    Just as he killed this master, bringing the number of masters to half, he felt something change in the air.


    [The cult master has entered the realm of a grandmaster now]


    [You need to hurry]


    He didn''t hesitate to do as the system said because he could feel that Yan Rong was taking damage as time went by. His connection with her was strangely strong and he could feel everything happening to her. Even the pain she was going through.


    Still, the message that his party member was in danger hadn''t appeared yet. Yan Rong was holding her ground so Wei Jun needed to do the same. Still, he was also on his last legs. Not in terms of stamina but his Qi. His Death Qi was in double digits now and going down.


    "Flank him!" One of the remaining two masters said. The ones left were a male and a female. Wei Jun didn''t mind them and canceled the empowerment skills. His increment in stat points dropped with that but what he required against these masters wasn''t strength but technique and defense. With good defense, he didn''t have to worry about his HP going down, and with good technique, he could also dodge or block their attacks while delivering his own.


    Parry, kick, block, punch, or anything else. There was not one area where these masters excelled more than Wei Jun. He dodged another attack, deflected another with his elbow, and punched the woman in the middle of her face, cracking the front teeth of hers along with her nose.


    While she was disoriented, Wei Jun didn''t hesitate to grab her neck and infused Qi in his hands, twisting it at an odd angle, killing the woman and as soon as he did, he brought his wrist to his right, blocking a kick from the last remaining master.


    The master tried to back away but Wei Jun was willing to give that leeway. His Qi was now less than twenty and he wanted to deal with this guy before he had to consume a Qi replenishment pill.


    Wei Jun stepped to the side and attacked the man from the side, cracking his ribs in one swift attack. The master wanted to heal himself with the power he had but it wouldn''t move. That was another reason Wei Jun was using Death Qi to deal with these guys.


    One thing to note was that these guys were pursuing immortality. If anyone could just come and kill them, it wouldn''t be much of an immortality, would it be? Attacked with anything but holy or divine power, these guys would be able to heal themselves.


    However, Wei Jun didn''t have such a thing and he didn''t have a chance to replenish his wealth after the zombie dungeon to buy another one. He was provided funds to deal with this mission but he was given that in the form of a card and the system didn''t accept that. Since he was stuck in the cult building day and night, there was nothing he could do about that either. So he didn''t have an option of purchasing one.


    Still¡­


    [You have the power of Death]


    [Purest form of Death]


    [Granted it is contaminated by Qi]


    [But it is still a direct branch of Death and given that their branch of Death is inefficient]


    [You can kill them by simply infusing Death in their bodies]


    [Preferably in spots that kill people]


    [Heart, brain, necks, or vitals points like that]


    Thanks to the assistance of the system, Wei Jun was able to deal with these masters easily. Not to mention they weren''t used to pain, they were very inefficient as well. Each and every movement of theirs emitted a lot of Qi and most of it was wasted in the surroundings without delivering the impact it was supposed to on Wei Jun.


    Not to mention their lack of technique was an additional point for him to take advantage of. Wei Jun hurriedly moved and attacked him using [Qi discharge] and pierced his heart like he killed the first one.


    The look of disbelief on the face of the man he killed was something to be seen. It made sense why he was so shocked. The immortality he thought would make him invincible didn''t work.


    Wei Jun, however, didn''t have much time to focus on the kill. The air once again changed and finally, the messages he was afraid of showed up.


    [A party member is in danger]


    [Save Yan Rong]


    [The death of a party member can bring a number of penalties]


    [Possible penalties include


    #1: -50 all stats


    #2: -100 levels


    #3: All skills erased]


    Wei Jun''s eyes almost popped out of his sockets. Such severe penalties didn''t show up when Mark Wilson was in danger.


    [She is much stronger and her affection level is also stronger]


    [Of course she''s more important]


    Even with all that, the impulse to drop everything and recklessly save her assaulted him once again, and even though he knew he should attack the other masters to make the cult master more unstable, he jumped where Yan Rong was.


    The sect master was about to punch her once again when Wei Jun kicked him from the side, thinking he''d be able to catch him off guard but he was severely mistaken in that regard. The masters weren''t experienced in fighting but the cult master blocked Wei Jun''s attack like all his attention was on Wei Jun from the start.


    "Don''t interfere!!!" The cult master pushed Wei Jun away and Wei Jun flew through the air like a broken kite but he had succeeded in doing what he was trying to do.


    Distract the cult master for just enough time that Yan Rong could get away which she did and as soon as she was a little away, she hurriedly accessed the ring Wei Jun had given her and consumed the pills to replenish her health and Qi.


    "Angh!" The cult master, who was about to pursue, suddenly stopped and clutched his head. He endured the pain but the timing he provided was enough for Wei Jun to regroup with Yan Rong.


    "Liu Yu! Pull back!" Wei Jun yelled and as if waiting for that, Liu Yu jumped in his direction and got behind him. Read latest chapters at empire S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everything came to a stop and Wei Jun stopped to assess the situation. After all, he was on the losing side now.

 Chapter 333 Thrashing (Bonus)

    While Liu Yu was able to hold her own against the two masters, she was also struggling because they kept getting healed. No matter how many times or how she injured them with her Qi, they''d regenerate back to the top condition in less than a second. It was as if they were taking damage and healing at the same time."What the hell''s with them?" Liu Yu asked once Wei Jun had asked her to retreat. Yan Rong, who was standing next to him also looked at him with an inquiring gaze.


    "Just keep them busy." Wei Jun before he tossed them both Qi and HP replenishing pills. He''d rather not divulge his secrets to Liu Yu but time was of the essence. While he would have liked to kill the rest of the masters, he knew if the cult master became any more powerful, he wouldn''t be able to handle him. He was even skeptical about it now.


    [You got this host]


    [You know his weakness]


    [Utilize that]


    The system was right. The cult master was already clutching his head now and then even though nothing was being said. Wei Jun was confident that he could agitate him even more if an opportunity was to arise. But, an agitated enemy was a double-edged sword that could either work in your favor or against you.


    At the moment, what it was still unclear but Wei Jun was confident he could defeat him if he could accumulate some damage on the cult master with his Dark Qi.


    "You won''t be able to deal with him alone." Yan Rong said but Wei Jun shook his head, "Right now those not being able to interfere are the priority. I''ll deal with the rest."


    From killing the six masters, Wei Jun had been able to gain some stats but they were far lesser than he had expected. According to the system, since their cultivation was unstable, the stats he got were after they were purified.


    Still, he was sure he would be able to go against the sect master as long as he avoided taking any damage because, with only one tank of Qi available at his disposal, he wouldn''t be able to do it all over again so he had only one chance to deal with this.


    Wei Jun embedded his foot into the ground and pushed forward. The cult master didn''t move from his position but the two masters on both sides of him moved to stop Wei Jun. Since Wei Jun was willing to waste any of his Death Qi on them, he tried to avoid them but they proved to be more skillful than the other masters he had dealt with so far. Not only did they change their trajectory mid-way to stop Wei Jun, but they were also in complete sync so that Wei Jun couldn''t evade that one with any move.


    However, he didn''t have to evade. He had already bought enough time with his evasion before the two women behind him jumped at both of the masters, pushing them out of the way while Wei Jun''s charge remained unhinged and directed straight at the cult master.


    The young man simply raised his forearm and stopped Wei Jun''s strike. He hadn''t even moved an inch let alone be affected by that strike. However, Wei Jun didn''t linger there and simply moved back, but the cult master was swift enough to block that attempt with a straight kick. Wei Jun avoided that by moving to the left but it was like the kick of the sect master curved mid-air, heading straight for Wei Jun''s head.


    Wei Jun tried to move out of the way but he couldn''t. The cult master was too proficient at fighting. Wei Jun had no choice but to use the skill [Qi armament] and create a barrier around him. However, that proved to be useless when the cult master''s kick hit him. Wei Jun''s barrier shattered like glass and he was kicked straight in the face. Discover stories with empire


    [HP -200]


    Wei Jun''s eyes were too hurt to even pop out of his sockets. He barely had a quarter of 200 HP yet 200 of it was down with just one kick. Wei Jun hurriedly willed the artifact that unlocked his Qi to be equipped as Qi rushed forward. It was all too fast that there wasn''t enough time for the emergency notifications to show up.


    The green power in his heart utilized in a second and healed him back to his top condition but he wasn''t relieved in the least when he raised his head, still mid-air, to see the cult master was looking at him with cold eyes, a punch prepared, packed with power so much that the fist seemed to have turned dark.


    Wei Jun hurriedly brought both of his forearms in front of his face but it was useless. Even with the Qi barrier, the impact shattered both of his arms and the strike passed through them, breaking them and heading straight for his face.


    Once again, the green power was utilized to the maximum and he healed to the top condition and the Death Qi regenerated his arms.


    But the attacks of the cult master were relentless and another was coming for him in a short time.


    However, this time, Wei Jun hurriedly moved to the side or at least he tried to but was still kicked in the stomach, a kick that pierced his stomach, once again taking a nice chunk of his HP. He was down on almost 500 of yang Qi in an instant with just three hits. He was afraid of what might happen next.


    Not to mention the loss of Death Qi from when he was attacked and the barrier shattered. However, had he not done so, he would have still been harmed quite a bit, maybe outright dead, so even though it was a loss, he didn''t stop using the Death Qi to defend himself.


    The Yang Qi was strictly to heal himself in case there was no other option but to retreat. As the hole in his stomach was closed with the help of Death Qi and the pain faded away, Wei Jun had no other option but to stop defending. Defending hadn''t helped him so far and if he was going to take damage anyway, he might as well deliver some damage while doing so.


    However, the attack that Wei Jun delivered while the punch of the cult master struck him as well was useless. All it did was break his wrist and the punch of the cult master triumphed over that pain by punching a hole through his chest once again.


    Before life could leave him, the Death Qi and the green power worked together to regenerate and heal him. However, one thing was for sure, it was impossible for him to defeat the cult master with his strength alone.


    Luckily, there was finally a break for Wei Jun as the cult master stopped to clutch his head. Wei Jun didn''t miss his chance to create more distance between him and the cult master. It was safe to say that the room was destroyed beyond repair and it would come down any moment. If this room was really in the basement, then if the foundations were also connected to the room, the collapse of this room would also bring the whole building down.


    ''I just hope they aren''t,'' Wei Jun thought. He had invested too much into this mission to come out of it empty-handed. Well, he did gain some stats and Death Qi from the masters he killed but that wasn''t enough compensation for all of his troubles. Especially the pain he was receiving.


    "Your punches sure do pack a punch," Wei Jun said before he added with a snicker, "Well, not as much as your brother''s do. It''s clear who the talented one in the family is." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, Wei Jun had never fought or sparred with the cult master to know that. He was just shooting in the dark, trying to use the cult master''s inferiority complex about his superior brother, the sect master. However, that didn''t seem to have worked as the cult master''s expression changed to that of a warm one and the additional expression that marred his face could only be explained in one word¡­


    Worship.


    "Of course. It''s obvious who the talented one is. It is a sin to even compare me to my brother. How can someone so great be compared to someone like me, a failure?" The cult master said with his expression of pure worship. With that, Wei Jun had made sure of one thing that the cult master didn''t hate his brother.


    He loved him. More than a brother should. Wei Jun was wise enough to not go into that territory and asked, "Mind if I ask why you''re doing this?"


    It was an attempt to buy time. It had been barely five minutes since he consumed the Qi replenishing pill and his Death Qi wasn''t even 30% left. He wanted to buy some time, even a minute was precious while he knelt down and touched the ground seeping his Qi into it.


    Even an idiot could tell what Wei Jun was trying to do but maybe it was blind confidence or the topic of conversation was his brother that the cult master couldn''t help but say, "Well, I wonder where I should begin? There''s so much to tell."


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "I have all the time in the world."

 Chapter 334 The voice (Bonus)

    "I heard young master Song Huan completed his closed-door cultivation in just two years. The Song clan must be proud of them, right?" A woman spoke, her attire a stunning strapless red gown that fell past her feet and sprawled behind her. Her beauty was unparalleled among most of the women there but not the only ones. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.The woman she was talking to in a blue dress was also equally stunning. With a fan in her hand, she gently waved it and replied, "The Song clan is indeed blessed. After young master Gong, young master Huan''s older brother, this is the second time they have surprised the whole empire like this."


    "I heard even the emperor is coming to this banquet and there are talks of him betrothing his youngest daughter with young master Song Huan." The woman in red said.


    "Hah~" The woman in blue sighed and said, "That makes me so jealous. She is nowhere near as worthy of young master Song yet she''s being treated like that just because she''s the emperor''s daughter."


    "Well, even if they''re in a decline, the daughter of the emperor is still the daughter of the emperor. If the imperial family could somehow make it work, they''d be able to stop the invasion of the foreigners. Not to mention the jackpot they''d hit with young master Song Huan." It indeed makes me jealous as well." The woman in red said.


    They were perfectly aware that a young man near them could hear them clearly and they were also aware of who he was. However, they still didn''t hold themselves back because they were aware of the young man''s dilemma. They were well aware of how helpless he was. Even though he was of the imperial lineage, he couldn''t do anything about the women.


    Not only what they were saying was true but also because he was powerless to do anything about them. All he could do was listen to them and endure. While he was enduring on the outside, there was another young man who was enduring on the inside.


    "Father! How could you do that?! You know all too well what that bastard did to little Yuan let you''re still doing it! You''re still engaging her to him!" The young man with ethereal features questioned the old man on a chair with a defeated expression.


    "What other choice is there? The Song family is not giving us any choice." The old man asked while also explaining the situation. He knew full well that he was throwing his daughter to the hyenas but he couldn''t do anything. It was either this or giving up the nation to the outsiders. Either way, the Song family had rooted itself enough to surpass the authority of the imperial family.


    If with that marriage, or at least that was how it was to the public, they could save the imperial family and stop the invasion of the outsiders, he would sacrifice even himself let alone just his daughter. Stay updated with empire


    The land their ancestors had fought so hard to secure was at the threat of falling to the invaders from the land across the sea. His heart just wouldn''t allow it to give everything up.


    The young man arguing with the old man remained silent. Defeated, he knew all too well what was at stake. He knew that it was either this or his sister ended up as a slave. He was defeated. However, this choice was the same. It was the same as making his sister the slave of the outsiders. He wouldn''t allow it.


    No matter what, he wouldn''t allow it.


    "Where are you going?" The old man, the emperor, the rightful ruler of the land asked. "If you won''t do anything, then I will." The young man replied and left the room and entered the banquet hall. Making his way through the banquet hall, he headed for the exit, intending to leave. The young man on the outside, the younger brother of the young man saw him and tried to approach him but someone else beat him to it.


    Someone who just entered collided with the young man heading out and said, "Oh if it isn''t the crown prince Tang. It is an honor to meet you."


    A person everyone knew full well. Looking at him, no one in the room was unaware of his identity. The topic of conversation for that day was the youngest son of the Song Clan, Song Huan. The young man stopped in his steps as he heard the sweet words of the man before him, Song Huan and his expression twisted to that one of anger.


    But, no matter what, he couldn''t do anything about it. All he could do was endure it. He bit his lips and passed Song Huan who, although didn''t appear to others, snickered as the young man cowardly passed him. Song Huan also didn''t forget to mutter, "I will use your sister to the fullest tonight."


    The young man stopped in his path, his fists clenched so much that his nails were embedded into his palms but despite the sheer anger, he still couldn''t do anything. He was well aware of the truth. The world belonged to the strong and the strong in this scenario was Song Huan.


    Not him.


    So, well aware of the cruel reality, he didn''t stop and continued his steps to leave the place. Seeing him leave like that, his brother couldn''t help but mutter, ''Brother¡­''


    He had never seen his brother so defeated before. Yet, all he could do was watch and endure. ''You don''t have to endure.''


    Suddenly, a voice fell into his ears. A voice he was well familiar with, as he heard it for many days. At first, he ignored it as a sign of going mad but that wasn''t it. The voices only stemmed whenever he was deeply depressed which he almost all of the time was given how much humiliation he had to bear due to his weakness. His family''s weakness.


    Yet, he never gave in. Because his brother held his head high always but when he saw him defeated like that today, he couldn''t help but ask, ''What do you want?''


    ''Simply help you. You are me and I am you. Let''s become one and destroy everything.'' The voice said. Destroy everything. Everything that was supposedly his but he was also losing it. He and his family were losing it all.


    There was only one thing left to do. Grasp at every straw. And now that there was one straw before him, he couldn''t help but extend his hand toward it and take it. He accepted the offer of the voice.


    Suddenly, his head began to ache terribly and his breath began to shorten. As he gasped for air, pain assaulted him as well. It wasn''t long before his ears and eyes began to bleed, his nose and mouth soon followed suit.


    "Wh¡ªWhat''s happening to him?" The voice from the red-dressed woman garnered everyone''s attention and they all saw what was happening to him. Before anyone could do anything, the young man suddenly raised his head, his eyes and face bloodied as he said, "Destruction!!!!!!!!!"


    Following his yell, there was another scream and it belonged to none other than the woman in red because she began to melt. She literally began to melt until her flesh had formed a puddle beneath her feet.


    It was all so fast and instant that no one in the room could react until the deed had already happened. People only came to their senses once there was nothing but the skeleton of the woman left.


    "Ahh!!!!"


    "Kyah!!!"


    "Run!!!"


    Panic instantly took deep root as the young man didn''t stop at the woman in red and began to kill everyone near him. Seeing him rampage like that and even cutting through a Qi manifestation realm cultivator like nothing, everyone in the room realized the matter was more severe than they expected.


    Song Huan, the man who was the star of the banquet hurriedly withdrew his sword and jumped at the young man, intending to kill him but he was severely mistaken as the young man simply grabbed the sword of Song Huan and broke it like it was a piece of delicate porcelain.


    "Huh!" The impact sent Song Huan back and before he could even collect himself, his head rolled on the floor. The young man, however, wasn''t sated. He looked at the person closest to him and jumped at him, killing him as well. And just like that, more and more people followed suit. The young man didn''t stop rampaging until everyone in the hall was dead.


    However, he still wasn''t sated. He moved outside, killing everyone on the outside and then even in the city. He killed and killed and killed until there was a stream of blood in the city. He didn''t show any indication of stopping even then when the state of madness was suddenly lifted. As he saw what he had done and saw that it wasn''t just a voice in his head but reality, he was about to step away when an arrow embedded itself into his arm.


    "Argh!" He grunted in pain and looked behind him. Soldiers of Song Clan and many more were making their way towards him. Knowing he couldn''t fight them, he had no choice but to jump into the river flowing through the city and escape his pursuers.


    However, the sins he committed that day would still be their due punishment. Only the ones receiving the punishment wouldn''t be him but his family.

 Chapter 335 The stage (Bonus)

    "For the crimes committed by the devil of the Imperial family, the council has decided to eradicate the imperial family. The first to be punished would be the parents of the devil, who brought that devil to the world." A middle-aged man said as he stood on top of a platform. Beside him knelt a man and a woman of a little older age. They were none other than the rightful rulers of the land, the emperor, and the empress of the empire.They didn''t dare to raise their head as they were ashamed of what had happened as well. It was true they had nothing to do with this and most probably their kind son wouldn''t have given in to the powers of the darkness had it not been due to the current circumstances, but innocents were killed, innocents who had nothing to do with this.


    They couldn''t help but feel ashamed deeply due to that. The anger in the eyes of the people below was justified and even if they knew they shouldn''t, they couldn''t help but resent the kind rulers of the land for they were indeed the reason so many innocents had died.


    "May the punishment be carried out." The middle-aged man announced and stepped aside.


    A man carrying a heavy sword arrived beside the couple and raised his sword. In one swift slash, he severed their heads. Soon enough, their bodies were cleaned out, and while people threw stones at their bodies, another girl with eyes of the dead was brought to the stage. Her eyes were red and there were dark circles beneath her eyes.


    Her eyes, which were once radiant as the sun were dimmed like there was no life left in them. There was nothing left about her. All the cruelty of the world had taken away the innocent young woman she once was. All that was left was a simple, lifeless husk.


    She was already dead so even when people threw stones at her, she didn''t react in the least. She was forced to kneel in the very place where her parents were just a few moments ago. Well, ''forced'' was a little exaggerated. No one even had to push her for her to fall on her knees.


    Her head was already fallen so, perhaps taking mercy on her, the executioner once again raised his sword and brought it down to end her life but before his sword could fall on her neck, a bright, luminous light emitted from her and before anyone could realize what was happening, the woman was nowhere to be seen. She had simply disappeared from her spot, leaving nothing behind.


    ~~


    "Here, I saved her." A voice said to a young man, a young man who was none other than the crown prince of that empire. The crown prince couldn''t see the owner of the voice but he could feel the power around him.


    If he was envious of the power of the Song Clan or those around him before, he couldn''t even dream of the power around him. A power that went beyond logic and defied all possibilities. That same power was around him, offering him a deal that worked so well for him so how could he not take it? Even when the owner of the voice could have made him do it but was instead offering him incentives in return. Power beyond recognition and the life of his only sister.


    There was no way he could refuse.


    "Do well to live until then." The voice said before it disappeared from the spot, leaving the young man and the unconscious woman alone. But that wasn''t all. From where the voice disappeared, there was a strange cube that was lying on the ground. He remembered what the voice had said regarding the cube.


    "The power to live forever," the young man muttered before he looked at the cube and extended his hand to pick it up. As he did, suddenly something began to flow through it and entered the body of the young man. He tried to let go of it but he couldn''t. The cube stuck itself to the young man and began to disappear into his body, emitting a white light that began to illuminate the surroundings, turning the surroundings into green vegetation.


    The air was purified, the young woman near him was healed, and the barren cold ground was soft with the lush green grass beneath him. In a word, the white light emitting from the cube was like a power of life that affected everything around him and even himself.


    His height began to increase, and his body, which was thin for his age began to buff up, not so much to call him over-muscled but just enough to give him a lithe physique. His hair began to grow longer and his skin began to change to the paler side.


    All in all, if someone didn''t pay enough attention, he had completely changed from who he was. One would have to expend a lot of effort to know that it was the same crown prince of this empire.


    Finally, the cube fully entered his body, engraving itself on his right forearm. The young man let out a loud gasp as everything ended. He gasped for air hungrily and tried to stabilize his breath but he still couldn''t get the feeling of change out of his mind. The foreign feeling he felt even when he was inside his own body was strange, very strange for him.


    But he had to live through it. After all, there were other things to focus on. "Yue!" He yelled and stood up, running to the young girl who was still unconscious. She, although not as much as the young man, was still changed enough to give her a healthy appearance and even more beautiful than before.


    Her eyes fluttered as they slowly opened. He was worried she would be the same but as she saw him, she smiled. "Liao Gege." She said with an affectionate smile on her face. The young man didn''t know what had happened to her but life had returned to her eyes and she didn''t seem to remember what had happened and it was proven correct as they both conversed with each other.


    "How could that! When did that happen, Gege?" The girl asked. She had no recollection of the last few days as they conversed. So, the young man didn''t tell him anything either, anything about the truth at the very least.


    So he simply told her that the Song family usurped their reign and took the throne of the empire. As for his family, unfortunately, he couldn''t save them. The voice had given him a choice. Saving even one person was going against destiny so saving three was impossible. In the end, he had no choice but to choose and he chose his sister.


    "Then¡­Then what about Shao Gege?" The young girl named Yue asked. The young man remained silent. He didn''t know how to tell her that their brother had succumbed to the dark side and become an evil cultivator. That he was the entire reason their parents were dead.


    Did he resent him? Yes, he did.


    Did he want his sweet and innocent sister to resent him? No, he did not.


    He didn''t want that to be the last memory she had of him. While he vowed to take care of his brother so his soul could rest and free him from the power of darkness, he decided to take that burden on only himself, making sure her sister remained the sweet and innocent young lady she was.


    The power of the cube could allow him to extend the life span of himself and some more people, only people he had chosen as his trusted allies.


    The power of body reformation, a magical power that even the high-ranking cultivators failed to attain. That was the power the cube was granting him. A power that even the higher-ranked cultivators would kill for.


    ''Just you wait, people of the Song family.'' He vowed to punish all those responsible as well. His brother may have been to pull the string but the ones who were armed with the arrow were them and all those who eyes the throne of their family. He made sure to take his revenge sooner or later. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For that, he had to gain strength and power that no one in the world could stop. The power that even the high-ranking cultivators would fear. Power to destroy.


    ~~


    "5000 years, you say?" A voice asked.


    [Yes]


    Another voice replied. The owner of the first voice remained silent as he didn''t know whether or not that was the correct move.


    [They won''t remain quiet]


    [That girl was destined to die that day]


    "Hah!" The owner of the voice scoffed as if it was a joke and asked, "And since when have I ever cared about destiny?"


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    "The groundwork is laid. The stage is set. Now we have to wait for the actors to play their part." The voice said as it faded away slowly, word by word, as what was left behind was nothing but darkness.

 Chapter 336 Flee

    "That''s it?" Wei Jun asked. Although he had no interest in the flashback the cult master was recounting, he couldn''t help but ask. From how the cult master mentioned his brother, he thought he would be some great man whose steps would be laced with death and destruction. The beautiful kind.Yet all he picked up from that story was, "Wouldn''t that make him a loser?"


    "Haha," The cult master chuckled but the Qi around him began to tremble. A clear sign that he was angry. Still, Wei Jun could feel the instability in the air. His plan was working. The cult master was slowly losing his mind and his Qi was becoming unstable, "You would say so. But if you only knew that in these last 5 millennium, you would also worship him. Even now, the powerhouses of this world dear him like none other."


    That Wei Jun had to admit. Although his fa?ade was a grandmaster realm cultivator, for some reason, the CSF and the military were wary of him. Even Yan Rong''s father, the person who was supposed to be one of the strongest men of the CSF backed away in front of him. Wei Jun knew there was something deeper but he didn''t know what.


    "So?" The cult master asked, "Are you done checking the foundations of the building? Don''t worry. Even if I was at my full strength, it would be very difficult to bring this building down."


    "Well," Wei Jun said, "I would definitely if that was to be the case. But who said that I didn''t want to?"


    "What?" The cult master spoke but as soon as he did, the cracks on the floor began to widen and the building began to shake. The cult master stopped to observe the changes before he looked at Wei Jun and asked, "What are you trying to do?"


    "I came here to kill you. But," Wei Jun looked at the newly revealed information from the system. If he was worried that he wouldn''t get anything from this fight, then he was wrong. He stood to lose a lot more if he were to lose this fight. He wasn''t willing to make a trade.


    It was much more better to just run away.


    "But I changed my mind. Besides," Wei Jun finally penetrated his Qi into the foundation of the building, "I have someone in mind who will keep you busy until I grow a little more."


    The intense shaking intensified even more and the building wouldn''t remain standing for even a few minutes longer.


    "And why do you think I''d let you get away?" The cult master asked.


    "I''m willing to bet it''s harder to hold him back, isn''t it?" Wei Jun asked with a grin on his face.


    "You," the expression on the cult master''s face was as threatening as the word itself could be. If looks could kill, the current one on the cult master''s face would have ripped Wei Jun a thousand times now, "How do you know him?"


    "Well," Wei Jun said as he looked at the cult master with a laidback expression, "I know someone even older than you."


    Crack!!!


    The cracks in the foundation reached the basement and soon the entire building began to shake. The shaking got too intense for anyone to keep a firm hold and if that wasn''t worse, the roof started to fall apart on their heads along with the debris from the higher levels of the building.


    "Fall back!" Wei Jun pushed back when Liu Yu was fighting with the male master and kicked him. The cult master remained in his place while he tried to make a struggle against the evil entity inside him from coming out.


    Wei Jun''s kick was deadlier than the man anticipated and he was thrown away to the other side of the room. Yan Rong didn''t hesitate to move back as well. While her opponent was easier to handle, she was regenerating at a very fast pace so she couldn''t deal any decisive damage to her. In other words, the fight was in vain and all she could do was to buy time as much as she could.


    As soon as she was near Wei Jun, Wei Jun grabbed both of their hands and made a run for it, coating himself and the other two in thick Death Qi, he didn''t hesitate for a second and ran through the walls and made it outside.


    It was nighttime outside so the foot traffic outside wasn''t much, however, a building falling down would still attract attention. But he didn''t hold back for a second and jumped in the air, putting as much power as he could in his legs.


    "Ahhh!!!!" The girls screamed at the power he left behind and at the height of his jump but he ignored them and ran away as far as he could. In just five minutes, he was outside of Shannau City and looked back at the city. The building could still be seen falling to the ground but he couldn''t see anyone else from that distance.


    However, he wasn''t willing to wait around and find out. On the other hand, Song Lihui, the master of the cult was about to run in the direction of Wei Jun but the cult master stopped her, "Stop. Let him go. He isn''t the problem for now. My brother has found us. Prepare for the sealing ceremony."


    Song Lihui stopped and so did the man next to her. They then proceeded to leave the area while Song Lihui pulled her phone out and called some of her contacts to prepare the next hideout.


    ~~


    "Are you crazy!?" Liu Yu asked as she tried to stand on her own two feet but they felt like jelly. The impact of their fall had done a good number on Liu Yu and Yan Rong even with their strength. However, Wei Jun wasn''t interested in their rambling.


    He was more worried about another matter. So, without hesitation, he pulled a dagger from his inventory and jumped on top of Liu Yu, holding it to her neck. Liu Yu stopped. She looked at Wei Jun with her piercing dark eyes and asked, "What? I thought we had grown closer. But this doesn''t seem like so."


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    "I don''t care about that. Tell me, what do you think I am?" Wei Jun asked as he pressed a little harder, making a small cut on Liu Yu''s neck. The coldness in his eyes was enough to tell Liu Yu that he wasn''t messing around. One wrong answer and her head would be separated from her body.


    "Do you mean how you''re an evil cultivator?" Liu Yu asked.


    As soon as she said that, Wei Jun pressed the dagger harder, driving the blade even deeper, and making Liu Yu tremble in pain. She hissed and said, "Would it assure you if I said I wouldn''t tell anyone?"


    "No," Wei Jun said, his eyes as cold as they could be.


    "Then why ask such a stupid question? How are you going to make sure I don''t talk?" Liu Yu asked. Although her life was at stake, she wasn''t a businesswoman for nothing. She knew how to get out of this situation and luckily for her, the man holding her life in his hands was a businessman as well.


    "Just kill her and get it over with," Yan Rong said from the side.


    "Oh, but he won''t do that, honey," Liu Yu said, her attitude devoid of any worry as she looked at Wei Jun and said, "We''ve left traces of our Qi here. Sooner or later they would be discovered."


    "Saying that I died at the hands of the monster back there wouldn''t cut it either. I''m too big of an asset for the sect to simply dismiss my death as nothing. Not to mention I''m the only reason Sun Ruan''s keeping his friendship with my master. With me gone, the power scale would topple." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Simply, killing me would start a war. To prevent that war, the sect master himself would join the investigation. No matter how meticulous my loving fianc¨¦ can be, he wouldn''t be able to hide the truth from him. Magic has made that very hard."


    "The only option left is to pressure me. But, he can''t do that either. I only care about my life, nothing else. He can''t threaten me with the lives of my family either."


    "All he can do is make sure I listen to him. For that, he needs a deal. Don''t you, darling?" Liu Yu broke down the entire scenario and once she was done, she looked back at Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun looked down at her. All the things she said were true. He didn''t really care for the war or others but he did worry about the sect master and it was also the truth that she was simply too strong for the sect master to just dismiss her death.


    He didn''t know whether or not the sect master was an ally. If he was otherwise, then having him as an enemy wasn''t a good idea.


    With all the scenarios done, he pulled back the knife. "Haha," Liu Yu chuckled as she applied her Qi to the cut area and it began to heal. She then looked at Wei Jun and asked, "Well, my lovely fianc¨¦, what are you willing to offer me to keep my mouth shut?"

 Chapter 337 Authority of the sect master

    While Wei Jun couldn''t pick up details in the story of the cult master, the system, or rather, the overseer could. He picked up the detail that he knew would be detrimental to Wei Jun if he were to stay any longer.''A demon?'' Wei Jun asked as he drove back to the Yuan Yin city. Yan Rong in the passenger seat and Liu Yu in the back were both sleeping so he could have the conversation he had with the system before while facing the cult master more openly. Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    [Yes]


    ''Are they real?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [If god is real]


    [Then so is the heaven]


    [Then so is the hell]


    ''Then so are the demons.''


    [Yep]


    [But there''s something unique about him]


    ''What is?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Zixiang Mo]


    [Literally a demon of excessive thoughts]


    [It shows the host''s delusions and excessive scenarios which could be bad for the host]


    [Prompting them to let him take over to deal with them]


    [The more the host is driven mad]


    [The more chances of him taking over]


    ''Is he strong?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Very]


    [But that''s not the main point]


    ''The main point would be why a follower of madness would need the power of l.u.s.t.''


    [Exactly]


    [And even Zixiang Mo cannot drive the host mad to such an extent]


    ''You mean to say¡­''


    [Yes]


    [There are two demons inside of him]


    [That''s why the scale of conflict was so high]


    [They''re both fighting]


    [And the battlefield is his mind]


    ''Who''s the other one?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Mei Ji]


    [A foxy spirit]


    ''She''s cunning?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [No]


    [Her lineage is directly linked to the fox spirits]


    [She feeds on the essence of men]


    [The desire created from the acts of fornication and such]


    ''That doesn''t make sense. Why was he feeding one and not the other?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Because their feeding methods are different]


    [While Mei Ji could be fed the desire of others]


    [Zixiang Mo strictly requires the madness of the host]


    [The more he gives in to his madness]


    [The better his power manifests]


    ''There''s one thing I don''t understand.''


    [What?]


    ''If they''re supposed to make their hosts stronger, then why is he pushing them back? If they can be controlled by feeding them, then why are they fighting back?''


    [The soul]


    [There is only one soul but the contenders are two]


    [If he were to feed one better]


    [The better their power would manifest]


    [The stronger their hold on the soul would be]


    [The other one wouldn''t allow that]


    [So he''s fighting back]


    ''Any counter?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [To be honest]


    [You''re the best counter to them]


    [Remember how Liu Yu was entranced by that cult master]


    [She was enchanted by the power of the demons]


    [Especially Mei Ji''s]


    [However, it didn''t work on you]


    [You hold the inherent power of Death]


    [The superior element of Demonic energy]


    [That means the effects of the demonic powers would work on you]


    [You just need to be stronger than them physically and in cultivation]


    Wei Jun fell into deep thought. Whatever it was, he knew the game was deepening. If his opponent was just the protagonist in the beginning, now he had to worry about angels and demons as well. Not to mention, the threats to this world weren''t really on his side. Although he was the reason the dungeons were opening more frequently, it wasn''t like they followed him so they were, in a sense, his enemies as well.


    There was a lot on his plate now and not enough power to deal with it all. He needed something else. Something big. One thing to increase his power by leaps and bounds. His level was the biggest problem at the moment. Luckily, he knew how to deal with that.


    It just so happened that there was an event coming up. If Wei Jun could interfere before the protagonist could take it, he could increase his level by a lot.


    The only problem was¡­


    [With such a heavy change in fate]


    [There could be discrepancies in the original story now]


    [The upcoming event may not go as originally planned]


    It wasn''t like Wei Jun didn''t know that. Such a major event could change had a very, very slim chance of happening but it could still happen. Although the foundation of the event may remain the same, it could change the time, place, or the advantage of the protagonist.


    ''All of this is giving me a headache,'' Wei Jun internally sighed. In the end, he was all alone and he had to deal with the issues and nothing went by his plan ever. Of course, there were times when things went smoothly when it came to the protagonists but then there would be other troubles such as the police, the government, the CSF, and the military and he had an ominous feeling that there would be another unreasonable enemy soon to come.


    [I think you just have bad luck, host]


    ''Tell me about it.''


    [I just did]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun wisely remained silent and ignored the system. Sure, the demons were a new addition to the pile of already preexisting troubles, but Wei Jun was sure he could handle them just like he always handled everything else. All he needed was the power. Unlike in the novels where the ongoing trouble would be something the protagonist could always handle, and then a new villain would show up, in Wei Jun''s case, his ongoing troubles were several levels above him and to survive, he often had to run away.


    But he wasn''t na?ve enough to think that a day wouldn''t come when he wouldn''t be able to run. There would definitely come a day when his luck would run out and he would be killed in an instant.


    ~~


    "So you both failed?" The sect master asked.


    "Yes," Wei Jun said, "Demons weren''t part of the job description."


    Liu Yu turned to look at Wei Jun, unaware of what it meant but the sect master remained silent. He looked at Liu Yu and said, "You may leave."


    Liu Yu bowed and left. As for Wei Jun, well, he was a little, okay, very nervous. It was a gamble, making the sect master owe him one and the only way to do that was to shift the blame onto the sect master. However, if he was someone unreasonable, he wouldn''t care. The sole gamble lay on the fact that the sect master could be reasoned with.


    "I assume you met my brother?" The sect master asked.


    "You knew there were demons involved yet you sent us there. You knew we would lose." Wei Jun said. Losing here meant losing their lives. Losing Wei Jun''s life. The sect master knew that as well so he smirked and said, "Yet you didn''t."


    "¡­" Arguing wasn''t the right strategy. Playing the victim was always followed by the fact that one shouldn''t speak too much. Especially when the person involved was so powerful.


    "I wasn''t the one who sent you there." The sect master said but before Wei Jun could speak, the sect master waved his hand. However, to Wei Jun, it felt like a giant was waving his hand as a sole finger was put in front of him, preventing him from speaking, "I haven''t granted you permission to speak yet. I will ignore the rest until this point as your mistake."


    Wei Jun clamped his mouth shut. No matter how brave he was, he was still powerless against the sect master, an entity that was several realms higher than him in cultivation.


    "I was ordered to send you there. As to who, well, I obviously cannot tell you that. I was against it. I knew you wouldn''t be able to survive but the person who ordered me assured me that you will." The sect master said. In all of that, the only detail that Wei Jun picked was that the sect master was ordered by someone.


    Someone who could order the sect master wasn''t someone Wei Jun could deal with. He''d require years to do that. Fortunately, from the sound of it, the entity was on his side. At the moment at least.


    "Had it been anyone else, the will to serve me, or maybe the fear, or the greed for the reward, or any other reason would have prevented you from running away. You made the correct decision." The sect master said. "Although, showing the girl your power wasn''t such a good idea."


    "You were watching us?" Wei Jun asked. He didn''t miss the fact that the sect master knew about his Death Qi. But if he didn''t bring it up, Wei Jun didn''t pursue it as well.


    "Why do you think my brother didn''t follow you?" The sect master asked.


    "¡­" Wei Jun remained silent. He let the sect master continue as he had almost given up on playing the victim card. He valued his life more and decided not to angry the sect master who didn''t seem to be in a very good mood and he guessed it had something to do with his brother.


    He wanted to ask why the sect master didn''t kill his brother if that was the ultimate goal but he felt like any subject related to the sect master''s brother wouldn''t be welcomed at the moment.


    "You and the girl will be fairly compensated for all your troubles." The sect master said before he looked at Wei Jun and said, "You can take whatever you want from my personal collection. Both of you. You may leave." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 338 Compensation

    Wei Jun came out of the sect master''s quarters and Liu Yu was outside, waiting for him. As she saw him, she asked, "What did he say? And what was that about a demon?""Do you want to hear an answer to those questions or do you want to know about the reward he has given us?" Wei Jun asked. Liu Yu remained quiet and simply listened to what Wei Jun had to say.


    "I will guide you," Before Wei Jun could tell her, a cold voice spoke from behind him. Wei Jun and Liu Yu both turned their attention to her. "Follow me," She said and then turned to walk away.


    Liu Yu looked at Wei Jun who simply started to follow Wei Jun so she did the same. "What did he say?" Liu Yu couldn''t contain her curiosity and ask.


    "He said get stronger with the reward he''ll be giving us today. We''ll have to face him again," Wei Jun said. Although the sect master hadn''t said so, it was the only reason for that reward. Otherwise, he would have been granted rewards like the rest of the core disciples but he was granted an opportunity to take one item from the sect master''s collection. He was wondering if there was something there that wasn''t available in the shop.


    [I find that hard to believe]


    [But there could be something you''d need at the moment]


    [Like a body cultivation technique]


    Even if there was one, unless it was an SSS rank one, Wei Jun wasn''t taking it. After all, he was sure he would eventually buy one from the shop. Why waste a slot on something inferior when he could eventually have a better one?


    "We''ve arrived," The woman walking before them stopped. Wei Jun and Liu Yu stopped as well, turning to look at the door made of gold on their right. The woman placed her hand on the door and it slowly parted from the middle, granting them access to the room.


    ''That doesn''t look like normal gold,'' Wei Jun said.


    [It isn''t]


    [It''s a mineral you can fashion into different shapes]


    ''That can be done to any mineral.'' Wei Jun said.


    [This is different]


    [You just have to think after binding with it and it would change into whatever you want]


    [It''s lightweight but incredibly sturdy]


    [It has one drawback though]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [If proper materials are used]


    [The bond of a person with the mineral can easily be broken]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what it meant but if it was used by the sect master to safely keep his treasures, then it must not be very easy to bypass it.


    [On the contrary]


    [The people of this era just may not know it]


    ''Do you have it in the shop?'' Wei Jun asked. He just had an idea and he was curious to see if it''d work or not.


    [Didn''t I say there''s almost everything in the shop?]


    Wei Jun didn''t ask anything else and came to a stop as the woman stopped as well. She stopped in the middle of the room and turned to both of them, "You have an hour to choose. After that, whether you have chosen or not, you will have to leave."


    Wei Jun didn''t waste time to nod and simply moved. He didn''t really know what to choose so he was relying on the system''s help for that. He stopped in front of the section where there were lines and lines of bookshelves. All ten of them had cultivation techniques in them. Liu Yu also chose that spot but she made her way to the way back, where the truly powerful ones were.


    ''Can''t one person only have one cultivation technique?'' Wei Jun asked. The people of this world didn''t know of that so Wei Jun was curious to ask.


    [If they know how to then yes]


    [Another method is to abolish the preexisting technique]


    [She could just be curious and may want to study Qi a little]


    [Something you should do too]


    [It''ll help you a lot] S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun ignored that suggestion since he already had a lot on his plate. Instead, he focused on cultivation techniques rather than useless chatter. After about thirty minutes of wasting time, he stopped. There was nothing useful in the cultivation techniques center.


    He found only two books for body cultivation and both of them were useless. He ignored them and focused on the other ones but even they weren''t really good and all they did was tell him how the shop was better.


    He looked at other things as well but they were useless. The treasures, although great to increase Qi, were also available in bulk in the shop.


    Unlike in the novels or movies, he didn''t find a hidden treasure or anything else. In the entire room, there wasn''t one single thing that could have piqued his interest or gained approval from the system. There were only five minutes left when the system said¡­


    [You see that book]


    [That black one]


    Wei Jun turned to look at it and it was a mana cultivation technique. Wei Jun didn''t know what he was supposed to do with it when the system spoke¡­


    [You should learn how mana moves]


    [That will be helpful when you become a grandmaster]


    [You will have to buy it from the shop anyway]


    [Why not take this one for free?]


    Wei Jun agreed and took the book. As he picked it up, a number of notifications appeared in his vision.


    [Well, that''s new]


    Even the system was surprised. Wei Jun didn''t know what to do about it so he put it on hold for the moment. He simply took the book and made his way to the woman who kept her eyes on them like a hawk the entire time.


    "I see you have chosen as well," She said. Liu Yu had already chosen so he was the one who was late. He wasn''t interested what she had chosen so he didn''t even look at it let alone asked. He was more interested in the new experiment that had shown up in the system notifications.


    "Follow me," The woman said and Wei Jun and Liu Yu followed her out. Once they were out, the door behind them closed up once again. The woman turned to both of them and eyed the things both of them had taken. She nodded her head after making sure she knew what they were and said, "The sect master hopes you put the treasures he has granted you to good use."


    Saying so, she simply turned and left. Wei Jun didn''t waste another second and turned to leave as well. He had to get back to the Yuan Yin city. While there were many other reasons for his return, the biggest was because his lie might come out and he''d lose the military''s support.


    He had to clear dungeons before the month was up and he needed to do it quick. Such an open access to dungeons wasn''t something he could simply forego. If there was a chance he could fool the military for a little more longer before they realized the contract was a sham, then it would be all the more better.


    As he boarded the helicopter that was still here for so many days, the pilot fired it up and the helicopter rose to the skies. As the chopper made its way back to the Yuan Yin city, Wei Jun once again looked at the notifications in his view.


    The title of the book said, "Introduction to mana channels and 508 one circle spells."


    The author of the book was someone named Alex Cole. Wei Jun didn''t know who he was and neither did the system but that wasn''t the highlight.


    [The user has been detected to have the INT stat]


    [Would you like to learn skills of flame and dark attributed?]


    [Yes\\No]


    ''Would I master all of them?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [No]


    [Just those of fire and dark attributed]


    [Yang and Death attributed]


    Since Yang was similar to Flame, Wei Jun could also learn those skills. He, however, didn''t click on ''Yes''. Sure, learning magic skills was great but Wei Jun didn''t want that. He''d much rather learn high-ranked spells than such low-circle spells which, according to the system, were utility spells such as ''Ignite'' which only lit a little fire on your finger.


    He wasn''t interested in those spells or skills at all. When asked whether he could upgrade them or not, the system didn''t give a definite answer.


    [Don''t know]


    [Cultivators can''t use magic spells anyway]


    [You must be a unique case]


    ''Can''t hybrids can?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You''re not a hybrid]


    Wei Jun didn''t ask anymore. He wasn''t interested in the spells but he was piqued by the mana channels information. It was so simply detailed that even he, who had zero experience with mana and its channels could easily understand them.


    [This guy must be good]


    [I''ve never seen such a simple depiction of mana channels]


    Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire


    [I think you should find more books about this guy]


    Wei Jun nodded but that was for later. For now, he was more focused on the matters of the military and the protagonist. And amidst all that planning, he finally arrived at the military base.

 Chapter 339 Do Not Read

    "What do you think you''re doing?!" Yan Rong yelled as she entered Tae Song''s office. Tae Song, who was busy with his paperwork looked at her.Many years younger than him yet more powerful and talented than him, holding the same rank of the lieutenant as him, Yan Rong was a figure no one in the CSF took lightly.


    Not to mention the fact that she was the daughter of the commander. One of the three only commanders of the CSF, an entity no one could take lightly.


    Such a person''s daughter was Yan Rong. If it had been just a connection though, then it wouldn''t have mattered much. However, Yan Rong was equally talented and lived up to her name, no, she actually exceeded the expectations of the top brass.


    The only reason she wasn''t a major yet was because of her age. Achievement wise, she was the top in any of the major''s lists.


    "What do you mean?" Tae Song, however, didn''t cower. Of course, Yan Rong was strong and an immense figure in the CSF and normally, he would have to be careful when dealing with her but currently, ignoring the fact that she was at the same rank as him, the CSF was also in danger. Whatever he were to do, the CSF would back him up so he didn''t need to be worried about her.


    "Why are you slandering an innocent man?" Yan Rong asked. It was an open fact that Yan Rong was currently in a relationship with the heir of the Ruan family. Nothing was confirmed, but she was seen with him on several occasions.


    And her anger right now confirmed that fact.


    "We have to pursue every lead. Currently, Wei Jun Ruan is the prime suspect of the incident. We have to make sure nothing is left unchecked." Tae Song calmly replied.


    "Suspect?" Yan Rong squinted her eyes and asked, "If he''s a suspect, then why have declared him a criminal to the public?"


    There was no answer to that question. Wei Jun Ruan was a lead which meant they had to properly investigate him. By announcing to the media that they were sure Wei Jun Ruan was the biker terrorist, they had plunged his reputation down the drain even if the investigation would ever declare him to be innocent. The consequences for them would be severe, but nowhere near as Wei Jun.


    "We had to take extreme measures due to the severity of the situation." Tae Song replied.


    "Oi, Tae Song," No formality on her voice, Yan Rong called Tae Song as one would call a child and asked, "Where''s that bit*h who took this case?"


    Tae Song''s expression changed at Yan Rong''s informality but he couldn''t do anything about it. Regardless of the age, they were similar in rank after all.


    And regarding Rin, she was his subordinate so he definitely wouldn''t let Yan Rong do anything to her so he replied, "Where she is has nothing to do with this or with you. This was a joint decision by the CSF and approved by them as well. Doing anything against it would be akin to treason. Even commander wouldn''t defend you on that one."


    "Commander, you say?" Yan Rong asked, her Qi beginning to rage throughout the building, "Oi, Tae Song," she once again called out to Tae Song who calmly sat in his seat but couldn''t help but be wary of the chill spreading throughout around him, "Do you think I''ve ever needed him to defend me?"


    In the end, words were words, titles were titles and actions were actions.


    Words could be manipulated, changed, and exaggerated. Titles could be wrongfully assigned, could once again be a result of an exaggeration, or the target of some political move.


    However, actions were the only thing that held the essence of truth in them. Actions spoke for themselves, many say and many couldn''t have been more right. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girl who was offered a position at the imperial guard, and not just that, was even proposed by one of the princes himself. She was Yan Rong and the one who rejected both of these offers.


    She called the prince a weakling to his face and rejected him in public. While many thought she would be punished for that, she was instead offered a position at the imperial guard.


    If that wasn''t enough, she rejected that position too. The imperial guard was angry and her father tried to defend her but his position was limited. But that was changed when a high ranking official of the imperial guard was beaten to cr*p by Yan Rong.


    Looking at her now, Tae Song knew that she never cared about treason or loyalty. She didn''t need to be defended. She could do that well enough on her own.


    "Lieutenant!" Suddenly a number of people barged in Tae Song''s office before he could even react to Yan Rong''s Qi.


    Yan Rong turned to them. It was none other than Rin and her team. Seeing her, Yan Rong''s Qi vanished as she turned to Tae Song and asked, "She the one?"


    Tae Song remained quiet but that was all the answer Yan Rong needed. Yan Rong turned to look at Rin, her eyes cold as ice as she said, "Make sure you prove what you''re done. Cause if you can''t, I''ll bury you."


    Saying so, Yan Rong left the office like the storm that came and passed. Tae Song was left with a headache while Rin was confused what was happening.


    Later, when she was told what it was all about, she couldn''t help but think back to how Wei Jun Ruan was. If he was able to charm Yan Rong to an extent she was standing up to her own organization, there wasn''t an impossibility that she wasn''t involved in this as well.


    However, accusing Wei Jun Ruan and accusing Yan Rong were two entirely different matters. It wasn''t something Rin was willing to risk her entire career on.


    ~~


    "Mister Ruan, what do you have to say about the CSF''s accusations against you?" A reporter asked while Wei Jun was holding a conference.


    "I don''t honestly know where the CSF is going with this." Wei Jun replied before he added, "They asked for access to the company files and even though it could have been very dangerous to the company, and I gave it to them. Despite cooperating with them fully, they have still chosen to slander me like this. If they found something, they should have shown it to the world. However, they haven''t which speaks a lot of their intentions."


    "Why do think they have chosen you as a target?" Another reporter asked.


    "All said and done, CSF, like every other organization is also political. Not only am I link to the Ruan family, I''m also a link to the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect. It is quite obvious what they are trying to do." Wei Jun also didn''t hold back on accusations, only his were true.


    "Mister Ruan, how much value do you words hold?" Another reporter asked. In the end, CSF was a big organization while Wei Jun was a playboy. It was obvious who the public would side with if both of them were up for a choice.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "To show you how I have been wronged by the CSF, please observe."


    Wei Jun nodded to Li Wei who was sitting next to him and a video began to play. On the video, Rin and her team could been seen, planning to download the sensitive files of the Ruan company.


    "While they were permitted to have access to the files, they were permitted to download them. I can only think that when they didn''t find anything, they resorted to tricks that could easily damage my reputation. I wonder if the news about them being hacked is even true or not." Wei Jun elaborated.


    On the screen, it was clear what was happening. Seeing it with their own eyes, while CSF''s credibility wasn''t severely damaged, it was still questioned. If they could lie about that, then they could lie about anything.


    "What is your response, Mister Ruan?" Another reporter asked.


    "While my response would have been something else, unfortunately, at the moment I''m nearing my breakthrough in my cultivation. My sect master has ordered me to retire to closed door cultivation in the sect. Unfortunately, until I finish my breakthrough, I cannot leave the sect so I cannot deal with this matter either. In return, my sect master has assured me that he will deal with everything in my absence so I have to trust him with that." Wei Jun announced and with that, he ended the conference even when there were still a lot of questions left to be answered.


    Still, what he had revealed was more than enough. Now was the time for the CSF to respond about which, the media didn''t have great optimism about. All said and done, they did try to rob the Ruan family of their sensitive data and once they couldn''t find anything, they went with this approach.


    One thing was for sure, for the time being, Wei Jun was out of heat while the same couldn''t be said for the CSF.

 Chapter 340 Do Not Read

    "What¡­ What nonsense are you speaking, Gabe? That''s her! Right there!" Andrew stepped forward, making his way to Julie\\Celina when Gabriel stopped him."What are you doing?! Let me go!" Andrew yelled again and again but Gabriel didn''t let him go.


    "Hahahahaha." An angelic laugh that was full of amusement flowed in the boys'' ears. Gabriel couldn''t help but shot a glare at Celina while he still held the struggling Andrew behind.


    "Oh come on. You don''t find this situation a least bit funny?" Celina asked with a coy smile.


    Gabriel looked at Andrew who was yelling and struggling for him to let go but Gabriel knew he couldn''t. He couldn''t let Andrew go near Celina.


    If she were to turn on the machine, Gabriel knew he wouldn''t be able to stop what was coming. Not in time anyway.


    "What do you want?" Gabriel asked Celina.


    "That''s a very good question. What could I possibly want?" She asked with a finger on her lower lip and an amused smile on her face.


    "Stop playing games. I know you wouldn''t kill everyone." Gabriel said.


    "Oh, don''t be so sure of that. The wall between dimensions is not that hard to cross." Celina said, calling Gabriel''s bluff.


    "With the lunatic gone, who do you think would be able to make it possible for you to do that?" Gabriel asked.


    "There are still ways, sweetie. Even you know that." Celina said, once again calling Gabriel''s bluff.


    "Then do you think you would be able to escape after pushing that button on." Gabriel said as his eyes began to glow.


    "No." Celina replied, since that wasn''t a bluff. She knew she wouldn''t be able to escape from Gabriel no matter how hard she tried.


    But she also had a trump card.


    "Hey, Andrew~" Celina playfully called Andrew who finally stopped struggling, "If you let him kill me, Julie might die along with me as well. There''s still a little part of her left. I might give her back if you were to help me escape."


    Gabriel let go of Andrew. The reason? Because Celina''s coaxing worked. Andrew would do anything to save Julie and stopped Gabriel was not something that high up on his moral grade, even if it concerned all of the people of the world.


    "Gabe," Andrew slowly called.


    "Please," He said with terrible pleading in his voice.


    "She will kill billions of people, Andrew." Gabriel said with an impassive expression. There was no pity for his brother. Only the will to do what was right.


    "But it''s Julie. My Julie." Andrew said, trying to reason with Gabriel.


    "Julie''s gone." Gabriel said before he added, "And do you really think she would give Julie back?"


    Andrew had no answer to that but as long as there was hope, he had to try to he did what he knew was the only option he had.


    "I''m sorry, Gabe," Andrew said as lightning crackled on his palm and in less than a second, he shot Gabriel with it.


    Alas, for Gabriel, one second was more than enough. Gabriel simply raised his hand, the lightning strike hit him in his hand and passed through his body. Gabriel redirected it easily by coating his own energy around it and after he was done, he let it out from his other palm.


    Aimed at Andrew.


    Andrew was caught off guard and couldn''t protect himself in time. Not to mention it was a technique he hadn''t seen before, ever.


    Redirecting lightning was something he had never even been able to imagine before because Andrew produced lightning sacrificing his own stamina. He never figured he could take lightning from something else as well, so although he was familiar with lightning, he was still harmed when he was struck from another lightning source.


    With Andrew out of the way, Gabriel turned to Celina, his eyes relaying what he intended to do.


    "Ah-ah." Celina hurriedly held up the remote and said, "No matter how fast you are, I''m sure pressing this would be faster."


    Gabriel was confident he could make it, after all, nothing moved faster than light itself. But, he couldn''t take a risk. There was too much at stake to chalk it up to confidence.


    "What do you want, Celina?" Gabriel asked.


    "What I''ve always wanted." Celina quickly replied before she added with love struck smile, "You."


    "Not while you''re in that body." Gabriel replied.


    "Why not? You can even live up to the fantasy of two girls in one body." Celina playfully replied.


    Gabriel, however, wasn''t amused in the least. He knew he was going to kill Celina and that also meant killing her while she was in Julie. Julie wouldn''t survive. No matter the scenario.


    Julie would die if Celina leaved her body and she would also die if Celina were to stay in her body for an extended period of time.


    "What was the plan? Get to me through Andrew using an innocent girl?" Gabriel asked.


    "Oh, she wasn''t so innocent, you know. Dad made sure to birth some children with his own blood. He made sure I would live forever, with vessels at my disposal." Celina said before she nonchalantly added, "This girl was just one of them. She was born to be my vessel. There''s nothing wrong about it."


    Gabriel looked at Andrew, who although injured, could hear every word Celina was saying.


    "Let her go!" Andrew yelled at Celina but he couldn''t move at all.


    "I think we should end this now. Before lover boy''s mind takes another hit by knowing that he never mattered at all. He was never important." Celina said before she playfully said, "Oops. Now he does."


    Celina was about to push the button when she froze. Her hand stopped just before her thumb could press the button.


    "I¡­ don''t." A strained voice, almost as if suppressed from within came from Celina but Gabriel knew it didn''t belong to Celina, it belonged to Julie.


    She looked at Andrew and Andrew looked at her, "Julie."


    He muttered but Julie turned her eyes away from him. She looked at Gabriel and just said one word, "Please."


    Gabriel moved before anyone could tell what was happening; before Celina could take back, before Andrew could properly say anything.


    Crack!


    A slight crackling voice was heard and Gabriel was pushing his hand through Julie''s chest, killing her but not instantly.


    Some functions were still intact. She was still alive. But she wouldn''t be for long. Gabriel hurriedly took the detonator for the machine and stepped away.


    Although he could have just taken the detonator, Julie would have died anyway and Celina would have taken over, and he didn''t know if she had something up her sleeve to run away.


    And he didn''t want to risk it.


    So he killed her while she was still Julie. He let Julie die as Julie.


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    "No!!!" But Andrew wasn''t willing to let her die. He ran and appeared near Julie before she could hit the ground.


    "NO! NO!! NO!!!" Tendrils of lightning left his body, illuminating the night sky.


    He was losing control of his emotions. Julie, with a last flicker in her eyes said while touching Andrew with her hand, "And..rew¡­ your..s¡­ forev¡­.er."


    Her hand lost any strength it had and the light in her eyes vanished.


    "NO!!!!!!!" An electrical storm that shook the earth began to emit from their location, and while Julie''s body was safe, nothing else in the vicinity was.


    The sky was covered in thunder and a storm of lightning overtook the entirety of Chicago and past it.


    People looked at everything, scared out of their wits but they were protected by the storm of lightning and the net of thunder that covered the sky by none other than Gabriel.


    However, it wasn''t long before that scene was overtaken by a scene of fire. The sky was covered in fire as if the sun was at its peak.


    The night sky was illuminated by the fire in the sky, and not just Chicago, but the entire world was covered in fire. Only this wasn''t a fire that was harmful to them but the fire that looked beautiful as hell.


    And that beautiful scene was only possible with a sacrifice.


    A sacrifice that forever created a monster.


    ~


    Bruce sat in his office, admiring the view with none other than his wife.


    "It''s beautiful." His wife said, her piercing blue eyes looking at the night sky illuminated by the solar flare.


    "Just like you." Bruce couldn''t help but say while looking at his wife. Solar flare wasn''t as beautiful as his wife so he hadn''t seen any of the solar flare from the beginning. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Charming." His wife smiled before she asked, "Are you sure you should be here? What if he needs you?"


    "Me being there would only increase his pain. Why didn''t I do anything? He would ask that and I wouldn''t have an answer to that." Bruce replied with remorse filled in his eyes.


    "It''s all right. He might understand if you tell him." His wife held his hand affectionately and said.


    Bruce nodded and said, "I hope so. Because this isn''t over."


    He turned his eyes to the sky which was still red and said, "Far from over."

 Chapter 341 Do Not Read

    "What kind of a sicko would do that to himself?" Zhou Han asked particularly no one but he was looking for an answer as well. They were in a white room with a giant mirror on one wall though which, they could see a similar white room where a man who''s flesh was absent from his body and something green was flowing out of its surface was bound to a chair, dressed in a white outfit and bound in leather belts.The ugly sight was the last thing on their minds at the moment. What they were trying to figure out was the intention of the man in there. What he wanted and what his motive was.


    No one could even guess.


    "All we know is that he''s not a sicko," Zhang Fei said, "He''s smart as hell."


    "That''s smart?" Zhou Han asked.


    "He erased every way we could have identified him. He allowed us to capture him while making sure he had all the insurance on him so we wouldn''t kill him even if he killed many of us." Zhang Fei elaborated.


    "He''s hella smart," Commander Han agreed.


    "Then what do we do, Sir? If it was a lunatic, we could have done something but a ghost we don''t know anything about, not about his life or his goal, would be impossible to reason with." Zhang Fei said.


    "I know." Commander Han added before he asked, "He said anything yet?"


    "The same as you. He hasn''t said a word." Zhou Han replied.


    "I contacted Sergeant Hui from the police and he relayed that this pattern was similarly displayed by Wei Jun Ruan when he was arrested and interrogated." Zhang Fei added.


    "For the moment, act as if it''s someone else, Sergeant," Commander Han said, "We''re already taking heat from the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect. It doesn''t matter who he is, all that matters is that we cannot prove its Wei Jun Ruan."


    "And since we can''t, it means it''s not him. Whether he is or not, doesn''t matter." Zhang Fei said.


    "Precisely," Commander Han said before he instructed, "Call Yan Rong."


    "But, Sir," Zhang Fei and Zhou Han both collectively protested but the commander interrupted them, "Enough. I know what your concern is but we don''t know who that person is. You were against her because she is in a relationship with Wei Jun Ruan. But now, looking at this," The commander pointed at the skinless man, "It''s some lunatic who''s intellectual than us. You call in someone intellectual to deal with someone like that."


    Zhang Fei and Zhou Han remained silent in the face of the direct order. The commander left and they both turned to look at the man who was staring straight at the mirror with his eyes, his eyeballs visible to everyone which was not a pleasant scene for anyone. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire


    "I still can''t believe all that happened," Zhou Han said, "I mean, it all sounds so sudden. There was no such thing a few days ago in our lives in just a week, our lives have turned around completely. While some¡­"


    Zhou Han chocked on his own words. Zhang Fei patted him on his shoulder in consolation but even he was barely holding it in. He took a deep breath and said, "And we need to bring them all to justice. No matter the cost."


    "No matter the cost," Zhou Han agreed and they both left to carry out the orders.


    ~~


    Yan Rong entered Wei Jun''s office. While he was supposedly engaged in closed door cultivation, the business was being handled by Lin Ruan. While the shadier aspects were taken care of by Li Wei. Xia Lu was still out of it and for some reason hadn''t woken up since the day she suddenly stopped screaming.


    "Any update?" Yan Rong asked.


    "I''m halfway in. But this would take me some time. The authorities are looking for me now after all," Li Wei replied. If earlier the authorities were focused on the biker and never thought the possibility of a hacker existed, now they were actively looking for her so Li Wei had to spend most of the time trying to dodge them and get very little work done.


    "How long would it take you then?" Yan Rong asked.


    "At the rate I''m going, about three weeks," Li Wei replied.


    "That''s within the time frame, right?" Yan Rong asked.


    "It is," Li Wei replied before she added, "Boss was specific that it would go down after twenty eight days. That''s four weeks. Then he also said that there would be only two days to get it done, so¡­ you know the rest."


    "Jealous much?" Yan Rong teasingly asked.


    "One day, he''s going to strangle me like he strangles you. Just you wait!" Li Wei offensively said.


    However, it only made Yan Rong sad as she replied, "He never strangles me. He isn''t even rough with me ever."


    Li Wei made a face like she sympathized but before they could continue, there was a sound from Li Wei''s laptop. When Li Wei checked it, her expression turned somber. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What is it?" Seeing her serious expression, Yan Rong knew something was wrong.


    "I won''t be able to get the job done." Li Wei replied before she added, "They applied ten firewalls at once. To take this down and remain undetected, I''d need months while I have weeks."


    "Not if you''re inside," Yan Rong, however, didn''t panic in the least. She knew what to do in this scenario.


    "He told you, didn''t he?" Li Wei asked.


    "He did," Yan Rong replied, not so smug now.


    "Figure," Yan Rong remarked before she added, "But you won''t have much time. And you''ll also need this."


    "What''s this?" Li Wei asked, looking at the white mask without eye spaces.


    "Wei Jun gave it to me. He said they''ve seen your face." Yan Rong replied. Li Wei, who was just about to state this issue, couldn''t help but be impressed by her boss''s foresight.


    ~~


    "Who is she?" The Lieutenant of the CSF in charge of the site where the biker was held asked Yan Rong because he wasn''t told she wouldn''t be alone.


    "My secretary," Yan Rong coolly replied. The girl with her was a brunette, with hazelnut eyes and a fair skin, she looked nothing like who she really was.


    Luckily, crafting a serial ID wasn''t difficult because the CSF was looking for a hacker, not an insider. Li Wei was able to craft an ID as she hacked into the CSF system and created an identity for her.


    "What''s her specialty?" The lieutenant asked. Unless it was relevant, he couldn''t let any unassigned personnel inside.


    "She''s here to do her medically computing thing," Yan Rong replied like a typical jock.


    "It''s called brainwave analysis, Lieutenant." The disguised Li Wei, whose name was now Ai Huiying, interjected to correct Yan Rong.


    "Yeah. That analy thingy." Yan Rong brushed it off.


    "Lieutenant," Ai Huiying made a face as if she had given up hope which the Lieutenant in charge could somewhat understand. Those in charge of the fighting squad weren''t exactly bright so he could sympathize.


    "Very well," The lieutenant said before he led Yan Rong and her secretary inside.


    After about half an hour, the system was set up and everyone was ready.


    "You ready?" Yan Rong asked Ai Huiying who nodded and said, "I''ve set up everything. I will monitor his condition and let you know."


    "Good," Yan Rong said and tapped her earpiece, "You read me?"


    "Clear," Ai Huiying replied.


    With that, Yan Rong left to enter the other room to deal with the biker while Ai Huiying tuned in all her equipment.


    "Can I ask you what that is?" Commander Han, who was also in the room hence why Yan Rong and Ai Huiying weren''t even looking at the biker.


    "This tells me what the target''s brain activity is. Whether he''s anxious, upset, angry, or completely calm. We will proceed depending on that data," Ai Huiying professionally replied.


    "Your analysis thingy is constantly moving though," Zhou Han pointed at one screen that was in constant fluctuation.


    "That doesn''t tell us about his emotions," Ai Huiying nonchalantly replied.


    "Then what is it?" Zhang Fei asked.


    "Pain receptors," Ai Huiying replied before she elaborated, "This monitors the part of his brain that alights when his body is in pain."


    "If it''s going like that, then what does that tell you?" Zhou Han asked, a little spooked while Zhang Fei and Commander Han were also very deeply intrigued.


    "That means he''s in a hell of a lot of pain," Ai Huiying replied, her voice a little hitched as if she was uncomfortable about this.


    The men took as her nervous though because the situation, the looks of the target, and the topic of discussion would make anyone uncomfortable, even them.


    "So that lunatic is in constant pain?" Zhou Han asked.


    "Mhm," Ai Huiying replied.


    "Then why doesn''t it face shows a shred of it?" Zhou Han asked no one in particular but no one had an answer to that question.


    "About that, officer, I have no idea. I deal in brain, not willpower," Ai Huiying replied.


    "Shame," Commander Han remarked, "That''s one hell of a strong will."


    "But the bad news is that an enemy possesses that." Zhou Han added.


    "That only makes him much more dangerous," Commander Han said, "Let''s just hope she can get through such a man."


    "I sure hope so," Zhang Fei replied.


    "She will," Ai Huiying replied, determination and trust overflowing in her tone before she added, "She''s about to start."

 Chapter 342 The lizard boss

    "You can try," Wei Jun said as he looked into the golden eyes of the lizard. The eyes of the lizard were like that of a gecko and they pulled Wei Jun in them with how mesmerizing they were. Of course, he wasn''t pulled in. They were just beautiful, nothing else."Hahaha!" The lizard laughed before it said, "I shall try with all my might, human. But first, I would like this interaction to go for a little longer. It has truly been a long time since I have interacted with any of the other species. Especially humans."


    ''No contractions. This guy must be from old times.'' Wei Jun thought. The speaking manner of the lizard was uptight like those of medieval times.


    "What are you?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I am a lizardfolk. Can you not even tell that?" The lizard asked.


    "I don''t see many of you around," Wei Jun replied.


    "Why not? What happened to my race?" The lizard asked with confusion spread across its face which Wei Jun found extremely hideous, nothing like the lizard''s beautiful eyes that were golden and mesmerizing.


    "Weren''t they imprisoned?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I was imprisoned. Why would the rest of them would be?" The lizard strangely asked.


    ''Oi. What is he talking about?'' Wei Jun asked the only person to speak up who could clarify this situation.


    [Not all of the monsters were imprisoned]


    [Only those who were at war with the human race]


    [But over time the humans killed all of them so that''s why]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what to feel about the nonchalance of the system''s answer. Since he didn''t know much about history or the events of the past, he simply chose to ignore that question and asked, "Why is it that only you can talk?"


    "What are you saying, human? Of course, they are capable of speech." The lizard replied.


    [Did you try conversing with them, host?]


    Once again, Wei Jun was left speechless. It was true that he hadn''t tried like he was talking to this lizard. With them, he had jumped straight to battle because they had done the same. Even with this one. Wei Jun had no intention of sparking a conversation. He didn''t even know this one could talk in a human tongue. He simply spoke to wake him up from its sleeping state which he didn''t know at the time.


    He had no idea the lizard would start speaking. Wei Jun remained silent and asked, "What now? What will you do?"


    "What do you mean by what now? The prison is open, is it not? It must mean my sentence has come to an end. I shall leave this place and reunite with my race." The lizard said as if it was the most obvious thing.


    ''But your race is dead.'' Wei Jun internally said, not wanting to anger the lizard. Since eating lizardfolk could make the lizard angry, pretty sure talking about how its race had been wiped clean wouldn''t be a good idea either.


    "¡­" Wei Jun remained silent and looked at the lizard, waiting for it to speak when the lizard laughed and asked, "You mean what I will do to you?"


    The rule of the dungeon was to escape from the dungeon after killing the boss. The dungeon could only be exited once the boss allowed it or the dungeon boss was dead. On the other hand, monsters could come out after a certain time had passed and the dungeon wasn''t cleared.


    Wei Jun knew this guy wouldn''t be a menace outside the dungeon since there were grandmaster-level soldiers on the outside such as General Ming.


    He wanted to deal with this guy inside the dungeon but something was strange. Wei Jun felt like, since before, he was talking in an empty room where sound couldn''t travel. The intent of the battle was clear.


    "There is only one method to leave this prison once it opens. The gate can open anywhere between two days and a week. However, if there are any invaders in the meantime, we must eliminate them otherwise, leaving would be impossible." The lizard kindly explained.


    ''You didn''t tell me that,'' Wei Jun said.


    [You needed to know that?]


    ''¡­Probably not.''


    [Thought so]


    "So we will fight now?" Wei Jun asked.


    "What else would warriors like us are supposed to do?" The lizard asked as if Wei Jun had asked a dumb question. With that out of the way, Wei Jun simply had one question left, "What is this?"


    "You mean the formation? How primitive are you that you do not even know what a concealment formation is?" The lizard asked, once again with a strange expression on his face as if he was seeing someone unbelievable for the first time.


    "What does it do?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Stops you from calling for help. Your mana or Qi will not leave this area. Nor will your sound. In other words, no one will be disturbing us." The lizard explained.


    However, contrary to what it expected, Wei Jun didn''t have a panicked expression on his face. He smiled and said, "Well, isn''t that convenient?"


    "Of course, it should be. You are a strong one. I would rather not want the weak ones to interfere in our fight." The lizard said as it reached behind its back and pulled a spear out of thin air. While Wei Jun was surprised by some sort of inventory spell, he was also intrigued by another thing, "You can sense them?"


    "I am, in one way, the overlord of this dimension," was the lizard''s simple reply before it asked, "Are you ready, warrior? I will concede the first exchange to you."


    ''Big talks for a lizard.'' Wei Jun thought internally.


    However, denying that opportunity was an entirely different story. He didn''t care in the least about a warrior''s honor or code or whatever.


    [Death Qi has been activated]


    [All skills activated by Death Qi will have double effectiveness]


    [Qi armament]


    [Qi empowerment]


    [All stats +80]


    [Qi discharge]


    [Death Qi -40]


    In that one strike, Wei Jun didn''t hold anything back. He pulled his fist back, accumulated as much Death Qi as he could on it, and brought it forward without hesitation. The lizard, on the other side, now realized that the warrior it was facing wasn''t just some simple warrior but a warrior of¡ª


    "Kugh!!!" With a loud grunt and an impact that cleared the water around them, throwing the water away from their spot, the lizard was thrown into the forest even though the difference between them and the forest was very wide. Breaking through a lot of trees, the lizard finally came to a stop.


    Bleeding from its mouth and a visible dent in its chest, the lizard stood up to look at Wei Jun who stood up in his place, a pained expression on his face.


    [I didn''t expect it to have the unique royal power of the lizard men]


    [Damage return by 50%]


    [Don''t be worried]


    [It can''t always do that] S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No wonder Wei Jun''s arm was gone. Still, it wasn''t as bad as it seemed. It only impeded his ability to follow up with an attack which would have been better but even if that attempt was no longer an option, he had figured out a crucial detail.


    His arm regenerated at a visible pace but that was enough time for the lizard to stand up and walk in the clearing once again, although very, very slowly.


    "So you were a disciple of the dark side? Why would you be here fighting us?" The lizard asked. From its demeanor, it didn''t look like it was going to stop fighting but was simply curious.


    Wei Jun was curious as well, ''Disciple of the dark side?''


    [I will explain later]


    Wei Jun nodded internally and looked at the lizard, with a smirk on his face, he said, "You look like you''re hurt. Want to stop this fight?"


    "Haha!" The lizard let out a loud laugh along with blood and pressed into the ground. Once it was ready, it jumped at Wei Jun with a speed that was even startling for him. Still, it wasn''t as fast that Wei Jun couldn''t get out of the way. As he moved to the right, expecting the lizard to pass him with the great momentum it had put into his movements, he was shocked to see how the lizard came to a complete stop next to him and stabbed him with the spear.


    Wei Jun''s barrier managed to stop the spear but the impact still passed through him.


    [HP -10]


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but wonder what the extent of damage would be if it was not stopped by the Death Qi barrier.


    Wei Jun didn''t stop to ponder for long and equipped Death Qi on his hand, aiming for the lizard''s kneecap but the lizard pulled back at the crucial moment and hit Wei Jun on the head with its fist, the one that wasn''t carrying the spear.


    It was a strike at point-blank range so of course when it was successful, Wei Jun fell into the war, embedded deeply into the ground.


    The lizard raised its spear and was about to bring it down when Wei Jun let out a wave of Qi through Qi discharge and succeeded in halting the blow.

 Chapter 343 The lizard boss (1)

    Without a moment''s hesitation, Wei Jun discharged some Qi once again but this to push himself away from the lizard. With that one small exchange, Wei Jun was now aware of one simple thing. The lizard was a lot stronger than him. At least in physical terms, the lizard was better. However, in terms of magic or sorcery, or whatever it was, he wasn''t so sure.He had none of it in the first place but so far, he had only seen two abilities of the lizard. One was when it procured its weapon and then damage return.


    All in all, the battle wouldn''t be in his favor the longer it was prolonged. For one, he didn''t know the limit of the formation and he didn''t have the time to ask the system. And second, he had a feeling in a battle of endurance, the lizard would still be better than him so a battle of stamina was out of the question. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If there was one plus point to all of this battle then it was only one. The massive attack he had managed to deliver at the beginning but he knew that normal lizards, not so sure about this one, could regenerate their wounds at a slow pace. If it was the same for this one, then it was all the more reason to avoid a prolonged battle.


    Wei Jun created Death Qi spears and threw them at the lizard. The lizard managed to avoid both of them and headed in his direction. Seeing that the spears weren''t the right approach for this, Wei Jun improvised.


    He straightened his plan and executed a slashing movement, creating a slash of Death Qi that covered more area vertically and then did the same horizontally to create an improvised cross or plus, making it harder for the lizard to avoid it this time.


    [¡­]


    As expected, the strike wasn''t something the lizard could avoid so easily and while it moved to the right to avoid the vertical one, the horizontal one managed to cut it from the end, making the lizard bleed.


    "Argh!" There was a grunt but it wasn''t as loud as before. However, Wei Jun was now glad to see he had created a move that could work in his favor. He had simply thought of it on the spot so he wasn''t sure it would work but he was glad to see it delivered the intended effect.


    The lizard was damaged and it also obstructed its swift movements. However, it wasn''t his arm he wanted to damage but the legs so Wei Jun created more distance and did the same thing again.


    However, this time, there weren''t just two of them. At random, there were eight slashes. It brought his Qi almost down to zero but that was the least of Wei Jun''s concern when the lizard crossed its arms in front of its face and let out a loud noise.


    The area around the lizard, as if it was distorting, trembled a little and as it did, the slashes in that distorted area disappeared, leaving no damage on the lizard.


    ''What the¡­'' Wei Jun was flabbergasted at the scene when the system came to assist¡­


    [Spatial magic]


    [Very, very rare]


    [But it takes a high toll on the user so you should keep it up]


    While it was good news that there was a limit, there was also a limit to Wei Jun''s Qi and stamina. Ever since he attained damage to his soul, he''d get tried twice as fast as before. He didn''t regret doing so because had he not done so, he wouldn''t have been able to clear the quest in time but he couldn''t help but sense its disadvantages.


    "Haha¡­ha," As the system said, the lizard did seem a little out of breath but Wei Jun didn''t move in to attack.


    There was no telling if the lizard couldn''t use that strange power again and if Wei Jun was caught up in it, he might break like those slashes as well. Half and half. He''d rather not try and only decided to observe for a moment.


    "Quite a strong warrior you are, oh disciple of the dark side. I was not aware they could produce such talents." The lizard said as it stood up straight. Wei Jun kept looking at it, his eyes locked on it, and no reply left his lips. The lizard looked at him back, a strange gaze in its eyes as it asked, "You have no idea what I am talking about, do you? How much time has passed on the outside? Is the Ashguard Empire still at war with the central plains?"


    ''Central plains?'' He didn''t know about the empire or whatever but it was the second time he was hearing about the central plains. The system hadn''t divulged any information about it, saying that it would be a calamity if someone was ever to find the central plains.


    Wei Jun''s skills were dispelled once his Death Qi ran out. As much as he would have liked to consume a pill to restore his Death Qi, he didn''t want to waste his yang Qi either. The consumption of the pill restored both types of his Qi, not just one so it would be a waste. Besides, he didn''t have to worry about running out of it with a few attacks as well.


    "You are not aware of those giants either? Have time come so far that even those two have been forgotten?" The lizard couldn''t help but have a nostalgic gaze in its eyes. Then as if something clicked, it asked, "The lizard race, my race, it has also ceased to exist, has it not?" Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    Wei Jun once again remained silent. However, like the last time, the lizard learned all it needed to from that silence. "So I no longer have a home to return to?"


    "Then what will you do? Rampage on the outside? You will be killed the moment you step out of here. There are stronger people outside." Wei Jun said, trying to buy as much time as he could.


    "That you do not have to worry about, human warrior. Once out of this prison, I will return to my original might. Then, I shall wreak havoc upon the world, your world." The lizard said. It said ''Your world'' not ''mine'' which already showed how the brewing hatred was catching fire.


    Wei Jun knew arguing here would be useless. With that reply, the lizard wasn''t interested in talking anymore as well. The anger in its eyes could clearly be seen. Wei Jun could tell it was a creature with emotions. Yet, Wei Jun wasn''t interested in those emotions. He didn''t have a shred of sympathy for the creature.


    Only one thing mattered to him. Which of the two was going to survive?


    Wei Jun prepared himself for defense. An offensive battle wasn''t a good idea. Wei Jun needed openings and the only way to create those openings was to wound the creature. He couldn''t do that if he was split in half hence the defensive stance.


    Once again, he used Qi construct to make slashes but this time, there were ten of them which he threw at the lizard without giving it a chance to get ready. But, the lizard didn''t need a chance in the first place. With the Yang Qi n fold, the miasma barrier around the lizard acted as it was supposed to and blocked the attacks from Wei Jun.


    Granted, it wasn''t completely unscathed either as impact from the slashes was still delivered but compared to actual pain, it was close to nothing. The lizard looked at Wei Jun and without a word, jumped at him again.


    Wei Jun once again moved out of the way but the lizard changed its movements mid-thrust, easily changing its charge on Wei Jun. Wei Jun''s stats were lower now since Death Qi was no longer in the fold but Wei Jun wasn''t worried. All he needed to do was to buy some time.


    Once the lizard had used a certain amount of Miasma, he''d consume the Qi replenishment pill and use Death Qi to deal with it. Besides, he was practically immortal with the green dragon''s power and the health pills. He wouldn''t be able to regenerate his limbs with Death Qi anymore but the alternative, the phoenix''s tears, were still available.


    However, maybe Wei Jun had underestimated the lizard''s capabilities or overestimated his, because the next moment, the lizard disappeared from its spot, and before his instincts could even warm him, his left arm was separated from his body, leaving nothing but pain and a bloody trail.


    But Wei Jun had no time to wallow in pain. He hurriedly discharged Qi as much as he could to throw the lizard who had appeared behind him off balance and ran away while trying to block the flowing blood from his body.


    The green power acted fast and stopped the bleeding, forming a stub at his severed arm in an instant but the lizard wasn''t intent on giving him any time to breathe.


    It once again disappeared but this time, Wei Jun was ready. Wei Jun formed a Qi spear and turned to his left, maximizing his senses to the limit, and just as it appeared¡­

 Chapter 344 The lizard boss (2)

    "Kugh!""Arggh!!"


    The lizard and Wei Jun respectively grunted when both of them impaled each other. Wei Jun had managed to avoid a fatal strike by moving to the right but even he couldn''t avoid getting impaled in the stomach by the lizard''s spear.


    But the true surprise was reserved for the lizard. Wei Jun had been using Yang Qi for a while now because he had run out of the Death Qi. However, Wei Jun hurriedly consumed a Qi replenishment pill to restore his Qi and created a spear at close range, impaling the lizard''s knee.


    Stomaching the pain, he was about to use the slash construction to end the fight once and for all but the lizard acted quickly and vanished from the spot, along with the impaled spear in Wei Jun''s stomach. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    It appeared some distance away, ready to attack again but Wei Jun hurriedly regenerated his arm and healed his wounds with the green dragon''s power. He slashed the lizard with the Death Qi who was about to jump at him. The lizard once again changed course mid-air and aiming for that moment, Wei Jun also pushed forward, meeting the lizard in an exchange, creating a spear from the Death Qi.


    The long-ranged exchange was unfavorable to both of them. Wei Jun used too much Qi and the lizard used too much power to teleport. In the end, both of them were close rangers and that''s how the fight ended up.


    Wei Jun raised his spear and brought it down in a swift strike but the lizard raised its own, blocking the attack. The impact blew the water on the ground away and both of them felt the impact go through their bodies. Wei Jun was the first one to recover and attacked from the side which the lizard once again managed to block.


    The shockwaves from their exchanges were massive and in an instant, both of them had exchanged at least ten attacks. The attacks were increasing in sharpness and intensity. Wei Jun''s smaller size allowed him to be on the offensive with his nimble moves but the larger size of the lizard helped it to not only bear the brunt of those attacks but also counterattack by putting in more power when blocking Wei Jun''s attacks.


    Needless to say, Wei Jun was the one incurring more damage and his yang Qi was running out at a fast pace from healing him.


    The good news for him was that the lizard couldn''t focus on healing itself, so the state of their injuries was almost equal, with Wei Jun a little ahead but not doing so badly. He wasn''t using Death Qi for any other purpose than creating spears but even that was bound to run out as it was already his third spear and adding the one from before and the slash, he had already used 500 points of Death Qi.


    Finally, the lizard broke the standstill by teleporting away. Wei Jun also stopped. It wasn''t working. The lizard was at a strict guard from Wei Jun''s slashes that were the actual dangerous attacks for the lizard. Other than that, both of them were almost equal in strength, with the lizard in the lead, making things a little difficult for them.


    The injury of the lizard in the leg was still healing since it hadn''t had the time to focus on it so they were equal in terms of speed or rather, Wei Jun was faster.


    "Haa¡­ Haa¡­"


    They both took deep breaths to calm their beating hearts. Wei Jun was in prim and proper shape but even that wouldn''t last for long. His stamina was still a problem and he didn''t have enough money to buy stamina pills from the shop. He hadn''t had a chance to replenish his wealth because he had come straight to the military base from the Shannau city which he now realized was a terrible mistake.


    ''I have enough for one more¡­'' Wei Jun checked his shop and he still had enough money to buy one more stamina pill. Since he stocked HP and QP pills, he didn''t need to worry about them but his stamina was also crucial at this point.


    ''If only there was a way to keep him busy¡­'' Wei Jun was tempted to lead the lizard towards the military personnel so they could keep it busy and he''d kill the lizard along with them but the problem of them dying in the dungeon still remained which was why that option was out.


    There was only one option left.


    Bait.


    [Sounds risky]


    ''Unfortunately, that''s the only option I got,'' Wei Jun replied and consumed his last stamina pill, feeling energized. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled. He looked at the lizard who was also looking at him and prepared himself. His remaining Qi was enough for one last attack. An attack with his everything in it and delivering it at the point black range so that the lizard couldn''t dodge.


    Of course, the lizard letting its guard down was also a huge requirement otherwise, his plan wouldn''t work.


    Wei Jun readied him and jumped at the lizard. The lizard this time didn''t move and simply raised its spear to block the attack. Once Wei Jun''s attack was stopped, Wei Jun didn''t push back but created another spear in his left hand, attacking from the side.


    The lizard pushed the spear it was engaging so Wei Jun couldn''t attack with that one and pulled it to his side to attack the second attack. The first spear dissolved into nothingness and Wei Jun put as much Qi as he could in one single attack while the lizard was engaged in stopping another attack, he punched the lizard in the place where his heart should have been, or at least a human heart should have been.


    Bang!


    The impact once again threw all the water underneath their feet around them, creating a clearing without the water. The impact was so strong that the lizard couldn''t defend itself properly and Wei Jun managed to tear its chest in one strike.


    "Kugh!"


    It coughed up an enormous amount of blood. Wei Jun knew he had done sufficient damage so he tried to pull back but the lizard managed to stop him from doing so by grabbing his arm. It looked at Wei Jun and said laboriously, "That is not¡­ where a lizard folk''s heart¡­ is."


    Before the sentence could even be completed, the lizard impaled Wei Jun with his spear as well. The spear missed his heart, not because he was lucky but because he had created a barrier around his heart to specifically protect him.


    The lizard knew it wouldn''t do much but it wasn''t aware that even if Wei Jun''s heart was impaled, as long as there was a moment''s of breath remaining in Wei Jun, the Death Qi inside of him repaired him.


    And that was exactly the point Wei Jun was hoping for.


    "I¡­..kn¡­" Wei Jun mumbled in a so low voice that the lizard couldn''t even hear him even though he was so close to it. But convinced that Wei Jun wouldn''t survive for much longer, the lizard pulled him closer and said, "Say your last words more clearly."


    "I said¡­" Wei Jun said, his voice still low but¡­


    "Kugh!!!" Something impaled the lizard''s abdomen and as it looked down, it saw a spear, one that wasn''t in his hand before, impaling his abdomen, the place where his heart was supposed to be. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I know." Wei Jun said, his voice now clear. As if there wasn''t even a spear in his chest, Wei Jun freed himself from the lizard and crackled his neck, looking at the now kneeling lizard with a shocked look on its face which was still very hideous.


    "I practically have an encyclopedia on you guys with me." Wei Jun said as he looked at the message of the overseer in the system window.


    [Lizard''s fold hearts are situated in their abdomens]


    Wei Jun looked down and grabbed the spear in his heart. He pulled it out in one swift pull and grunted in pain which didn''t last long thanks to the green energy of the dragon. Of course, that final healing completely empties his Qi reserves.


    Fortunately, he didn''t need Qi anymore. The lizard, on the other hand, tried to grab the spear in its abdomen and tried to pull it out but Wei Jun grabbed the spear from one end and placed his hand on the lizard''s shoulder.


    Wei Jun looked at it deep in the eyes and said, "Just die peacefully"


    As he said so, he pushed the spear deeper while keeping his eyes locked with the lizard, "Join your family if there''s an afterlife for you. This is mercy."


    Mercy.


    A cruel joke. Even almost dead, the lizard couldn''t help but laugh. Because while his words said so, there was no such thing in Wei Jun''s eyes. No respect for the fallen warrior or no sympathy for the last of a kind.


    There was simply one emotion in those eyes¡­


    "You¡­ will bring chaos¡­ to your own world." The lizard said as it took its last breath.


    Wei Jun didn''t change his expression and simply said, "That''s the plan."


    [You have slain¡­]


    [¡­]


    [.]

 Chapter 345 Failed negotiations

    [You have slain a creature of the underworld][You have obtained the great achievement of killing a king-ranked lizard folk]


    [Enemy was defeated alone]


    [Additional rewards would be granted]


    [You have obtained a full body armor of lizard men]


    [You have obtained purified lizard royal meat (100kg)]


    [You have obtained the eyes of a lizard chief]


    [You have obtained the skill ''Teleportation'']


    [You have obtained an S rank miasma core]


    [Death Qi +100]


    While Wei Jun was pleasantly surprised by the rewards, the true highlight of the rewards was the skill that he had obtained. He had never obtained a skill before even when he killed the protagonists but when he killed a background character who wasn''t even properly mentioned in the novel.


    [Skill: Teleportation]


    [Rank: S]


    [Status: Non-upgradeable]


    [Effect: You can teleport to a set distance of anywhere between 100 meters]


    [Cost: 1500 QP]


    [Cool down: None]


    Effect which was pretty cool aside, the cost was something else. It was his by far the highest-cost skill. Even when there was no cool-down, Wei Jun was sure he wouldn''t be able to use it much in battle. Even once would be a luxury let alone twice at his current stats.


    He knelt down to store the lizard''s body in his inventory. He was intrigued by one more thing but he decided to check it once he was out of the dungeon. As he looked in the direction of the dungeon exit, he could see the area was shimmering which meant the dungeon gate was glowing, signaling to everywhere in the dungeon that it was now open for exiting.


    Wei Jun pushed his feet deep into the ground and made a run for it. It took him about four hours to get to that spot but now going back, and without battling lizards or resting, in just half an hour at his full physical speed, he was before the dungeon gate. He didn''t exit though. The scenario of leaving the military team behind was the same as killing them in the dungeon.


    He didn''t want to do that. Still, he wasn''t going to overly go out of his way to help them. He was sure with their strength, they''d be able to make it back. And he was right, just five minutes left before the gate''s time ended, the team showed up, each of them carrying a lizard''s body.


    They saw Wei Jun and there was a surprise, an immense one, on their faces but other than that, there was also resentfulness. They were sure the star of today''s show would be them but instead, Wei Jun had defeated the dungeon boss and arrived before them.


    They said nothing and Wei Jun didn''t give them a chance either. Once he was sure they''d be able to make it out, Wei Jun stepped out of the gate, exiting the dungeon. As he came outside, there were soldiers standing on standby, a shocked expression on their faces as well.


    Wei Jun didn''t pay them any heed and turned to a soldier standing on the side and said to her, "Lead me to your general''s office."


    The soldier, however, didn''t move. She looked at him with clear cold eyes and said, "She isn''t someone you can just meet out of nowhere. I will lead you to a room to rest for now. You will meet her when her schedule clears." ''Will'' not ''can'' implied that he wasn''t free to leave either. But¡­


    "I don''t like your tone," Wei Jun said as he stepped forward and grabbed the woman by her neck. The rest of the soldiers hurriedly yelled at Wei Jun to let her go and some even utilized their Qi to intimidate Wei Jun but one shockwave of Wei Jun''s Qi and everyone went cold.


    The Qi of a master ranked cultivator and even that with a very pure Qi wasn''t something the present soldiers would be able to deal with.


    "Stop." Just when the struggling woman felt her life was almost about to leave her body, Wei Jun heard a voice that was not only strong but also commanding. He turned to look at a scarred woman, one he was very familiar with.


    One could say he was very close with her as well considering they had watched adult movies together. "My, my. If it isn''t Miss Jang Haogua herself."


    "You still haven''t let go of her," Haogua said, looking at Wei Jun.


    "You heard how she talked to me. She''s lucky I haven''t snapped her neck yet." Wei Jun said but didn''t let go of her. It was to clearly show her, and them, that he wasn''t their lapdog. They did anything to upset him and he''d kill them. He wanted them to know that the military would in the end choose him over them.


    "¡­" Haogua knew that as well so she sighed and said, "I''ll apologize in her stead. So please let her go."


    "Why should I listen to you?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Because one could you owe me one. Especially after all the cr*p you put me through." Haogua said. Wei Jun smiled and just before the life of the female soldier was at an end, he let go of her and she fell on the ground, her knees weak and her lungs screaming for air which she provided by gasping out loud.


    "There." Wei Jun simply said, "Now lead me to her. I have important business."


    "Follow me," Haogua said and turned to walk towards one of the buildings. Wei Jun followed her and shortly afterward, they arrived in front of an ordinary door that didn''t seem like would be the door to a general''s office. Haogua knocked on it and waited. Wei Jun felt a slight change in the Qi around him signifying that General Ming had used her Qi to probe who it was.


    "Come in," In a few seconds, the permission to enter arrived. Haogua stepped to the side and said, "All yours."


    Wei Jun didn''t hesitate to enter the office. Once he was inside, his gaze went straight to the woman behind the desk where a lot of papers were sprawled out. Wei Jun didn''t care what they were and said, "I''ve cleared the gate. Where''s the next one?"


    "¡­" General Ming remained silent before she closed the file in front of her and said, "And? What''s the report?"


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    "You can hear that from your subordinates. Though I doubt there''d be much since those guys ditched me as soon as we entered," Wei Jun explained a little but didn''t get into details.


    General Ming once again remained silent, well aware that her soldiers might indeed have done that. It was her fault. She had failed to tell them that they were there to keep an eye on Wei Jun, to check his abilities.


    She closed her eyes for a moment before she looked at him and said, "Go home for today. My team needs at least till tomorrow to prepare."


    "I won''t have enough time to fill up the contract then." Wei Jun said.


    "You do not have to worry about that. I will keep more dungeons ready tomorrow. Since today was on such short notice, it won''t happen again." General Ming said, using a good excuse to stall for time.


    Wei Jun knew full well what she was doing. That was, however, another problem for him. This time it was due to the arrogance of the soldiers but next time they''d stick with him. It wasn''t easy to clear those gates with Yang Qi and he needed to use Death Qi.


    He couldn''t use them in their presence so he needed the expedition to be conducted just by him. So keeping that in mind, Wei Jun said, "From now on, I will clear the dungeons alone."


    "That''s not possible. The regulations clearly state someone goes in there with you." General Ming said.


    "I''m not your soldier, General. Your rules don''t apply to me." Wei Jun was adamant. However, even he knew that General Ming wouldn''t give it up. There was no way she could.


    "Not possible," General Ming said.


    "I will give you half of my spoils." Wei Jun jumped straight to the half, keeping a strong negotiation front but General Ming didn''t budge.


    She simply said, "No." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­" A clear refusal. No matter what he did, there was no way he''d be able to change her mind.


    General Ming wanted to keep an eye on Wei Jun. No amount of spoils of things would change her mind. She wanted to find his weakness and that was better than anything else. After all, if she could gain something on a master-ranked cultivator who was on his way to grandmaster rank at least, then why would she take the short end of the stick and settle for some monster remains?


    "Haa¡­" Wei Jun sighed. He looked at her and said, "Fine. Do whatever you want." Wei Jun turned and left. General Ming didn''t stop him nor was she offended by that. She had succeeded in the negotiations and upped Wei Jun by one.

 Chapter 346 Reward

    Wei Jun knew those negotiations would break down easily. It was never going to be an option, but he thought he could sway her decision with monster corpses. However, the info on Wei Jun was much more important than that. After all, if she could find a way to control Wei Jun, she would have a very, very strong person with amazing potential on her side.[But you cannot make her choose otherwise]


    Of course, that wasn''t the only option he had or the only offer he had to make. He could kill the soldiers who went in with him and spread lies on the outside, and eventually, after she had lost many, General Ming would have no choice but to cave.


    But Wei Jun''s opponent wasn''t General Ming because she wasn''t the entire military. Even under contract, the military could retaliate against him. Just having immunity didn''t mean he could do whatever he wanted and whenever he wanted. It simply meant he wouldn''t be persecuted in the event he killed someone by mistake or in self-defense. Killing just because he could wouldn''t be allowed, even if he was granted the license to kill. Suppose such a thing existed anyway.


    The second option to offer more wasn''t enough. If he showed her a treasure not obtainable to others, he might end up increasing his worth to her, and if she was the one to think long term, not just short term, then it was useless to even consider that option.


    Wei Jun left the building and returned to the spot where his helicopter was prepared to take him home. It was still noon, so he went to his villa to take a shower. And once he was nice and clean, he went to pick up some money from Yue Peng along with leaving her with some materials which he thought she might like.


    And like she did¡­


    "Where did you get all of this?" Yue Peng asked as she saw higher-ranked Miasma cores and monster remains. Of course, he didn''t give her the lizard corpses but the purified meat he got from the sorcerer lizards. The meat from the green lizards he obtained through the system wasn''t purified, and the boss lizard was too good to just give it up to her. Instead, he decided to give her that one and kept the good one for himself.


    "Can you sell it?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Can I sell it?" Yue Peng asked before she answered on her own, "Of course I can."


    "But¡­" Wei Jun felt like a ''but'' was coming, so he asked.


    "But do we even want to sell this? Eating this ourselves would increase our forces'' strength." Yue Peng suggested. She wasn''t wrong, which was a very valid point. No matter how much he needed money, increasing his own forces would have been a better option.


    He initially planned to purify the meat he already had combined with the one he''d obtained from the corpses. However, now he was interested in another view, which was Yue Peng''s.


    "So if I had purified and unpurified, which one should I sell?" Wei Jun asked.


    "If you have unpurified meat, then the story changes altogether," Yue Peng said.


    [Because of the price drop]


    [It''d be much more easier to purify it yourself]


    As the system suggested, Yue Peng said the said thing, "If we sell unpurified meat on the market, its price will drop by at least half, if not more. But if we can somehow obtain a mage who could purify the meat for us, it''d be much more better."


    "You require a mage for that?" Wei Jun asked.


    He thought he could do it by himself or with Qi, but the last he ate, he ate unpurified meat, which Death Qi digested, so there were no effects.


    [Only a mage can do that]


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    [Or a holy cultivator]


    ''Any mage can?'' Wei Jun asked, remembering a certain subordinate of his with good connections in information networks.


    "Yes. A mage with enough knowledge could learn a purifying spell. Although attribute would also matter, it''s not like a fire mage cannot learn the holy attributed spell. Only effectiveness would drop, but considering we''re not asking for much, it''d be sufficient." Yue Peng explained in great detail.


    [As she said]


    Wei Jun nodded in response. He decided to change the method then. He pulled out the unpurified meat of the green lizards and stacked it on top of the table.


    He then stored it all, along with the other stuff, in a spatial ring and gave it to Yue Peng, "Pardon the mess."


    Yue Peng couldn''t care less about little blood or mess on her carpet when there was such a treasure in front of her eyes.


    "Is¡­ Is this fo-for me?" Yue Peng asked. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing. Wei Jun nodded and said, "I hope you''ll make good use of it."


    "Leave it to me!" Yue Peng yelled as she practically snatched the ring from Wei Jun and wore it on her hand. Her cultivation had increased by a good bit, and Wei Jun was happy with it because not only that increased his forces but also because he obtained bonus stats because of it.


    "Now," Wei Jun decided to move on to the other matters at hand, "What about these?"


    As he dropped many, many D and C rank miasma cores on the table, Yue Peng''s jaw opened so much a flashlight could be inserted without resistance.


    "Sell the D rank ones and use the others to increase the strength of our forces. Keep focus on those I''ve mentioned." Wei Jun instructed before he said, "Also, I need money."


    Yue Peng managed to collect herself when Wei Jun relayed instructions. It was safe to assume that Yue Peng ran half of his company so she''d have more accounts of earnings than he did. Yue Peng nodded, and without asking about what he did with the money he got from her before, she arranged for three cards and gave them to Wei Jun. Each of them contained 100 billion yuan, which, to her, should have been enough, but it wasn''t for Wei Jun.


    "How soon can you procure ten times more?" Wei Jun asked.


    "You mean 3 trillion?" Yue Peng asked.


    "Yeah," Wei Jun replied.


    "Ten minutes, perhaps?" Yue Peng said before she stood up and said, "Those are the earnings from just legal matters. I have yet to give you the other one. And trust me, ten times, no, even twenty times wouldn''t make a dent in what we''re about to earn."


    Wei Jun nodded with a smile and followed Yue Peng. She took him to her desk and opened the overseas accounts on her computer. As she showed the amount of wealth she had amassed, Wei Jun was so pleased he decided to reward her.


    "How soon can you arrange all of it in cash?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Cash carries risk, though. Are you sure?" Yue Peng asked. Cash could be traced, so she wanted Wei Jun to be careful, but she didn''t know that the place where he''d spend that money wouldn''t be able to be traced by no power on earth.


    "Don''t worry about that. Just do it." Wei Jun said before he pulled out a pair of eyes and an A rank green lizard''s miasma core, "Use it for yourself. As for the eyes, make a weapon of your choice from them. I''m sure you''ll know of a good artisan."


    With trembling hands, Yue Peng picked up the A rank lizard core, her words stuck in her mouth. The darker and bigger a core was, the stronger the monster it belonged to.


    "Wha¡ªWhat rank is it?" She couldn''t help but ask. She had a feeling she held a treasure in her hands, and her suspicions became true as she heard Wei Jun simply utter, "A."


    She almost dropped it but managed to collect herself. Immediately putting it in her ring, she looked at Wei Jun with incredulous eyes.


    "Ho-How did you get one?" She asked. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How else would I? By hunting a monster." Wei Jun replied. "And you obtained it from just one monster?" Yue Peng asked, and the way she looked at Wei Jun made him have questions of his own.


    [Not every corpse contains a core host]


    [I assure you you might not even find one in all of the corpses in your inventory]


    [Especially such high ranks]


    [You''re an anomaly who gets it from the system]


    [There might not be that many A rank cores out there]


    Now Wei Jun understood the line of questioning Yue Peng had. He decided to ignore her and said, "Just train with it. You don''t need to sell it anyway."


    "WHY WOULD I EVER SELL IT?!!!!" Yue Peng screamed as if Wei Jun had said something worthy of the death penalty. Wei Jun looked at her with a corked eyebrow, and once she realized her mistake, she coughed and said, "I-I will have your money prepared in three days."


    Wei Jun nodded and left. That much money, and more to come from Lin Ruan, would be enough to purchase a body cultivation technique. Or at least he hoped so.


    ''Well, let''s see what surprises she has in store for me,'' Wei Jun thought as he headed in the Ruan Enterprises'' direction.

 Chapter 347 Foes or... Foes?

    That day, Wei Jun lost another A rank core to Lin Ruan who was extremely ecstatic with what she got. So much so that she hugged Wei Jun so hard that if Wei Jun wasn''t as strong as he was, he''d definitely have a few broken ribs by now.With that, he also gave a few A rank cores to Yan Rong, Xia Lu, and Xing Xiaomei. While Yan Rong wasn''t that impressed because she had already absorbed two herself, the other two didn''t have much of a reaction as well. Xia Lu didn''t know their worth so her reaction was understandable but Xing Xaiomei simply replied, "What? You want me to flash you with just this much? This wouldn''t even get you a stocking, let alone what you want."


    Wei Jun simply looked at her with narrowed eyes, not interested in the least to engage in a conversation with her.


    "Whatever," Wei Jun said before he asked, "Do you have any idea about a man named Wao Wufeng?"


    "Wao Wufeng?" Xing Xiaomei fell into deep thought before she nodded and replied, "I know of him. He''s a big-shot underworld gangster back in my city. Why do you wanna know?"


    "No reason," Wei Jun replied before he asked, "Can you tell me anything to get a hold of him."


    "A hold of him as in..." Xing Xiaomei looked at Wei Jun suspiciously but Wei Jun kept his expression neutral to not give anything away. Seeing no other indication in his visage, although curious why he was asking, she still chose to reply, "He had a mistress who had a son. Since he doesn''t have a son from his official marriage, he values her and the kid a lot."


    Such detail wasn''t mentioned in the novel. No matter how deep Wei Jun tried to probe the novel, or how much he tried to find a connection, he still couldn''t find a connection between the protagonist and the underground boss other than one distinct line that was only mentioned once, ''Since he knew of his weakness, Wao Wufeng had no choice but to comply.''


    Wei Jun nodded and fell in deep thought. If he wanted to enter the upcoming event, he needed Wao Wufeng''s cooperation. Considering that the weakness mentioned in the novel was his son, Wei Jun knew what to do next.


    ''But then how will he enter?'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but ask. Would preventing the protagonist from entering really work? He had very low hopes for that and those hopes were dashed as the system replied...


    [He will find another way]


    [Or rather, the destiny would]


    [One way or another]


    [The protagonist is bound to show up there]


    the current protagonist, Li Fan Sho was in the grandmaster realm of cultivation. Wei Jun was nowhere near that. Granted he was getting close each day, but with his level limit in place, he''d still remain in the Master realm. He needed to increase his level and that was only possible by making sure destiny wasn''t fulfilled like it was supposed to according to the novel.


    "Prepare for a tour to Long Bao city in three days. In three days we leave. Also, find this woman," Wei Jun instructed Lao Chen and added, "She has a son. Find both of them and keep them in utmost care. So much so that it doesn''t look like a kidnapping at all."


    "Understood, young master," Lao Chen replied before he added, "Also, the master is on the phone."


    Lao Chen handed him a phone. Wei Jun wasn''t in the mood but there was nothing else he could do. He picked up the phone and Sun Ruan spoke from the other side, "Come home tonight."


    As soon as he said those three words, Sun Ruan terminated the call, not allowing Wei Jun to speak at all. Wei Jun was curious what this was all about but he didn''t have to worry. There was no way Sun Ruan would have suspected what Wei Jun and Lin Ruan were doing behind his back. If he did, there would have been some sort of indication from Lin Ruan since she wasn''t stupid.


    If she didn''t worry, then he didn''t have a reason to as well. He did have one suspicion though but he wasn''t so sure.


    ''Well, no use trying to figure it out here.'' Wei Jun internally muttered before he left his office and made his way toward his room. There was still a lot of time before he met with Sun Ruan. He wanted to get some rest before that.


    ~~


    As Wei Jun arrived at the Ruan villa, a woman was waiting for him. The original Wei Jun''s mother, Pei Ruan. She affectionately hugged him to which Wei Jun did nothing.


    "How are you, sweety?" She asked with a sweet smile on her face. Wei Jun simply nodded and replied, "I''ve been well, mother."


    "Mother? Not mom?" Pei Ruan asked, her expression strange at how Wei Jun addressed her but Wei Jun remained silent.


    He shifted the conversation, "How are you these days?"


    "Oh, I''ve been made the sect''s elder so my days of leisure are gone now." Pei Ruan replied but Wei Jun could sense apprehension in her tone. She was hesitant to say something but didn''t know how to.


    "What is it?" Wei Jun asked.


    Pei Ruan still hesitated but still replied, although very, very hesitant, "I know father can be a difficult person but he just wants what''s best for our family. But if you still have an objection, know that I will always stand with you."


    "Mother," Wei Jun addressed her formally as he asked, "What is happening?"


    "Just..." Pei Ruan began but she hesitated to say anything. In the end, she could only sigh and say, "Just come inside. You will


    know soon."


    Wei Jun had a bad premonition but he knew there wasn''t much Sun Ruan would be able to do against him. After all, the sect master was on his side. There wasn''t much Sun Ruan would be able to do.


    As he entered the house, he encountered a man, a man who obviously wasn''t an Asian. Now Wei Jun was sure what this was about. Still, he didn''t care. The other party didn''t want this just as much as he did. There was no need to worry.


    Wei Jun was guided to the study room of Sun Ruan. Outside, many, many, men and women, belonging to the sect and many who seemed Europeans, stood in a line on both sides of the door. On the left side were the people of the sect while on the right side were the visitors.


    Wei Jun was about to enter when both, the sect disciples and the people from the outside moved to stop him. He didn''t like that. He looked at them coldly, his eyes spilling murder. He already didn''t like coming there yet now he was being blocked. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The sect disciple flinched but said nonetheless, "Elder Ruan and more elders of the sect are currently in a meeting with important visitors. You cannot enter."


    Wei Jun looked at him and reigning his anger, he said, "Move it or lose it. Which one?"


    Strangely enough, the British guest understood Wei Jun as well and moved his hand as his instincts screamed at him. The disciple did the same and Wei Jun scoffed. Still, the show of power was another thing.


    He didn''t enter the room but remained outside. He wanted to show both of them that he was above them but he also knew the consequences of entering rashly. It could be used against him and that was the last thing he needed right now.


    He could sense around ten people inside. Although he didn''t use his Qi, he didn''t need to. His physical senses were enhanced enough to even count the ants under the ground. Counting how many people were breathing was way easy.


    He could sense most of them were cultivators but three of them were exhibiting the same power as Natasha or Mark Wilson. Of course, while theirs was on a weaker side, this one was more potent, powerful, and dangerous.


    They were at the very least, on or stronger than the red wyvern who was currently his


    unwilling familiar.


    Wei Jun knew he would have no chance against them. One of them was a familiar entity, one he had felt before. The old man who had threatened him back when he was in the magic school.


    [Mana Academy]


    ''Same thing.'' Wei Jun wasn''t interested in the specifics. What he knew was that those men inside were strong and they didn''t have a definite relationship with the others inside.


    It also meant they had an unknown and unexplained relationship with him as well. Whether they would be temporary allies or permanent foes...


    ''Well, that''s yet to be seen.'' Wei Jun thought.


    One thing, however, was for sure. They


    were never going to be his allies. They would either obey him, or they would stand against him.


    Just like Sun Ruan.


    "Come in." As Wei Jun''s train of thought stopped as he heard those words, he grabbed the door handle and entered, ready to face another problem of his.

 Chapter 348 I want to...

    As Wei Jun entered the room, he saw ten men sitting opposite to one another. Sun Ruan alone sat on the head couch while three men sat on his left side and six men sat on his right, lining up on the couches left and right to Sun Ruan. Wei Jun didn''t need an introduction. Out of the six people, three were men while three were women, all six of whom he had seen in the sect. Only two of them were younger, and there wasn''t much difference between Wei Jun and them as they seemed to be newly appointed elders.The other four, however, two men and two women, were as old as Sun Ruan, and they were all in the grandmaster realm like Sun Ruan as well. On the other side, there were two men and a young woman, but Wei Jun could almost feel that the woman wasn''t as young as she seemed.


    [There are many spells to keep one young]


    Wei Jun nodded and examined the three foreigners. One of them was none other than the man who had threatened Wei Jun back at the magic school.


    [Mana Academy] Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    And the other two were unfamiliar faces.


    [Did you just ignore me?]


    Wei Jun hadn''t seen any of them, nor was he aware of them.


    [You definitely did]


    "Sit down." Sun Ruan said while Wei Jun was busy examining everyone in the room. The old man, Natasha''s master, smirked when he saw Wei Jun.


    "Long time no see, Young Ruan." His accent was flawlessly smooth, and it didn''t sound like he was European.


    "Yes, it has been quite a while," Wei Jun said with respect in his tone. But that respect was clearly pointed out when Wei Jun added, "Since you strangled me."


    "Hahaha." The old man chuckled before he continued, "That I did. That I did. But you have to understand where I was coming from, right? I would be doing my own organization a disservice if I had not interrogated a suspicious person who appeared in my territory out of nowhere."


    A simple fact that made so much sense that even those on Wei Jun''s side couldn''t help but disagree. And from the sound of it, it seemed like the sect was already made aware of the incident. Sun Ruan nodded and said, "Elder Mccalligan is definitely correct. Had it been any of your students, I would have done the same." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A simple wordplay. While it did seem like Sun Ruan was agreeing, he was also saying that he would remember to do the same.


    "Hahaha," Elder Mccalligan, Natasha''s master, couldn''t help but chuckle and said, "Of course, you would understand, Master Ruan."


    [Yeah]


    [Things definitely aren''t friendly here]


    ''It''s a setup.'' Wei Jun replied. Wei Jun could see what was happening as clear as day. Sun Ruan and McCalligan were definitely on more friendly terms than they let on.


    The same couldn''t be said for others in the room, though. They were trying to make it look like things were shaky and make sure they got across how important this alliance needed to be and what significance the act that would keep this alliance held.


    [Marriage]


    ''What else would it be?'' Wei Jun knew how to deal with this matter, but he also knew that there would be adverse effects if he were to deny this alliance right now. He already had a lot on his plate. A bunch of angry old men and women who held him responsible weren''t something he wanted added to that list.


    [That would mean you would have to agree]


    ''Not necessarily.''


    "Why have you called for me, Elder Ruan?" Wei Jun asked, getting straight to the point. He wasn''t interested in the wordplay and the games of these old men. If they were going to use him, he was going to use them. It was as simple as that.


    "I will speak instead of Master Ruan," McCalligan said, and receiving no objection from Sun Ruan, he continued, "With the crisis of the sudden increase in dungeon appearance at hand, we have decided that it would be much more efficient to deal with this threat if all powers on this world were to stand together. Henceforth¡­"


    McCalligan looked at Wei Jun as he continued, "I proposed an alliance between the Academy of Magic, Valencia, and the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect."


    "Let it be known," Sun Ruan said once McCalligan stopped, "That I am in complete favor of this alliance."


    Once again, wordplay. They clearly had shown earlier that they were at each other''s throats, yet right now, they were agreeing with each other as if they were childhood friends under the guise of humanity''s welfare.


    Wei Jun had no problem with that. It didn''t mean how they spun it to present it to the investors of this project, the land on which the building would be built would remain the same. The land would be Wei Jun, and the building would be Melissa. How high it was built, however, depended on the investors.


    And right now, that''s what was going on. They were roping in investors. Wei Jun remained silent as he let them talk for the next half an hour before they got to the main point.


    Finally¡­


    "Therefore, in light of these events, I propose an ironclad alliance," McCalligan took it upon himself to let the alliance continue. Once he had everyone''s attention, he began, "As everyone knows, the purest and strongest relation in the world is that of marriage. Master Ruan and I both have decided to make sure that this alliance never breaks."


    ''Guess they''ve never heard of a divorce.'' Wei Jun said inwardly.


    [It won''t be that easy]


    ''I know.''


    He knew. He knew how hard it would be to get roped into this alliance, but it wasn''t like he had a choice. He was stuck in it whether he liked it or not. The law of the world was that the strong rule the weak. Wei Jun himself stood by that law, and he knew it better than anyone. At the moment, he was the weaker one.


    ''I wouldn''t be for long.'' But until he was, he had no way of resisting this matter.


    But¡­


    ''That doesn''t mean I can''t push back¡­''


    "I propose that Master Ruan''s grandson, young man Ruan, be married to my beloved niece, Melissa Dorian." McCalligan finally ended the long talk and got to his primary objective.


    "Are there any objections?" Sun Ruan asked. There wasn''t much to consider.


    It was an open fact that the sect master favored Wei Jun, which was a clear testament to Wei Jun''s strength. Of course, there were still some skeptics since Wei Jun was very weak just a year ago, but those views were changed for the better. Not only was he handsome, but he was strong, talented, and headed for better places. In simpler words, there was no harm in betting on a stallion that was dominating the race. Right now, the sect master was favoring Wei Jun even more than his own nephew, well, no one knew he wasn''t actually his nephew, but since they didn''t, they found it quite astonishing how Wei Jun had managed to cross the sect master''s own blood.


    On the other hand, Melissa was the daughter of none other than the now-deceased archmage, a seventh-circle spell master. Her talent was enough that she had formed her fourth circle not long ago. Although Magicians progressed slower than cultivators, they were still equal because a one-circle mage could easily contend against a cultivator in the Qi Gathering realm.


    In that sense, Melissa and Wei Jun were equal in terms of strength.


    Of course, that wasn''t so in a practical sense because Wei Jun was confident he could take down a mage at the same level as his easily.


    [You''re quite mistaken]


    [Sure, you took down the companion of the second protagonist]


    [But he was an amateur]


    [A properly trained battle mage can give anyone a hard time]


    [They say]


    [One mage ten thousand]


    [One properly trained and stocked mage could take down an army of ordinary ten thousand soldiers]


    ''I''m not ordinary.''


    [Of course, you''re not]


    [But I advise you to be careful, as mages aren''t people you can underestimate]


    For some reason, although he was confident, Wei Jun decided to take the system''s advice at heart. He had surely not faced a proper magician, and his experience stemmed from when he saw Melissa last time. Maybe she had grown since then.


    Since there was no objection from any of the elders from both sides after a long time of contemplation, McCliggan smiled and was about to proceed with the following matters when one voice interjected.


    "I have an objection." Wei Jun simply said.


    Awkward. Wasn''t this alliance accepted by both sides? Then why was one of the key figures of this alliance announcing an objection?


    Among the questions flowing through everyone''s mind, which both the instigators of this alliance were well aware of, while suppressing their anger, both of them decided to handle it peacefully as McCalligan asked, "And what would that be, Young Ruan?"


    Wei Jun smiled and replied, "I want to¡­"

 Chapter 349 An additional reward

    "Whatever you want to say, say it," McCalligan said, making sure Wei Jun was heard loud and clear. He didn''t want to make it look like his will wasn''t taken into consideration, or Melissa''s for that matter. While the truth was far from that, no one needed to know that. If Wei Jun was expressing his opinion in front of the investors, there was no harm in letting him. Whether his will was met with proper reciprocation or not was an entirely different matter.


    "I wish for another girl." Wei Jun replied.


    "Someone other than Melissa?" McCalligan asked.


    "No. Someone else, along with Melissa." Wei Jun replied.


    "Haha," McClligan chuckled, but he wasn''t the only one to do so. Many others, along with Sun Ruan, chuckled at Wei Jun''s words. While some would have thought they were offended or thought of Wei Jun as greedy, it wasn''t so. Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Well," McCalligan said as he looked at Wei Jun with amusement, "Arent you a greedy fella?"


    Everyone in the room chuckled, even the women, but no one ridiculed Wei Jun. To them, it was a natural choice. Wei Jun couldn''t help but shake his head inwardly. Had his mother been here, she would have sliced his head in two. Well, his father would have, but the one to order him would have been his mother. She didn''t like it when he disrespected women like that.


    He still remembered the first time he did so. As he thought back to that time, his body couldn''t help but shiver in cold, unbridled fear.


    He shook his head and focused on the current issue. Wei Jun could have just asked for Natasha instead of Melissa, but the goal here was to marry Melissa and Wei Jun. These two were the ones who mattered. Protagonists of a story, if one could say. Natasha, in this sense, would be the sacrificial side character who was just there to elevate the standing of the main lead, who in this case would be Melissa. In simpler words, Natasha didn''t matter to them. They didn''t mind giving her away as a gift along with Melissa.


    The world of the strong was filthy, Wei Jun was well aware of that even before he came to that world. With that in mind, he wasn''t going to let them use him or those who were allies as they pleased. This was the shortest and best way to bring Natasha by his side.


    Another reason he wanted to do so was because he wanted to increase his INT stat. Mark Wilson was good but not as good as Natasha, in terms of talent, he was quite average compared to her. If Wei Jun were to give the same amount of resources to Natasha, she''d grow much faster than Mark Wilson, increasing Wei Jun''s INT stat, which helped him resist mana to some extent.


    [Why not do the same with Melissa?]


    [She''s more talented than her]


    ''She''s a proud one.'' Wei Jun simply replied.


    Wei Jun never had subordinates he couldn''t handle. He always chose his subordinates and made sure to recruit only those he could control. Yan Rong was a special case, but she was crazy enough to betray her own organization for him, so he didn''t have a problem with her. But Melissa was different. She was born and raised with the sole reality that there was none more stronger than her, and she possessed the chance to become one of the strongest people on the earth.


    Se wouldn''t be so welcoming of being under someone else. Especially Wei Jun, who was a man. If there was one thing that was common in all women, women who had attained strength, then it was their inferiority complex of men. He didn''t particularly care about that, and he had no reason to unless they were to mess with him, in which case, he would have a great deal of problem with them. That was also why he tended to stay away from women like those. Even Liu Yu, who had tried to kill him a few times. Wei Jun stayed away from her because he didn''t want to deal with a crazy woman like her. Melissa also, in some sense, was similar to Liu Yu.


    It was always better to stay away from such kind.


    "Very well," Sun Ruan said, "Since it doesn''t look like anyone objects to your request, it will be met. You may leave now."


    It was an order he couldn''t refuse. It also meant there was nothing more he was allowed to say now. Wei Jun nodded and turned to leave. Once outside, he sighed and made his way outside of the mansion. Once he arrived, Lao Chen was waiting for him with the car prepared. Wei Jun got into it and went to his villa.


    ~~


    The next morning, at six am sharp, Wei Jun was at the military base, ready to roll. There were already some people there, and some more arrived after he did. They all looked at him with masked disdain, but Wei Jun didn''t care about them. His deal wasn''t with them, after all. He ignored their concealed gazes and just waited.


    In another ten minutes, General Ming arrived and announced the locations of the dungeons. Luckily, there was one in the Yuan Yin city, but its rank was S, so the team raiding it would be led by a grandmaster cultivator along with some mages for support.


    Wei Jun was also part of that team. The team comprised a general, someone other than General Ming, twenty-four cultivators at the master rank, including Wei Jun, and five mages for support, out of which two were healers, one was a ranged attacker, while the rest of the two were trained in defensive spells to protect the healers and the attacker.


    Cultivators mostly fought with their fists, but some also took up weapons. Out of the twenty-five present, three had bows, three had spears, and nine had swords. Only one had a shield, and the rest were empty-handed, in other words, fist fighters. Wei Jun belonged to the last category, and so was the general who was leading the mission. Wei Jun was informed that if he helped in clearing this dungeon, he would be expected to clear the rest of the dungeons, stating in his contract that he found a little strange.


    ''Could they just change the terms like that?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [If the slaved party is to perform extraordinary]


    [Then yes]


    By slaved party, the system obviously meant the B party. Party A was the one usually initiating the contract, so the term slave was often used to address the other party or, in this case, Wei Jun.


    ''Which means they can change the rest of the terms as well?'' Wei Jun asked, worried that if he were to perform poorly, the terms would once again change.


    [Not necessarily]


    [There''s always a limit]


    [Besides, if you fault or uphold your contract, you''d be punished anyway, so such instances are rare]


    [Of course]


    [They could be magnanimous and increase your time, but contracts usually don''t work that way, and it doesn''t look like the general who initiated the contract with you has much knowledge of them]


    Wei Jun nodded. Each and every word the system had said made sense. Even in lending contracts, the other party could be merciful and forgive the party who couldn''t pay on time. Of course, that mercy was accompanied by a hefty interest, so Wei Jun wasn''t an amateur to not know what that really meant.


    "I am General Shao. I will be the lead commander of this mission. Your jobs have already been assigned to you. Some of you might not be used to working with some present, so I will make this quick. Make it happen. I don''t know how you do it, I don''t care how you do it, just make it happen. Whether you''re new or not, mistakes won''t be forgiven. Get it through your thick skulls." The General calmly said all of it, but a clear threat was present in his voice that he had delivered with an utmost straight face.


    There were mages and Wei Jun, who seemed to stick out of the group since they were the only ones not wearing the standard military uniform. Wei Jun didn''t mind his words. He couldn''t feel any animosity for himself in those words, and since that was the case, those words were for everyone, not just him.


    Satisfied that he wasn''t being treated unfairly, Wei Jun prepared himself for the hunt. It wasn''t long before the whole team was prepared and ready to dive in. Wei Jun noticed that the team this time was different. All of them had expensive equipment on them, not just guns, and all of them had a silver ring on them, some had bracelets.


    [Storage artifacts]


    [They must be for the corpses they hunt]


    ''I see.'' Wei Jun replied before he entered with the team and felt the usual change in his surroundings while passing through the dungeon gate. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, as he ended up on the other side of the dungeon gate, he couldn''t help but say just two words¡­


    "What the¡­"

 Chapter 350 What is this place?

    Wei Jun had expected to see a medieval-aged world, a swamp world, a forest, a land of snow, a desert, or maybe something else that fitted the setting of the dungeons. But, never in his dreams would he have expected¡­


    "What is this place?" One of the soldiers asked, not being able to stomach the scene before him as well. The truth was, no one could tell what they were seeing. Due to the lack of sci-fi movies in this new world, the scene was strange to everyone in the party. But Wei Jun had been an avid fan of Star Wa*s and Star Tr*k.


    While he wasn''t the type to watch movies, there were still a few movies that even piqued his attention. And so, with that, he recognized the scene before him. Across the vast land which resembled the deserts of Vegas, there was a city.


    What was strange about that city was that there were skyscrapers as tall as Mount Everest that disappeared into the clouds, but those weren''t actual clouds. What made the city strange was the giant dome outside of it. It was the typical setting of Sci-Fi cities where humanity had explored space, leaving Earth behind to rot.


    "The air feels a little strange¡­" The general said.


    ''It''s more putrid than usual.'' Wei Jun commented inwardly as he sniffed a little. He hadn''t noticed before he started cultivating, but the world he lived in had very putrid air. He didn''t know about his original world because he couldn''t feel anything supernatural then, but in the new world he was in, he could feel the changes drastically after awakening Qi.


    The pollution in the air in this place was ten times denser. Wei Jun could feel his Qi working in an overdrive to keep the pollution out of his system. Wei Jun felt the changes and said, "Why don''t we head over there since it seems like our only clue?"


    The general nodded in assent, "It does seem like our only option. What I am concerned about though is the fact that this dungeon is unlike anything I''ve ever seen."


    Wei Jun could tell it was a first experience for them as well. Seeing that even they didn''t know anything about it, Wei Jun turned to the only person who could shed some light on the issue.


    [Not telling you]


    [It''ll spoil the fun]


    Wei Jun remained silent to the system''s reply. There were moments when he knew if he pressed, the system would spill everything but there were times when even the system wouldn''t say anything. This was one of those moments. Wei Jun nodded, knowing he would see everything himself soon anyway.


    The group began to walk but the expansive desert field wasn''t as short as it seemed. It was long, long, and long. It took them three days, along with proper rest, to arrive on the outskirts of the city, just before the dome.


    Wei Jun couldn''t feel nay presence beyond the dome. The dome was transparent and Wei Jun could see everything beyond the dome. A deserted city with skyscrapers all over. However, what caught his attention was the building far away, which seemed to be the middle of the city.


    ''A citadel?'' Wei Jun thought. The shape of the building was strange, almost like a temple. It didn''t suit the Sci-Fi setting where gods were forgotten and supernatural forces were revered. Still, Wei Jun couldn''t be sure so he went ahead and touched the dome. His hand passed through the dome like it wasn''t even there.


    He looked at the general who was also inspecting the dome. Wei Jun offered, "Why don''t we scout first with proper cover?" The reason Wei Jun suggested that was because when Wei Jun''s hand passed through the dome, he couldn''t see his hand through the transparent dome. With that, there was a chance that the dome might not be just transparent and the streets inside might not be empty.


    There was a chance the dome didn''t show the truth inside the city so there was a need to take strict precaution. The general nodded to his suggestion and signaled two of his soldiers. They nodded and readied their weapons, one archer and one shield, while the shield covered the general from the front, the archer stood behind him, his arrow drawn and ready to be fired just above the general''s left shoulder.


    While Wei Jun thought the general would dump the task on someone else, it was strange seeing him stand up to the task himself. From the looks of it, the general wasn''t the type to dump the dangerous tasks on his subordinates, or even dismiss the thoughts of the groups as he listened to Wei Jun two times without objections.


    The team, in their defensive stance, slowly entered, and only after they disappeared and didn''t appear for some time did the emotion of concern start to seep in. However, before concerns could even be voiced, the archer returned by himself and said, "I-I guess you guys should come too."


    The team glanced at each other but in the end, they decided to follow the archer inside. As they entered, Wei Jun couldn''t help but be astonished by what he was witnessing. Creatures, walking on two legs but far from humans, roamed the city without even sparing them a glance.


    There were no humans in the crowd, but there were plenty of other creatures that resembled foxes, wolves, felines, birds, and even the ugly ones such as frogs and fish types. Looking at the scene, not just Wei Jun, but everyone else was also taken aback. They would have opened fire had the monsters, or could they even be called monsters, but they didn''t even spare them a glance.


    It seemed like a market square, with food stalls and item stalls perched on the side as far as the eye went, and on the other side were buildings that resembled office buildings. They were nothing when compared to the buildings in the middle of the city, but they were still grander than the Ruan Enterprises building back in Yuan Yin City.


    Above their heads, bridges of different manners could be seen. While there was only foot traffic on the ground, there were bridges set for different purposes on their heads. One for subway, or it seemed like a subway, or more like a bullet train with how fast it traveled that even they could barely see them with their senses enhanced.


    A bridge for cars, a bridge for motorcycles that hovered above the ground, similar to the cars, and one final bridge for bicycles but they weren''t exactly bicycles because a bicycle required two wheels strictly but while there were pedals on these bicycles, there were no wheels to indicate that.


    [Welcome, host]


    [To the city out of time]


    [Al¨¤nel]


    "Umm¡­ General¡­ What should we do?" One of the female mages asked.


    "I''m open to the ideas." The General, equally stumped as them, replied, open to suggestions which Wei Jun quickly supplied. "I think attacking out of the blue wouldn''t be wise. We should first make sure they are indeed our enemies." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While there were some dissatisfactions among the group, the final decision lay upon the General, and after mulling it over a little, he looked at Wei Jun and asked, "And your reason for thinking so?"


    "We don''t know what kind of weapons they possess and whether or not they are effective against Qi. Not to mention, they outnumber us by at least 1 to a million." Obvious reasons that anyone could deduce. The general must have thought of that as well hence why he didn''t attack. The rest of the soldiers weren''t stupid to overlook this point as well. They were simply short-sighted.


    The general nodded but that wasn''t his main concern. "In a dungeon, to get out, we must defeat the boss monster to get out. How do you propose we do that without fighting?"


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    "We don''t just need to defeat it. We can also gain the boss''s recognition." Wei Jun replied. But, contrary to what he thought, the others were looking at him like he was an idiot.


    "Where did you hear that from? From a magical fairy?" One of the soldiers said, making the rest of the group chuckle but the General remained silent. He looked at Wei Jun and asked, "What makes you so sure of your hypothesis?" He didn''t seem as unreasonable as other generals Wei Jun had faced so far, prompting Wei Jun to at least work amicably with him.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Because I have experienced so myself. During one dungeon expedition, I was the only one left alive and trapped inside a dungeon. However, the boss of the dungeon could speak and let me go after I offered him some of the artifacts in my possession."


    It was a bullsh*t story, one that no one would believe but in the world of supernatural, anything could happen.


    "All right, you will take the lead from here forth." The general said. Wei Jun was taken aback by that order and expected opposition from the soldiers but no one dared to say anything.


    Wei Jun eventually nodded and just before he could turn around, he heard, "Humans? This far out of the city? What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 351 Alanel

    Wei Jun turned to look at the girl who had just spoken. The men in his group stared wide-eyed at that woman while the women blushed heavily as they saw her but it wasn''t because they were embarrassed. They were rather angry at the woman. Why?


    Well, her description was somewhat abnormal. Blue skin, from head to toe, instead of hair, what seemed like three tails were situated on her head going down until her knees behind her. She was as tall as Wei Jun and Wei Jun was tall. She had white eyes with blue pupils like a human but her eyes were a lot more like a feline race than a human.


    However, what angered the women in the group and made the men blush was the fact that she was bare-chested. She was wearing pants to cover her lower region but her upper region was completely naked. However, even that wasn''t an entirely abnormal thing. No, the completely abnormal thing would be her chest, or more specifically, the addition of what was supposed to be on her chest.


    Instead of two globes, there were four.


    [It''s been a long time since I''ve seen one]


    [They give killer sensations, host]


    ''Ahan,'' Wei Jun brushed the system''s words and focused on the blue woman before him. He didn''t care if there were two of them or four or six. He didn''t care. He was more interested in what she had said. Wei Jun was not least bit interested in her appearance or fawning over her like other men, he was simply curious about what she said.


    "And you are?" Wei Jun asked. Giving anything away would be dangerous for him. He didn''t know if coming from outside the dome held some significance but usually in movies of such settings, outsiders were considered hostiles.


    "Shouldn''t you introduce yourself first? You''re in my area you know. No matter how royal you humans are, you should at least abide by the territorial laws, don''t you?" The blue-skinned woman retorted, pushing the blame on Wei Jun instead. Wei Jun looked at her with impassive eyes before he closed them momentarily and replied, "I see. I was a bit rude so allow me to apologize. I am James. These are my companions."


    "That''s funny. Why would an Asian have a European name?" The blue-skinned woman asked, her eyes holding intense skepticism.


    However, Wei Jun wasn''t perturbed in the least. He didn''t let anything show on his face while some of the teammates showed hints of panic. Wei Jun looked at her with serious eyes and said, "My mother was Asian. My father held the power."


    Two simple sentences. He didn''t need to know about the customs of this world. The world remained the same no matter what. Man was always above a woman, feminism, to him, was a joke. In his household, things were different as her mother was in charge but when it came to matters regarding the family, she never said a thing, and all decisions were left up to his father.


    In simpler words, he had a certain guess that this society would be patriarchal and he bet on that, forming an answer. And with how serious his expression and calm his heart was, the blue-skinned woman couldn''t find a negative point in it.


    "Men are scummy as always, aren''t they? Well, you''re your father''s son too so what can I expect from you?" The blue-skinned woman said before she asked, "Anyway, what are you doing here, James? I''ll let you know we won''t be bullied into paying more taxes. We have already paid this month''s worth."


    At the words of the blue-skinned woman, Wei Jun could more or less glean the cusp of the issue but guessing alone wasn''t enough. He needed concrete information.


    "You can be assured we''re not here to do something like that. As you can see," Wei Jun turned and pointed to the mages because only they were dressed differently from the rest of them, and said, "We had some peculiar guests and they wanted to explore the city. I''m just showing them around."


    A logical explanation and no one among the soldiers had changed in their expression to disagree with the story. Not even the mages themselves. The blue-skinned woman eyed the mages and nodded while shaking her head, "You better not be here to play with someone. If you want to show them around, that''s fine, but if I hear you harmed anyone, I will formally complain to the city. Don''t think we don''t have any power around here."


    The words of the woman reminded Wei Jun of 1940s America where racism was at its peak. Still, Wei Jun wasn''t a racist and in this case, he wasn''t a literal racist. He didn''t discriminate over the peculiar build of the races that he could see. He simply glossed it all over because no matter what he said, such defensive people wouldn''t believe him. He had witnessed that firsthand. So he simply nodded and said, "Well, we''ve seen enough so I think we should return now."


    "Yeah, that would be for the better." The blue-skinned woman nodded, her expression showing signs of apprehension still but she didn''t say anything else. She simply turned around and walked away.


    Wei Jun turned to look at the General and said, "There are humans here. We should go and look for them."


    The General nodded as well. The sole fact that the concept of Asian and European existed meant this place held some resemblance to the real earth they were from. The General readily agreed and none of the soldiers had any complaints as well. Seeing as how flawlessly Wei Jun handled the issue even when he was encountering the situation first time for them as well showed how fast his thinking and adaption to an unfamiliar situation was.


    With everyone agreed, Wei Jun and the rest began to walk towards the center of the city, where the strange temple or the citadel could still be seen, but it wasn''t as near as they could see. They walked, walked, and walked. Yet, even after the day turned to night, the citadel was still as far as it was when they began the journey.


    "This isn''t going to work. We need some transport." The General said.


    "I agree." Wei Jun readily agreed but there was another problem that everyone was aware of. Currency. Just because the city held some semblance to the world, didn''t mean the currency used would be the same. Wei Jun spotted a building that looked like an inn and turned to a woman in the group, a soldier, not a mage, and said, "Come with me for a bit."


    The woman looked at the General but the General simply nodded, instructing her to go with Wei Jun. She followed Wei Jun and while they did, Wei Jun said, "Just follow my lead. And show some emotions on your face."


    Wei Jun put her arm around her waist and held her just above her lower waist from the other side. The woman didn''t even flinch when he did so. She simply molded her expression to that of a bashful girl and said, "Kyahh~~ Brother~~ You can''t do that in public."


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but stop and look at her. Her expression was still that of a young bashful college girl which hurriedly changed to her expressionless one as she asked, "What? I was in the acting agency before I enrolled in the military."


    "You''re pretty good. Why''d you leave?" Wei Jun asked.


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    "Because I wouldn''t sleep with a certain someone." She said, her expression as stoic as ever but Wei Jun could pick up the hints of sarcasm.


    "Let me guess," Wei Jun said as he pointed a finger at himself, "Me?"


    "No sh*t." The woman said.


    "Haa¡­" Wei Jun sighed. He shook his head and said, "Well, if you ever change your mind or have a plan B for a career, seek me out."


    "So you can sleep with me?" The woman looked at him and asked with her eyebrow corked. Wei Jun knew nothing he said at this point would make a difference but he still replied, "I wouldn''t even if the world were to end."


    Strangely, there was no sign of a lie in Wei Jun''s statement. Still, the woman didn''t care. Whether it was true or not, she was a soldier now. If she were to ever step into that industry, she''d think about it. But until then, it wasn''t her concern.


    "Put the slu*ty mode back on." Wei Jun said. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman smiled, raised her hand, and punched Wei Jun in his thigh subtly as she looked at him and said with a charming smile, "Surely you''re not calling me, you booboo, that, Darling~~~"


    Wei Jun realized his mistake and simply said, "Just go with the flow."


    The woman nodded sweetly and soon enough, they arrived before the doors that slid open. As they entered, they saw a woman with red skin and silky smooth black hair sitting behind a counter with a welcoming smile.


    "Good evening. How may I be of service today?"

 Chapter 352 Securing money

    Wei Jun could clearly spot the apprehension on the red-skinned woman''s face but it was perfectly concealed behind her professional voice and expression. Wei Jun didn''t know things were so bad but maybe it worked in his favor on the contrary.


    "Hello. My name is James." Wei Jun simply introduced himself. While it would have been a norm to state your second name, Wei Jun felt best just sticking to his first name.


    "Welcome, Mister James. How can I help you?" The red-skinned woman once again asked, keeping her professional fa?ade up while Wei Jun could still pick up some hints of apprehension.


    "It''s like this," Wei Jun said before he began the tale of how he ended up there, "Me and my girlfriend are exploring this area. It was her idea and despite my opposition, she came here, ill-prepared on top of that."


    The red-skinned woman looked at the woman next to Wei Jun who had an embarrassed expression on her face as she lightly hit Wei Jun on his chest and said, "Darling~~ You said you weren''t mad about it anymore."


    Her acting skills were indeed awesome as the woman simply assumed she was a spoiled princess who relied solely on her beauty. Wei Jun ignored her remarks and kept his gaze on the red-skinned woman, "But I prepared a lot of money. Still, I wasn''t aware that when I would be booking us some tickets, my sweet, sweet girlfriend would fall victim to a scam and spend all my money on this."


    Wei Jun pulled a small knife that was a simple knife. The red-skinned woman was instantly on guard when she spotted the weapon but when she saw what it really was, and the story began to set in, she couldn''t help but chuckle. Of course, her chuckle was professionally hidden behind her cough.


    Wei Jun didn''t mind but the woman next to him increasingly turned red in shame. Wei Jun then got to the point now that the base of the story was set, "I simply want to ask a method for obtaining money through barter. I wonder if there''s some place here that might buy something I have for a good price."


    The red-skinned woman was skeptical that Wei Jun would have something like that, and most likely it was a ploy to extort money from her but she still asked, giving the people a benefit of the doubt, "And that something is¡­?"


    Wei Jun put his hand in his left pocket and through the inventory, pulled out a B rank miasma core. As soon as he put it on the table, the eyes of both of the individuals near him went as wide as they could. The woman next to Wei Jun had seen B rank miasma crystals before but they were mostly monopolized by the grandmaster rank cultivators, making it difficult for her to have ever used one.


    If they were ever lucky enough to find one in a B or A rank dungeon, it would straight up go to the higher-ups who needed support in their cultivation. Yet, here she was seeing a man who casually slapped one on the table, asking to barter for it. Barter!


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    ''His sect must be something else¡­'' In the end, she could only conclude that his sect might consider him that much of a big prospect. But that wasn''t all, the other question that plagued her was why would be ever think of selling something like that for their sake?


    Unfortunately, she had no time to ask the question as the red-skinned woman yelled, "My lord! Forgive me for not accommodating you before!"


    She fell on one knee and her head hung low. She didn''t know what to do so she simply remained like so, afraid that the man before her had been offended by her words.


    Only someone of human royalty would possess a crystal so pure and so big. There was no way it was just some ordinary human. It made sense since there were some eccentric royals who didn''t like confined walls and constantly sought to explore the world outside their castles.


    Wei Jun didn''t know what had happened but he decided to adapt to the situation, "Fear not, woman. I am simply asking for a fair trade. I do not wish to rob you."


    The woman couldn''t help but look at Wei Jun when he spoke in some cringe way, expecting some signs of shame but there were none. He was as composed and regel as he was before. She couldn''t help but admire how adapting he was.


    "B-But my lord¡­ How could I have---" The red-skinned woman began to say something in her defense but Wei Jun interrupted her, "How much will I get for this? I simply want to get home. Fairly, if possible."


    The woman was clearly troubled, not inspired by Wei Jun''s words, but troubled. She looked at Wei Jun to find any hints of a scam but she found none. Besides, a person who could slam such an expensive thing on the table like that wouldn''t surely be a scam artist.


    "Th-Then, you can sell it at the district plaza. Since the plaza of this district isn''t very wealthy, you wouldn''t be able to sell it. You might be able to hold it collateral so you could return and return the money you borrowed." The red-skinned woman explained.


    Puzzled, and a little curious, Wei Jun couldn''t help but ask, "How much do you think it would sell for?"


    "Twenty million new Zeniths at the very least." The woman replied. Wei Jun didn''t know what Zenith was but considering the topic of conversation, it was clearly the currency of this world. Not intending to rouse any suspicion, Wei Jun asked in a roundabout way, "And how much would that be?"


    "Enough to buy this place," The woman pointed at the ground with her forefinger. Considering it was a ten-story building, twenty million of anything would be considered extremely too much.


    "Enough to buy this building?" The woman next to Wei Jun asked, a little astonished. But, imagine her, and even Wei Jun''s surprise when she shook her head and said, "Not this building. This place. This entire district."


    "¡­" Both of them couldn''t find words to say in reply. Both of them remained silent and simply looked at each other. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun picked up the core and placed it back in his pocket, he then pulled out an E rank core which was smaller in size and less lustrous. He placed it on the counter and asked, "How much for this one?"


    The red-skinned woman was still surprised, but not as much as before, and replied with a slight cough with the intent to clear and throat, "That would go for a million at least and two for the right buyer."


    Wei Jun nodded and asked, "And how much can you buy it for?"


    "You have to be joking, my lord. How can I ever buy such a thing? You will still have to place it as collateral at the district plaza and lend some amount temporarily." The red-skinned woman replied. Wei Jun simply nodded and said, "You have my gratitude for the information you have imparted to me." Saying so, he slid the core forward and said, "Let this be your reward at the moment as I have nothing else to compensate you with."


    "¡­" The red-skinned woman couldn''t utter anything in shock. She remained frozen in her place when Wei Jun saw that that state wouldn''t end any time soon so he signaled the woman next to him and they made their way out of the building, returning to the group who was standing at the sidewalk so as to not attract further attention. After all, they didn''t want incidents like when they entered to repeat again and again.


    "My name is Ximen Shu." The woman said as she and Wei Jun walked back to the group. Wei Jun could tell that the woman hadn''t told him her name because she was impressed by his wealth but simply because she came to trust him now seeing that he was the one handling the situation ever since they came there.


    "Nice to meet you, Ximen Shu. I am Wei Jun Ruan." Wei Jun replied, a subtle smile on his face.


    "Nice to meet you as well." Xiemn Shu replied with a slight smile on her face as well. With that, at least there was no longer an icy cold atmosphere between the two of them.


    As they arrived in front of the team, the general assumed command and asked, "Report."


    While Wei Jun had been put in charge of the situation, since it was quite new for everyone in the team, it still didn''t change the fact that the general was in charge. So while everything was left up to Wei Jun, he still had to report his actions.


    "About that," Wei Jun began, "We have¡­"

 Chapter 353 Getting money

    "So monster cores are a form of currency here?" The general asked. To his question, Wei Jun shook his head and replied, "No, they''re more like a resource that only those at the top can afford to have."


    "So like diamonds?" The general clarified to which Wei Jun nodded and replied, "It would seem so but it doesn''t seem like that''s all there is to it. Just as a diamond is used to cut metals into different types, maybe the monster cores are a resource that can help with something like that as well. We''ll have to dig into it though."


    "Why?" A soldier interjected before he asked, "Why does it have to be our concern?"


    "Everyone tries to steal a diamond and is even willing to kill for it. If what we have is similar to one, what do you think will happen?" Wei Jun asked, not least bit offended. They couldn''t just flaunt their wealth out on the streets, especially to those at the top in case someone at the top held the power to take it from them.


    The general nodded and so did the rest of the team. The general asked, "What should we do now?" "For now let''s visit the district plaza and try to cash in the E rank core." Wei Jun replied.


    The general nodded and after asking a passerby the directions to the district plaza, they arrived in front of a ten-story building that seemed to be during rush hour. Wei Jun didn''t say anything and got in line. They were resolute in waiting when a woman, similar to the blue-skinned woman they encountered as soon as they came, approached them and said, "Hello, Sirs and Ma''am''s. How can I be of service to you?"


    She was also without a shirt, showing her chest to the world but she had different eyes compared to the other one they saw before. Hers resembled that of a dog. Wei Jun ignored everything like his fellow men and asked, "We wish to exchange some of our treasures for cash. We need some."


    The woman was a little skeptical so she asked, "What is it would you like to exchange?"


    Wei Jun looked around and said, "Is there somewhere private we can chat?"


    The woman looked at him and said, "I shall guide you to my manager. You can speak comfortably with him."


    Wei Jun nodded and along with the rest of the team, they followed the blue-skinned woman inside the building, ignoring the lines of people.


    None of the people complained as if it was normal and remained in their places. Wei Jun and his team were guided inside until they arrived at a door made of metal with no apparent design on it. It was like a sheet of metal was placed as is on the door.


    Wei Jun entered the building followed by the rest of his team once the woman knocked on the door and received permission to enter. Inside, they encountered a man, a human, sitting on the couch comfortably. As he saw so many people entering, especially humans, he was a little puzzled but there was no other reaction from him.


    "You may leave us." The man said before he looked at Wei Jun. The man before Wei Jun was probably in his mid-thirties, Caucasian, with dirty blonde hair and a nice trimmed beard that was barely an inch long. He had cat-blue eyes and his voice was a little on the heavy side. He pointed at the seat in front of him which was the sole seat other than the couch he was sitting on and said, "Take a seat."


    Wei Jun glanced at the general who simply nodded. The case was still supposed to be in Wei Jun''s hands so he was given all control over it. Including all sorts of negotiations.


    Wei Jun took the seat in front and the man said, "I am Jack Brier. And you are?"


    "James Castle." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "Very well, Mister Castle. How can I help you?" The man asked, his language pure English. While he was a little puzzled why Wei Jun, an Asian had an English name, he knew there was a lot of interracial breeding among humans so that could have been the cause.


    Wei Jun nodded and replied, "I intend to sell a treasure of mine. If you are willing to lend me some amount by holding it collateral, then that is fine with me as well."


    "¡­" Jack looked at Wei Jun silently for a few moments before he asked, "And what is it that you wish to sell?"


    Wei Jun put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the E rank miasma core. As he placed it on the table between them, Jack looked at Wei Jun before looking back at the crystal. His reaction wasn''t as extreme as the red-skinned woman''s but there was still some reaction.


    "And might I ask where you obtained it from?" Jack asked.


    "No, you may not," Wei Jun simply replied.


    "I see." Jack said before he looked at Wei Jun and asked, "And what do you intend to do with the money?"


    "I''m afraid I can''t tell you that as well." Wei Jun once again straightforwardly replied.


    Jack nodded and said, "Well, those are personal questions so you obviously don''t have to answer them. But I can''t just take it off your hands. You will have to provide me with some identification."


    "I can''t do that as well." Wei Jun replied. While it might have been a regulation, Wei Jun wasn''t convinced. Other than the fact that he didn''t even have any sort of identification, even if he did, he wouldn''t show it since it wasn''t just a regulation. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then I''m afraid I can''t buy it." Jack simply replied.


    Wei Jun nodded and picked up the crystal while saying, "I see. Then we''ll take our leave."


    Jack was a little taken aback. He thought that if he pressed them a little, he might be able to get something out of them. He didn''t want their identification, he didn''t care about that at all. But by knowing their names, he could find out with his connections who they were and track their movements. If he could somehow get ahold of the information about how they managed to obtain the crystal, then he could obtain some for himself as well.


    But, the other party was well versed in matters like these. The man at the forefront didn''t even consider negotiating and didn''t try to convince Jack.


    "Haa¡­" Jack sighed, not appearing desperate in the least, he said, "Well, in that case, I have no choice. What is it that you require?"


    He thought that if he said it like this and did not appear flustered at all, the other party might reveal something but the man heading towards the door simply looked at him. Jack thought his trick worked and he managed to find some desperation but the next words he heard were¡­


    "No thanks. We''ll take our business elsewhere." Wei Jun simply replied and went for the door handle.


    "Eh?" Jack was confused for a moment before reality began to set in. He was really leaving. There was no hesitation, no desperation. It really was a business deal in Wei Jun''s favor, not in Jack''s.


    However, it wasn''t too late. Dropping all pretense, Jack stood up and said, "Wait!"


    Wei Jun stopped just before he was out of the door and turned to look at him, "I said I''m not interested any longer."


    "I apologize. I was a little hasty in my decision. Please tell me how you want me to make it up to you but I would appreciate it if you could sell that to me." Jack said.


    The desperation in his voice was like music to a man like Wei Jun. He always knew that the more desperate party in a business was always the vulnerable one. Vulnerability meant they could be extorted that much more.


    "Four million Zeniths." Wei Jun said. The price was double the one the red-skinned woman had mentioned and it froze Jack in his place. The money was outrageous and almost two times the market price. It could have been sold at that price at an auction but this wasn''t an auction but an exchange.


    Jack pulled himself out of his shocked state and said, "The most I can do is three."


    It wasn''t about money. It was about getting the crystal. He could do more with that crystal than he could do with the money. After all, it was the only way to increase his power. There was no way he was going to give it up.


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    "¡­" Wei Jun simply kept looking at him, no words on his lips. Seeing him like that, Jack sighed and said, "Three ten. That''s the most I can do. Please understand."


    Wei Jun could tell that really was the final price. He nodded and said, "Very well. Three ten it is. But¡­" Wei Jun pointed at the gun on Jack''s waist and said, "Throw that in as well."

 Chapter 354 Ahmad

    "You wish to buy transport? For all of you? You all won''t fit in a car." A giant bald green man said. He had one eye only and there were two lower fangs coming out of his mouth. He seemed like an orc but he wasn''t exactly one.


    [He''s a Cyclops]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what those were but it seemed like the general was aware of it. When they entered the shop, the general was about to attack him but contained himself just as quickly.


    Wei Jun nodded and asked, "Then is there something that can fit all of us? Something big and fast."


    "A tank might do but they''re not that fast you know. Just a little faster than normal buses. My recommendation is you buy a few smaller ones. They''re fast and can be connected to one another via GPS so you won''t get separated as well." The Cyclops explained according to Wei Jun''s specifications. Wei Jun looked at the general who nodded, leaving the decision up to him and Wei Jun turned to the Cyclops.


    "Is there something like an armored car that can fit all of us?" Wei Jun asked. The Cyclops thought for a while before he nodded and said, "There is an armored RV but it won''t go everywhere with how big it is. You will have to stick to the main road and you may have to park it on the streets."


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Show me."


    The Cyclops took Wei Jun and his team inside and showed him a set of cars that were silver in color. Wei Jun selected one that looked like a SWAT tank only bigger in size. The size was three fire trucks standing next to each other and height-wise, it was like two fire trucks on top of each other.


    "It might be a tight fit since it''s not for thirty people." The Cyclops said. Wei Jun nodded and once he checked the insides, he agreed on it. It was decided at 50,000 and Wei Jun managed to lower the price to 45,000.


    Once they were in, some girls had to sit on one seat in each other''s lap. Once they were all ready, Wei Jun took the front and began to drive. He had experimented a little earlier when the Cyclops offered a test drive and being a fast learner, Wei Jun learned faster than anyone could.


    Their destination was the same, the citadel in the middle of the city. Wei Jun had obtained as much information as he could from the civilians on the street.


    The Citadel was the residence of the presidential council that ran all twelve districts making twelve heads of the city, all humans. There was no religion and no creator to worship. They had a few troubles, like food resources since whatever they made was artificial and required immense resources. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun didn''t know internal schematics because whenever some deep questions were posed, the people would be suspicious of him because he didn''t know of such basic things. Even the information he managed to gather was under the guise of knowing what normal civilians thought of the current regime. It was the ''How do people live at the bottom?'' play.


    "How are we going to approach this issue?" The general asked. Wei Jun replied, "According to the information I''ve obtained, to run the machines around the city, the miasma cores are needed. They are monopolized by the presidential council and they send units outside the dome to kill the monsters and obtain their cores."


    "I guess the dungeon itself is still like a dungeon but with the addition of this setting. Instead of aimlessly roaming the entire dungeon outside the dome where our Qi is in constant flux to purify our bodies, we should strike a deal and obtain a set direction from these guys." Wei Jun proposed his plan which the general didn''t even have to mull over. He simply nodded and said, "Very well."


    He was impressed by how Wei Jun had thought so much in so short of a time. The only reason they came to the city was because they were curious. Even the general didn''t have a plan but it seemed like Wei Jun had thought of two, no, five or six steps ahead.


    He first secured money, transport for defense if things went awry, and then a set plan which would help them save Qi since there was none inside the dungeon and to replenish it on its own, they would have to consume the miasma cores they brought with themselves but it was a long process and the rate at which they Qi was being consumed outside the dome, it wasn''t a wise trade.


    Wei Jun decided on the best course of action and did it accordingly. Wei Jun''s thinking was quick and precise.


    As they began to travel a lot faster, Wei Jun advised them all to rest so they could remove all the fatigue while they made their way toward the Citadel. It was still very far away and at a day''s drive at their current speed. The general agreed and they all took turns to sleep, each group for eight hours by the composition of nine. By the time they arrived, except for Wei Jun, everyone else had slept and was ready to move.


    The general advised Wei Jun to rest a little before they moved on to the next phase of the plan and Wei Jun agreed readily. They parked on an empty road and while the rest of the team replenished their Qi from D and E rank cores, Wei Jun slept for about three hours.


    Once everyone was ready, they came out of the car and made their way to the Citadel on foot. As they arrived outside the building, about a hundred meters from the building, there was a barricade with guards with guns stationed behind it.


    The guns weren''t normal guns but fantasy guns like in movies that shoot laser beams from them.


    "Stop!" The man at the forefront stopped Wei Jun and his party. His face was hidden in a black helmet and mask but Wei Jun could tell he was a human. He was dressed exactly like a black op, with no exposed skin, completely covered.


    "What business do you have here?" The guard asked.


    "We are a mercenary group. We simply wish to commission a mission outside the dome and some resources." Wei Jun replied. All operations outside the dome were assigned in the building so Wei Jun had to come here if he wanted to get assigned.


    The guard nodded and said, "Show me your ID."


    Wei Jun pulled out a stick which blinked and showed a hologram to the guard. Wei Jun didn''t just drive all the way there but he made sure to spend the money he had wisely as he could. He forged fake identities for everyone since it wasn''t going to work here as it did in the district plaza. After all, there, they were royals, here, they were simply at the bottom of the chain.


    Getting them was nothing too difficult. They didn''t need identities to have them forged, only money. As for the issue of finding such a place. Well, whenever Wei Jun wanted to start a business, he''d scope out the dark side of the business before doing anything so it was safe to say he knew where he''d find such places even when it was a new place. After all, humans were the same everywhere.


    The guard scrutinized the IDs but once nothing popped out, he nodded and let them all in. Inside, it was just like a city hall. Well, it was busy like a city hall but the interior was more of like a cult. Wei Jun made his way towards the counter without wasting time admiring the interior unlike his team and engaged in a conversation.


    The receptionist talked to him for a while before she asked for some things. Wei Jun nodded and agreed to her terms. The team couldn''t hear what they were talking about but Wei Jun shortly came to them and said, "Come on, we have to meet one of the managers here as well." Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Wei Jun and his team were led by the receptionist deep inside the building. "What did you talk about?" Ximen Shi asked.


    "Don''t." The general hurriedly ordered so as to not release any information in front of the receptionist. Ximen Shi understood and remained silent while the rest of the team got the idea as well.


    They arrived before a door that was painted like a polished wooden door but actually was made of metal, the receptionist told the team to wait before she stepped inside after knocking and receiving permission to enter.


    She returned shortly and smiled, "President Ahmad will see you now."


    Wei Jun nodded and entered the room along with the team. As they did, they saw a Middle Eastern man sitting behind a luxurious metal desk with some papers perched on top of it.


    "Welcome."

 Chapter 355 Do Not Read

    The integrity of the Namgoong clan was in question. Either they handled the matter poorly, or it could be painted that they used their daughter to seduce the imperial prince for a connection at the imperial palace.


    It was entirely possible and no matter what was done, the imperial family had enough power to paint the picture that way. That was exactly why they were asking about the full story and Tae Yong was backing them up because she wasn''t on the Murim alliance''s side.


    But they forgot one thing completely. She wasn''t on their side either.


    I once again raised my hand and got the go from Tae Yong to ask my question. I turned to the elder from the imperial side and asked, "Before we get to that, can you tell me, tell us, about the nature of the victim? What was he like? What were his achievements? And whether to not he stood the chance of advancing to the throne."


    "¡­" The old man remained silent and turned to Hua Luo, the current emperor. The emperor remained quiet and just shook his head. The old man sighed. He looked at me and said, "I don''t think I should share such details with you, an outsider. Especially when it is a matter of Murim."


    Stay out of it, was actually what he wanted to say but out of respect for the Cheonma, well, mostly fear, he treated me with respect.


    But like I said, if he thought Tae Yong was on their side, they were sorely mistaken.


    "I don''t think we should start besmirching someone''s name and make a decision that would be unfair to one if not both parties. So we will begin with information on the deceased imperial prince." Tae Yong said before she turned to the elder and said, "And I am a resident of Murim. And also the judge of this issue so share this with me."


    The old man was left troubled. The trial stood very bleak for them if they were to release such information to the public. It wasn''t a hidden fact how lecherous and scum of a person the fat prince was. But saying it out loud in front of everyone like this was admitting it. Akin to become a joke.


    Seeing that there was no other option, the emperor himself spoke, "I think we all know what kind of a person my brother was. He wasn''t the most noble person and he wasn''t the most righteous person as well. However, all things considered, he didn''t deserve to die."


    He then turned to me and said, "I am simply trying to find out my brother''s murderer. I do not wish to sully someone''s name by doing that. But at the moment, that''s the only option I am left with."


    While he didn''t deny anything, he didn''t admit anything either. But on that fact, he was admitting that his brother could entirely be at fault, and from that point of view, while he deserved a beating, he certainly didn''t deserve to die.


    Well, if he knew what I knew, then he certainly deserved to die. I didn''t just kill him mindlessly because he was the best bet to start a war. No, I did my research properly and I made sure to not do anything that would go against my morals.


    "That doesn''t answer the question, Your Majesty. Perhaps, now is not the best time to think about the honor of the imperial family. After all, you are asking for the Namgoong family to tarnish their own by themselves." I countered. As much as logical his reason was, I didn''t care.


    The criterion in the end was fairness. That was why they were there. While we didn''t know the nature of the Namgoong woman, we were aware of the filthy nature of the assassinated prince so it made sense to start there.


    The imperial side was now boiling in anger while the Murim alliance was somewhat confused with me constantly taking their side.


    Well, I''d let that misunderstanding last for a while because they would be equally angry with me later. That was, however, entirely dependent on how the imperial side reacted.


    "I understand," The emperor replied before he turned to Tae Yong and began to answer my earlier questions, "My brother was inadequate when it came to study and martial arts. He was¡­ disrespectful of women and sometimes did things that were questionable¡­ morally. And yes, he was ascending to the throne before his assassination."


    "I see," I replied when he ended his explanation, "Then one final question," I prepared and asked, "How many of the imperial elders were in favor of the imperial prince Wang Luo?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­" Silence. No one answered anything. Even the emperor was silent because while this question was a bit too personal, it was also not for him to answer.


    "None," The elder next to the emperor answered. "None of the elders or officials were in favor of him."


    "I wonder why?" I asked. The answer to that would be the incident of three years ago when Wang Luo ra*ed an official''s daughter on her wedding day. It was quite a big scandal and the position of the previous emperor, the father of the current one, was weakened quite a bit when instead of punishing his son, he had the entire victim family framed for treason and had them all killed.


    Since then, while the elders remained in the court, they were never truly on the emperor''s side because of how blind he was to his elder son. And not just that, they weren''t on the side of Wang Luo as well, afraid that he might target them next.


    That brought us to our current issue. If they were to reveal that matter, which the elders might, the case would be null and void because of the victim''s nature. There was no telling that if he did that to one family, he might have done the same to many more.


    With him having such a scale of enemies, anyone could have wanted him dead, and blaming it on the Namgoong family, the only family that stood up to him, would be morally wrong.


    And also not something the elders would agree to because they had been through the same sh*t.


    "That cannot be said," But the dead was dead. If they were to admit to anything, anything at all regarding that case. Then not only this case, but the reputation of the imperial family would be left in dregs.


    Or maybe even more. No one could tell and even if someone could, the result would be nothing but catastrophic. So the best thing was to suck it up and keep this matter out of hand.


    "While it is a fact that the imperial family is hiding things related to this trial, it also stands that the imperial family has answered some of the questions while the Namgoong family has answered none." Tae Yong said after she received the reply from the imperial elder.


    She then turned to the Murim alliance and said, "The Namgoong family is to recount the incident that caused the Namgoong family to beat up the deceased prince, Wang Luo, in detail to the court."


    "¡­" Silence from the other side as well. Namgoong patriarch wasn''t willing to tarnish the reputation of his family in front of all of these people. Ten bucks he didn''t care about the assaulted girl, but he did care about what that meant for his clan.


    Yet the matter stood to be like this.


    This was, in the end, a Namgoong matter. It made no sense for the Murim alliance to be involved but if they were to lose the Namgoong clan, their power would reduce by a lot.


    I mean just this guy¡­


    [Namgoong Yon Lv: 539]


    He was well into the divine rank and a beginner transcendent realm martial artist. His power wasn''t just amazing but it was also very crucial to the Murim alliance, hence their involvement.


    And their involvement began right now.


    "I would like to address the court and ask for some time to discuss this issue between us. As it stands, this is a rather sensitive matter, and no one would like it if it was dealt with so hastily." The platinum-haired woman politely said.


    "As Lady Geum said," The Shaolin monk spoke, "We require more time to discuss this matter between us." Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Everyone turned to Tae Yong to see whether she would allow it or not. This was, in the end, a trial. They could only request the judge and the judge would see it fit to allow time or not.


    If Tae Yong wanted, she could easily allow this to continue or delay it for days at an end. The question was simply this¡­


    What would she stand to gain if this extension was allowed? And would the other party be okay with this extension?


    Tae Yong took a few moments and said, "The Murim alliance is to offer a thousand taels to the Cheonma sect and the Imperial family."


    Yikes.


    "Each."


    Double yikes.


    A hundred taels was about 1,000 dollars. Asking for a million dollars, each, was a pretty high price for this era.


    Made sense that the Murim alliance was rattled over that. They looked at each other and then looked at the platinum woman whose surname was Geum. Geum nodded and replied, "The Murim alliance accepts this condition."


    YES!

 Chapter 356 Do Not Read

    "I''m sure you don''t realize what I have given up for you." The sect master said while him and Wei Jun and him were sitting in the middle of a pavilion. It was an old shrine type courtyard where there was sitting for only some people with the place around it surrounded by an artificial circular lake.


    When Wei Jun touched the sect master, the next moment, the entire scenery was changed and he was in the middle of his this place.


    The sect master told him to sit while he fixed some alcohol drink which Wei Jun refused. The sect master was surprised but he didn''t insist and instead, prepared tea for him.


    "I don''t know what it was." Wei Jun replied.


    [It was an herb that could assist greatly in breakthrough to the next realm of any power]


    [It''s useless to you since your breakthrough depends on the system]


    Although the system informed him, Wei Jun still remained quiet about it because he wasn''t supposed to know it after all.


    "Yes, you may not know what it was, but it was very precious and obviously expensive since it was very rare." The sect master said as he understood.


    "So? What do I owe you for that?" Wei Jun got straight to the point because he couldn''t afford to waste any more time on this. He had a life to get back to.


    "For now, nothing." The sect master said before he added as he sipped his alcohol, "But you will owe me one for the future. A favor I can ask for anytime."


    Wei Jun found the demand to be reasonable. To him, the herb wasn''t anything special and according to the system, it was available in the shop and he could easily pay the favor by purchasing and returning it.


    However, not only would that raise a suspicious question, but it would also be meaningless. It was never about the herb. It was about owing a favor and a favor Wei Jun owed.


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    No wealth or treasure could trump that favor. A favor meant that Wei Jun had to do what the sect master asked.


    Of course, Wei Jun intended to bide the time because he wasn''t very keen on following his will. Once Wei Jun was strong enough, he would surely deny if it was something unreasonable. But he knew that it would a long time before Wei Jun got to the point of defying the sect master.


    "All right." Wei Jun simply replied. The sect master looked at Wei Jun for a while before he said, "Then you and I done for today. You can leave."


    Wei Jun nodded and stood up. He turned around and left the garden using the bridge on the lake. As he arrived on the other side of the bridge, there was a door which Wei Jun opened.


    Since it was the only door, Wei Jun was sure it was the exit and it was. On the other side of the door, stood a woman with beautiful features. It was the same elder who had guided him on the day of his trial.


    "Let''s go," The woman simply said and without a word, guided him to the courtyard of the palace where a helicopter was waiting for them.


    Wei Jun also saw Lin Ruan standing there. Her short stature elevated by a set of heels she was wearing. Wei Jun made his way to her and without a warning, she hugged him which Wei Jun didn''t avoid, or more like he couldn''t since she was quite stronger than him.


    "Where were you? We were all so worried." Lin Ruan said.


    "We?" Wei Jun asked just for clarification.


    "Everyone. Your acting team, company, Xia Lu hasn''t slept or eaten in days and Yan Rong has exhausted resources of the SCF to her limit to find you." Lin Ruan explained ion the way about how everything went after he went missing.


    How Xia Lu blamed herself. How things were hectic and all that. Half of the helicopter journey went into explaining the events after his disappearance to him.


    Wei Jun nodded to each and every one of them and as much as he wanted to return to Xia Lu and tell her he was fine, he was more eager to check on his rewards first.


    Also, he had decided on the item he was going to buy from the shop.


    He needed that item before he met Xia Lu.


    "Take me to my home. I want to rest before I meet with anyone." Wei Jun said.


    Lin Ruan hesitated but in the end, she nodded and said, "Although grandfather wanted to meet with you, he says it is not urgent. You can see him tomorrow."


    Wei Jun gave an appreciative nod and leaned back in his seat to rest for the rest of the journey.


    It wasn''t long before he arrived at the top of his penthouse building. He went down to his room and stored the bloodied robe in his inventory. After he cleaned himself, he wore comfortable clothes and jumped into the bed.


    [An item of your choosing can be selected from the shop]


    Wei Jun opened the shop and went straight to the SS rank portion. Although he wanted to buy a higher rank one, the system told him that there was a cultivation technique that could simply be upgraded to SSS rank once he managed to obtain it since both of them were the same.


    [The Eternal Frost Queen]


    [Tier: SS]


    [Type: Treasure]


    [Description: The eternal frost queen cultivation manual grants the practitioner complete control over frost, offering cold immunity and the ability to freeze the world around them.


    At advance level, the practitioner can summon ice storms and embody the power of the frost queen, giving an icy immortality and unmatched command over cold.


    Note: The power of the technique has been broken down to make it easier for lesser talented to practice. To fully use the power of the frost, upgrade the technique or reach 100% mastery to upgrade to the next realm]


    [Limitations:


    Must be practiced by female or males without yang organs]


    [Cost: 1,000,000,000]


    The price of the technique was a whopping 100 billion yuan which was more than Wei Jun could even imagine right now. He was tempted to purchase a technique for himself but the pros and cons still stood in his way so he decided to purchase it for Xia Lu.


    Besides, he needed her to be able to protect herself at the least. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [That''s a good choice host]


    [That''s a very powerful technique]


    ''You know of it?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [My main wife created this technique]


    [She created it from F rank and brought it all the way up to divine after years of extensive research]


    [Pity she was never able to find a talented successor for this technique]


    [This technique would suit Yan Rong very well]


    [You should consider giving it to her]


    ''Doesn''t she already have a divine ranked technique?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Not all divine ranked techniques are equal]


    [This cultivation technique grants immortality at the highest level and an eternal body]


    [Given how talented she is, she would easily be able to raise the rank of this technique without purchasing a higher ranked one]


    ''Wait, if your wife had it, then why didn''t you store it in the shop?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [It was her choice]


    [It wasn''t like I could force her to]


    [And it''s not like there were many divine ranked techniques created]


    [I will have you know]


    [Those born with divine ranked techniques aren''t the same as those who create it in their lifetime]


    [That''s why, naturally born techniques don''t have a written inscription]


    [Mine do only because I researched and wasted many years after it]


    [Otherwise, there was no way for me to write them down and put them in the shop]


    Wei Jun didn''t understand half of what the system said so he decided to ignore everything. He simply focused on the fact that this technique was more useful for Yan Rong than Xia Lu but he made a note to buy one for Yan Rong as well when he would have money to do so sometime in the future.


    [I suggest you buy an S rank one]


    [Yan Rong is talented enough to make it perfect on her own with a little help from you]


    Wei Jun nodded and checked the price of the S rank technqiue.


    [Cost: 100,000,000]


    Ten billion yuan. Ten times less than the SS ranked technique so Wei Jun could only imagine what the SSS ranked and divine ranked techniques would be priced at.


    Wei Jun kept the book in his inventory and decided to give it to her tomorrow when he met her. For now, he also wanted to check on the last reward.


    Something he was greatly looking forward to.


    [The reward from the administrator has been received]


    [You have received a skill]


    [Skill ''Unknown'' has been added to the skill list]


    [For further details, please click on the skill tab]


    [¡­]


    [.]

 Chapter 357 Do Not Read

    Shannau City, a therapist''s office. A couple therapist to be more accurate. That day, Doctor Liang Yu had received a pair of patients very unusual than the norm. Since it was a very strange situation, even she was having trouble trying to understand the cusp of the situation.


    "So you''re both adult stars?" Liang Yu asked. The couple sitting opposite her nodded, or at least the man nodded while the woman clenched her fists as if she was facing the most humiliating moment of her life. And as far as Liang Yu was concerned; she was.


    "And she cheated on you?" Liang Yu asked.


    "Yes." The man replied, his tone cold as ice and so was his expression. It could be clearly seen he was the victim in the entire scenario but Liang Yu still couldn''t understand. If they were both adult stars then¡­


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Has she never performed with any of the other male stars?" Liang Yu asked.


    "She has." The man once again coldly replied.


    "Then I fail to see how that is alright and this is not." Liang Yu finally mentioned the fact she found strange. If the man was okay with his wife performing with other adult stars, then how was it cheating if she slept with them as well? Unless there was something she wasn''t aware of but¡­


    "She did that outside of work. I have never done such a sin." The man replied.


    At that moment, Liang Yu was having a terrible time trying to ignore the irony in the sentence. Hadn''t he also slept with a lot of women? On camera at that?


    But he still raised a valid point. As long as it was a job, he didn''t really mind but since what the wife had done was outside of the job, it could be considered a case of infidelity, and the woman was at fault in such a scenario.


    So, Liang Yu looked at the wife and asked, "Qingling, what do you have to say to your husband''s claims?"


    "I¡­ I¡­" Wei Qingling, the wife, stuttered. She couldn''t form the words even in her mind let alone let them out of her mouth. She clenched her fists trying to suppress the current humiliation she faced. Her red face clearly displayed how embarrassed she was but¡­


    "I¡­ did it¡­ cause''¡­ I enjoyed it." Wei Qingling finally uttered a full sentence if it could be called that after a full minute. However, she managed to relay the full sentence in the end. As for the husband, well, Liang Yu wasn''t watching but he was on the verge of breaking out of the laughter of the century.


    But he hurriedly contained himself. It was his time to act. He hurriedly stood up and yelled, "I enjoy doing it too but that doesn''t mean I sleep with any woman I see!!!"


    "Please calm down. Why don''t you take a seat and say whatever you want to say to Qingling calmly." Liang Yu hurriedly intervened. The husband went silent but traces of anger could still be spotted on his face. Thankfully, he wasn''t the rash kind and sat back down. Once he was properly seated, he looked at Wei Qingling and said, "You ruined our marriage just for the pleasure of one night? Couldn''t you have waited one night? I returned the next morning."


    "Now, what is your response, Qingling?" Liang Yu asked.


    "What¡­ What is my response? What is my response you say?! What could be my response?! That I''m ashamed of what I did. I regret what I did! I regret nothing! It''s all your fault!" Wei Qingling suddenly came into character. Her earlier embarrassment was nowhere to be seen.


    Before Liang Yu could ask her to calm down, Wei Qingling picked up the glass at the table and smashed it on her husband''s head. The scenario got out of control so fast that Liang Yu couldn''t even react. Before she could even understand what had happened, the husband was unconscious on the sofa and bleeding from his forehead.


    "Oh my god! What have you done?!" Liang Yu yelled, pulling Wei Qingling back to her senses. As she came to, Wei Qingling realized what she had done. She started to break down.


    "No. No. It was an accident. I didn''t know¡­ I didn''t know what I did." Wei Qingling was on the verge of breaking down when Liang Yu collected herself. She sighed and stood up from her seat. She knelt down before the husband to check his pulse but there was none. Whatever it was, that was a clean shot and had killed the husband before any help could have been delivered.


    She shook her head and fell into contemplation. After a while, she smiled and said, "Don''t panic, Qingling. I will help you."


    "You---You will?" Wei Qingling asked with a hopeful expression.


    "Yes. I know of just the man who can help make all of this¡­ disappear." Liang Yu said with a benevolent smile. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ~~


    "Doctor Yu, you haven''t met your monthly quota yet." A heavy voice said from the other side of the phone on Liang Yu''s phone. Liang Yu remained calm and said, "Don''t worry. I''ve found the last candidate for registration. She''s desperate so she''ll do whatever I say. I''ve suggested her to come with me tomorrow. I will bring her with me to the base tomorrow. Also, I require cleanup service in my office."


    "Very well. I''ll see you tomorrow." The heavy voice from the other end replied. Liang Yu turned to the still-shaken Wei Qingling and said, "Don''t worry about anything. Come. I will drop you home. You need to refresh your mind. Don''t worry about the mess as well, it''ll be taken care of."


    Constantly reassured, Wei Qingling nodded and followed after Liang Yu. After they were gone, about an hour later, a van stopped outside Liang Yu''s office. Two men in black clothes, their faces covered, came out of it and entered Liang Yu''s office.


    As the two men came inside, they turned their attention to the couch where the supposed dead body was supposed to be. However, they were puzzled when they found no such thing.


    "Well, I gotta say. She''s a terrible actor." Both of the men heard a cold voice but before they could respond, one of them was neutralized with a blow at the back of his head and the other one had his neck snapped at an odd angle.


    It was a bloodless scene so clean that Wei Jun didn''t have to do much. He woke up the other one after removing his mask. Before the other one could say anything, Wei Jun held a card in front of his face and said, "Read it out loud if you don''t want to see your friend."


    The hostage, afraid for his life, did as Wei Jun asked. Once he had read it out loud, Wei Jun smiled again and snapped his neck as well. Then, he wrapped one body in the cloth they had brought while he swapped his clothes with the other one.


    Once he was done, he took the body outside to the van in the sack they had brought but was surprised to find another person in the van, the driver.


    Wei Jun didn''t panic and stored the body at the back of the van and sat in the passenger seat out front.


    "Where''s the other one?" The driver asked.


    "How the hell should I know?" Wei Jun spoke, but the voice he spoke in wasn''t his but the deceased poor man whose body was in the back of the van. He had stored the other body in his inventory.


    "He said he was going to tell you to get ready and left all the work to me. I had to pick the heavy sh*t all the way here alone. Where is that fu*ker so I can give him a piece of my mind?" Wei Jun spoke in the other man''s voice, and since his face was covered, he wasn''t at risk of being spotted.


    "Well, that''s strange. He didn''t come out. Should we wait for him?" The driver asked.


    "We can''t risk loitering here. He can take care of himself. We should go and take care of this before we attract the attention of some cop." Wei Jun said in an annoyed tone.


    The driver nodded and they left the scene. They shortly arrived at the river where they emptied the contents of the back of the van. Once they were done, they left the scene once again and arrived outside of a dilapidated building. The driver bid Wei Jun goodbye in strange words, "May the sect master have mercy on our souls."


    "May the sect master have mercy on our souls." Wei Jun replied in the same sentence, having enough knowledge about fanatic cults.


    He shortly entered the building but he wasn''t stupid enough to use the front entrance. He took off his clothes and revealed his face. Then, in normal clothes, he knocked on the back entrance of the security room at the back of the building.


    He wasn''t just going along with the flow. When he arrived in Shannau City, he had been properly informed of all the ins and outs of the cult so he knew how to enter it as well.


    "Password?" The man behind the door asked.


    "The sect master will lead us to one scared heaven." Wei Jun replied.


    The man behind the door opened the door after hearing the password, "Welcome, brother."

 Chapter 358 Do Not Read

    Wei Jun followed Natasha and Melissa to their master''s office. He wasn''t nervous about the meeting at all but focused on something else entirely.


    [You have consumed the meat of a Direhound]


    [Your agility has increased by 1]


    Wei Jun hadn''t consumed much of it but still, his agility, which was very high and even after working out under extreme environments didn''t increase.


    Yet consuming about three kilograms of meat which shocked Natasha and Melissa, Wei Jun''s agility had risen by one.


    That reminded him of the Barghest corpses in his inventory. He would have salivated on the scene if it didn''t look strange to the onlookers.


    Wei Jun suppressed the excitement to try his new theory out and followed the girls who had just stopped in front of a luxurious door.


    Natasha came forward and worriedly said, "We can''t go inside with you. Try not to say anything that would offend master."


    Wei Jun nodded although he didn''t know what about him gave Natasha that impression.


    Melissa knocked on the door and after a few seconds, the door opened on its own. Wei Jun entered and immediately, he was enveloped by the feeling of terror.


    An ethereal power, similar to the power of Sun Ruan penetrated his consciousness. And unlike Sun Ruan''s, which was just to show his power, this power''s purpose was clear.


    Intimidation.


    The sole purpose of that pressure was to intimidate Wei Jun and assert a certain dominance to the upcoming conversation.


    Wei Jun''s steps weren''t frozen. He could still move. He was allowed to move.


    ''What the hell is this?'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but ask because it was unfamiliar and invisible, yet it was weighing down on him tremendously.


    [Mana of a sixth circle mage]


    The system simply replied but said nothing else because there was nothing to be said. There was nothing Wei Jun could do about it right now.


    Not at his current level of strength anyway.


    Wei Jun kept walking until he arrived at the office desk placed in front of a giant glass window. Behind the window, Wei Jun could see something akin to a garden where various robed men and women could be seen.


    "Take a seat." The old man behind the desk said. He was wearing similar robes to Wei Jun, only his seemed to be intricately carved with strange words.


    [Those are runes]


    The system informed Wei Jun to improve his knowledge but Wei Jun wasn''t looking forward to that.


    He sat down in front of the old man across the desk and remained quiet. The old man also remained busy with some papers and the computer screen on the desk before he turned to Wei Jun after about ten minutes.


    "Welcome to the academy of Mystic Lunaris." The old man began before he added, "I would like to begin by thanking you for saving two of my disciples."


    ''If you''re thankful, then relieve this pressure.'' Wei Jun retorted inwardly but he didn''t say anything. All this time, the pressure of mana was still weighing down on him and he didn''t know how he was able to endure that.


    And that too without using Qi.


    He couldn''t use Qi. Using Qi in front of the old man would be an act of disrespect. Wei Jun was there to resolve misunderstandings, not create more.


    The old man noticed that small detail too and smiled, "However, I am curious as to how you entered my gate."


    It was the second time he had heard the mention of the phenomenon called ''Gate''. The system referred to it as a ''Ruptured dimension'', but he liked ''Gate'' better.


    Wei Jun calmly took off the bracelet on his wrist and placed it on the desk and explained, "Some lunatic forced me to wear this and then asked me to inject my Qi in it. When I did, a flash of light occurred and I was in the middle of a forest with no eyed dogs after me."


    The old man who still hadn''t introduced himself took the bracelet and examined it. "That''s strange," the old man said before he looked at Wei Jun and continued, "Such technology has long since been obsolete. We haven''t felt the need of such broken transporters since we developed wormhole technology using magic."


    Wei Jun had no idea what that meant so he remained quiet. The old man saw that too so he explained in simpler terms, "This technology is about 4000 years old and whoever had it must have been that old as well because I doubt anyone could have taken it from the vault of the ancients." Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    Once again, Wei Jun came out clueless of most of the things but what he did understand was that the technology he was wearing was unstable and 4000 years old.


    "Let''s assume what you said up until now was the truth," The old man said before he asked, "Where is that lunatic?"


    "I killed him." Wei Jun straightforwardly replied.


    "Haha." A small chuckle escaped the mouth of the old man. It was clear to Wei Jun what that meant and he didn''t need to be told of the upcoming question of the old man but the old man asked anyway, "Isn''t that a little convenient?"


    So far, Wei Jun claimed to be a victim but the only witness of that claim had died at his very own hands. How was he able to say anything about it? The only other witness was none other than Xia Lu and her testimony wasn''t very reliable due to Wei Jun''s and her relationship.


    "So what then?" Wei Jun asked. True, he couldn''t be disrespectful, but he didn''t have to take everything lying down as well.


    So far, whatever he said was the truth. There was no need to do anything about it.


    Since there was no essence of lie in his statements, there was no need to be intimidated about it as well. All he had to do was wait for the old man to lead the conversation. After all, he couldn''t just insult the old man by inserting his own opinion.


    "Now we wait for your sect master to show up. I hope he has something equivalent to offer for you. All we have to do now is to wait and see how valuable you are." The old man said, blatantly telling Wei Jun that he was a hostage.


    Wei Jun, however, could do nothing about it. He could have said that he saved Natasha and Melissa but once again, that would have angered the old man since that would mean that Wei Jun owed him something. The meaning was clear from the old man''s earlier statement. He was a hostage so he wasn''t owed anything.


    Know your place; in simpler words and that was what Wei Jun forced to do. He remained quiet and remembered his place in front of the old man.


    He couldn''t even endure his pressure so he was a far cry from doing anything stupid like telling the old man to screw himself.


    Wei Jun then remained quiet and in his seat. The pressure from the old man showed no sign of decreasing which meant that Wei Jun wasn''t yet permitted to leave.


    The old man got back to his work and Wei Jun was left to handle that pressure. Wei Jun wasn''t offended though. There was no reason to be. He wasn''t a lunatic who held grudge after every little thing. He only held grudges when it benefited him.


    Holding a grudge against the old man, and in doing so, against the academy, was a stupid act and Wei Jun was far from a stupid person.


    "There''s just one thing I''m curious about." The old man finally said after fifteen minutes, "What do you think of this?" S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The old man handed Wei Jun a piece of paper on which there was a chart indicating rise of something. What it was, Wei Jun had no idea but it showed sudden increase in something.


    "What is this?" Wei Jun asked.


    "This chart shows the sudden influx in the gates. The gates have begun appearing not only in the controlled sites, but some have been detected all over the world. Of course, they''re not a threat at the moment, but it is still worrying." The old man explained.


    Still, Wei Jun couldn''t tell what he had to do with it so he questioningly looked at the old man who gauged his reaction before he replied to the unspoken question, "The time when the sudden increment in gate phenomenon. Look at it."


    Wei Jun looked at the time and it showed the time of some time yesterday afternoon. Wei Jun still didn''t understand what this meant so once again, he gave the look to the old man who sighed.


    "Haa¡­" The old man sighed and said, "The sudden influx in the gate appearance started yesterday. Afternoon, around 3 pm."


    The old man deeply stared at Wei Jun and added, finishing his point, "The same time you came out of that gate."

 Chapter 359 Do Not Read

    [Who would have thought, huh?]


    ''Yeah, she was the last person on my mind.'' Wei Jun replied as he remembered the conversation that took place between Zi Huan and him.


    Zi Huan told him everything about the incident with Yan Rong and how he was trying to make up some evidence to protect himself from her.


    ''She''s crazier that I thought.'' Wei Jun mused to himself.


    [Is that why you haven''t refused her advances?]


    ''¡­'' Wei Jun remained quiet because he himself came to a realization. Had it been any other woman, he would have long refused her by now but for some reason, he couldn''t just say no to Yan Rong.


    [Who would have thought that host had a type]


    ''Shut up.''


    [How did you know he was trying to set you up?]


    ''Because he didn''t ask me to retrieve anything. I guess they already had a plan for that after getting evidence on me. A secretary or a mistress, perhaps. But the major goal was to get leverage on me.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [Who would''ve thought you would see right through it?]


    [But if you did, then why did you do it?]


    ''Do you know how much money do the prostitution and the drug businesses make?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I don''t know]


    ''The amount I got form the mayor who received a small percentage of all of that is alone 200 million. Just take a wild guess how much it would be if I take it all.'' Wei Jun said with a smile as he headed for his downtown warehouse.


    ~~


    "Report." A narcotics detective got out of his car as he saw the extent of damage in the building burning in front of him.


    "We failed to gather anything of evidence." The subordinate started with a bad news before he continued, "The witnesses and the survivors saw a man in a biker outfit and a black helmet. And then there was a sea of fire."


    "Survivors?" The detective asked.


    "Prostitutes. He spared them while killed the rest." The officer replied.


    "So he has a soft spot for women?" The detective asked.


    "I wouldn''t say that." The officer replied before he showed him the corpses of several women and said, "These are the women who run most of the establishments. They''re worse than many men in the same industry. Prostitution, slavery, drug, blackmail and more, you name it. If he was a feminist, he wouldn''t have killed them."


    "So what do we know about him?" The detective asked.


    "Just that he was a man and that he was there to rob the places." The officer replied and added, "No evidence of any sort was left behind. We figured it was a cultivator but there were no Qi traces. However, a survivor saw him ripping the door of a safe with his bare hands so there could have been a mistake there as well."


    The detective nodded and asked one final question, "How the hell did he destroy all these businesses in one night?"


    "¡­" The officer had no reply for that question. After all, there were almost 200 such establishments all over the city that sold people and drugs and in just one night, 105 of them were hit and robbed of their wealth with scores of people left behind lifeless.


    Seeing the officer quiet, the detective knew there was no answer to that question so he relayed instructions, "One thing is for sure, we don''t just have a vigilante, an arsonist, a robber and a rival gang member but a mass murderer on our hands as well. I will report to the captain. It looks like this guy is a headache for the entire department."


    ~~


    The guy that the entire department had to deal with was currently in a very good mood right now. But he was also a little disappointed but he didn''t let it mask the good feelings.


    [Shop GC: 403,180,703]


    Wei Jun earned a whopping four billion in just one night. Of course, not every night would be like tonight, but it was still something and Wei Jun was quite happy with this much.


    He could buy the Qi awakening elixir and still have plenty of leftovers for his own use. He wanted to purchase a body cultivation technique to raise his physical stats as well but the body technique in the shop was at SSS rank and it was a hundred times more expensive than what Wei Jun had right now so he didn''t have money for that.


    [You know you can sell treasures in the shop, right?]


    The system suddenly asked.


    ''What now?'' Wei Jun was suddenly assaulted with this information that he couldn''t get it on the first time.


    [You can¡­ sell¡­ the treasures you don''t have a need for in the shop] Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The system hesitantly told Wei Jun as if it had just made a mistake.


    ''And you''re telling me this now?'' Wei Jun asked with a smile that scared the system as it said¡­


    [You didn''t have a sellable item in your inventory before but now you do]


    [The barghest corpses]


    The system desperately gave a logical reason to not incur Wei Jun''s anger and thankfully, it worked. Wei Jun found the reason reasonable so he didn''t explode in anger.


    ''Still, you could have told me that before.'' Wei Jun said but he didn''t sell the barghest corpses yet. He needed to see whether or not he would obtain stat points from eating them first and if he didn''t, only then would be consider selling them to the shop because even if they didn''t work for him, they could work for Natasha or could be sold for higher amount outside.


    He was a businessman in the end.


    [Qi awakening elixir has been purchased]


    [Cost: 100,000,000]


    Wei Jun heart bled at seeing the price go down so fast but he still held it in. After all, he was doing all of this for a reason.


    Without wasting much time, Wei Jun cleaned himself and made his way to the elevator. Xia Lu lived just a floor beneath Wei Jun''s penthouse so it wasn''t long before he arrived in front of her apartment door.


    Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    He rang the bell and stared into the intercom. When Xia Lu saw who it was, she suppressed her feelings of rushing out and remained inside.


    Wei Jun felt it was strange so he rang the bell again but the response remained the same. If he hadn''t been able to feel her on the other side of the door, he would have rushed inside but he knew that she was intentionally not letting him in.


    He could guess why but he wasn''t sorry for that. After all, he spent an entire day and night for her and if she was still mad at him for that, then he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Of course, he would do the wise thing and say sorry but he wasn''t really sorry about this reason.


    He rang the bell three more times and when he received no response, he sighed and turned to leave. Just as he got into the elevator, the door was blocked before it closed and Xia Lu entered, her eyes baggy and her face withered, but the frown on her face lively as always.


    "You were going to leave." Xia Lu said as she stood next to Wei Jun. Wei Jun remained his gaze straight as he replied, "You didn''t open the door."


    "So every time I won''t open the door, you will give up on me?" Xia Lu calmly asked.


    "I believe relationships work when people talk. If they don''t, even if they''re angry at each other, then they need to let it go before it gets worse for any of them." Wei Jun straightforwardly said.


    "How can I not be mad at you when you didn''t even come to see me?" Xia Lu snapped but she kept her voice down.


    "I was doing something for you." Wei Jun said.


    "And did it ever occur to you that all I needed was to know whether you were safe or not?" She asked.


    "You knew that I was safe. And you also knew that I needed time." Wei Jun said before he added, "I am sorry for what I did but I would appreciate it if you could look at it from my point of view."


    Wei Jun wasn''t rude or unreasonable but he was not going to be apologetic for everything he did.


    "¡­" Xia Lu remained quiet as she didn''t have a reply for that.


    Wei Jun seeing her silent continued, "I would like to be with you. Actually I would love it. But I''d also appreciate if you could accept me for who I am. If you wouldn''t talk to me, then I wouldn''t know where we''re going."


    "Haa¡­" Xia Lu sighed before she turned to Wei Jun and without warning, hugged him tightly. Her soft body embraced Wei Jun''s hard like stone body as she said, "I''m so glad you''re okay."


    A few moments passed like that and Xia Lu also cried during that moment. Wei Jun consoled her, telling her it wasn''t her fault and such and finally, after a half an hour of the elevator being out of commission for others in the building, Xia Lu finally asked, "What did you get for me?"

 Chapter 360 Do Not Read

    Zip!


    Crash!


    Rumble!


    The city of New York wasn''t the city to sleep at night. It was always restless here and those who enforced laws knew nothing of day and night. For them, both were the same and they always would remain the same.


    So they were used to the hectic atmosphere of the city at night. However, tonight, the atmosphere of the city was extra rowdy.


    Sounds as if a thunderstorm woke everyone in the city up. As if the judgment day was upon them, they all turned to the sky to look at the beautiful scene that couldn''t be explained in words.


    Fire, heavy air, ice, lightning, light, and things that they couldn''t even explain.


    All of those rumbled in the sky as if they had a specific target but the sounds kept on coming for what felt like an eternity.


    However, in truth, it was just barely a minute before everything went silent.


    "Void of life!" Gabriel yelled as the space around him twisted and threatened to swallow his father.


    However, Bruce simply waved his hand and tendrils of darkness emitted from them, erasing the phenomena of space around him.


    "Hail of divinity!" Gabriel executed another skill and all around him, spears, swords, lances and anything that remotely resembled a weapon appeared. There were at least a million of them and Gabriel pointed his hand at Bruce, shooting all of them at him.


    Bruce didn''t even move and remained in his spot in midair as if he was standing on the floor.


    The rush of weapons disappeared and disintegrated as soon as they came near him. They disappeared like they never existed.


    Gabriel wasn''t done yet. It was, after all, a diversion.


    He disappeared from his spot and appeared beside Bruce to surprise him but the next moment, a terrifying force struck him in his abdomen and he was thrown miles away from his spot in tremendous pain.


    He managed to come to a stop but just as he did, another bout of force assaulted him, throwing him towards the ground.


    Gabriel, while falling, pointed his hand at Bruce and muttered, "Dragon''s will."


    A tremendous storm of fire erupted from his location and engulfed Bruce but unfortunately, his darkness even swallowed that fire.


    Nothing was absolute in front of that darkness. It swallowed everything Gabriel could throw at it and it didn''t help that all of this happened in just over a minute.


    "Sixty two seconds." Bruce said as he landed gently beside Gabriel who had landed and made a crater in the central park.


    He was in a worlds of pain and the only reason he remained conscious was his immortality. Otherwise, his regeneration would never work when wounds were inflicted from his father or his masters due to the shared power between them and his father.


    Aliya saw that scene form far away but she didn''t interfere. She knew that Bruce would injure Gabriel but he wouldn''t kill him, no matter what.


    But, someone else didn''t hold the same view as her.


    He only saw Gabriel on the ground, in pain and a man standing atop. It didn''t matter that that man was his own father.


    Rubmle!


    Lightning rumbled as Andrew appeared juts beside Bruce, his fist brandished and ready to hit Bruce when Bruce simple extended his hand and grabbed Andrew by his neck, stopping his charge entirely.


    Andrew struggled to get free but Bruce pulled him and threw him at the struggling Gabriel who was just about to stand up.


    Andrew slammed into Gabriel and they both lay at the bottom of the crater.


    "You want to know who he is, don''t you?" Bruce said to the brothers who couldn''t get up in pain. Gabriel had taken a lot more than Andrew but Andrew had taken a serious hit from Bruce.


    "Well, there he is. See for yourself." Bruce said before he began to float in the air, his suit giving him a majestic feeling as he added before he took off to the skies, "Oh, and, a solar flare is coming."


    Both brother were left in pain and broken and with broken bones. It took them a while to even register what that meant when Aliya came to them and said, "I see you, Gabe." Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    "I can see myself too." Gabriel replied sarcastically as he cast a healing skill on himself and his brother. Their bodies were so damaged that even Gabriel''s strongest regenerative skill took some time.


    "No, Gabe," Aliya clarified, "I see you in future."


    "Where?" Gabriel asked, confused and curious at the same time.


    "Chicago." Aliya said which changed Gabriel''s expression but it changed for the worse when Aliya said the last word, "Muffin."


    ~


    "Can you explain what a solar flare is, doctor?" A journalist asked the guest who was a doctor in astrophysics. He nodded and explained the details of a solar flare.


    Scientists predicted the solar flare to fall in a few hours, sometime before dawn.


    However, there wasn''t anything to worry about. The magnetic field around earth was well capable of stopping a solar flare and the extent of danger was only up to blackout around the world and even that for only some time.


    So the public was calm and the government was taking precautions against the electricity mayhem.


    However, one person wasn''t worried about any of that. Gabriel appeared outside of an empty field in Chicago. It was also the place where he was a few years ago, well, a few years according to the earth''s time. By his time, it had been millions of years but he still returned to that place with a heavy heart.


    There was a string of devices laid out of n the ground and a giant pole was pointing towards the sky. Gabriel analyzed the product and he could easily tell what it was.


    "What is this?" Andrew asked.


    "It is a device to weaken the magnetic field around the earth." Gabriel responded.


    "And that''s bad?" Andrew asked since he wasn''t able to understand the severity of the situation.


    "Magnetic field not only protects earth from remnants of asteroids, it also protect the surface of the earth from several types of waves." Gabriel replied.


    "And weakening that field would cause harm to us?" Andrew worriedly asked.


    "Not to us, no. To people, yeah." Gabriel replied as he tried to sense the people with the control to the device since he couldn''t just mess with it.


    "Usually it would have been a problem. We not only have magnetic field protecting us, there are several types of gases in the different layers of atmosphere so as long as it isn''t a long term issue, a slight delay in magnetic field wouldn''t cause any damage." Gabriel said.


    "Then why is it dangerous to people?" Andrew asked.


    "Because a solar flare is coming." Gabriel replied.


    "And that''s bad, how?" Andrew asked.


    "Because it would be like hundreds of volcanoes erupting at once and flooding the earth. Everything will turn into cinders, including people." Gabriel replied.


    "Glup!" Andrew gulped when he just imagined such a scenario. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then we should hurriedly destroy it." Andrew said but before he could, a charming soft voice interrupted him, "I wouldn''t do that if I were you."


    As the person who said that appeared in view, Andrew was more confused than shocked because the person was very familiar.


    "Julie." Andrew couldn''t help but say.


    Gabriel, on the other hand, wasn''t surprised.


    "You don''t seen surprised, Muffin." Julie said with a seductive smile which confused Andrew all the more.


    "Gabe, what''s going on?" He asked Gabriel who continued to look at Julie as he replied, "That''s not Julie."


    "What do you mean ''That''s not Julie''?" Andrew was all the more confused.


    "Oh, how much of an idiot can you be?" Julie said like she was looking at a buffoon and said, "I''m not your girlfriend, Julie. She''s sleeping. The me, me is Celina. Your sister in law."


    Those words did nothing but confuse Andrew more before realization came with Gabriel''s words, "Julie''s possessed. By her, and her name is Celina. She''s a soul master."


    "She split her soul in many pieces before she died. One of those pieces invaded Julie''s consciousness and took over her mind. It''s like two souls in one body." Gabriel simplified.


    "Then¡­ Then we have to save her¡­ I have to save her." Andrew said but before he could take a step, Julie raised her hand and a remote could be seen in it.


    "Take one more step and I turn on the machine. As soon as it does, it weakens the magnetic field. No matter what you do then, this world will burn." Celina said.


    "Ga-Gabe," Andrew hesitantly called Gabriel and asked, "What are we going to do? How do we save Julie?"


    "She can''t be saved." Gabriel replied with no emotion in his voice.


    "What? What do you mean by that?" Andrew asked, his legs shaking and his life leaving his body.


    "When Celina''s soul took over her body, it also merged with it. The dominant soul always survives." Gabriel finally turned to Andrew and said with a heavy voice, "I''m sorry, brother. But Julie''s dead."

 Chapter 361 Do Not Read

    "Celestial pierce." Gabriel simply muttered two words and the wings on his back began to tremble. At the speed that no one in the room could match, thousands of arrows made of light began to form and just travelled at zig-zag.


    However, in just a second, howls of pain began to emanate form everywhere in the room. Gabriel wasn''t going to kill them. He still couldn''t.


    But more than that, he wasn''t there to kill them as well. He still needed to hold back so he doesn''t kill. He still wasn''t so sure killing would be a good idea. He just couldn''t feel the need to kill.


    However, one person he had to kill no matter what. He knew, as a Smith, there was no stopping himself. And if there no stopping for his own being, there would be no stopping for any other Smith in the world.


    And one such Smith was in front of his eyes right now.


    A sphere of light appeared on his palm and at a breakneck speed, the speed of light, it struck Andrew who was busy bringing trying to kill the baby on the Altar.


    Crash!!!


    He crashed through the walls of the building out in the open of the abandoned harbor. Gabriel didn''t mean to hurt Andrew and that was also why he wasn''t hurt so much even though he didn''t have any sort of protective layer around him.


    Gabriel slowly made his way to the baby, he touched him and an adorable giggle left the baby which would have charmed anyone and a smile involuntarily appeared on Gabriel''s face.


    But it was quick to vanish when he saw Andrew getting back up form the crumbled wall. He sighed and waved his hand, making the baby disappear in thin air but actually, it was a spatial distortion and the baby was sent to the person Gabriel knew would keep him safe.


    Step.


    He took a step and appeared on the outside, where it wasn''t just Andrew but hundreds of people standing, emitting power that could be a force for the world to deal with.


    Gabriel''s attention, though, wasn''t on them or on Andrew. No. His attention was on the two men floating in the air, as if they were standing on the ground.


    "Long time no see, grandson." The middle aged man with a buff appearance and black hair spoke. It was Gabriel''s maternal grandfather and the man who was ambitious about power more than anyone else.


    Gabriel ignored the greeting, no respect for the man whatsoever and turned to the older man next to the middle aged man.


    Another familiar figure. Power to rival the dragons of his father, significant power to be actually called an adversary.


    Of course, to Gabriel, he wasn''t. He may have been a noticeable opponent for dragons but for Gabriel, the old man was nothing but another opponent he could kill with a wave of his hand.


    "You went to him?" Gabriel asked Andrew while pointing at the old man.


    "He didn''t even have to give me an incentive," The old man spoke, a smile on his face as he added, "When he told me who he was, I was very surprised. To think he had the blood of the Bradshaw coursing through his veins. Another gem, just like you."


    "Shut up, old man. I''m not talking to you." Gabriel said. If he just didn''t respect the middle aged man, he hated the old man.


    It wasn''t that the old man had done anything to Gabriel. He had simply made the mistake of verbally hurting someone Gabriel cared about.


    The old man managed to keep his life that day but he forever incurred the hate of Gabriel.


    "Hah! Hot blooded. Just like a Bradshaw." The old man said with pride.


    Gabriel scoffed.


    "I''m a Smith, old man. Stop being delusional." Gabriel said.


    "Haa¡­" The old man sighed before he said, "It looks like I will have to show you. The blood of the dragons and the respect you should show to your elders."


    A tremendous blood colored energy wave emitted from the old man, covering the entire area in its red colored power.


    The middle aged man next to the old man couldn''t help but admire that power but he didn''t forget why he was there as well.


    He too, began to emit his unique power, mana from his very deep core to assert who he was.


    The powers of the people lying wait began to envelop the area in their ethereal power. Those who weren''t powerful enough to bear that pressure began to feel suffocated.


    The empty shell of people began to suffocate but they didn''t care. Their minds were too far gone but they were still alive in a sense and Gabriel couldn''t let them die.


    True, the power he had to face was tremendous and if the woman who acted as his father''s guard was here, she would have trouble with these many people. Of course, she would win in the long run, but they would still prove to be a match for her.


    However, for him, this much power was nothing. Gabriel was the sky above the sky, heavens above the heavens, the Archangel.


    A self proclaimed title that no one dared to deny because of his tremendous power that angels themselves had no choice but to acknowledge.


    "It seems you''re all terribly mistaken." Gabriel nonchalantly uttered before he simply let his power loose.


    Swahh!!!


    White.


    Everything white.


    As if a white day had risen in the entire world, the entire world was covered in a white daylight.


    But it wasn''t daylight.


    For those, who weren''t target of this light, they felt nothing, they saw nothing, but they did feel at ease.


    However, those who were the target of that power¡­


    Sweat and shivers.


    A bead of sweat went down the forehead of the old man. The middle aged man shivered, his whole body trembled. Those behind them, on the ground, they trembled as well and the one who the most of the reaction, it was none other than Andrew.


    Fear. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A wave of unbridled, unfiltered fear.


    "What¡­ is that?" The middle aged man laboriously managed to utter just these simple words and even then, he felt like his entire existence was being erased.


    The white light covering them as if the day was emitting from the sun standing in front of them.


    But in reality, it wasn''t the daylight from a white sun.


    No¡­


    "It''s his power." The old man uttered a reply in horror.


    Andrew stared at Gabriel, his jaw slacked in amazement. A power he knew he would never be able to match, never be able to comprehend.


    A power beyond the word power itself.


    ''Gabriel is the being that monsters fear. His steps are followed by destruction and madness.'' It was then that the words of his father made some sense to him.


    Why his father had said those words with such confidence. It was simply because each and every part of that sentence was the truth.


    The monster of monsters, the Archangel.


    And such a being was now looking at them, his white colored eyes inflicting a type of fear none of them able to escape from.


    Gabriel didn''t beat around the bush. There was no need to show mercy and there was a fixed target. Everything was settled.


    There was no need to wait.


    Gabriel raised his hand in the air. Since he had left his weapons in the care of the people he cared about, he was weaponless at the moment.


    It wasn''t like he didn''t have any more weapons in his arsenal, but he didn''t need them in the first place. Besides, none of them would be able to bear this strike.


    "Divine demon sword art"


    "Final move"


    And then Gabriel brought his hand down while everyone was frozen in fear and said with such simplicity, "Darkness."


    And darkness it was. The world was once again covered in darkness of the night but the true darkness that fell upon the targets was maddening for them.


    Gabriel sighed. Just like that, it had ended. Just one move it took for the sky to rain down darkness on them.


    Step.


    He took a step forward and passed the unconscious people and made his way to the one he needed to see.


    The eyes were full of madness.


    Madness he too well.


    He had that madness as well.


    And that was why he knew. He knew there was no solution for that madness but one.


    Death.


    He didn''t waste any more words. The more he waited, the harder it would be for him and he wasn''t willing to have that on his consciousness.


    So he raised his hand at Andrew who was barely breathing, his figure covered in his own blood and simple said this, "Dimensional tear."


    In the end, he didn''t have the heart to kill his own brother.


    So he went with an option that wasn''t permanent like death.


    Imprisonment.


    "See you again, brother." Gabriel said as he pushed the bloodied Andrew in the wormhole that had appeared behind him.


    A tear fell from his eye as the tear in the space closed. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    He stood up. That was enough of a goodbye. He had to go. Somewhere to forget this.


    He turned and began to walk away and as he passed the old man who barely held onto his consciousness, he just said, "Consider this mercy."


    And then he disappeared. Along with the people who had lost their minds. There was someone who could help them after all.


    While those left behind, were forever left with the memory of a monster.

 Chapter 362 Do Not Read

    "What?" She was confused. Confused because I struck while the iron was scalding hot. She was so immersed in the sword art that she couldn''t even register what she was saying.


    Well, considering the sword art I had given her, it made sense why she was so immersed in it.


    I was very proud of myself over creating the ''Divine Demon'' sword art which I derived from many of the sword techniques I knew. Such as Ayaakusa and many other sword arts of various different timelines and different lands.


    From that sword art, ''Heavenly Demon'' sword art was created, a downgraded version of the ''Divine Demon'' sword art. Downgraded a lot.


    The ''Divine Demon'' sword art wasn''t at the same level as AyaAkusa. Let''s say it was one level lower. There was no downgraded version of AyaAkusa. AyaAkusa required soul power. In theory it could be understood by anyone with a sufficient sword knowledge. However, without the power of the soul, its power couldn''t be brought out.


    [You gave her that?]


    It was either that or the ''Divine Demon'' sword art itself. Even if she understood AyaAkusa in theory, she wouldn''t be able to use it for herself because she wouldn''t be able to tap in her own soul. No one could do that. My master was born with it while I tapped into it after millions of years of practice.


    Even my father, my dad the death itself, couldn''t tap into the soul power. It was just me who could do that. The monstrous talent I possessed for everything played a great part in it but I was also persistent enough to do it.


    Even if I were to teach it to someone, they wouldn''t be able to. That was precisely why I never wasted any time teaching it to Rose. No matter how talented she was, she wouldn''t be able to master that.


    And so would this woman. She may have been Rose level talented, but even she wouldn''t be able to master the soul power required for the sword art.


    She may be able to put her demonic Qi to it but it wouldn''t work. I mean, sure, it would elevate her strength to another level, but it wouldn''t make her the sole monarch of this world.


    So in theory, it would look amazing to her, but she wouldn''t be able to use it to its full potential.


    I considered every scenario before giving it to her. No matter who she was, no matter how good she was, no matter how kind she was, no matter how loyal, faithful and indiscriminant she was, she still didn''t deserve the power of AyaAkusa.


    No one did.


    Even I was only taught in theory because my master knew I wouldn''t be able to master it without soul power. Of course, he was quite shocked when I did and warned me not to teach it to someone else, not even my father.


    Just imagine. A technique that was on the level of the ''Heavenly Demon'' sword art even without an ounce of power put into it. Even my sword art was destructive enough to split a planet and I wasn''t exaggerating.


    One couldn''t even imagine the peak of AyaAkusa that cut the reality itself.


    Just the theory was enough to keep her out of her mind that she couldn''t even understand what she was saying. When she did, it was too late.


    She had already agreed.


    ~~


    She showed her card, by making me the public enemy of the sect. Now I was going to play my card.


    A sect where strength was everything. Where strength named you the king and weakness named you the commoner or even worse than one.


    Here I was, challenging the sect master to a slight spar. She looked at me, a black sword in her hand. At one glance I could tell that sword was made from transcendental refined steel, a material that was so tough that even my skills wouldn''t make a dent on it.


    Pity it wasn''t available in the shop or I would have made my sword with this one. And even if it was me, finding it in this world would be almost impossible.


    Such a precious material showed up once a century and even in then it wasn''t enough to make an entire weapon of it. With my shit luck, my chances of finding it were lower than zero so I didn''t even count on it.


    What sword was I holding, you ask?


    Eric''s face was a sight to behold right now. Well, even if it was my weapon, it was currently bound to him for some reason. Well, technically it was my granddaughter''s and I didn''t know why it ended up in a goddess''s hand who bestowed it to this idiot.


    "I would not use my left hand." She declared. Looking into her eyes, I could tell she knew what I was doing. I smirked and replied, "Then if I make you use it, then I would be strong enough to earn your respect, right?"


    "Ha¡­" A soft chuckle escaped her lips. She didn''t say anything about it and said, "I''ll concede the first strike."


    That was a mistake. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if I was limited, it was still me in this useless vessel. I wasn''t some inexperienced brat who didn''t know his limits. I knew my limits which was why I was so confident.


    [Angel''s blessing]


    [All stats +50%]


    The look in her eyes changed. The power I was displayed couldn''t be felt by her. It wasn''t mana, Qi or anything else. This was the power of the system that flowed into me every time I''d use a skill.


    Just a moment ago, when I didn''t use the skill, there was no indication of my power. Now that my stats had increased by a lot, she clearly felt the difference and it wasn''t a good news for her.


    "You have strange power," Damn. She still didn''t panic. She should have but she didn''t.


    Why?


    [Yan Tae Yong]


    [Level 722]


    Damn.


    The divine rank ended at level 600. From level 500-600 was divine rank but after that, from 600 to 800 was the guardian rank, their stats between 2000-3000.


    Her stats were quite close to her level limit. She was at least around an average of 2600 stat points. Me who didn''t even possess half of that number, even with my buff, she wasn''t an opponent I could take on right now.


    Of course, that would be a different story if I was to use this skill.


    [Archangel: 2\\3]


    Yeah¡­


    I wasn''t wasting one turn on something like this. It wasn''t like I''d die in this spar so this was an easygoing battle. Unless she was trying to kill me, I wouldn''t use this skill. I might not even if she was trying to kill me.


    Until and unless I would have exhausted all options, which included running away, I wouldn''t use this skill.


    With that out of the way¡­


    Let us begin.


    ~~


    Adrian raised the sword in his hand, the long sword and broadsword''s combination didn''t give off the intimidation of a heavy weapon but Tae Yong could feel power emanating from that sword.


    She had to admit that even though the child in front of her wasn''t as strong as her, given his age, he was the proper candidate for being one of her disciples. Even her disciples, whom she had trained since a young age wouldn''t reach the level of this boy in front of her.


    Adrian moved, his movement swift and confusing. There wasn''t a single linearity in that movement. Like an agile snake, there was no telling when that sword would land.


    That spoke volume of the boy''s sword skills. They were as good as her on base level.


    ''So it isn''t him he wants me to teach.'' She thought as she effortlessly, without even putting any demonic energy in her sword, stopped the sword charge with her right hand.


    She felt a good amount of pressure travel through her body, reaching as deep as it could. Still, it wasn''t enough to go past her shoulder. It was a little numb at most and even that just for a second.


    But that was a strike without any power behind. The boy had deliberately given up his chance to strike because he was trying to show her.


    ''Be careful.''


    That was the message she received and she didn''t know why but every vein in her body told her¡­


    ''Dodge.''


    His sword moved, no word leaving his mouth but Tae Yong could feel it. His sword moving in every direction. 64 consecutive strikes, aimed at one point only.


    Her heart.


    ''How does he?'' Tae Yong thought as she raised her sword as well. Defending her heart with the point of her sword, she deflected all 64 strikes she was well familiar with.


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    This time, however, there was proper power behind those strikes. Power unlike any she had ever felt before.


    The scent of blossoms evident in the arena¡­


    The boy had just executed one of the hardest skills of one of the great sects of the Murim. Effortlessly and flawlessly and with power more than even the master of the sect itself¡­


    "64 plum blossom sword."

 Chapter 363 Assimilation

    "You want me to what now?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Eat me," Guardian said, but laughed after seeing Wei Jun''s reaction. He smiled and said, "My heart cannot be put back into my body. Once extracted, the heart can never be put in again. It can be controlled, but it can never be put back in."


    "You can, however¡­"


    ~~


    "Control it¡­" Wei Jun muttered the words said by the system as he looked at the notifications in his vision.


    [The flesh of the great elder dragon Guardian has been fully incorporated]


    [The connection with the heart has been fully established]


    [INT stat +100]


    Wei Jun remained silent as he stared at the stat gain and felt the connection with the heart beating inside the citadel. He felt like he had a second heart, another one beating with his own as he felt the calm but powerful beating return.


    Thump!


    Thump!


    Thump!


    Samson and Ahmad and everyone else turned their heads towards the Citadel as they felt the powerful beating of drums from the Citadel. They could tell what it was. They knew very well what it was. They knew of it almost half of their lives. The beating of the dragon heart. But never before had it been so powerful. Never before had it been so strong. Never before had it been so¡­


    "Destructive, isn''t it?" Samson turned his head when he heard Wei Jun''s words. Wei Jun stood with a warm smile on his face, a dark but serene look in his eyes as he stared at the Citadel, his expression like a warm sun as he said, "It''s beautiful, isn''t it? Takes away your heart, doesn''t it? Captivating, isn''t it?"


    "But destructive nonetheless." Wei Jun said as he stepped forward and placed his hand on the second dome''s barrier. He touched it slightly, and it began to tremble. The shaking soon got intense, and it got to the point where cracks began to appear in the dome.


    Samson looked at Wei Jun with a horrified expression as Wei Jun kept his hand on the dome, the cracks coming more and more until it was riddled with them until finally, the inevitable was close.


    "The thing about Spiritual energy is, you see, it has a limit, like all other powers. In the end, a mind needs to sleep." Wei Jun said, making Samson''s eyes widen in horror as a dark hue appeared around Wei Jun.


    "For you, it is even more so. You use your mind in your daily routine but also in combat. You¡­" Wei Jun finally turned to look at Samson and said, "You have a limit that cannot be overcome no matter how much you train. Because while a mind can be trained, it always becomes tired."


    "That is the flaw of spiritual power." Wei Jun said, "But you have been able to keep it up with the help of Guardian''s heart. I wonder what would happen once it''s no longer in your possession. I wonder how long you will last."


    Wei Jun''s expression was to behold. The warm expression on his face concealed the ridicule in his tone as he talked to Samson and the rest.


    "The city is built upon the Guardian''s heart. Take that away, and you''re nothing but humans with a limit." Wei Jun''s last words rang in their minds as the reality began to set in. Along with that reality, the dome shattered, and all defenses became useless in its face.


    Wei Jun took a step forward. Unlike anything Samson had experienced before, Wei Jun appeared before Samson, and Samson, along with Ahmad and two others, Alfred and Anastasia, hurriedly bent down before a dark wave passed above their heads, splitting the rest of everyone in the vicinity in half.


    "You were right, old man," Wei Jun said as he looked down at him, "I have so much more yet to show."


    ~~


    "You mean I have to eat you?" Wei Jun asked as he sat cross legged in front of the Guardian who was still in chains, looking down at him with his giant eyes, nothing but reverence in them.


    Gradian closed his eyes and gestured the motion of nodding while he didn''t actually nod because his nod would bring the cave down. He wasn''t in a position to do any movement after all. The giant cave wasn''t anything special. It would be nothing but a normal mountain in his presence. He even had to ignore the itches on his back or any part of his body.


    "Don''t worry. You don''t have to literally eat me. The power inside of you will devour me on its own. Devouring is one of its many qualities after all." Guardian spoke, "It''ll eat me, perhaps not even leaving bones."


    Wei Jun nodded as he understood everything. Still, he had to ask. "Why would you do that? Why would you willingly end your life?"


    "My life¡­" Guardian had a nostalgic expression on his face, "My life ended the day my purpose was taken away from me. When my brothers and my sister turned against me along with millions and millions of our children, intent on only one thing. To kill me."


    "I had spent my entire life protecting my race, to make sure that my children weren''t hunted, they weren''t mistreated. But I upheld justice when it concerned them as well. No children of ours were allowed to kill others, people of the other races. They weren''t allowed to use their authority to bully or hurt anyone. If they were ever to do so, I personally judged them and gave them the harshest of punishments."


    "Perhaps that was why¡­ my children not only feared me, they also hated me."


    The expression on Guardian''s face may have been nostalgic, but the pain behind that expression was also visible to Wei Jun. Still, he was more curious about another thing¡­


    "When you say brothers and one sister, and then you say your children. Did you all¡­?" Wei Jun asked, a slight curiosity in his eyes, but the real purpose of his question was something else, and it worked as Guardian began to laugh. The mood lightened as the Guardian said, "You share many qualities with him, my lord."


    "Hahaha¡­" He chuckled once again before he stopped and said, "Unfortunately, the great elder dragons cannot procreate. But the children of lower dragons were still our children. We cared for them like they were our own. I did more so than rest of my siblings."


    Wei Jun nodded. There was nothing more to ask. Wei Jun didn''t want to dwell on the matters of how Guardian was caged, defeated, captured, or whatever his fate was. Wei Jun didn''t want to dig into a memory that could be painful for Guardian. He simply had one question to ask. Another question that had nothing to do with Guardian''s current condition or his past.


    "Do you resent him?" Wei Jun asked.


    "..." The Guardian remained silent. With how old he was, Wei Jun didn''t have to elaborate his question. He didn''t have to spell who he was talking about exactly. Guardian knew of that very well.


    He looked at Wei Jun and said, "Do you, my lord, intend to return home one day?"


    "..." Wei Jun remained silent for a while. For a good while. Eventually, he raised his head and answered, "Yes, I do."


    "Then what about the people you''ll be leaving here?" Guardian asked another complicated question. Once again, Wei Jun took his time to answer, "I''ll make sure no harm would ever come to any of them."


    "Precisely." Guardian replied, "My master was the same as well. Before he left, he gave me power beyond measure, and not just me, but my siblings as well. Of course, I was his favorite," Guardian said as if he was proud of it before he continued, "He had a life beyond the curtain. Perhaps even a lover or children. It would have been selfish of me to ask him to stay. He did what he could before he left, and for that, I can never resent him."


    "Even when I am like this, I can not resent my master, my lord."


    At Guardian''s reply, he was left to ponder. Would Xia Lu, Yan Rong, or others be the same? Would they also choose not to resent him? Or would they choose to do so?


    "Questions. Questions. Questions." Guardian said as Wei Jun was deep in thought, "Questions are a part of life. Without them, there cannot be life. However, life itself is the answer." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    He looked at Wei Jun and said, "My lord, I hope one say all your questions are answered by the life you built."


    Wei Jun soaked in those words and let out a deep exhale. It was time. Wei Jun stood up and made his way toward Guardian. He arrived before his giant foot and placed his hands on it.


    He looked up, but he couldn''t see his face, but he hoped he was looking at him as he said, "It was short, but it was nice knowing you."


    "The same goes for me, my lord. You know what you have to do once you''re done here. May your journey be a little easier with this small gesture of mine." Guardian spoke with gratitude in his voice.


    Wei Jun sighed and reached deep down. Into the dark sphere in his abdomen. The sphere of Death Qi. He reached deep into it before he plucked some strands of it and began to guide them to his hand that was touching the Guardian.


    "Goodbye." Wei Jun didn''t know why he felt so, but he was compelled to say that last word as the Death Qi flowed into the Guardian from his hand and then¡­


    A storm ensued.

 Chapter 364 Do Not Read

    "Look," Wei Jun continued, "I know it isn''t fair to you. You worked so hard, hurt, wronged, and killed so many people just to reach this spot, and now that you had everything in your grasp, everything gets taken away."


    Wei Jun stood up and picked up the empty whisky glass that Zhen Lu had used and stored it in his inventory. He did the same to the whisky bottle he had laced and said, "I know it isn''t fair but is life fair anyway? No, it isn''t."


    Wei Jun then came to sit in front of him once again as he stored both of the things in his inventory and said, "I will be honest with you. You and I, we have no enmity. I don''t care what you do but the problem begins when someone working for me is affected by you. It still isn''t anything personal, you know. This isn''t personal. Just like you had to do everything to get to this position, I unfortunately, have to do this to you to achieve an even greater height so when I say this is nothing personal, please believe me."


    Wei Jun stood up and said, "Now, you will spend the rest of your life like that. You won''t be able to talk, you won''t be able to express, nothing. Just like in a coma like your sister but the only difference is that you might wake up someday. You won''t. Not even the miracle doctor can save you now."


    With these words, Wei Jun turned to the window and opened it up. Outside, was a cleaner lift which he boarded but before doing so, he said, "Don''t worry. This is not us seeing each other last. I will visit you with Xia Lu to offer my condolences. That is if he wanted to come."


    Saying so, Wei Jun closed the window and the lift began to go downwards where he exited it and disappeared into the night after boarding his bike.


    [Curse of hopelessness]


    [Tier: B]


    [Effect: Severs all systems in the body inducing reaction of a human body]


    [The effects are irreversible unless the sole antidote for this is used]


    [Cost: 10,000 coins]


    ======


    "Ahh¡­. F*ck. I''m never drinking again." Xia Lu said in the lowest voice she could mutter and entered the gym to be greeted by familiar faces who were looking at her weirdly.


    She noticed their expressions and asked, "What? Is there something on my face?" The others didn''t know how to reply so they made awkward noises and said different things about training.


    "Oi, Quan Kui, what''s going on? Why are you all acting so strange?" Xia Lu asked with her face a little dangerous. Quan Kui felt suffocated under such pressure and replied, "No¡­Nothing senior. It''s just¡­. are you all right?"


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Xia Lu asked as she couldn''t understand the meaning.


    "I mean, after what happened last night, are you feeling all right?" Quan Kui once again asked.


    "What do you mean after last night? What happened last night?" Xia Lu asked before she remembered how drunk she had gotten and she had no memories of the night after several champagnes. "Did I¡­ Did I puke in front of everyone? Or did I¡­" She couldn''t find the right words to say something but had no choice but to say it so she said it in a low voice, "¡­strip?"


    Everyone in the room was stunned by her words. Quan Kui couldn''t help but ask, "Senior, have you stripped before when you were drunk?"


    "Shh!¡­ Not so loudly!" Xia Lu admonished her before she glared at the boys. They hurriedly turned their heads away but her piercing gaze didn''t leave them which they could feel well enough so they had no choice but to move away. Xia Lu turned back to the girls and said, "Once when I was eighteen. I began to strip in front of everyone. It was a good thing it was winter so I had many layers of clothes. My servants had to knock me out and take me away. I never drank in public after that night."


    Xia Lu recounted her story before she worriedly asked, "Did I¡­" She was afraid to complete the sentence. Unlike last time, this time all she was wearing was a one-piece strapless dress. It was very easy to take off from the top.


    "No senior. You didn''t strip." Quan Kui said and quelled her worries. Xia Lu sighed in relief and just as she thought she was safe, Quan Kui dropped an abrupt bomb on her, "You did curse the boss a lot."


    As Xia Lu froze, Quan Li, who had been quiet since earlier, chimed in and said, "And I think probably everyone knows you have feelings for the boss."


    Xia Lu''s entire being froze. She couldn''t believe what she was hearing. She wanted to believe it was all a lie but the one to deliver the last statement was Quan Li. The last person she thought would lie to her or make fun of her using such a major thing.


    "Ha¡­" She let out a sound that resembled laughter and confused the other girls. But they weren''t confused for long as Xia Lu began to laugh fully. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"


    Her laughter rang throughout the gym but it wasn''t the laughter of a happy person. It was the laughter of the person who was ready to leave the world. And that was what she had decided to do, "Quan Kui, Quan Li, goodbye. It was good working with you all. Send my regard to the other two as well."


    "Eh? Sister, where are you going?" Quan Li worriedly asked.


    "Haha¡­ To die." Xia said with lifeless eyes before she turned around only to bump into what she felt was a wall of concrete. "If you''re in such a hurry to die, I will make sure to increase your regimen."


    Xia Lu heard a familiar voice and raised her head to look at what she thought was the most handsome man in the world smiling at her. It wasn''t just a handsome smile today, it was practically glowing, and that struck her even more badly.


    "Ehh¡­ What¡­ no¡­ Armageddon¡­" She forgot for a few seconds what was going on. For a few seconds, she had gone to another world. However, soon she snapped out of it and jumped back like a cat and stuttered, "Youu¡­yu¡­you¡­ What¡­. a..are you..ddoo..doing?"


    Wei Jun chuckled at her behavior and said, "You''re the one who bumped into me." Xia Lu, along with the other two girls were stunned frozen by that sweet chuckle. The boys a little far away saw their girls stunned by Wei Jun and hurriedly ran over to them to snap them out of it.


    As for Xia Lu, she snapped out of it herself and shook her head vigorously. She exhaled and inhaled a few times before she said, "I''m¡­ I''m not exercising today." Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    She began to leave by circling around Wei Jun cautiously. Wei Jun didn''t stop her and addressed the other four individuals who were also on guard from him and said, "We will be doing couple''s yoga today. Since I don''t have a partner, I will call someone for company."


    "What?! Why are you joining them today?!" Xia Lu, who was a little far away yelled at the unexpected announcement.


    "Oh, actually I had planned to do it with you but since you are leaving, I can call for someone else. No worries." Wei Jun nonchalantly said and turned to the rest of the group.


    "WHAT!? NO! WHO SAID THAT I''M LEAVING?" Xia Lu paraded back to the group and yelled along the way. Wei Jun chuckled once again that charmed Quan Li and Quan Kui and their boyfriends had to step in front of them to shield them from that enchanting smile, taking its burnt themselves.


    "Ahh¡­ I see." Wei Jun replied and said, "Then get into groups. Everyone, do it like I taught you to." Wei Jun said and then turned to Xia Lu and said, "I guess we will be doing it together then."


    Wei Jun started with a few simple steps and poses. Beginning with warrior friends, he then shifted to the sailboat. He then switched to double dancer and finally, he came to the pose, twin dragons. All of the moves were done with professionalism and Xia Lu''s personal space wasn''t invaded. He kept his body as far away as he could. Not because he wanted to show her how gentle of a guy he was, he was just not trying anything.


    Teasing her was another thing but he wasn''t going to make things awkward between them. He was still her boss and she was her employee. Anything could happen and if that anything was bad, everything would be destroyed.


    However, when it came to the final pose, the twin dragons. Their faces came in front of each other. Although they kept their distance, Xia Lu''s memory jogged from last night when she remembered those lips. She wasn''t surrounded by people but she figured the place to be her room. She remembered getting closer to those lips. She didn''t know what happened after that but she didn''t need to.


    "Ah!!!" She screamed and hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand that was resting against Wei Jun''s hand due to the pose. She stood up, and frantically turned her left and right before she turned around and ran out of the room with her hand still on her mouth, leaving everyone else stunned.


    The others stared at Wei Jun judgmentally as if he had done something wrong. Wei Jun didn''t bother correcting them and simply said, "Since Xia Lu won''t be joining us today, you all will be exercising her share as well." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun left to do his own training leaving four frozen people behind for an entirely different reason.

 Chapter 365 Assimilation (1)

    "And then what?" Guardian asked Wei Jun as he and Wei Jun were still talking about the matters of the past, present, and the future. Listening to his question that sounded out of place, Wei Jun asked, "What do you mean ''What''? I''ll leave."


    "Leaving nearly a billion souls to die?" Guardian questioned.


    "..." Wei Jun had no answer to that. Once the heart, which was Wei Jun''s goal, was taken, the dome would suffer the same fate. Then, the purtid environment of the world will kill them even before day passed.


    "So what?" Wei Jun asked. "They''re not my responsibility." Although he felt a little guilty about that, his life took precedence, and he worked to make the lives of people who followed him better than those who were even unaware of him. If for that he had to annihilate a race, or many, he was willing to do that.


    "You certainly do not," Guardian replied as if there was nothing wrong with Wei Jun''s response before he asked, "But will your brother approve of that decision of yours?"


    Wei Jun stopped. His eyes held confliction as he mulled over his decision. In his life, he had never harmed children, women who were defenseless, the elderly, and most importantly, innocents, no matter what category. It wasn''t because he was compassionate for them or he was raised that way. It was simply because his brother didn''t like that.


    Even now, ever since he came to that world, he had made sure he wouldn''t harm any innocents. Even when he sabotaged Run Long''s cream and ended up hurting many people, he offered healing pills to deal with that, although at a price so as to not appear suspicious. He had made sure no innocents were harmed due to his actions.


    Of course, he couldn''t save everyone. Some military officers, CSF officers, and even police officers. Some of them were innocents, among the majority of cunning. Not all of them deserved to die, and he was sure his brother wouldn''t approve of that.


    But the number this time was massive. There was a difference between a few thousand and almost a billion.


    "What can I do even if I do?" Wei Jun asked.


    "That is precisely what I''m asking," Guardian said before he added, "Do you intend to save them or not? If you do not, then that is fine. If you do, then I have a solution for you."


    "..." Wei Jun fell into a moment of thought before he raised his head and looked at Guardian. "Whether I''d want that or not will depend on them. Tell me the solution."


    ~~


    [The question boils down to¡­]


    [Whether or not they''re willing to give up their pride from centuries of ruling]


    ''Exactly.'' Wei Jun said as he looked at Samson and Ahmad. Those two needed to come to a decision. Alfred and Anastasia seemed hot and simple-minded, respectively. They were good warriors, but they were those who followed orders.


    Besides, everyone had a head above their shoulders. Looking at the situation, only an unreasonable person would refuse such an offer. If they weren''t unreasonable and good leaders, then they would¡­


    "We, the presidents of Alanel¡­" Samson said as he threw his sword on the ground and knelt, plastering his knees on the ground and kowtowing until his forehead was also touching it, "...thank you for your grace."


    Looking at him, although finding it a little difficult, the rest of the three followed, Alfred finding it more difficult than others, but that was the truth of the universe. He had many kneel before him, but now he had to kneel before someone. It all came down to someone stronger than one. When he was strong, he was the king. Now, he wasn''t.


    Only Ahmad didn''t kneel fully but just bent his body a little. When Wei Jun stared at him regarding that, Ahmad looked at him and said, "Please understand. It is in my religion."


    ''Ahh¡­ the same as my brother and sister in law,'' Wei Jun was reminded of his brother and his wife. Nodding his head, Wei Jun gave the signal of his understanding before he said, "Now that we''re done here, get ready to move."


    "Move?" Samson stood up and asked.


    "Move." Wei Jun simply replied before he began to make his way towards the Citadel as he said, "It''s time to leave this putrid planet." Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ~~


    Wei Jun arrived in front of a giant door. A simple metal sheet acted as a door. Ahmad, who had guided him all the way there, looked at him and said, "Beyond this, the mana becomes so dense that we cannot go inside. We can monitor the condition from the other room, but going inside is not recommended."


    Wei Jun nodded in understanding and said, "Very well, you can back off. I''ll go in alone."


    Ahmad nodded hesitantly and remained in his spot as Wei Jun stepped forward. As if sensing his presence, the door opened automatically. Wei Jun stepped inside a tunnel. It seemed like a safety room. At the end of the tunnel, there was another door, but it wasn''t giant at all. It was human-sized.


    Wei Jun made his way towards that door before he passed through something transparent, almost invisible. Even his senses couldn''t pick that up, but as soon as he crossed that, he felt something heavy creep up to his heart. The pressure wasn''t intense, but it was apparent, nonetheless.


    [I wouldn''t have recommended had you not consumed the body]


    Wei Jun nodded and finally arrived before the door; the pressure weighing on his heart increased considerably.


    He hesitated as he reached for the handle on the door. He took a deep breath and grabbed it finally before he pushed it open. As soon as he did, something struck him like a strong wind, and he was almost thrown back. Various cuts appeared on his body, his face, his hands, and even his clothes were shredded as the intense pressure assaulted him.


    [Mana]


    [Such pure state]


    [That, host, is the pinnacle of mana]


    [Even I didn''t have mana as pure as that]


    It wasn''t only the system that was impressed; Wei Jun couldn''t close his eyes even when his HP was slowly going down. Even the green power in his heart was healing him as if it was scared. His Yang Qi was also timidly focused on the centre, not moving an inch to save him.


    Only Death Qi was moving fearlessly. As if it was greeting an old friend, no, as if it was greeting an old subordinate, it appeared before Wei Jun and protected him in the form of a thin shield.


    As soon as his Death Qi appeared, the mana waves suddenly ended. No, they didn''t end, but the Death Qi deflected them like a magnet field would deflect power waves.


    Taking a deep breath once again, Wei Jun stepped forward, fully stepping into the room. As he walked forward, he could see the giant beating heart. It was as tall as a building and as wide as tens of them.


    The heartbeat was sending shivers down his spine, the thumping of the heart shaking his entire being.


    "The heart will complete you, my lord." Guardian''s words rang in his ears as he looked at the giant heart, Wei Jun''s entire being resonating along with the heartbeat.


    "A heart is the life of a dragon," Guardian said as Wei Jun looked at him, "But to a human, a heart is what completes them. Your being will be completed when you devour my heart. You will gain what you were supposed to gain from my body."


    Wei Jun nodded, fully taking in what Guardian had to say before he knelt down, shaking the entire cave, but the risk wasn''t that great as Guardian said, "Finally, my lord. It was an honor meeting you, despite it being such a short time. I, one of the first of my kind, Azreal Reinheart, named Guardian by the lord I severed, greet you and say farewell. May your heart be full of kindness, my lord."


    "It sure will be," Wei Jun said as he extended his hand to touch the dragon heart before him. Guardian''s final words resonated in his ears, evoking something in his heart that had been buried ever since he was a child. Something he had forced to be buried because the world didn''t deserve such a thing.


    However, now he knew. What he never was able to show was very easy to show.


    The Death Qi in his hands began to seep into the heart as the heart began to break down into particles. The particles didn''t enter him right away. It took a while before the entire heart had turned into shining but dark particles.


    And then, those particles simply rushed¡­


    ''What the¡­'' Wei Jun was overwhelmed when the particles began to enter the right side of his chest.


    [Formation of the second heart has begun]


    [Estimated chances of survival: 10%]


    [Good luck]


    And those were the final words of the monotonous system before only one thing remained¡­


    Pain.


    "Aaaahhh!!!!"

 Chapter 366 Do Not Read

    As everything turned to pieces in front of me, I wasn''t quite satisfied with it. Although these guys would feel the pain of their bodies splitting into thousands of pieces, but I still wasn''t satisfied.


    Well, now was the time to leave a mark behind as good as any. Also, it would give them the pain of burning. But first, "You might want to leave if you don''t want to get caught up in it."


    I turned to warn my stalker who thought she was out of my sense''s range. She heard me, panicked but she didn''t move for a few moments before she turned around and fled at full speed. I guess she had received the clearance to get out of there.


    Well, now that that was done and over with, I had a few things up my sleeves but I wanted to go with the flashiest way. Not many existed with my current arsenal of skills but for this town, it was enough. Besides, I doubted the entire area would be destroyed.


    [Dragon breath]


    *******


    "You might want to leave if you don''t want to get caught up in it." Sarah heard the voice of the monster she had been watching for a while now. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing even though she was seeing it with her own two eyes.


    Through her, the representatives of the united races also heard the words of the monster. Out of everyone present, Julianna understood that even if it was her, it wouldn''t have been this easy to deal with the gang leaders. After all, there was a reason they had been in power for so long even under the nose of a war hero like Sirius.


    However, what Adrian had done was unprecedented. Unbelievable, on a whole new level.


    "Get out of there." So it didn''t take her long to come to a decision. The vampire, however, had different thoughts. "What!? NO! We need to see what other cards he has to play."


    "Then you can send another one of your own sons to gauge him," Julianna said angrily. The vampire didn''t like it but before he could, another voice calmly spoke, "Get out of there, right now. He is going to blow that entire area and you will die with it."


    Ignoring the fact that how he knew what Adrian was going to do, the vampire was first angry by the fact that he had dared to speak in the leader''s council.


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    "How dare you speak while we are talking?!" The vampire was rightfully angered and so were some others but they didn''t speak. Alastair held a special position among the races, his status as the next apostle of destruction was something that even his own father, a divine-ranked being couldn''t ignore so easily.


    "Shut up." Alastair calmly spoke.


    That was the final straw. The vampire, who had had enough was about to erupt when Astaroth himself stood up and spoke, "ENOGUH!"


    A powerful wave of mana spread throughout the room as the entire building shook with great intensity.


    "D¨¤ghar, you know we don''t have any authority with what Julianna does. As for you," He turned to his son and said, "Show some respect."


    Alastair nodded but didn''t apologize. As for D¨¤ghar, he could only sit back in because Astaroth''s words were true. It wasn''t his place to speak nor could he give orders to a subordinate of the elves.


    "Why are you still there?! Hurry and leave!" Julianna turned back to the transmission only to find Sarah still in her place so she loudly said to get her attention.


    Sarah didn''t wait for another second and left the place at full speed. While she was fleeing, she heard a large and loud explosion from behind her. She wanted to turn around and see but every pore in her body warned her against it. She felt like if she turned around now, she wouldn''t be able to make it out of there alive.


    ''I have to do something about him.'' Sarah decided. Adrian didn''t know her human form yet so she could use that to get close to him. She decided to deal with Adrian herself because the elf queen wouldn''t let her now that she had seen his power. However, there was more than one way to kill a man instead of fighting.


    From this fight, she had deemed Adrian to be too strong and too dangerous. She knew if left alone, Adrian would be a greater nemesis to the united races than the human apostles and the human superpowers.


    The council on the other hand remained quiet. They also couldn''t see behind Sarah but the loud sound of an explosion hadn''t escaped their sears. They had heard it loud and clear and most of them turned to Alastair to see if he had clairvoyance or something. Alastair chose to remain quiet though.


    Alastair had never been a part of this group and he doubted he would ever be. He only spoke earlier because of his elf fianc¨¦e, otherwise, he didn''t care whether Sarah died or not. He knew his fianc¨¦e would be devastated by Sarah''s death so he spoke up but now that she was safe, he had nothing else to say.


    "I know that things have been hectic today. First, our ancestral bloodline blaring, and now this." Astaroth began and pointed to the two unexpected surprises they had received.


    "However, I think it would be better to conclude this meeting by assigning some roles to everyone. You know it as well as I do that the number of our threats is increasing day by day so we all need to put in a little more effort." He referred to the earlier incident.


    Once everyone was attentive, he turned to dwarves and gnomes and said, "I know it is unreasonable to ask but I would appreciate it if you could look for your ancestral creations and inventions. We can use them at this time."


    The dwarves and gnomes said nothing but it was enough of a silent agreement.


    He then turned to Merfolk and said, "I would like you all to scout sea for any passageway you can find. We cannot leave that as an option but get out if it gets dangerous."


    The Merfolk also didn''t reply but it counted as an agreement. Then he turned to the dark elves and said, "Your assistance in scouting the bother cities is required. See how far you can go."


    "Very well," Vera, the dark elf representative replied.


    He then turned to Julianna and said, "Although it is entirely up to you, I would appreciate it if you could let your contract remain in Bellator for some more time."


    Julianna didn''t want to agree but she knew how much she had invested in infiltrating Bellator so she replied with an uncertain reply, "I will think about it. For now, I cannot give you any answer." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Very well." Astaroth replied and turned to the final race, "Speed up the plan. If you need help then ask, otherwise, get her after the dungeon of diamonds, when there would be very few dangers."


    D¨¤ghar nodded and replied, "Don''t worry. All the planning is done. All that''s left is to execute it."


    Astaroth nodded, reassured by the reply, and finally said, "I will speed up my operation in the Empire. When they enter the Dungeon of Diamonds, that would be the perfect time to strike. At that time, all the races would have to cooperate."


    Everybody nodded to the instructions they received so Astaroth said, "Now that we all know what to do, let us conclude this meeting."


    Nothing was said about Adrian and nothing was asked. Everyone knew what to do so there was no need to ask and no need to tell. To them, Adrian was an unforeseen variable but nothing about the plan had changed.


    They would still rule the human race; it would be just a little difficult now.


    ******


    Desmond, Michelle, and every one of the Bellator City who had any responsibility to the city''s guard rushed to the giant crater in the city.


    There was a massive hole in the middle of the Red light area of Bellator City. It was a city within a city, that was how large it was, however, all of it was devastated. Everything in the radius was gone, replaced by a giant crater, filled with water from the underground.


    But that wasn''t what the main point of concern was. The being that could do this was no less than a divine being and even they would have to be fairly high level.


    Although that fact plagued them, they came upon a new discovery while heading to the crater that took their attention most.


    The chunks and pieces of flesh were all around the city. When they were expected, none of them thought to be alive so they didn''t pay much attention. They simply thought they were all dead.


    However, when they arrived in the middle of the crater, they looked around to find any clue. That was when Michelle stepped on something.


    What she saw, made her heart skip a beat and nausea took hold of her. She hurriedly took deep breaths to stop the vomit almost at her throat. When Desmond saw her condition, he worriedly asked, "What is it?"


    "They''re alive." She quietly said. Desmond, even with his super hearing couldn''t hear what she said so he asked again, "What?"


    "They¡­ they are alive." Michelle pointed to the chunks of flesh at their feet. Desmond, not believing her, thinking she was seeing things, looked down but what he saw horrified him. An eye, just the front part of him, staring back at him in horror itself.

 Chapter 367 Complete?

    The ground trembled, and the world seemed like it was approaching an end. The sky split open, and lightning fell from the cracks. Dark lightning alighted the world around them, not harming them in the least.


    Everyone raised their heads to see what was happening. Why was no one running? Why was there no panic? Where was no one screaming in fear?


    The answer only came to be this¡­


    Could something else be so beautiful? The world, the sky, and the very air around them felt like it was soothing. They could feel the warmth dripping from it, compelling them not to look away.


    And they didn''t. They kept their eyes on what mattered. They kept their eyes on the world that was falling apart. The darkness fell from the sky and covered the entire world.


    The entire city of Alanel was shrouded in darkness, and no light could escape nor enter that darkness. The humans that came from the outside world, the general, along with the rest of his team, stayed at the cave as they watched the spectacle before them unfold.


    It was mesmerizing, to say the least. And if that wasn''t enough, the power emitting from it shook their hearts, freezing them in one place. The general knew that no one on earth would be able to match that power. If that power were to leak out into the world, with no limitations placed on it, then the world would only be left with one option.


    The end.


    As much as he was curious about going forward, about going with Wei Jun to the city, when he told them to wait there because the thing inside the cave was still in the city, no one, even him, wanted to go.


    Just one experience was enough. The immense pressure still made their bodies ache, and they would rather not face it again. Just the assurance from Wei Jun that the dungeon wouldn''t break and they should just give him a chance first.


    They were more than happy to do so, and they were glad they did so because what they were seeing at the moment was something they had never seen before. They had never felt before. And they wanted to avoid it all their life.


    Inside the city, Ahmad raised his head to see what looked like the end of the world. He took deep breaths, not intoxicated like everyone else. He had the ability to resist the darkness, and since he could, he could also hear the screams of pain coming from inside the citadel that no one else could hear. Not even his fellow council members.


    The screams sounded like they were from the deep pits of one''s soul. Like it was being ripped apart, torn, and then mended into perfection again. The process repeated over and over and over again until the darkness got to the point where Ahmad couldn''t even sense his own being, let alone sense anything with his five senses.


    His instincts and his entire being had shut down, leaving only his mind to think. Was it really the end of the world? Or was it as the young man from earlier had said? There were questions, but there were no answers. The only answer he had was to wait. So wait, he did. He did nothing else but wait.


    Minutes stretched into hours, and hours stretched into days. He didn''t know how much time had passed, but eventually, the darkness lifted, and the scenery he saw shook his heart.


    Lush and soft green grass as far as his eyes went. Forests as big as buildings could be seen far into the distance.


    Beyond them were mountains that stretched across the world. The sky, a deep color of blue, was clean and not toxic in the least. The air was calming and provided a gentle soothe to their hearts.


    As far as his eyes went, there were only people in the field. The people of his city. Not the dead ones, but the alive ones. There was no sign of the buildings from his home. There was nothing to be seen. All that was left to be seen and done was to rebuild.


    Rebuilt in that clean world so that life could continue once again.


    So that they could live once again. Only this time, they were free. And so was everyone else.


    "I shall do as you said, outlander," Ahmad said as he looked forward to a new life. A life of freedom.


    ~~


    [All excess power has been diverted to the teleportation circle]


    [The user''s body has absorbed the rest]


    [Dragon heart and flesh have been fully incorporated]


    [Increase in stats detected]


    [Error]


    [Level restriction cannot incorporate changes]


    [Forcibly raising levels]


    [Error]


    [Levels cannot be raised beyond a certain limit]


    [Maximum level achievable in the user''s current state: 290]


    [Level will be raised]


    [The leftover power will be converted into a title and granted as the user''s growth progresses]


    [Strength: 600]


    [Agility: 600]


    [Stamina: 600]


    [Qi: 600]


    [Charm: 70]


    [Luck: 70]


    [Title ''Growth'' has been aquired]


    [Title: Growth]


    [Tier: Undetermined]


    [Description: A title obtained to show the true worth of one''s growth]


    [Effect: Upon each level-up, the user will gain one stat each in his physical stats]


    [Qi cannot be raised]


    [Charm cannot be raised]


    [Luck cannot be raised]


    [Your Qi has reached 600]


    [You have obtained +600 QP]


    [QP: 5100]


    [A large amount of darkness has been absorbed]


    [Darkness has been absorbed by Death]


    [Your Death Qi has increased significantly]


    [Death Qi: 10,812]


    [You have obtained the skill: Dragon''s heart]


    [You have obtained the skill: Dragon''s Will]


    [Skill: Dragon heart] S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Tier: SSS]


    [Type: Passive]


    [Effect: No matter the situation, the user cannot be perturbed] Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    [Cost: None]


    [Skill: Dragon''s Will]


    [Tier: SSS]


    [Type: Active]


    [Effect: Impose your will on anything and everything in existence]


    [Cost: 1000 QP upon ecah use]


    [If used on living beings, the amount of Qi can increase depending on their mental strength]


    [Restriction: Words must be expressed to impose the user''s will]


    [If used on living beings, the user will incur a damage of 10 HP]


    [Depending on the target''s will and mental strength, the damage can increase up to 500%]


    [Maximum damage: 50 HP]


    [Warning]


    [The user''s body and the dragon''s physique cannot coexist]


    [Would you like to become a draconian halfling?]


    [Yes\\No]


    "...No¡­" A faint no left his lips as he felt himself being moved. He could hear voices around him, but he didn''t know what was happening to him. Whatever it was, he felt something else more worrying to worry about.


    In his body, in his chest, two hearts, on left and right, clashed for domination. The newly created heart on the right side was obviously strong, but his left heart, his own, had his mind and willpower behind it, resisting the control the right heart was trying to take.


    But, it was still of no use.


    The message appaered again and again, as if compelling him to say yes. He felt as if all he had to say was a simple ''yes'' and all his problems would be gone. He''d become someone, something, that could tackle everything in the world.


    But his body told him no. His mind told him no. Something deep inside him told him that if he became anything other than a human, he would cease to exist. His very self would cease to exist. He will become non''existent, and what''d remain, or rather what would become the new him, would not be him but someone else.


    He couldn''t bear that. The thought of losing Xia Lu, his family, all of it was keeping together, and every time, his answer was no. He could tell he was close. He could tell if he resisted now, he wouldn''t have to worry about it later. That if he persisted, he''d remain human.


    However, the vice versa was also true. The more he resisted, the more the heart on his right side fought. Its attempts became more fierce as time passed, and his resistance waned as well.


    While he knew he''d remain as himself if he persisted, he also knew that with time, his resistance was waning. His efforts to resist were becoming nonexistent. He was losing his sense of self and becoming someone else.


    Time was his enemy, and time was his ally.


    Nothing left to do and nothing left to happen. All he could do was depend on time. Time would tell whether or not he''d remain.


    ~~


    Somewhere far away, across several dimensions, there stood a palace so big and wide that if one ran in it all day, they wouldn''t be able to cover one-tenth of it. They needed at least ten days to fully run inside of it.


    The height of that thing was also massive.


    It wasn''t designed for human occupation but the occupation of something else. Something giant. Something or someone like Gurdian.


    In that palace, deep inside of it, inside the throne room, on the throne, a man with handsome features sat on a golden throne.


    The theme of the entire palace was golden, as if it was made of gold. The man was adorned in a golden armor, covered from neck to toe. Even his hands were covered in gold metallic gloves, and no part other than his face and hair could be seen.


    His hair, a bright golden color, flowed down his neck and reached to at least his waist. His skin was the only thing that wasn''t golden in the entire scene.


    The man of pale skin suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes of deep golden color as well, entirely at that, no place for whites. He looked into the distance as if he felt something before a smile appeared on his face. He gently smiled and said, "So you are finally free, brother."

 Chapter 368 No...

    "Is that all?" General Ming asked General Shao, the head of the S-rank dungeon expedition. The expedition was uncertain. Whether it was a threat or not remained to be determined. Were there any gains from it? Definitely not. They didn''t return with a single miasma core, let alone anything of significance. They did come back with an armored truck of sorts, and it was definitely somethign their scientists hadn''t seen before.


    However, other than that, there was nothing. Not one thing of significance was found in this trip other than just one thing.


    The end of the world. It was said that seeing was believing, and General Ming was having a hard time believing the words of General Shao at the moment. A civilization of hundreds of races. A civilization so advanced that their weapons spewed lights.


    A world so polluted that their Qi was in a constant overdrive unless they were wearing equipment from the people in the city. A giant dome that protected the city from the pollution. The disappearance of an entire city and, most of all, a being that if it ever came to earth, then earth would be doomed forever. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She knew that General Shao was not the type to mess around, so whatever he was saying was the truth, and the higher-ups, especially the commanders and the elder, would discern the same. However, believing something straight out of a fantasy was a different thing.


    "Haa¡­" General Ming nodded as she said, "Are you sure about this, Shao?"


    General Shao nodded as he sipped tea from his cup and said, "One hundred percent. Ally yourself with the boy. And not just a contract. Give him an equal position, or even higher if you can."


    "I don''t think he''s that important." General Ming argued.


    "You haven''t seen what I have. The boy isn''t one to be ruled but the one who rules. If he deems you as an enemy, an enemy who is trying to suppress him, then he will push back. And mark my words, Ming, you will not be able to bear that push." General Shao said, and with those words, he stood up and left, leaving General Shao alone with her thoughts.


    ''An ally, huh?'' General Ming thought before she shook her head. There was still time. She was willing to adhere to the warning and not be forceful, but she wouldn''t treat the young man her equal just yet.


    ~~


    "How is he?" Yan Rong asked as she entered the private room in the hospital to see Xia Lu washing Wei Jun''s body with a washcloth and a bowl of water.


    "No improvement since yesterday," Xia Lu replied in a low voice. She was having a hard time dealing with Wei Jun''s condition. It was undertermined what it was, but he was not waking up.


    After being gone for ten days, he was brought to the hospital by his sect members, who gave a detailed explanation as to why he was like that. It was a bit too disheartening for both of them, but it was harder on Xia Lu as her mother was in the same. A coma of unknown origin with no signs of waking up.


    At least in the case of Wei Jun, he wasn''t in a coma because he was constantly muttering the word¡­


    "No¡­"


    "Is that a nightmare?" Yan Rong asked, but Xia Lu''s guess was as good as hers. They didn''t know what it was, but whatever it was, it was at least giving them the hope that Wei Jun wasn''t in a coma and it was some other condition.


    The disheartening detail was that no cure was working. There was no sign of Qi blockage, and the sect master himself had declared Wei Jun healthy as a horse. Even mages couldn''t find anything wrong with Wei Jun, and it was the same medically.


    Yet he was still asleep, muttering the word ''No'' after every hour or so. His condition wasn''t improving or deteriorating with time. It was the same as it was three days ago. Nothing about him had changed, and it was making him more and more worried.


    "I think you should rest now. I''ll take care of the rest." Yan Rong said as she placed her hand on Xia Lu''s body. Xia Lu had been with Wei Jun for two days straight without even a wink of sleep. The dark circles underneath her eyes were testament of that.


    Yan Rong hadn''t been with him, but she was out there looking for a cure for Wei Jun.


    It wasn''t just her. Li Wei and Mark Wilson were also scouring the informative world for any similar conditions, but so far, nothing had emerged.


    Xia Lu sighed and shook her head. "How can I sleep when he''s like this?"


    "He''s not gonna like it when he wakes up to find you in this condition." Yan Rong insisted, "And I''m not telling you to go home. Just sleep on the couch for a little while and eat something. Nothing more."


    She knew what was going through Xia Lu''s head, and she was the same. Since she was the same, she could understand how hard it was for Xia Lu, but unlike her, Yan Rong understood how important it was to be well rested.


    They didn''t know how long they needed to take care of Wei Jun, but if it was for a long, long time, then they needed to be well rested. Both mentally and physically.


    Xia Lu sighed once again but didn''t argue. She stood up and went straight to the ouch, entrusting her current task to Yan Rong, who unbuttoned Wei Jun''s shirt and took off his clothes before she began to clean him from head to toe.


    Once he was clean, she dried him and then dressed him in a fresh pair of clothes. It didn''t take her much time, and once she was done, she slid Wei Jun a little to the side and cleared some space for herself. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    She snuggled into his left arm and placed her head on his chest as she lied down next to him. She could hear his strong heartbeat, and she was thankful that there was nothing wrong with him. She knew it was a matter of time before Wei Jun woke up. He was a fighter ever since she had met him. Not once had he quit from something, and she knew he wouldn''t quit this time, either.


    No matter what he fighting at the moment, she knew he''d win and eventually wake up.


    All she had to do was believe in him and not give up. With that commitment, she closed her eyes, listening to Wei Jun''s strong and even heartbeat.


    ~~


    Long Bao city, a casino in the downtown. A man was sitting in a corner of the casino, in a private booth of sorts, only anyone could see him sitting. There were slender-figured girls in his arms, and he was currently licking the earlobe of one of them while she laughed and giggled in his arms.


    The man had a medium-sized build, a muscular one as well, and his looks were just average. His hair was slicked back, and his body was covered in golden jewelry. The worth of what he was wearing reached 10 million easy.


    While he was busy, a man ran to him and disturbed him while he was indulging himself. He wasn''t too happy, but he knew his subordinate would have a very good reason to do so; otherwise, he risked his life.


    "Boss, there''s a woman looking for you." The subordinate reported.


    "Who is she?" The man curiously asked before he looked far into the distance to spot a woman like any he had ever seen before. The beauty of the woman was far beyond any other he could ever imagine, and he was sure that even fairies wouldn''t be as beautiful as her.


    Immediately, he was filled with desire as he looked at the subordinate and inquired, "Who is she?"


    "She didn''t say. She simply said she wanted to see you. I would have turned her away if she was not exactly your type." The subordinate replied.


    The type of the man being a beautiful woman. Any beautiful woman.


    The man laughed and said, "Well done. Well done. Tell her I''m willing to meet her. Guide her to the back room. Give her the special drink as well."


    The subordinate nodded and left to carry out the man''s orders. The man stood up immediately to loosen his muscles before he made his way to the back of the casino, a room in the way back where entrance was restricted.


    As soon as he entered, he spotted the black haired woman sitting on the couch sipping the special drink. As he saw her sipping from that drink, he scoffed inside, thinking it was already over.


    Still, he hid his happiness and was about to greet her when she said¡­


    "Your disgusting stench and that pig-like face tell me you''re up to no good." The woman said before she looked at him, instantly freezing him from top to root.


    She raised the glass and asked, "Are you so happy because of the drug you added to this glass?"


    She then stood up, making her way to the man who stood frozen in his spot, not even his eyes being able to move as she asked, "Now, before I kill you, I need you to tell me. Where is the boy?"

 Chapter 369 Waking up

    "Give in¡­"


    "Give in¡­"


    Hushed voices of giving in fell into his ears as he sat cross legged, focused on his mind, tryign to expel all such thoughts.


    [Would you like to become a Darconian Halfling?]


    [Yes\\No]


    "No." Wei Jun replied as the notification showed up for the umpteenth time, incurring no apparent reaction from him. He remained calm as he was and kept focusing on his mind, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. The space around him was filled with darkness. Darkness he felt from Guardian.


    But Guardian''s darkness was refined, as if it was tame. This darkness, however, sought to consume everything in its path. It was unrefined, untamed, and yet to be controlled.


    It was like taming a wild dog, and then the dog departs, leaving a child behind whom you will have to tame once again. It was the same in this case. Guardian had passed away, taking his own characteristics from the darkness he owned, leaving behind raw darkness with no nature but its own.


    What Wei Jun needed to do was to tame that darkness, but he wasn''t strong enough for that yet. All he could do at the moment was to hold it back, keep it from confusing his own mind. It was working so far, but Wei Jun knew that, sooner or later, he''d be tired.


    He was hoping for a miracle when the notifications showed up again, incurring no reaction from him again as he replied with a simple, "No."


    It wasn''t even irritating anymore as he found out that any sort of emotion was fuel to the darkness and a distraction for him.


    So, he forsook all sorts of emotions, focusing all his mental strength on the current situation. There was only one way to avoid the situation or at least dim it down a bit, and that was to level up. Unfortunately, he couldn''t level up while he was inside that space.


    Luckily, however, he had already given that task to someone else. All he had to do was wait and resist that darkness until his plan worked. There was another worry in his mind, but he pushed it to the back of his mind because it was distracting.


    The fact that he needed to disrupt fate and mess up the line of destiny to level up was obvious. Whether or not he would level up if someone else, his ally, for example, was to do that, would he also gain a level that way, or would that be void, and he''d be stuck in that space forever?


    The answer to that question arrived soon.


    After what felt like five days, Wei Jun''s mental health was severely weakened, just as the darkness around him had penetrated deep enough to call it disturbing. A set of notifications appeared in his view. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Your party member has disrupted the sacred line of fate]


    [A part in the story has been temporarily changed]


    [Destiny is angered]


    [Four events have been temporarily affected]


    [Two events have been permanently changed]


    [You have leveled up]


    [Level up x11]


    [Level 301]


    [A slight power of darkness has been consumed and incorporated with the user]


    [Strength +11]


    [Agility +11]


    [Stamina +11]


    [Stat limit has been increased by 20]


    "Haa¡­ Haa¡­" Wei Jun suddenly gasped for air as he breathed in and out, the pressure and effect of darkness lessening a lot on him. It wasn''t gone, but it was more like he had won the current battle, yet the war was yet to be fought.


    But at least now he had a fighting chance, as he could just level up and deal with things on his own.


    He hurriedly closed his eyes again, reaching deep inside his mind before he opened them again, calmly this time. He found himself inside a hospital room, naked. He could feel somethign wet on him, so he lowered his head to see Yan Rong cleaning his body with a wet cloth while Xia Lu was sleeping on the couch, her countenance visibly weakened.


    Anyone could tell she was deprived of food and sleep. More accurately, she had deprived herself of them, doing both to the bare minimum.


    "Haa¡­" Wei Jun sighed, suddenly gaining the attention of Yan Rong, who was busy cleaning him. As soon as she saw him awake, she threw the cloth away and jumped on him, tears welling up in her eyes as she yelled, "You''re awake!"


    Her loud words startled Xia Lu awake as well, and she fell off of the couch. However, being a cultivator, she didn''t feel even a little of it. Besides, that was the last thing on her mind when she saw the reason for Yan Rong''s yell.


    Without caring that Wei Jun was in a hospital bed and he could be hurt, she joined Yan Rong as she jumped on him too, taking his right side.


    They thanked whoever god was out there and sniffled in his arms while Wei Jun looked up at the roof with a sigh escaping from his lips, but there was a slight smile at the corner of his lips.


    "Stop crying, will you? I''m back." He said while stroking their heads while they continued to empty their tear ducts on his chest.


    ~~


    "How are you feeling?" Xing Xiaomei asked as she entered the room. Wei Jun had sent Xia Lu and Yan Rong home despite their fierce opposition. They eventually caved in once he made them believe he was fine. The truth was that he wasn''t, but he couldn''t just say that to them. They were already too clingy when they thought he was alright. If he were to tell them there was a sort of darkness slowly eating away at his mind¡­


    Well, he was sure that he wouldn''t be without them for the rest of his life.


    "Heard you were a vegetable." Xing Xiaomei remarked before Wei Jun could reply.


    Wei Jun simply looked at her before he said, "Very funny."


    "Oh~ Don''t be such a sour puss. Want a flash?" Xing Xiaomei asked with a mischievous expression, which Wei Jun wisely ignored.


    He changed the topic and asked, "You got them?"


    "You doubt my ability to get the job done?" Xing Xiaomei asked, but that was the answer Wei Jun needed. Wei Jun nodded and asked, "Where are they?"


    "Somewhere even the devil wouldn''t find them." Xing Xiaomei replied.


    "I don''t want the devil to find them. I want him to do so." Wei Jun replied.


    Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "What''s your beef with the guy anyway? I don''t think you know of him or he knows of you." Xing Xiaomei curiously asked. Wei Jun once again ignored that question and asked, "Have you properly leaked the information?"


    "What am I? Your errand girl? Do that on your own, at least." Xing Xiaomei lazily replied. Wei Jun simply nodded. What she had done already was enough. He could take care of things from there on his own.


    Besides, with how uninterested she was, he doubted she''d take the task seriously, risking his discovery to Lin Fan Sho, about which he wasn''t very confident yet. Granted, his strength had increased by a lot, and now that his physical stats were rising on their own, he didn''t need to worry about them.


    Not to mention the new skills he had obtained, which made it very reassuring for him. He took a deep breath before he dialed Li Wei''s number and summoned her.


    He disconnected the call once she said she''d arrive in an hour. Wei Jun looked at Xing Xiaomei, who was eating an apple, and decided to test his newest skill.


    [Dragon''s will]


    "Stand up." Wei Jun simply said, but as he did, he felt as if someone had stabbed him.


    [HP -50]


    [QP -1700]


    "What the¡­" Xing Xiaomei stood up on her own like she didn''t intend to do so. Wei Jun, on the other hand, coughed up blood as the green power in his heart hurriedly moved, using 50 points of Qi to heal him. Once he was healed, he looked at Xing Xiaomei, who was also looking at him.


    Putting the pieces together, she said, "Whatever it is, I don''t like it being used on me."


    The pink hue of the blossoms around her was threatening to Wei Jun even when he had increased his strength so much.


    He knew it would be very difficult to placate her if she got angry, so he simply nodded and apologized, "I apologize. I was just trying to check something out."


    "Hmph!" Xing Xiaomei left with a harrumph as she said, "Use it on one of your toys next time."


    With her gone, Wei Jun shook his head and checked the effects of the skill.


    The consumption of Qi was more than stated, but that was probably because of the target the skill was being used on.


    The backlash was quite great as well, which he guessed was due to Xing Xiaomei''s mental strength.


    [On the contrary]


    [It was simply her strength that resisted]


    [On that account, host]


    [I wouldn''t recommend using this skill on mages or spiritulaists]


    [Especially spiritualists]


    ''Does that mean I can never use it on them?'' Wei Jun asked the system.


    [Just until you grow strong enough and your mind is not preoccupied with assimilating pure darkness]


    Wei Jun sighed and made a mental note not to use it on living beings for the time being.

 Chapter 370 Whats yours...

    "And that is all, boss," Li Wei concluded her report as she kept her eyes on Wei Jun most of the time. Wei Jun kept skimming through the papers in his lap as he said, "I''m not gonna get any better if you keep looking at me like that."


    "I was just worried, boss," Li Wei replied before she asked, "Should you be doing work so soon? You''re not even discharged."


    "Work, unfortunately, doesn''t wait for me to get better. It''ll keep being piled up, and I''ll soon enough drown in it if piled up any more than this." Wei Jun replied before he looked at her, "What about the thing I asked?"


    "They''ve been placed and ready. I''ll have Mark spread rumors throughout the black market. They''re bound to get to him sooner or later. As for the other one, he hasn''t arrived in the city yet," Li Wei replied in great detail to Wei Jun''s question.


    Wei Jun nodded and said, "Keep me posted on both fronts. They''re both necessary as things stand."


    Li Wei seriously nodded before she asked, "Is there anything else you''d like me to do?" She then leaned in and whispered, "Something personal, perhaps?"


    Wei Jun let out a deep exhale before he smiled and said, "As a matter of fact, there is something very~ personal you can do for me."


    Li Wei''s expression brightened up as she asked, "What is it?"


    Wei Jun signaled her to lean closer, and as she did, Wei Jun whispered, "Get the tasks I assigned you done by tomorrow."


    Li Wei''s expression soured, but she nodded nonetheless, lazily replying, "Sure, sure. That''s all I''m left to do. What am I? A slave! A slave, I say."


    Wei Jun ignored her bantering and focused on the matters at hand. His utmost goal was to raise his level. That will have to wait, however, until Li Fan Sho got the information Wei Jun needed to spread.


    "Make sure nothing goes wrong with this, Li Wei. He should think he was one step ahead of us, understood?" Wei Jun ordered.


    Li Wei, dropping her playful antics, nodded and replied in a serious tone, "You will have nothing to worry about, boss. I''ll personally deal with it."


    At her personal assurance, Wei Jun nodded and said, "Good."


    Li Wei wrapped up all the work and left, teasing Wei Jun a little, but he was far from being teased. Once he was alone, he checked his status screen once again to spot any new changes. The Death Qi, which had increased greatly, was a nice surprise.


    Yang Qi''s increment was very large as well. Skills were always welcome, though he had to admit that the first one was useless against the power of darkness, or maybe because that very skill was why he was able to hold his ground against the darkness at the moment. The second skill was amazing as well, but the restrictions on it were too tight for him.


    Consumption was another thing, and the damage that came with it was severe as well. It wasn''t like the usual pain or injury that he could endure. That damage seemed like it came from a mysterious space and struck something deep inside of him that even his pain tolerance was useless against it.


    And considering that a simple command like standing up had taken such a toll and cost, he doubted he could make strong individuals like Yan Rong or Xing Xiaomei do something specific or drastic.


    ''Why can''t my luck shine for once?'' Wei Jun asked himself before he took a deep breath. Other than the changes he had observed before, there was nothing else. His ''Invader'' title hadn''t upgraded yet, but he guessed it might if he were to kill Li Fan Sho.


    The problem was that Li Fan Sho''s life was already settled. The starting points were wrong. Wei Jun didn''t know if it was supposed to be like so, but if he were to face Li Fan Sho before, he could have taken many opportunities for him to grow from him.


    ''It is what it is, I guess,'' Wei Jun thought as he stood up. His muscles crackled before he did some light warm-up exercises. Once he was ready, he dressed up straight from the inventory and left the hospital room.


    No one could tell he was leaving until it was already too late. After all, who would think that a healthy man in a suit would be a patient?


    ~~


    Wei Jun arrived in front of Yue Peng''s office building. He had many things to oversee, but he needed to deal with this one the fastest. An interesting detail he read in Li Wei''s report. Yue Peng was having some trouble with her business overseas. To be more accurate, she wanted to export something, but she needed clearance for that.


    From the senator at that. Since the government operated free of the cultivator''s control, they were usually very fearless when facing naive cultivators like Yue Peng, who they knew wouldn''t do anything to them.


    They wouldn''t dare to do the same thing to Sun Ruan if the situation were like that. Still, Wei Jun wasn''t there to fix the issue. He was there to handle it his way. Yue Peng was now his subordinate, and his subordinates needed a certain skill.


    A skill that Yue Peng didn''t have. Wei Jun was there to depart that skill that day.


    Wei Jun arrived outside her office, and when Yue Peng''s secretary was about to stop him, she stopped when she saw who it was.


    "Is the meeting in progress?" Wei Jun asked. Surprised how Wei Jun knew about it, the secretary nodded and said, "They''ve been in there for about ten minutes. Miss Peng has told us not to disturb them."


    "I see," Wei Jun simply replied and entered the office. Yue Peng was busy talking to two men, one thin and the other on the fat side. When she sensed someone entering, she was about to lash out but stopped when she saw who it was. Wei Jun placed a finger on his lips and made a hushing motion.


    The two men noticed him enter and turned their heads to see who it was. As they did, their expression visibly turned troubled.


    "If you have time, I''d like to talk to you after this," Wei Jun said before he added, "Please, carry on."


    Needless to say, the two men were no longer haughty when they talked to Yue Peng, but they were still under the illusion that the law was on their side. Suppressing their fear and flaming their courage, they looked at Yue Peng and said, "Miss Peng, as you know, the permit is there to make sure nothing illegal comes into the empire."


    "It is all for the safety of the empire," The fat man said with a disgusting expression.


    Yue Peng clenched her fists as if she wanted to punch them both, but she calmed down in the end and said, "Look, you know my company has a clean track record. And you know who the guarantees are."


    The two men nodded, but they were still adamant, "Unfortunately, you will either have to grant the government access to your merchandise."


    "You know I can''t do that, right?" Yue Peng asked. Access to their merchandise meant anything could go missing, and all she''d be able to do was to pursue legal matters, which wouldn''t help her.


    "Then I''m afraid nothing can be done," The fat man replied.


    "So you mean to say that you hold the decision to this deal?" Wei Jun intervened as he stood next to the window on their left, looking out the window while also checking a decorative cane in Yue Peng''s office.


    It was golden with intricate patterns on it, and anyone could tell it was expensive.


    "I''m afraid that''s the law, Mister Ruan," The fat man replied, even though he was hesitant this time.


    Wei Jun nodded, and before anyone could react, he turned around and penetrated the fat man''s chest with the golden cane.


    "Kguh!" The fat man was in disbelief over what had suddenly happened.


    "Ahh!!" The other man also jumped, screaming, while Yue Peng remained frozen in her spot. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Quiet. Sit. Don''t panic." Wei Jun uttered three commands to the other man, who had stood up in panic and was about to run away.


    [QP -1000]


    Wei Jun noticed that even though he had given three commands, the consumption of the skill had been the same, and there was no backlash at all this time.


    ''I guess I''ll test it on smaller level cultivators,'' Wei Jun decided as he looked at the man sitting next to him with a calm expression on his face as if the man dying next to him didn''t mean anything to him.


    Wei Jun equipped a silenced gun from his inventory and made his way to the other side of the table, next to Yue Peng.


    He put the gun in front of her. She was still in shock, her eyes fixed on the slowly dying fat man. Wei Jun placed his hand on her shoulder, which brought her out of her shocked state, and she slowly turned to look at him.


    "Kill the other one," Wei Jun simply commanded.


    "But¡­" She tried to argue. Anyone could tell she was apprehensive, but Wei Jun interrupted her, "These men have tried taking something that was yours. Something you built with your own blood. You need to let them know of the consequences."


    Yue Peng was still at a loss, but she didn''t know when her hands picked up the gun and aimed it at the man who was as calm as the serene wind.


    Wei Jun bent down and whispered in Yue Peng''s ears, "Calm your breath. Aim where you want to shoot, and just push the trigger."


    His words were like magic to her ears as she didn''t know when, but the next moment, she pulled the trigger, multiple times at that.


    Once the gun was empty, she dropped on her table, her body heaving greatly.


    Wei Jun took the gun from her hands before he stored both the bodies in the inventory.


    Then he used his Yang Qi to burn any blood in the room, a trick he had learned from the system, and left the heavily breathing Yue Peng to deal with the current situation.

 Chapter 371 Where are they? (Bonus)

    "She''s busy. Don''t disturb her for a while," Wei Jun instructed the secretary before he left the building. He still had many things to deal with, and Yue Peng needed to come to terms with what had happened.


    He was walking to his car when his cell phone rang. He picked up the call and heard Li Wei''s voice on the other end, "Boss, someone''s here for you."


    "Who?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I don''t know. He says his name is Li Guo." Li Wei replied. Wei Jun stopped in his tracks. A name he was well familiar with. Well, he''d read so many times about that name that he was sick of it. Li Wei wouldn''t know because he had given her the name Li Fan Sho to dig into.


    Li Guo was the alias he had assumed in the novel to romantically get involved with a girl, but then it stuck with him when the girl turned out to be a big shot businessman''s daughter and helped Li Fan Sho build up his empire.


    It had already happened, so Wei Jun didn''t interfere with that aspect of Li Fan Sho''s life. Besides, she wasn''t the main heroine anyway. Wei Jun still had some plans for her, but those were for later. Later, she''d become the backbone of Li Fan Sho''s company.


    For now, Wei Jun was more curious about why Li Fan Sho was looking for him.


    "Tell him I''ll be there soon," Wei Jun replied before he ended the call. He looked at his hand where the red mark of Morial was still present. He had been rather quiet since Wei Jun absorbed Guardian. Still, he was stronger than the current him, and he might not be able to win against Li Fan Sho, but he might still be able to hold him off with Wei Jun''s help if it ever came to that.


    Wei Jun arrived at the office after about half an hour of driving and made his way to his office.


    As he entered the building, he could feel the immense pressure coming from it. All of that was from one person, and that person was currently sitting outside his office.


    Wei Jun arrived in front of the stranger who stood up to greet him, "Hello, I''m Li Guo. Pleasure to meet you, Mister Ruan."


    "I''m Wei Jun Ruan," Wei Jun introduced himself as he extended his hand to meet Li Guo''s. "Nice to meet you."


    "You must be wondering why a total stranger is asking for you, right?" Li Guo asked with a smile before he added, "Would you be kind enough to grant me five minutes of your time? I promise I won''t bore you."


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    "Shall we go in then?" Wei Jun pointed towards his office before he turned to Li Wei and said, "Have someone send some refreshments."


    Li Wei nodded and immediately picked up the landline receiver to call someone.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, led Li Guo inside and closed the door behind him.


    "Please," Wei Jun pointed toward the couch while he sat on the one across from it. Once they were both seated, Li Guo began with a smile, "I''m Li Guo. A representative of Sho enterprises from Long Bao city."


    "I''m aware," Wei Jun replied.


    "Oh? I''m surprised. I thought a big company like yours wouldn''t know of a small time company like ours." Li Guo said.


    "Haha," Wei Jun chuckled before he replied, "You can be quite modest, I see. Your company has made a billion yuan in revenue in the last six months. That''s impressive for a company that didn''t exist six months ago."


    "I see you know your stuff," Li Guo replied. "I can see why my boss sent you here."


    [I''m a little confused]


    [It''s not him, right?]


    ''No,'' Wei Jun replied. The man sitting before him didn''t meet Li Fan Sho''s description, but the name he used was the same alias as Li Fan Sho used in the novel. Now Wei Jun had another problem to deal with: figuring out who the strong man in front of him was.


    "Your boss, you say?" Wei Jun asked, "Do you mind me asking how your boss knows of me?"


    "Of course," Li Guo replied before he added, "He says you stole his bride."


    "Haha," Wei Jun couldn''t help but emit a chuckle. He was aware of it. He was aware of Xing Xiaomei.


    "Well, I hope you can be a little bit more specific," Wei Jun said.


    "No problem," Li Guo replied before he added, "The terms are simple. Return Xing Xiaomei to my boss, and he will leave you and your family alone." Li Guo replied.


    "And I assume you know who my family is?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Of course, we do. That is why he is so generous. Otherwise, he would have stormed this city, and no one, not even your grandfather, would have been able to stop him." Li Guo replied like it was a fact.


    Wei Jun chuckled yet again. He simply looked at Li Guo and said, "But he won''t do it, will he?"


    "..." Li Guo remained quiet. He knew what Wei Jun was talking about.


    "Where are they?" Li Guo asked, intense Qi emitting from him that the room, no, the entire building, began to shake.


    "Hahahahaha." Wei Jun laughed out loud, seeing him angry. Once he stopped laughing, Wei Jun let out his own Qi, lesser in quality, but the quantity didn''t lose to an average Qi grandmaster as he negated Li Guo''s Qi.


    "For a moment, I thought you were someone else," Wei Jun said. "Why don''t you take off that mask so that we can talk? You and me."


    "..." Again, no reply came from Li Guo before he brought his hand to his face, and his face began to change. Like thousands of worms were squirming on his face, his skin changed shape until he looked like someone Wei Jun knew.


    The man whose description Wei Jun had read almost a hundred times when he read the novel again and again to find any hidden plots.


    "I''ll ask again," Li Fan Sho, the man before Wei Jun, the protagonist of the world, asked, "Where are they?"


    "You know, at first I thought it was the boy," Wei Jun said, unconcerned of the pressure emitting from Li Fan Sho that was increasing with each passing moment.


    "Where are they?" Li Fan Sho remained consistent, but his anger was increasing.


    Bit by bit.


    "But he bore too much resemblance to the gangster, so it wasn''t him. But then I saw the mother¡­" Wei Jun paused to gauge the situation, and it wasn''t looking good. Cracks were appearing in the Qi shield he had created around them, and the pressure coming out of Li Fan Sho was too much for him to bear.


    "But¡­" Still, he continued regardless, "Then I saw the mother. A beautiful sight to behold."


    The couch and floor underneath their feet began to burn in Li Fan Sho''s immense Qi.


    A testament that his anger was far too much and if Wei Jun didn''t stop, he risked losing at least an arm.


    But, as if he had balls of steel, Wei Jun continued, "And, pardon me if you find this hard to believe, but you and her bear a striking resemblance to each other. Almost as if you''re from the same¡­ womb."


    "..." Everything suddenly ended. The pressure coming from Li Fan Sho ended in an instant, and everything turned back to normal.


    "Now we can talk," Wei Jun said, inwardly releasing a sigh of relief.


    "What makes you think I won''t torture you to get the information out of you?" Li Fan Sho asked.


    "Because you care too much for your sister to take that chance. And also because I don''t know where they are. They could be anywhere in the empire or outside of it. Their location changes every twenty-four hours, and I don''t keep track of any of it. What I do keep is the pager to page them automatically if my heart were to stop. Or if I were to press it on will." Wei Jun showed Li Fan Sho a black strip watch on his left wrist.


    There was a chance that Wei Jun was lying, but there was also a chance he wasn''t, which would mean Li Fan Sho would be risking his sister''s life if he were to do anything impulsive, so he reined himself in and asked, "What do you want?"


    "What I want is obvious. But I can''t have it just yet." Wei Jun replied before he added, "But I do need you to do one thing for me."


    "And that is?" Li Fan Sho asked. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The time for that hasn''t come yet either," Wei Jun replied. "Just go about your life and let me go about mine. We''re bound to clash, but not yet. Just know that your sister is in good hands and that she will remain unharmed as long as you remain out of my city."


    "..." Li Fan Sho remained silent for a while before he leaned in and said, "I''ll make your death most painful."


    "Mhm." Wei Jun wasn''t worried in the least and simply hummed in response. Li Fan Sho stood up and left, his steps carrying anger in his stride.


    Wei Jun simply closed his eyes with a smile.

 Chapter 372 - 372: War?

    [That was close]


    ''Tell me about it,'' Wei Jun said. He had almost summoned Morial, but it seemed like Li Fan Sho was wiser than he thought. While the novel did explain him, unlike the previous novels, the nature of this protagonist was a little shrouded. It wasn''t just him who was shrouded in mystery but also the fact that there were many holes in the novel.


    Not only was it said that the woman Wei Jun ''rescued'' from the gang leader was Li Fan Sho''s sister until he saw her face in a picture shown by Li Wei, but he was also unaware that Li Fan Sho had some sort of morphing ability that allowed him to change his face.


    Wei Jun remained silent and mulled over how he should deal with the issues at hand. It was clear that Li Fan Sho had a few things different from the novel. Not just him, but Xing Xiaomei as well. In the novel, she was an innocent and a pure girl who had an inheritance related to the central plains, which also wasn''t disclosed how she got it.


    But now she was a girl who was stronger than before, feistier than ever, and most of all, a girl who joked about flashing him. If she didn''t scare him, he might have asked her to do it since she insisted on it so much.


    "Haa..." Wei Jun sighed and said, "At least it''s not predictable and cliched like the rest. Otherwise my would


    have been bursting his head open by smashing it into a wall over and over again.


    Just as he was busy in his thoughts, Li Wei entered the office without knocking. From her gait, it seemed like whatever it was, it was urgent, and it proved to be so when she said, "He''s here. Xuang Bei has entered the Yuan Yin city."


    Wei Jun smiled. A smirk so devilish that Li Wei couldn''t help but tremble, but she couldn''t look away as well. Wei Jun turned to her, which made her take a step back. Even with her cultivation progressing to the Qi sense realm, she was still not courageous enough to stand near Wei Jun when he was like that.


    "You know what to do next. Make sure he knows by the evening that his precious disciple was killed by the Ruan family." Wei Jun instructed, to which Li Wei hurriedly nodded and said, "I-I''ll get it done, boss."


    "Good," Wei Jun replied with a smirk before he pulled out his phone from the inventory and called the sect master.


    "Speak." The sect master said as soon as he picked up the phone. Wei Jun asked, "How about you do me another favor for almost getting me killed at the hands of your brother?"


    "..." Only silence came from the other side before the sect master asked, "Are you courageous because you''re on the


    other side of this phone?"


    "..." It was Wei Jun''s return to remain silent. He knew the sect master would do him this favor. All he had to do was remain cool, which he was having a very hard time doing. The sect master wasn''t someone anyone could defeat. There was an old man that the sect master had mentioned, but Wei Jun had a feeling the sect master would be the one protecting Wei Jun from that old man.


    "What is it?" The sect master finally asked. Wei Jun smiled and said, "Can you tell me grandfather this..."


    ~~


    After about an hour or so, Wei Jun''s cell phone rang, and it turned out to be Lin Ruan. Wei Jun picked up the call, and she said, "Grandfather has called for an emergency family meeting. The sect elders are coming too. Get there as soon as you can."


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    Wei Jun could hardly contain himself when he nodded and replied, "Sure."


    It was after about half an hour when Wei Jun arrived at the Ruan villa. The number of disciples in the villas numbered at least a thousand, and Wei Jun had a feeling there were more. Wei Jun made his way to the study because the deeper he went in, the stronger and lesser the number of disciples got. The odd thing was that he also spotted some people with robes among the disciples. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He didn''t need to be told who they were.


    [Mages, huh?]


    [This seems to be blown out of proportion]


    ''It sure is,'' Wei Jun replied with a smile. He was curious how it''d feel to kill a mage, but he hadn''t been able to kill one since he killed Shao Chen''s mercenary friend. When he killed him, all he obtained was Death Qi. He wondered what he''d obtain now.


    Thankfully, he wouldn''t have to wait long for an answer. As Wei Jun arrived before the study, the disciples standing outside opened the door for him. Wei Jun entered to see Sun Ruan, along with a few of the sect elders, his mother, Lin Ruan, and a person he didn''t expect to see at all. McCalligan, along with a few of his colleagues, was also sitting in the room.


    "You''re late! Where have you been?!" Sun Ruan roared when he saw Wei Jun enter. Wei Jun simply bowed down a little to apologize as he replied, "I was busy training when I received the order of the summon."


    Sun Ruan was about to erupt when McCalligan coughed to get his attention, "We have other pressing matters at hand, Elder Ruan."


    Sun Ruan sighed and said, "Just take a seat and listen carefully." Wei Jun nodded and took a seat that was empty for him.


    Once he was ready and everyone was attentive, Sun Ruan began, "Xuang Bei. Everyone here is familiar with that name, but in case someone is not, I will introduce him a little, anyway. He is also known as the Miracle Doctor, and many sects around the empire owe him favors."


    "It is the same for some international organizations such as some mage academies," McCalligan added.


    "The problem is that our sect owes him favors as well. Well, elder Li''s side does, and he''s called on that favor."


    "He believes that we are the ones responsible for his disciple''s death, and he has decided to take revenge on us. Now, usually, it wouldn''t have been a problem, but he has managed to convince Elder Li to declare an all-out war on us."


    Sun Ruan stopped, and it was McCalligan''s turn to speak, "And not only them. He has convinced a rival mage academy of ours to support their attack. Fortunately, our director wishes to take this opportunity to interfere with the other side and have sent us as support."


    "Are there any questions?" Sun Ruan asked.


    No one said anything, but Wei Jun raised his hand. When he was given the go, he simply asked, "So let me get this straight. There''s a war coming with a guy we barely know because of a guy we barely know, and we''ll be fighting with guys we barely know."


    "Am I right so far?" Wei Jun asked.


    Sun Ruan and McCalligan stared at each other before McCalligan asked, "Your point?"


    "I''m simply asking what you have to gain through this battle. I''m not really comfortable fighting alongside you guys unless I know your true motives." When Jun asked that question, the expressions of those from the McCalligans'' side turned distasteful, but no one said anything until McCalligan spoke.


    Listening to his question, McCalligan spoke, "Naturally, we''re not doing charity here. We intend to use this chance to weaken the rival sect. Not only that, but Elder Ruan has properly compensated us for this task. You can consider us as a mercenary group instead of allies."


    "Then there is a chance you''ll stay out if things turned against your favor?" Wei Jun asked.


    Once again, the elder on McCalligan''s side turned sour at that question, and even Sun Ruan, along with his fellow elders, was a little unsettled.


    "Naturally," McCalligan, however, replied against everyone''s expectations. Wei Jun chuckled, once again, against everyone''s expectation, as he replied, "Very well. Then I can trust you."


    With that, Wei Jun asked, "And what is the plan? What''s your strategy?"


    "We will harden our defenses," Sun Ruan, ignoring the awkward atmosphere caused by Wei Jun and McCalligan''s conversation, replied.


    "That''s it?" Wei Jun asked.


    "It is the practical approach." Elder Xiang replied, "We don''t know how many of them there are and what is the composition of their forces."


    While his reply made sense to everyone in the room, Wei Jun was the only one to disagree, "All the more reason to attack them before they can. We don''t know how strong they are and what their numbers are. Best way to cull them is by an ambush."


    His words would have sounded like coming from a child, but the way Wei Jun said them, everyone in the room knew he made sense.


    "So you suggest a surprise attack?" McCalligan asked.


    "Isn''t that what mages are best at?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Haha," McCalligan chuckled out loud before he replied, "That we are. That we indeed are."

 Chapter 373 - 373: Very hard

    "What do we know about their routes?" Wei Jun asked.


    "As far as we know, they intend to bring the battle to us. Here." Sun Ruan replied before one of his subordinates added, "There are only three paths that lead to us. One of them is residential while the other two are highways."


    "They obviously won''t take the residential path if they want to avoid the CSF." Another elder chimed in, to which Wei Jun nodded and checked the other two paths. They were both nearly empty at night, so if a convoy was to travel using those, they''d be able to avoid the gaze of the law enforcement quite easily.


    "Have someone place a police checkpoint on this highway." Wei Jun instructed and asked, turning to McCalligan, "I assume there are spells that can be used as traps to explode?"


    McCalligan only smiled, which was all the answer Wei Jun needed. "We will place traps here, here, and here. We will also position long-range attackers, preferably mages and Qi archers, on these points. Other than that, someone needs to make sure we won''t be disturbed."


    McCalligan raised his hand and replied, "I can make sure of that, but the problem is that I won''t be able to assist with the battle."


    "No problem," Wei Jun simply replied.


    He then checked more points on the map and relayed them to everyone in the room, and once the command was ready, they began to prepare to leave. Their plan greatly depended on their enemy taking that exact path, but Wei Jun was sure he''d be able to guide the enemy over there.


    But nothing was wrong with additional assurance, so he called General Ming and said, "I was hoping you could do me a favor."


    "..." General Ming remained silent before she said, "It depends. What are you offering?"


    ~~


    "Why now, of all times?!" Elder Li shouted as he and the rest of the elders were gathered around a table along with some men in robes and a man with a long white beard but the physique of a man in his prime.


    "It cannot be helped," Xuang Bei, otherwise known as the Miracle Doctor, the man with the long beard, spoke and added, "The military is the power we cannot afford to make an enemy at the moment. If it was just the CSF, then the story would have been different."


    Elder Li, along with almost everyone in the room, nodded and asked, "Then what should we do?"


    "We have no choice but to take this path. Have you brought any news from the other side?" Xuang Bei asked.


    "Yes." Elder Li replied.


    When everyone''s attention was on him, Elder Li replied, "They''ve prepared an ambush for us on this highway. The news is brought to us by my most trusted subordinate, so there''s no place of doubt."


    "And who is that subordinate of yours?" Xuang Bei asked.


    A handsome, blonde man stepped forward with a smile. As Xuang Bei sensed the energy from him, he said, "A mage, huh? Certainly not what I was expecting."


    "Haha," Elder Li replied, "You can be sure that he always brings me great news along with accurate information."


    "What is your name, young man?" Xuang Bei asked, and the man who seemed European in ethnicity replied in affluent Mandarin, "I''m called Mark Wilson, Elder Bei."


    ~~


    "Be ready. They''re coming." Sun Ruan said, and the magicians got to work. In the distance, a few cars could be seen speeding in their direction on the highway. Just as they reached a certain point, Sun Ruan signaled the magicians, and as soon as they got the signal, they activated the magic circles they had already prepared on the road.


    A chain of explosions ensued, turning into a big explosion and destroying a good part of the road along with the cars that were on the road. Naturally, the people inside of them suffered as well.


    After the explosion, while everything was burning, Sun Ruan, along with a few of his elders and some of the disciples, stepped forward to see the fate of those inside the cars, and as they approached closer, all they saw was fire, nothing else.


    It was then that they saw some dead people inside the cars. However, the horrifying detail about them was not only were they badly mangled, they were also devoid of any supernatural power. In simpler words, they were simple and plain civilians.


    Sun Ruan immediately figured it out, but by the time he yelled, "Take cover!"


    It was already too late.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Spells rained on them, and people in black ops outfits attacked them, taking them by surprise. The surprise didn''t last for long, but until it did, it was enough for Sun Ruan''s forces to suffer a massive loss.


    Fortunately...


    [Qi construct]


    Spears began to fall from the sky, piercing those in the distance, the long-range fighters. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once the other side lost that disadvantage, it was hand-to-hand combat. Wei Jun saw Sun Ruan and a muscular old man with a long beard engaged in a fight, moving away from the crowd while the other elders also took their own matches and began to create distance between the lower-level fighters.


    Wei Jun didn''t bother with them and sped toward a mage who was busy casting a spell. An aura user blocked Wei Jun''s path, and he seemed to be a six-star aura master, as informed by the system. Wei Jun simply used [Qi discharge] with the maximum output of 25 on one fist and struck the aura master in the middle of his chest and pierced through with little to no resistance.


    Effortlessly passing the aura master, Wei Jun arrived before the mage, who just in time finished the fire spell and threw it at Wei Jun. A dense ball of fire fell on Wei Jun, and an explosion ensued. Just as the mage thought Wei Jun would have ended in that blast and was about to move, a hand appeared through the flames and grabbed him by his neck, suspending him in the air.


    The face soon appeared, the face of the man holding him and the face of the man who had just been attacked by him. The most striking thing about the man was the grin on his face as he said, "Figured it out."


    Those were the last words the mage heard before his neck snapped and he departed from the world of the living.


    Wei Jun threw the dead body in his hand on the ground and focused on the several disciples and aura masters running at him. Wei Jun crackled his muscles, and a pair of daggers appeared in his hands. He ran in the direction of those advancing at him, the daggers in his hands imbued in something yellow.


    Imbued in his Qi.


    The first victim of his fell as the dagger in his left hand penetrated his Qi barrier and entered his neck, coming from the other side, killing him on the spot. Wei Jun didn''t care whether it was an aura master or a cultivator, as those killed by his hand were just those.


    Dead.


    Wei Jun delivered a spinning kick to the next victim with [Qi discharge] in it, killing that disciple as well.


    "Surround him!"


    "Flank him!"


    "Mages! Shoot!"


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    A plethora of spells and Qi attacks fell on him, but Wei Jun moved like he could bend his body like rubber, evading all attacks and killing all the people in his immediate vicinity with an accuracy that scared those who were yet to die.


    But what scared them the most was the grin on the face of their killer.


    The terrifying grin that shook everything deep down in their soul. Wei Jun was like a reaper, following through the battle like he couldn''t be stopped, but he did stop. Only when most of the mages were dead and the cultivators met the same end. However, that wasn''t the end of his battle.


    As he looked at the man holding a sword as big as Wei Jun and a look of anger on his face, Wei Jun could tell he was an opponent he''d have a hard time against. But that would have been the case had the man with the sword been alone. With the addition of a robed man who was looking at the dead magicians with a cold expression on his face, Wei Jun knew he wouldn''t be able to win.


    It wasn''t even a matter of struggle. He''d lose. He knew that with certainty.


    Luckily, he had a hidden ace in the hole. Someone he was sure would be able to win against the mage, so all he''d have to do is deal with the aura master.


    "Are you the one who did this?" The mage asked in English.


    Wei Jun nodded and replied in flawless English, "And what if I did?"


    "Then I''d have to eliminate you to avenge my students." The robed man spoke as lightning began to emit from him. Yellow strands of lightning that were sure to be lethal.


    Wei Jun simply smiled before something began to rise behind him as well, surprising the mage, the aura master, and almost everyone in the vicinity.


    A red giant wyvern appeared behind Wei Jun and looked at the mage with his giant eyes. Wei Jun smiled and said, "You might be able to avenge your disciples. But it will be very, very hard for you."

 Chapter 374 - 374: The knight

    The red wyvern with its massive size and the power dripping from it became visible to everyone. As they looked at it, a chill ran through the spines of the low-level mages and cultivators. As for the grandmasters or the sixth circle spell masters, while they were questioning why a wyvern was there, their own battle took precedence. Someone facing the wyvern would take care of that, anyway.


    The wyvern, Morial, on the other hand, looked at its summoner with pure dissatisfaction on his face. His size began to change, and once he was in his human form, he looked at Wei Jun, who looked back at him.


    "You better have an explanation for why I''m here." Morial said, but Wei Jun ignored the question and said while pointing at the mage, "See that guy. He''s your target."


    "Why would he be my target?" Morial argued.


    "Because I said so." Wei Jun replied.


    "..." Morial had no comeback.


    He sighed and looked at the robed man who was already muttering a spell. A debuff spell, which he recognized well, but it wouldn''t do anything against Morial. Morial was an overall after all. He looked at the aura master next to the mage and then looked at Wei Jun. He remained silent as he observed their opponents and prepared to move.


    Just as Morial stepped forward, the aura master intervened with his heavy sword, but his sword stopped mid-swing. He saw who could stop his sword so effortlessly only to be surprised to see a hand covered in a golden flame grabbing his sword.


    No matter how strong he was, it was still a hit to the aura master''s pride that his attack had been stopped so effortlessly. But contrary to what he expected, the young man who had stopped his sword was currently sweating at he moment.


    [QP -200]


    [HP +200]


    A whopping damage of 200, even with Qi armament activated, told him how dangerous even something defensive like aura could be if it was in a different dimension. Qi was supposed to be better than aura in a general sense, but Wei Jun wasn''t a grandmaster yet; only his stats were in that realm. The fact that he could fight against an aura master who was sort of a grandmaster in his respective field was dangerous as hell.


    Still...


    ''I can see.'' Wei Jun could see it. The attack was heavy but slow. If Wei Jun had to, he could have avoided it on his own, but he was protecting Morial, who was currently trying to get close to the mage who was faster than he seemed.


    [Swift spell]


    [That''s why he''s so fast]


    Wei Jun didn''t have the luxury to worry about Morial as the aura master retraced his sword and brought it down on Wei Jun once again with an intensity stronger than before, and even the movement was faster than before.


    Still not so fast that Wei Jun couldn''t dodge, so he simply sidestepped for the sword to dig into the ground just next to him where he was standing. Wei Jun put his full power into the punch and punched the sword, but the sword didn''t even budge, let alone move.


    The blowback from the strike, though, was massive, and Wei Jun''s arm became numb.


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    The aura master took this opportunity and attacked Wei Jun with his fist, but Wei Jun put his Qi to the maximum in his other hand, negating the attack but at a price once again.


    [QP -250]


    [HP +250]


    Since this time, Wei Jun didn''t only want to be the receiving party; he gave something back, receiving more damage in turn, even though it wasn''t a sword but a fist.


    "Kugh!" The aura master grunted and stepped back as crackles could be heard coming from his hand.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, equipped his daggers once again and followed the knight since he was fully healed and slashed at his armor, which was once again blocked with just a scratch on the knight''s heavy armor.


    Wei Jun knew daggers would be useless against the knight, but his physical strength would be useless as well since the only reason he was able to damage the knight before was because he was focused on offense, not on defense, which he practically always was.


    Wei Jun moved in once again while the knight swung his sword horizontally. Wei Jun ducked down to avoid the attack only to be welcomed by a kick from the knight when he spun and attacked Wei Jun with the back of his foot while his back was still turned to Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun put the maximum of his Qi in his forearm and blocked the attack because that was a rare chance. He knew the damage would be great, but such an opportunity wouldn''t come again.


    Wei Jun bore the brunt of the knight''s kick who when saw that Wei Jun wasn''t dodging which should have been the correct decision, added the maximum amount of his aura in the attack as he could and when it struck Wei Jun, the thick aura penetrated his arm even though Qi was guarding it.


    His Qi guard shattered, and aura penetrated his arm.


    Wei Jun grunted in pain but didn''t let up. He grabbed the dagger in his other hand tightly and lodged it deep into the back of the knee of the knight, a spot that wasn''t covered by the armor for free movement. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Arghh!!"


    "Kuaagghh!!!"


    They both exclaimed in pain, Wei Jun being the one who took more damage than the knight, but it was no doubt that the damage to the knight was equally devastating, if not more disadvantageous.


    Wei Jun quickly moved back even though the great pain in his body spreading through his arm was making his entire being numb. That instant was all needed by the Death Qi peacefully sleeping in his abdomen to flow through his body and eat up the aura that was wreaking havoc inside of his body, but before it could reach his heart, it was snuffed by the death Qi.


    That, of course, didn''t mean he incurred no damage. His left arm was out of commission, and the places his aura had managed to invade were now dead. Such as his left kidney.


    They were completely useless now, and the pain it brought was blinding. The Death Qi inside his body moved once again to fix them, but it couldn''t. The dead couldn''t be brought back.


    [You have to expel them, host]


    Wei Jun didn''t think for a moment, even in the middle of the immense pain, as the knight was just getting up after pulling the dagger out of his knee, doing something to it so that the bleeding and the pain would stop. He was still limping, but it wasn''t to the point one could say it was advantageous to Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun unequipped the dagger, and with his bare hand, he penetrated his abdomen and plucked his left kidney out because that was the only organ that couldn''t be fixed. When the knight saw that scene, he hesitated, but the next scene he saw was equally horrifying.


    The hole left in Wei Jun''s stomach began to fill up, and it was only for a moment, but the knight was sure he spotted something dark inside of Wei Jun''s body. It was so brief that it wasn''t even detectable, and had his eyes not seen it, there would have been no evidence of it.


    "You evildoer!" The knight forgot about all his pain, and as if his pain was never there, with an anger that couldn''t be explained, he jumped at Wei Jun with all of his power. Wei Jun could tell that that was the final strike, whether for the knight or him. That one final strike would decide everything.


    So, pulling all of his strength in his arm, pushing his Qi to the maximum, his arm began to throb, and the Qi inside him began to rampage.


    Wei Jun brought his hand forward with all of his strength to meet the sword of the knight that was covered in a green hue. It was his right arm this time since his left arm was still aching.


    And then, the inevitable happened. Both golden and green collided. The collision immediately blew everything in their immediate vicinity away, and then the force sent others who were away stumbling away from them. Even the strong ones couldn''t help but move a little when the immense force struck them.


    At the point of origin of the collision, a fist and sword were still in contact, both powers trying to see who was dominant among them. A vortex began to form in the middle, as if pulling the sword and the arm in a circular motion, and it wasn''t just their imagination.


    The massive collision was making that vortex, and once Wei Jun''s arm and the knight sword were fully covered in that vortex, the vortex stopped pulling them in but, this time, pushed them back. Only it wasn''t just a push. It was a massive explosion.


    Boom!!!!!!!!

 Chapter 375 - 375: Target (Bonus)

    The explosion caused by the collision of Qi and Aura shook the surroundings, going as far as even reaching Morial, who stood with the head of the mage he was facing in his hand. Of course, the explosion didn''t even shake him, let alone push him a little like the rest. However, even he could feel the massive power trapped in that explosion, and there was only one thing on his mind, ''He sure is strong.''


    The young man who had tricked him into becoming his familiar was strong. Of course, the major part in that was due to the consumption of the great elder dragon, but even still, the boy was growing stronger at a very fast pace and it wouldn''t be long before he reached to the point where Morial wouldn''t even be able to resist him, let alone free himself.


    ''I''m not so sure I can do that even now.'' He thought inwardly before he shook his head and looked at the numerous mages and cultivators who thought he was an enemy and were wary of him. He shook his head and said, "I was told to kill this one, and so I have. I''ll only kill you guys if ordered to or if you attack me first."


    His words worked like a charm, both for him and those worried about him. Knowing he wouldn''t be attacking them, they still weren''t off guard, but they were relieved enough to run away.


    Morial turned his attention where the massive explosion had occurred and could see a very dead knight with his left shoulder along with half of his heart missing and...


    ''The boy sure has tenacity.'' Morial thought as he looked at Wei Jun, who was pushing himself up while the right side of his body that was fully blown away regenerated. Even a part of his brain had been damaged, and had it been his left side, he would have been dead without a doubt.


    The Death Qi inside Wei Jun fixed him at an alarming rate while with his left hand, which was still numb but in working condition, Wei Jun created spears to keep everyone who came near him at bay. Seeing him in trouble, some wanted to step ahead, but they were too preoccupied. Seeing him regenerate like that, though, was also a little disturbing, both for his enemies and his allies.


    Wei Jun didn''t give a damn about them and focused on dealing with those who came at him, killing some while keeping some at length. The Death Qi and the green power in his heart were both at full flux to fix him, and with how much he had been damaged, even his enormous Death Qi had been used by half while his Yang Qi was fully empty.


    Wei Jun let the Death Qi do its job, and just as his enemies were about to attack him, he consumed a Qi replenishment pill and immediately discharged his Qi to the maximum.


    His yang Qi, of course, since he couldn''t afford to come out as a sort of evil cultivator yet. Wei Jun also realized through this battle how dependent he had been on his Death Qi. Had he used Death Qi from the beginning, he would have been able to end the battle by now, but the difference was too much. Even now, without the regeneration provided by Death Qi, he wouldn''t have been able to survive this far.


    [You need to focus on enhancing your Yang Qi once again]


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    ''I know.'' Wei Jun said as he looked at his opponents recovering from the Qi wave. Wei Jun moved before they could, and from one to another, he ripped their heads off. With the empowerment from the skills and his own natural physical strength, he was almost a grandmaster cultivator. The only difference was that he couldn''t use his Qi as a grandmaster could.


    But for the master cultivators and mages, it was enough. Wei Jun killed one after another, and at the end of the battle, his stats had grown by a bit, with the most increment being in his Death Qi, most of it from killing the knight.


    [Strength +7]


    [Agility +5]


    [Stamina +8]


    [Qi +11]


    [Death Qi +461]


    [Qi: 622]


    Wei Jun''s Qi was stuck at 620, and he couldn''t utilize any more of it. Still, he only had nine more levels to go before he''d be able to enter the world of grandmasters and truly be able to control his Qi. Of course, just entering the grandmaster realm wouldn''t be enough as Li Fan Sho was far more stronger than that.


    He was at least in the peak of the grandmaster realm, with chances that he might even enter the next realm. In the novel, by now, he had managed to obtain the ingredients to attempt the breakthrough. As much as Wei Jun wanted to, he couldn''t interfere with that.


    Not only was that because Li Fan Sho was too strong but also because he needed some breathing space.


    ''Well, better worry about it later.'' Wei Jun thought as he looked in the direction of the small explosions. They weren''t on the scale of the explosion that occurred due to him and the knight earlier, but there were sure many of them.


    That was where the two strongest cultivators were fighting at the moment. Sun Ruan and Xuang Bei, Run Long''s master. Wei Jun processed the state of the battlefield once more. Those fighting were still fighting, and it was uncertain who would win between the two parties.


    The sky was covered in some sort of blue dome, which Wei Jun suspected belonged to McCalligan. Due to that, both sides had no choice but to see the battle to the end, feeling not being an option from the start.


    But that wasn''t his main goal. Whether everyone present died or not, he didn''t care. He only needed a few chosen ones to die, and he knew where to find one of them.


    Wei Jun jumped up in the air and made his way to the area where Sun Ruan and Xuang Bei were battling. As he saw the state of their battle, Wei Jun could clearly tell who was at an advantage and who wasn''t.


    Sun Ruan was the one on the losing side, even though his massive Qi was something to behold.


    [It''s poor control]


    The system chimed in, and Wei Jun couldn''t help but tremble. Even back at the banquet where he met Melissa for the first time, Wei Jun had witnessed how Sun Ruan was just letting his Qi out to assert his dominance with no control on it whatsoever.


    [It''s not like his opponent is a prodigy]


    [But he sure is better than Sun Ruan]


    Wei Jun nodded, and even though Sun Ruan was losing, he didn''t intervene. It wasn''t time yet. Wei Jun wanted to make sure his target couldn''t dodge when he attacked. Surprise was necessary.


    Wei Jun waited as Sun Ruan and Xuang Bei battled for a few more minutes until it came to the point that Sun Ruan was finally on his knees and Xuang Bei was about to deliver the finishing strike. It was only then that he moved. Wei Jun moved with the maximum of his speed, enhanced by Qi, and attacked Xuang Bei before he could even react.


    Wei Jun kicked Xuang Bei''s arm from the right side, throwing him away into the woods or what remained of the woods as most of the area was cleared due to the old men''s fight.


    Wei Jun looked at Sun Ruan, who was bloodied and on his knees. Wei Jun extended his hand to help him stand up while Xuang Bei recovered from that strike and jumped into the air, landing with an explosion on the ground a little away from them.


    "And who would you be?" Xuang Bei asked as he touched his mangled arm in several places, with no indication of pain on his face even though he was also bleeding from some places.


    "You don''t need to know." Wei Jun simply replied while Sun Ruan collected himself and consumed something from a small bottle that helped him restore some of his health.


    "Then why put your life in danger to save him?" Xuang Bei once again asked.


    "Well, I can''t just let you kill my grandfather." Wei Jun replied.


    "Hahahaha." Xuang Bei laughed out loud before he said, "Lucky me. I get to end two generations today of the same family."


    Wei Jun remained silent while Sun Ruan said, "I will take charge in attacking him, but you need to provide me with support and distraction."


    Against an opponent like Xuang Bei, support and distraction meant only certain death. Sun Ruan knew that, yet he was still pushing that role on Wei Jun. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Ruthless indeed.'' Wei Jun commented inwardly, but that was also why he was doing what needed to be done.


    Wei Jun prepared as well; after all, his target today was on his last legs. He couldn''t miss that opportunity otherwise, there was a great chance it might never come again.

 Chapter 376 - 376: It was you

    Wei Jun followed behind Sun Ruan, making sure to keep a minimal distance as the accuracy of the plan depended on Wei Jun''s movements. Once he was close enough, he created a spear out of Qi and threw it at Xuang Bei, who effortlessly dodged it, but the speed of the spear itself didn''t matter.


    The number was the most important thing there, and Wei Jun used that number on Xuang Bei. As spears began to rain down on Xuang Bei, he had no choice but to dodge and create a big gap in his movements because while the spears were slow enough to dodge, their power was more than enough to be taken seriously.


    Sun Ruan used that opportunity to coordinate with Wei Jun''s attacks and appeared beside Xuang Bei while he was distracted and attacked him from the side. Xuang Bei was strong but not strong enough to take that hit without concern, so he turned and brought his forearms in front of him in order to block that technique.


    Sun Ruan''s fist collided with Xuang Bei''s and immediately pushed him away, just far enough that Wei Jun was prepared to shoot some spear in his legs, which he did, and luckily, one stabbed him right in the calf.


    "Argh!" Xuang Bei screamed in pain but immediately grabbed the only for the spear to disintegrate to nothingness and leaving a hole in his calf.


    "You bastard!" He jumped at the weaker opponent to take him out first, but Wei Jun was well prepared for that strategy as well. Wei Jun jumped back while throwing a few slashes of Qi that Xuang Bei had to dodge because this time, they were sharper like blades.


    He knew the power wouldn''t be concentrated towards penetration, so the slash wouldn''t be that much, but he didn''t want to take the risk, especially since his leg was hurting really bad.


    Having successfully bought time for Sun Ruan''s assist, Wei Jun saved the remainder of his Qi and followed behind Sun Ruan. Xuang Bei once again knew he wouldn''t be able to avoid that strike, so with all of his remaining Qi, he made a shield that had a special feature.


    As soon as Sun Ruan''s strike full of Qi collided with that shield...


    Boom!!!


    A massive explosion, at least the size of the explosion Wei Jun had caused while fighting with the knight, or maybe more in intensity. But that was the last of his concern as he concentrated the maximum points of QP he could to the [Qi armament] to strengthen the Qi barrier and as the force of the explosion struck him, it shattered after a few seconds and he was left to bear the rest on his own which thankfully he was able to do so with his naturally strong body at the cost of a few burns due to yang Qi.


    Wei Jun sighed and stood up, uncrossing his forearms in front of him. He saw Sun Ruan also collecting himself, injured in several places, and he seemed to be on his last leg. Xuang Bei, on the other hand, was on the ground, not moving. He wasn''t even trying to heal himself because he was out of Qi, and all the elixirs he had on him were consumed during the fight.


    Sun Ruan made his way towards Xuang Bei to finish the job, and Wei Jun joined him. Once they were before him, Xuang Bei said defiantly, "What are you waiting for? Finish the job."


    "Gladly." Sun Ruan raised his hand, and a mass of Qi began to form on his hand. It was the last bit of his Qi, which he was going to kill Xuang Bei, but before he could. He suddenly stopped. His whole body stopped. Froze would be the more accurate word for it.


    Perhaps that had to do with the current situation? The realization of everything? Or perhaps the hand sticking out of his chest?


    "Hmm..." Wei Jun hummed sweetly before he said, "Grandpa, can''t you let me have the kill?"


    "..." There was utter silence as Sun Ruan began to cough blood and Wei Jun retracted his hand. Sun Ruan fell to the ground, the expression of utter disbelief on his face. He wasn''t the only one that had such an expression on his face.


    Xuang Bei was also curious about what was going on.


    Wei Jun smiled, but this smile wasn''t sweet in any manner. He knelt down in front of Sun Ruan, who was still coughing and trying to apply pressure to the hole in his chest, but it was too late. No matter what he did, he wasn''t going to live through this one.


    Wei Jun saw his struggles and the look in his eyes. His eyes asked him only one question.


    Why?


    A question he had no problem asking, so he replied, "You know, grandfather. Sometimes when the youngsters wanna do something, they don''t like old geezers like you in the way who try to take advantage of any situation presented to them."


    Wei Jun stood up as life slowly snuffed out of Sun Ruan and said the final words he''d ever hear, "Rest now, grandfather. I will graciously take your seat."


    And with that, Sun Ruan finally stopped moving. His life had left his eyes, and he was no longer in the world of the living.


    "It was you." Wei Jun turned to the words he heard. As he did so, he saw Xuang Bei looking back at him with an inquisitive gaze.


    "Me what?" Wei Jun asked as if he had no clue what the old man was saying.


    "You leaked the information about your ambush." Xuang Bei put the pieces of the puzzle together and replied.


    "I knew something was wrong with that English ma-" Xuang Bei was still mid-speech when Wei Jun threw a spear straight into his mouth and one in his heart, shutting him up forever. He sighed and looked at the notifications in his view. The ones telling him how big he had struck.


    [Strength +10]


    [Agility +19]


    [Stamina +13]


    [Qi +67]


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    "Fwoo..." Wei Jun whistled because even after killing almost a hundred cultivators, he didn''t have that much gain. Wei Jun looked at the still ongoing battle and ignored the surroundings. His Qi was almost at rock bottom, and the cooldown on his Qi pill was still half an hour away.


    ''Let''s just enjoy the chaos.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly as he saw the explosions in the distance. The battles in the distance weren''t as intense as the one between Sun Ruan and Xuang Bei, but it was still a sight to see. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since his Qi couldn''t naturally restore, all he could do was just be at ease and enjoy the moment. He was satisfied with how many people he had killed and how much trouble he had created. For that day, he was fully satiated and sought no more chaos.


    ~~


    "It was unfortunate, but... it happened too fast." Wei Jun said with a regretful expression on his face while Pei Ruan, his mother, sniffled in a corner near Sun Ruan''s dead body. Lin Ruan placed her hand on Wei Jun''s shoulder and said, "It wasn''t your fault. It wasn''t your fight in the first place."


    "Your sister is right." Wei Jun''s father chimed in, but Wei Jun''s expression didn''t change in the least. It was a great loss for the Ruan family, after all. Luckily, they had a new head already prepared. A head at the peak of master of cultivation.


    Wei Jun decided to put his mother as the figurehead of the family. She wasn''t invested in the family business anyway, so Lin Ruan would end up taking care of that, which meant he would be the one taking care of that.


    The funeral proceeded without a hitch, and everything was settled. Pei Ruan was taken away by her husband. She was still in grief, but they were sure she''d pull through. As for Wei Jun, he remained in the funeral hall because he still had some business there.


    "My brother and nephew are dead." The sect master said.


    "Are they now?" Wei Jun asked, "Was your ''brother'' the creator of a cult that committed lewd acts, feeding power of lu*t to a being far away behind the curtain?"


    "No." The sect master simply replied.


    "Then your brother''s not dead." Wei Jun replied.


    "Haha." The sect master chuckled. Still, even though it was just a sham, he needed to keep it up, so he said, "The council of elders will be... reorganized."


    Reorganized was a fancy term to get rid of the old and get the new. Wei Jun knew very well what that meant, so he asked, "Does that mean you''re in need of a new brother and a nephew?"


    "No. I think that''s enough for that persona. It''s not the old age anymore where I could manipulate the information. With the advent of new sources of information, it''d be very hard to change how my brother looks and how the sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect changed after a century." The sect master explained at length how he had dealt with his near immortality.


    Wei Jun simply nodded and said, "I figure I''m on that council."

 Chapter 377 - 377: Grandmaster (Bonus)

    "You are. And there''s one more." The sect master said before he pointed at the black haired girl who was sniffing and sobbing, standing before the body of Elder Xiang, but Wei Jun could spot the snickers beneath her veil.


    She was happy.


    "I have decided to appoint you two as the head of treasury." The sect master said.


    Heads of treasury were the fancy terms for the people who handled the businesses of the sect. It was immense power because almost all of the wealth of the sect was controlled by them, and there were usually three people in the position of equal authority.


    "I have decided to change the rules and make it just you two. I hope you won''t find it uncomfortable." The sect master said, knowing Wei Jun was perfectly annoyed by that, but he didn''t say anything. He simply nodded and said, "My pay will have to be massive."


    "Don''t you think my protection is a massive pay in itself?" The sect master asked, but it wasn''t exactly a question. Wei Jun remained silent, and the sect master walked away, leaving a few words, "Let''s hope I don''t catch your embezzlement."


    "Hah!" Wei Jun slightly scoffed at the words but remained silent once again.


    To be perfectly honest, he was quite scared of the sect master. He was powerful. More than enough that Wei Jun couldn''t even dream of going against him at the moment. He was already at a loss about what to do since Li Fan Sho would soon be entering the next realm of cultivation while he hadn''t even entered the grandmaster realm.


    To remedy that, Wei Jun decided to pay a certain someone a visit. He thought of a scheme to raise his level. He just hoped it would work.


    ~~


    Wei Jun''s helicopter landed on an empty airfield where a car was already waiting for him. The car took him to a house in the countryside a few miles away, a safe and hidden location that wasn''t even registered.


    There, a normal two-story house could be seen. Wei Jun approached the house and knocked on it. The door was soon opened by an extremely beautiful woman who was only one level below Xia Lu at most.


    "Yes?" The woman asked.


    "You must be Su Liao. I am Wei Jun Ruan." Wei Jun introduced himself, and as soon as he did, the woman''s expression brightened as if her savior had come, and she immediately bowed down to greet him. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Mister Ruan."


    Wei Jun simply smiled and said, "The honor is all mine."


    ~~


    "How are you finding your stay?" Wei Jun asked as he sipped the tea Su Liao had served him and took the seat opposite of him. Nearby, a boy of seven could be seen watching TV.


    Su Liao smiled at his question and replied, "It''s a little too quiet here. Nothing to do but otherwise, I''m doing great, thanks to you."


    "Well, that''s the least I can do." Wei Jun replied.


    "You knew my father, you say?" Su Liao asked.


    Wei Jun nodded and replied, "He saved my life. Mister Li was my savior who saved me when my life was in danger. We were both trapped for some time in which he told me about you and your brother and how he regretted not being able to save you from your mother."


    As soon as he mentioned her mother, Su Liao''s expression turned sad. The story was complicated yet very simple to explain. There was a man and a woman who fell in love and gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.


    The family of the woman pressured her, and she was a little strict, so she wanted their children to be raised as such. The man was against that, and the only option left was separation. The mother managed to keep the girl twin while the man managed to keep the son. The brother and sister were Su Liao and her twin brother.


    The twin brother took the name of his father, Li. Li Fan Sho. As for her, she was forced to be given the name of her mother, Su. Su Liao.


    They were separated when they were merely seven years old, so the memories of her father and brother were a little foggy, but Su Liao didn''t have the time to worry about that because her own life was full of tragedies.


    Her mother was strict but also greedy. She forced her decisions on Su Liao all her life, and once she grew up, she married her to the most powerful gangster in Long Bao city.


    She had a son with that gangster and was afraid that her son''s fate would be the same when she was rescued by someone. A woman so beautiful that even she envied her.


    That woman told her who had sent her and why she was saved and brought to that location. It was for her own safety because the gangster was still looking for her. Or at least she thought so because the gangster, the father of the child watching TV close to them, had already departed from that world by the very beautiful woman who rescued her. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''But she doesn''t need to know that.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly.


    "Is there... any news of my brother?" Su Liao hopefully asked, but Wei Jun only sighed in reply.


    Su Liao sighed as well, but her contained a mix of desperation and regret.


    "I''m sorry. I tried my best to find him, but since he left at the age of fifteen, Mister Li had no idea of his whereabouts. The description he gave me was eight years older, so there could be some... difficulties in finding him." Wei Jun replied in regret.


    But then he leaned forward, a sincere expression on his face as he said, "But you don''t have to worry about it. I will find your brother, even if that is the last thing I do. I owe Mister Li that much."


    Su Liao was flustered when he said so and hurriedly replied, "What are you saying, Mister Ruan. You don''t owe us anything. In fact, what you''ve done is already more than enough."


    Wei Jun smiled as a number of notifications appeared in his view, and with that sweet smile, he replied, "Not enough just yet. Not enough."


    ~~


    [Fate is in a pickle]


    [Three events have been permanently changed]


    [Two events have been permanently erased]


    [One event has been temporarily altered]


    [You have leveled up by 10]


    [Level 311]


    [Strength +10]


    [Agility +10]


    [Stamina +10]


    [You have entered the realm of a grandmaster]


    [All stats +5]


    [All system skills have leveled up by 1]


    [The limit of the skill ''Qi Discharge'' has been greatly enhanced]


    [You can now discharge 100 points of QP]


    [Skill ''Qi construct'' can now support complex structures]


    [Your affinity with yang essence has increased]


    [Please increase your infinity to raise the rank of your cultivation technique]


    Wei Jun didn''t go through a groundbreaking breakthrough or anything like that. He simply leveled up and entered the realm of a grandmaster with his stats already past the next limit.


    Still, it wasn''t like there was no change.


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    [It''s beautiful, isn''t it?]


    The system asked, and Wei Jun couldn''t help but nod as he looked into the distance.


    All around him were hues of mixed color. Golden, blue, white, and black. The scene was similar to when the system updates happened, but it was devoid of any earthquake or buildings sprouting from the ground and rising up into the sky.


    [That''s Qi]


    [In grandmaster realm]


    [You sense the real essence of Qi]


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but nod. The scene before him, with layers of Qi calmly floating around, was beautiful. So much so that Wei Jun had to remain like that for a while. He extended his hand to touch them, but all kinds of them avoided him like plague.


    Even the dark one was the same.


    [You wield death]


    [While the rest are apprehensive]


    [Dark Qi is scared]


    Wei Jun nodded but didn''t reply. He was simply marveling at the fact that he had entered the realm of grandmaster. Of course, it was far from enough, but it was enough at the moment.


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but smirk at how overpowered his system had become, and had it not been for the limit imposed on him, he would have already crossed the level of a grandmaster.


    Still, he was in no haste. Soon enough, his second goal would be achieved. He just had to wait for a while.


    While he was deciding on that, his cell phone rang, and the caller turned out to be none other than General Ming.


    He sighed and picked up the phone.


    General Ming spoke from the other side without waiting for him to speak, "It''s time to cash in that favor."


    Wei Jun knew what she was talking about, so he simply asked, "Where do I need to go?"

 Chapter 378 - 378: Arcadia?

    Wei Jun arrived at the military base to find everyone panicked. Everyone was in a rush as the world''s end was coming, and when Wei Jun felt the sensation of Miasma far away, he understood why.


    He had felt it before. He had fought it before. He had lost to it before.


    [A lich]


    ''Then why haven''t they dealt with it yet?'' Wei Jun questioned himself, but the only way to find an answer was to hear it from the source. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Wei Jun arrived at General Ming''s office, he felt two terrifying waves of Qi coming from inside the room. One was blue, and the other was golden. Yin Qi and Yang Qi.


    Wei Jun entered, enchanted by the scene. It was like the room was covered in blue and golden flames, creating a beautiful harmony and a scene even Wei Jun couldn''t help but admire.


    ''They''re strong.'' But the denser flames meant the individuals in the room were strong. Not as strong as Wei Jun, but far stronger.


    ''At least five times.'' Wei Jun guessed.


    [Of course]


    [You''ve only entered the grandmaster realm]


    [You''ve yet to perfect it and get used to it]


    [They, on the other hand, have completely gotten used to their strength]


    [You''ll lose no matter what]


    Wei Jun nodded. Even against Sun Ruan and Xuang Bei, he had only won because they were severely drained of their power when he took advantage of the moment.


    Against these guys at their full power, even if it was only one of them, winning was a pipe dream, and he knew it.


    "As you have probably felt, the dungeon that has opened this time is one infested with a Lich." General Ming said while General Shao remained silent on his seat. Wei Jun nodded and asked, still standing, "Who would be in charge of the raid?"


    "I will be." General Shao said.


    "So, is that my next task?" Wei Jun asked.


    "It''s not." General Ming replied.


    Wei Jun was a little confused, but he let General Ming continue. She sighed and said, "Actually, there is another dungeon that has spawned a little away from here, deep into the woods. It''s an A rank dungeon. And it''s the only one."


    "Only one?" Wei Jun found that odd. Why add those words at the end?


    "We don''t know why, but around this dungeon, thirty-three more dungeons have spawned. Among them, the A rank dungeon only numbers one, but the B rank dungeons are in droves. Same goes for C rank, but they are lesser than B rank dungeons." General Ming explained.


    [It must be a chain crossing]


    ''Chain crossing?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [When a dungeon builds a gate with the existing world]


    [In this case, the Earth]


    [Sometimes, it manages to thaw the dimensional barrier beyond a certain point]


    [Making way for smaller rank dungeons around it]


    [They follow and infest around the major dungeon]


    Wei Jun nodded, and although it was a little confusing, he got the point. Wei Jun looked at General Ming and asked, "What do I have to do?"


    "Clear the A rank dungeon for us. We''ll be busy dealing with the Lich. We don''t know if it''s along or not, but it''s far stronger than the one that appeared at the camp last time. We can''t take any risks." General Ming explained.


    Wei Jun nodded without any objections. Seeing him nod in approval, General Ming sighed and said, "Your team will be waiting for you in an hour. I hope you can be ready by then."


    "Is it possible to attempt this mission alone?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Alone?" General Ming asked.


    "I recently broke through and would like to test my strength without any... liabilities." Wei Jun replied, but General Ming and General Shao''s eyes went wide when they heard his reply.


    ''Broke through? To the peak master rank? Or...'' A thought she didn''t like to finish. General Ming looked at General Shao, who nodded and said, "We have no problem with you doing that. If you confidently say you can clear that dungeon alone, we will not hold you back."


    At General Shao''s support, Wei Jun nodded and said, "Then please have someone guide me. I would like to begin as soon as I can."


    General Ming nodded and called for someone. Wei Jun knew the woman who came very well and smiled at her teasingly. Jang Hoagua clicked her tongue but didn''t say anything. She led Wei Jun to a jeep, which then brought him to a path in the forest.


    After about half an hour of driving, they arrived at the spot where a blue portal could be seen. It was bigger than all the others Wei Jun had seen. Even the one in which Guardian was imprisoned. Just the size of it was something else, and the miasma leaking out of it...


    Well, it was terrifying in one simple word.


    "So that''s my new target, huh?" Wei Jun said before he turned to Jang Haogua and asked, "Will you join me, Miss Jang? I heard it''s a nu.di.st dungeon."


    "Tch." Jang Haogua clicked her tongue again but didn''t say anything. She simply turned around and left with the driver in the jeep, leaving Wei Jun with a smirk on his face.


    Once she was gone from sight and Wei Jun could no longer sense her in a hundred-meter radius, he turned and entered the dungeon, without waiting for even a moment. He was given some equipment, but he simply stored them in his inventory. He still had the daggers from when he fought the knight a few days ago, so there was no need for any new equipment at the moment.


    Besides, he was saving money for a cultivation technique, so he couldn''t thoughtlessly spend it on other stuff.


    So while others attempted dungeons in heavy armor and weapons from fantasy worlds, Wei Jun cleared dungeons in suits. As Wei Jun appeared on the other side of the dungeon, he was a little taken aback.


    ''Now that''s... strange.'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but say. Far away in the distance, a city could be seen. The old medieval-type cities where large walls covered the entire city, acting as a barricade to the invading forces while the residents of the city lived in between.


    But that wasn''t the only strange part of the scene. The city was currently being invaded by another group of humans, clad in armor of different types. He couldn''t spot a single monster in the dungeon. All he could see were humans as far as his eyes went.


    To make the entire scenario even stranger, the familiar sound of a notification from the system arrived.


    [All conditions have been met]


    [The side quest ''Past and Present and the World Beyond'' can now be initiated]


    [Past and Present and the World Beyond]


    [First quest of the chain quest has been initiated]


    [Quest: The unknown man]


    [Rank: Undetermined]


    [Description: The user is welcomed to the world of Arcadia


    The user has come with pure intentions devoid of any greed


    The good intentions also count the will to lend a hand


    A city in Arcadia is under constant attack from an invading empire


    Lend a hand, will you?]


    [Task: Save the city of Orelia from Invaders]


    [Reward: Level +5]


    [Linked to the chain quest: Invader in Arcadia]


    [Punishment: None]


    Wei Jun was now very, very confused. From the description, it didn''t sound like a dungeon but a different world with a strange number of quests. Chained quests, if he read it correctly. Not being a gamer, Wei Jun wasn''t sure what that meant, but he didn''t have to understand. All he understood was that defeating the army trying to invade the city would earn him five levels, and there was no way in hell he was going to give up such an opportunity.


    It was the first time the system had given him a side quest of level increment, so even if it was bothersome, he was going to do it.


    But, deep down, he had one question on his mind that he couldn''t make sense of him.


    Why him?


    Why would the military specifically call for him?


    "Haa..." Pushing such thoughts to the back of his mind, Wei Jun activated all of his skills and jumped at the army from the side.


    Like he was on fire, yang Qi surrounded his entire being. It was like he was shrouded in fire. A strange, golden, and enchanting fire.


    "What is that?" A soldier on the walls saw the shape of a ballista spear heading to the invading army. The soldier next to the soldier also looked at the scene and said, "I have no idea, but it seems to be heading there."


    There was the invading army, and they weren''t the only ones to notice it. The command center of the city had done so as well, as well as the invading army.


    "Fire!" They shot spells and arrows at the strange but magical spear heading towards them. However, nothing did anything. Their spells and arrows melted away by the intense heat emanating from the golden flames.


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    "My god! Are those flames of a dragon or what?!" The soldiers of the invading army yelled.

 Chapter 379 - 379: Arcadia (Bonus)

    Wei Jun arrived before the army but didn''t stop. The Yang Qi around him melted everything into scorched nothingness, and that included the soldiers in the invading army.


    Wei Jun killed several hundred soldiers just like that before that phase of his ended. He came face to face with a knight who had a longsword in his hands and was charging at him, charged with green-colored power around him.


    ''Aura.'' Wei Jun inwardly said as two daggers appeared in his hands. The knight charging at him was weaker than the knight he had fought a few days ago, but the power of aura emitting from him was purer and denser even if it was lower in level.


    Still, for Wei Jun, it wasn''t much of a problem. The knight yelled and brought his sword down at Wei Jun, whose charge wasn''t impeded in the least. Wei Jun''s dagger collided with the sword that was coming down at him, and in an instant, the shockwave emitted from their collision pushed those around them away.


    But the most striking outcome of that collision was the shattering of the knight''s sword and his hand becoming charred by the golden flame that emitted from Wei Jun upon their collision. Wei Jun didn''t hold back an ounce and slashed his dagger again.


    The golden ethereal slash that emitted from his slash cleaved the knight in half, but not only that, the slash did the same to some of the poor individuals behind the knight as well.


    Yet, even after that, Wei Jun''s charge remained relentless.


    [Qi discharge]


    [QP -100]


    A wave of golden fire emitted from him, turning everyone and everything around him into charred charcoal.


    "Ahhh!!!"


    "Huaaahhh!!!"


    Soldiers shrieked and screamed as they burned in the fire they had never felt before. Even the heat of a magic spell wasn''t this hot yet this fire felt like not only burning their bodies but their very souls as well.


    Wei Jun continued his charge as those around him burned and departed from that world. Wei Jun quickly arrived before the command center but didn''t slow down in the least. The invading army panicked and attacked Wei Jun.


    A group of knights equivalent to six and seven-star aura knights. There were twelve of them, and Wei Jun found that battle a challenge. Their aura was purer and denser than the aura knight he had faced a few days ago.


    In terms of strength, these guys were a level higher due to their aura quality. Still, Wei Jun created some Qi spears from the [Qi construct] and shot them at the six-star knights while he engaged with the only three seven-star knights. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun blocked the slashes of two knights with his dagger at once and kicked the last knight, flipping in the air as he swirled and kicked the two of them as well while jumping at the third one he had kicked first and putting the maximum amount of Qi in his dagger, he didn''t slash it but like a spear, he penetrated the sword of the knight, shattering the sword with little difficulty.


    The shockwave produced by that strike was enough to push both of them away but Wei Jun was prepared and after letting out another wave of Qi through [Qi discharge], he stopped the attacks of the two knights charging at him and remained focused on the knight who was still recovering from the shockwave of his sword shattering.


    Wei Jun arrived before him, before he could even recover, and again with a penetrating force, he aimed the dagger at the knight''s heart. The knight panicked and tried to protect himself with his hands in front of him, but the force of the strike was enough to penetrate through the knight''s arms and his chest.


    Killing him on the spot, Wei Jun felt the usual increment in his Death Qi.


    With a chilling smile on his face, he knelt down and avoided the sword strike from one of the six-star knights while the rest were in tow. Wei Jun emitted a wave of Qi once again, and while the six-star knight was defending against that, he penetrated his armor with his dagger, killing another knight on the spot.


    [Warning]


    [QP below 10%]


    In a short span of less than five minutes, Wei Jun had killed a great number of soldiers and three aura knights. The duration of his skills hadn''t even ended yet half of the battle was already over. Of course, he was out of Qi as well. Well, almost out, but it was close nonetheless.


    "Shall we pick up the pace then?" Wei Jun said as dark strands began to emit from him instead of the usual yellow, and suddenly, a black flame burst forth from his being.


    More intense than the golden flame before, the black flame disintegrated everything it touched in its path. Even the stronger knights suffered and yelled in pain, while the weaker ones weren''t even fortunate enough to scream in pain. The back flame devoured their lives in an instant, not even granting them the feeling of pain. One could say it was mercy because those who did feel the pain from the black flame...


    Well, they didn''t want to live anymore.


    In that already heartless scene, the originator of those black flames, with an even darker smile on his face, stepped forward to cull the lives of those before him.


    ~~


    "What... is that?" The commander on the walls, a four-star aura knight, muttered as he saw a figure walk towards them. The man was wearing strange clothes, but his gait was like that of a noble. His visage wasn''t any less than that of a royal or even better.


    The man walking towards them on black flames, two daggers in his hands as he looked at them with an expression so cold that even ice would freeze at that gaze.


    Soldiers fell on their backs as the figure approached them step by step. The army of the invasion, the army that was toying with them just a while ago, was annihilated in the course of just five minutes, or a little over that.


    But the army that was enough to even trouble the capital of the kingdom was wiped out in that short span of time. That was enough to tell the commander of the city that there was no shelter from that individual walking towards them. "Open the gates." The commander simply said, but the knights standing next to him were too scared to even move. He couldn''t blame them, he was the same as them. Still, he picked up his courage and yelled at those who were beneath the walls, safe from the image of the person walking in their direction, "Open the gates."


    The soldiers at the gate acknowledged the command and immediately opened the gates. The giant gates of the city slowly rose upwards, and just before the man making his way to their city arrived, they had fully opened, not interrupting his steps in the least.


    The commander wanted to go down and greet the outsider. It didn''t matter to him that the power of the demon god was emitting from him. If that individual wanted, he might just wipe out the entire city and move forward.


    Wei Jun arrived at the center of the city, with the commander of the army following behind him a little away, making sure no one disturbed him. Wei Jun ignored him and focused on the number of notifications in his view.


    [Quest complete]


    [You have leveled up by 5]


    [Chain side quest: ''Leave Behind'' has been created]


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    [Leave Behind]


    [Rank: Undetermined]


    [Description: For those who depart on a journey, assistance from those who have already completed that journey can be very helpful


    Be the one to leave something behind for those yet to come on this journey]


    [Task: Leave something behind at the temple of purity]


    [Reward: Unknown]


    [The scale of the reward depends on the item left behind]


    [Punishment: None]


    While Wei Jun was ecstatic about getting some levels, he was all the more confused by the following quest. Still, he deemed it to be unnecessary to argue with the system and made his way to the temple he could see in the middle of the city.


    Well, almost the middle since the temple stood next to a castle-type mansion in the middle of the city as if it was equal to it.


    When the commander saw the unknown man making his way to the center of the city, he assumed it was to meet the lord of the city, so he immediately had a commune over to the city lord''s mansion.


    He didn''t want the arrogant lord to make a mistake of offending the man who had taken an entire army out in such a short span that even break wouldn''t be baked properly.


    However, contrary to what he thought, the unknown man was never heading in the direction of the city lord''s mansion. And that would in turn, be the downfall of the lord.

 Chapter 380 - 380: Arcadia (1)

    I have a doctor''s appointment today, so only one chapter today.


    ~~


    Wei Jun almost arrived at the temple when the commander who had been following him hesitantly said, "That... is not the residence of the lord."


    The commander had assumed Wei Jun was going for the lord of the city''s mansion, but seeing him headed to the temple, he thought he had mistaken that as the residence of the lord. Now, usually, it would have been considered a disgrace because then one would have to assume that the temple was as grand as the residence of the lord of the city.


    However, given who it was, the commander wasn''t even in the same lane as upset, let alone carrying out such a disgrace.


    Wei Jun turned to him and asked, "Then what is this place?"


    "That is the temple of Ananra, the goddess of purity." The commander respectfully explained.


    "Hmm..." Wei Jun nodded in response before he said, "I wish to meet the owner of that temple. Call him out or lead me in."


    The commander was hesitant, but he didn''t question Wei Jun''s order and left to carry it out. While he did so, Wei Jun simply remained in his place. He could see the commander arguing with some people inside the gate.


    Wei Jun didn''t have to assume what it was about. The temple was after the goddess of purity, which was in the same line as holy, he assumed. In which case, Wei Jun, who was clearly letting out a sinister feeling, wouldn''t surely be welcomed in that place.


    The commander argued loudly, relaying how imperative it was that Wei Jun wasn''t stopped, but the people inside didn''t listen. They pushed the commander away with the help of a paladin who was a five-star knight, but instead of the usual green, he had a milky white hue emitting from him.


    [Holy aura]


    [Devastating to anything of Death branch] Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Unless it is the Death itself]


    Wei Jun nodded and stepped forward. Seeing that was going nowhere, Wei Jun decided to just force his way in. When the paladin saw Wei Jun advancing towards the temple gate, he brandished his sword and said, "Return now, hereti--"


    Alas, he couldn''t finish his sentence because his head somehow separated from his body and fell on the ground while Wei Jun kept his gait calm and passed the decapitated man while the clerics and nuns screamed.


    "Quiet. Don''t move." Wei Jun simply said.


    [QP -1000]


    In an instant, everything and everyone went silent. No one could utter another word, and they just remained frozen in their spot. Wei Jun passed the temple gate to enter the courtyard where there were more paladins of lower rank waiting, but they were also frozen in place, unable to do anything.


    Wei Jun kept walking until he arrived at the front gate and entered through it. As he went inside, he found it to be a simple church like temple with an altar and everything else.


    [Entry into the temple of purity detected]


    [Place the item on the altar]


    Wei Jun arrived before the altar where a man was already kneeling. As he saw Wei Jun, he stood up with anger in his eyes and said, "You heretic! You dare you--Kuoh!!!"


    Wei Jun extended his hand and used his Qi to extend from his hand, grabbing the priest and suspending him in the air. Wei Jun then threw him away, far away, and he smashed into the wall, losing consciousness.


    Wei Jun didn''t kill the priest because there was no need to uselessly kill anyone in the city. Also, the priest''s death wouldn''t have benefited him much, and the same went for the paladins standing outside. Not only that, as the system said, death cannot be gained from life, so Wei Jun guessed he wouldn''t obtain Death Qi from these paladins.


    He still tried it on the five-star paladin but gained nothing at all, so he decided not to bother killing them all.


    He simply searched his inventory until he came across an item he had never thought he''d end up using. It was useless to him, so he wanted to give it to one of his subordinates, but now that quests with level rewards were popping up, he figured he''d compensate his protagonists with the A rank cores instead of this.


    [Miasma core of the Zombie King(S)]


    [Are you certain to leave this item?]


    [Yes\\No]


    ''Yes.'' Wei Jun replied, and the altar began to brighten up until the stone was gone and a layer of white light had replaced it. The miasma core began to sink into the light until it had fully disappeared from view.


    [Item has been successfully placed]


    [Please give a name to the trial]


    ''Name?'' Wei Jun was a little confused and sought help from the system, but the system was just as confused as he was. The system had no idea what that place was and hadn''t even heard of the world named ''Arcadia'' before.


    Still, Wei Jun didn''t mull on for long. He had more pressing issues to worry about, so he didn''t want to waste time about some name.


    "Trial of Death." Wei Jun simply said.


    [Acknowledged]


    [Trial name has been set to ''Trial of Death'']


    [Quest ''Leave behind'' has been completed]


    [Chain quest ''A birth of curse'' has arrived]


    [A birth of curse]


    [Rank: Undetermined]


    [Description: Leave behind a curse]


    [Task: Travel to the village of Arcan and place a curse in its fertile soil]


    [Hint: You can place a curse by burying a miasma core]


    [Limit: C rank miasma core]


    [Reward: To be calculated at the end of the quest]


    [Punishment: None]


    "Haa..." Wei Jun had a hunch he wouldn''t get the reward as easily as he did when he killed the entire army. These quests were basically nothing at all. He had expected each quest to be as difficult as hell, but there was nothing of the sort.


    It was like...


    ''Setting up a scenario,'' Wei Jun said inwardly.


    [I thought so, too]


    [Leaving behind and the trial]


    [It awfully sounds like creating a quest or a task for a reward]


    Wei Jun nodded, but he had to do it anyway, so he left the temple and approached the commander who was standing outside the temple gate. When he saw Wei Jun, he went stiff and said, "Ou-Our lord has come to greet you! My lord!"


    Wei Jun looked behind him to see a handsome, lean man standing along with some guards with a dissatisfied expression on his face.


    The expression on his face screamed why he was dissatisfied. Wei Jun picked up the silent ''How dare you not greet the lord of the city first before going about your business?''


    Wei Jun ignored it because it seemed troublesome and turned to the commander and asked, "Is there a village of Arcan around here? If so, then lead me to it."


    "But..." The commander was about to argue when Wei Jun said, "Now."


    The words he said so calmly were like a piercing nail to the commander. He quickly nodded and said, "If you would just follow me, my lord. It is about a day''s journey from here by carriage."


    "And if we run?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Pardon?" The commander asked, confused by Wei Jun''s question.


    "And if we run all the way to Arcan. How long would it take then?" Wei Jun asked.


    "About... six hours." The commander hesitantly replied.


    "Good. We leave now." Wei Jun said, and he was about to walk when he heard an arrogant voice, "How arrogant can you be?!"


    Wei Jun turned to look at the lean man making his way to him, no fear in his voice.


    "Even if you are strong, it is basic etiquette to acquire the permission of the lord of the city if you wish to use the resources of the city." The lean man who Wei Jun assumed to be the lord of the city said.


    Wei Jun looked at him, his eyes as cold as usual as he took a step forward. As soon as he did, out of panic, the city lord took a step back.


    "Haha." Wei Jun chuckled in front of all of his militia to boot, which was an even stronger hit to the city lord''s pride. Wei Jun looked at him and said, "Kneel."


    [QP -1000]


    As if his body, his instincts, his very soul screamed at him to do as the man had said, the city lord''s knees buckled, and he fell on his knees.


    Wei Jun walked close to him with a smile until he was just in front of him. Wei Jun looked down at him with a smile before he said, "The city, are you? Let me offer you a piece of advice because of my benevolence."


    Everyone in the vicinity trembled and worried about what was to come, but Wei Jun simply bent down a little and said, "The weak has no right to demand anything from the strong."


    With those words, he straightened up and said, "Heed those words. You''ll live a long life."


    He turned to the commander, leaving a trembling lord behind, and said, "Let''s go."

 Chapter 381 - 381: A strange quest

    "Haa... Haa... We have... Haa... arrived at the... Arca---Blergh!!!" The commander of the city Orelia emptied the contents of his stomach after running for almost five hours straight at maximum speed. They hadn''t even stopped to take a breather or eat something. Wei Jun said they''d keep going, so they kept going.


    Wei Jun was very satisfied with the commander, so he gave him a miasma core of B rank and said, "This will help elevate your strength. Be careful about how you use it, though."


    Wei Jun could see a small town just up ahead. Unlike Orelia, which was covered with walls on all fronts, this small town had no such defensive measure, and Wei Jun couldn''t sense anyone strong in there.


    In other words, it was a small, insignificant town that had no reason to be important, but for some reason, it was very important for the system. Since it was, it was important for him.


    Wei Jun entered the village and kept walking until he arrived at a building that stood out from the rest. Figuring it was the town hall, Wei Jun decided not to head over there since it was unrelated to the quest. Instead, he arrived at what looked like fertile but empty fields. There were some people growing crops nearby, but Wei Jun ignored them and focused on what he had to do.


    He pointed his hand at the field and used his Qi to dig deep into the soil. Once it was deep enough that even excavation equipment would have a hard time finding it, Wei Jun threw the miasma core of C rank into the ground.


    Once it was deep enough, Wei Jun used his Qi to cover the small hole again. After it was properly hidden and done with, Wei Jun stepped back only to be welcomed by a lot of notifications.


    [Quest ''Past and Present and the World Beyond'' is nearing its end]


    [Leave your name to be remembered]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun was once again confused because he didn''t know just how he could do that. Since that was the case, he figured he''d have to do something... chaotic.


    Loud enough for him to be remembered.


    Wei Jun returned to the spot outside the village to find the commander but spotted him entering a building. Wei Jun followed him into the wooden structure only to be welcomed by an old inn.


    Wei Jun ignored the man who greeted him and went straight to the commander, who was drinking water like his life depended on it.


    Once the commander noticed Wei Jun, he quickly asked, "Are you done with your business here, my lord?"


    "No." Wei Jun replied before he asked, "Is there a heretic organization here?"


    "Heretic... organization?" The man was confused by Wei Jun''s choice of words, so Wei Jun asked, rephrasing his words, "Evil cult."


    "Ahh..." The commander replied before he realized something and hesitantly asked, "Wh-Why do you require such information, my lord? May I be presumptuous enough to ask?"


    Wei Jun could tell why the man would ask such a question. He displayed power belonging to the group of evil, and now he was asking for an evil organization. The answer wasn''t difficult to arrive at. Still, Wei Jun decided to cull the man''s worry and said, "I wish to destroy it."


    "Oh." The commander heaved a sigh of relief. While others may not have believed Wei Jun''s words, the man did so because Wei Jun had no reason to lie to him. Why would he be required to do so anyway? What could he have done had Wei Jun replied otherwise anyway?


    So, believing Wei Jun''s words without hesitation, the man nodded and said, "There is a base of the evil cult of Sanza hidden away from plain sight in the hills of Barghan. However, for decades, their location hasn''t been found."


    Wei Jun simply nodded and said, "Very well. Bring me there. I''ll deal with the rest myself."


    "No-Now?" The commander asked hesitantly. He wasn''t worried when Wei Jun said he''d deal with the cult on his own. But he was worried when Wei Jun said he wished to depart. And if it was anything like their travel to the village, the commander was sure he wouldn''t survive to see the next sunrise.


    Wei Jun could tell what the man was thinking, and he sighed inwardly. It was true that he had overworked the man, and he was visibly tired. Besides, he was too slow anyway, so Wei Jun decided to go along this time so as to not be held back.


    "Just point me in the general direction of the hills, and I''ll handle the rest." Wei Jun said.


    As if he had been given a lottery of a million dollars, the man said with a joyous expression, "Just head north for three days. You will pass a forest on the way and you''ll arrive at the snowy mountains. They are called hills of Barghan."


    Wei Jun nodded and left the man after patting him on his shoulder. Once he was outside, he sucked a deep breath in before he opened his eyes and jumped in the air, leaving a strong shockwave behind him.


    ~~


    Wei arrived at the hills mentioned by the system after a day of constant running at his full speed.


    His full speed meant using everything at his disposal, including the Qi skills. At the base of the mountain, Wei Jun felt slightly chilly, which was strange for him given how strong his body was.


    [There''s natural mana infused in the air]


    ''There wasn''t any back at the village?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [There was]


    [But this natural mana of frost]


    [It''s not wise for you to remain here for long]


    [Otherwise...]


    The system was just in between warning Wei Jun when Wei Jun received a notification.


    [HP -1]


    ''...'' Wei looked at the notification silently before he asked, ''Or that will happen?''


    [Yes]


    "Haa..." Wei Jun sighed and began to make his way deeper into the mountain while he used his Qi to navigate and detect any living being in a hundred-meter radius.


    Two days later, the expansive mountains were still half left when Wei Jun felt a strong presence a little to the east. As Wei Jun arrived in that area, he spotted some strange creatures.


    They were monsters, alright, but not the kind he had seen before.


    [Ice orcs]


    The system replied for Wei Jun but then added...


    [Though they seem a little different]


    [Not the ones I''m used to]


    Wei Jun nodded and examined them. They were large, like orcs, but they didn''t have green skin. Their skin was more on the blue side, and they wore fur coats around their waists. Other than that, some were wearing fur-like jackets, but they seemed different than the others.


    They were slightly bigger, and Wei Jun could feel they were stronger as well.


    They were bald like the orcs he had faced before and had tusks coming out of their lower teeth outside of their mouth. They seemed more intimidating and stronger than the orcs he faced, but that wasn''t all. There was something else around the orcs that Wei Jun could feel.


    Something... ethereal.


    [Natural aura]


    [It''s a quality orcs are born with]


    [Royal orcs are the only ones known to possess it, though]


    [First time I''m seeing them on ice orcs]


    Wei Jun didn''t know anything that deep. What he did know was that the orcs he was looking at were far stronger due to that ethereal power than without it.


    While Wei Jun would have been ecstatic to defeat those enemies and incorporate their strength with his, hopefully in the form of Death Qi, he also knew he was short on time, and even if he were to win against those orcs, it wouldn''t be an easy win.


    In short, it was more trouble than it was worth. He''d gain a better reward killing some evil cultists than he''d gain fighting those orcs.


    However, just as he was about to leave, as if to goad him into fighting the orcs, a strange quest appeared before Wei Jun.


    [A side quest different from the ongoing quest has arrived]


    [Goal is detected to be aligned]


    [The new quest has been linked to the quest ''Past and Present and the World Beyond'']


    [Chain quest ''Dungeon Creation'' has been created]


    [Dungeon Creation] Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Rank: Undetermined]


    [Description: The user has come a great distance in his journey. It is nigh time he learned about the differences of dimensions]


    [Task: Create a dungeon by imprisoning the ice orcs in the created vortex of a pocket dimension]


    [The reward is divided into three stages]


    [Reward #1: Push fifty orcs inside the vortex]


    [Condition: There must be at least fifteen females among the orcs]


    [Reward #2: Push two Orc shamans through the vortex]


    [Reward #3: Push the Orc leader inside the cortex]


    [The rewards are:


    #1: +5 levels


    #2: +10 levels


    #3: A skill upgrade ticket]


    [There are no set restrictions on the number of rewards]


    [However, if the user manages to obtain all three rewards, an additional reward will be granted]


    [Punishment: None]


    ''What the...''

 Chapter 382 - 382: Ice Orcs

    After reading the lengthy but detailed description, Wei Jun couldn''t help but mutter under his breath, "What the..."


    Not only was the quest very, very specific, but it was also very strange. The rewards were something else, and Wei Jun decided to do it in a heartbeat. However, what intrigued him was one of the last statements and the description of the quest itself.


    The description said that Wei Jun would be learning about something but the rewards never said anything about it so his guess was that the additional reward was related to that. Still, to make sure, he decided to attempt the quest.


    However, the hard part of the quest, even though it wasn''t mentioned, was that Wei Jun had to keep the orcs alive. He was already very low on confidence in beating them. Keeping them alive was a whole other story.


    ''Well, I can always give it up in between.'' Wei Jun tried to convince himself but he knew he wasn''t going to do it. Deep down, he knew that his nature of seeing things to an end would end up taking over and he''d do whatever he could in his power, even sacrificing some things in his possession to complete that quest.


    So, with newfound determination and a little bit of lying to himself, Wei Jun prepared himself to face the orcs. The first and foremost task was to do recon.


    Wei Jun couldn''t blindly go in there and if there was a chance that he could kill a certain number of orcs and wanted to make sure he didn''t end up overdoing it, he needed to know the exact number of orcs.


    The recon took him about half a day. It was a long and tedious task but Wei Jun knew the risks associated were too big to worry about time when he had a lot of it yet. It had been at most two days since he came to the dungeon. He didn''t know what the dungeon break process would be, like if the residents of this vast world would end up crossing to that world or not, but he knew for sure that he still had a lot of time before seven days were up.


    So, with that decision made and the recon done, Wei Jun waited through the night while keeping a focused eye on the orcs in the camp. Once it was the morning and the orcs left the camp to hunt, that was when Wei Jun decided to act.


    Instead of just storming the camp and facing hundreds of them at once, Wei Jun deemed it better to face smaller groups when they were out hunting. After all, yesterday when he spotted them, they were also hunting in the mountains so there was no reason they wouldn''t be doing the same today.


    There were five groups of orcs out of the hunt, each containing five male orcs. That made their number twenty five and Wei Jun decided to start with them.


    The issue of female orcs was still a matter and Wei Jun could understand what female and male orcs were needed for.


    Wei Jun approached one group stealthily but he was surprised, and very much so, when one of the orcs detected his presence and without hesitation or even a warning, attacked him. Wei Jun dodged the attack barely and immediately put his Qi into his arm and brought it forward.


    As soon as he did so, a giant hand, almost three times the size of his hand, struck his forearm and pushed him back.


    They were difficult. Their coordination was perfect. The orc who detected him didn''t even have to speak and the others acted as if on instinct.


    Wei Jun stepped back as two daggers appeared in his hands. Wei Jun stepped forward once again and the orc who had detected him the first time attacked him while the other four flanked him to surround him.


    Wei Jun didn''t care and headed for the orc who was also preparing an attack for him with his giant fist. Wei Jun stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack and as he did, he slashed the orc only to be surprised once again.


    ''Hard.'' Wei Jun said to himself while he quickly stepped to the side the swerved around the orc which he had managed to leave a slight slash on.


    Still, the damage wasn''t as high as one expected but it was enough for Wei Jun to avoid the orc and escape the encirclement of the orcs.


    Free from their circle, Wei Jun dispelled all the skills from Yang Qi and activated the skills with Death Qi.


    As the ominous atmosphere of the Death Qi surrounded Wei Jun, the orcs took a step back as if they were naturally afraid of it.


    Wei Jun didn''t feel any different except for the fact that his stats had increased by a whopping 100 each. Wei Jun felt the drastic increase and couldn''t help but admire his strength for a minute. Once he was ready, he charged at the orcs again, his charge speed enhanced this time.


    While the orcs were scared, they didn''t back down when they saw Wei Jun charging at them. Wei Jun stopped just before the orc at the forefront could attack him, stepped to the side, and then spun in the air, along with his daggers, doing the same. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Guoh!!!"


    The orc yelled in pain when Wei Jun cut the arm off with that one spin and shoved him to the side with a kick in his head while he charged at the rest, reinvigorated.


    The battle ahead was difficult but Wei Jun held the advantage in agility.


    While the orcs were fast for their size as well, Wei Jun was not only faster, he was slippery as well. Not once were the orcs able to capture him with their big movements and Wei Jun took full advantage of that.


    Wei Jun knocked them on the back of their heads but that didn''t work. The orcs were too tough to be knocked out that way. So, Wei Jun tried an alternate approach.


    [Qi discharge]


    [QP -10]


    Wei Jun touched one of the injured orcs who was its last legs and penetrated its body with a small amount of Death Qi. As the Death Qi entered the orc''s body, the orc began to scream in pain until it got to a point where the orc fainted on the ground, its body still jerking in pain even when it was unconscious.


    Soon, however, that too stopped.


    [You have eliminated an ice orc]


    [Your Death Qi has increased by 50]


    [You have obtained an E rank mana crystal]


    [Warn...]


    After that, there were a few more messages but Wei Jun was more focused on something else. "Oh? That much was enough to kill you?" Wei Jun wondered as he asked out loud to the remaining orcs who were trembling in fear.


    "Well," Wei Jun said as he stepped forward and approached another orc, prepared for battle, "It''s a good thing I have plenty of time to experiment."


    ~~


    "Five, huh?" Wei Jun muttered as he looked at the three passed-out orcs on the snow, one of them being the one whose arm had been cut off.


    All it took was a measly five number of Death Qi in their system to knock them out. The first one died after a few seconds but the other one lasted a few minutes. Wei Jun could tell it also depended on their condition. Those who were healthy and full of power, such as the orc who had fought him the least even resisted the onslaught of the Death Qi for a few minutes and fought Wei Jun to the limit.


    Wei Jun was careful to not injure that one because he wasn''t sure if the orc might just die if he were to injure him beyond a certain point.


    After twenty minutes, Wei Jun had two dead orcs and three unconscious ones.


    But the question was; ''Where the hell is that vortex?''


    Just as Wei Jun thought of that, he felt a slight change in the air current and as he followed that pattern, his gaze shifted towards the sky where a black hole-like thing could be seen. Just as the black hole appeared, the strong air current sucked the three unconscious orcs in.


    The strange thing about that vortex was that the strong vacuum didn''t even affect the other two orcs or even Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun looked at the scene with curiosity as if there was something familiar about that vortex. Something he had felt before but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it.


    He just knew he had seen, not just felt, the phenomena before but he couldn''t quite remember when and where.


    ''You know anything about it?'' Wei Jun asked the system.


    [...]


    [All I can tell you is that you should complete the quest fully]


    [All the answers can be found there]


    ''...'' Wei Jun remained silent for a while before he said, ''Let''s see.''


    Then, he turned his attention to the rest of the notifications Wei Jun had received when he killed the ice orcs.


    [Warning]


    [Mana crystal....]


    [...]


    [.]

 Chapter 383 - 383: Orc Chieftain

    [Warning]


    [Mana crystals can prove to be dangerous for the user]


    [Would you like to exchange the crystals for some random equivalent items?]


    [Yes\\No]


    Wei Jun looked at the notifications that had appeared when he killed the two orcs. They had both given him two A rank mana crystals. Wei Jun was familiar with the miasma cores but there was nothing like mana crystals before so Wei Jun had to guess it was meant for mages.


    [I wouldn''t recommend doing so]


    ''Why not?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Do you remember the knight you faced when you just arrived in this world?]


    ''Yeah.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [He had the purest of aura]


    [Like mine from the old times]


    [The aura nowadays is however thin]


    [Most affected due to their cultivation techniques]


    [Same stands for mana and the Qi]


    [I recommend giving those crystals to your mage friends]


    [It''d skyrocket the purity of their mana]


    Wei Jun remained silent but just simply nodded while he rejected the system''s request to do so. With that, he checked the quest progress.


    [Ice Orcs captured 3\\50]


    [Ice Orcs shamans captured 0\\2]


    [Ice Orc Chieftain captured 0\\1]


    Wei Jun let out a lengthy exhale before he prepared himself to move to the other party. There was still plenty of his Death Qi left and now that he knew of how to deal with the orcs, Wei Jun decided to pick up the speed to capture as many orcs as he could while he decided to just kill the rest.


    ~~


    After about another half a day, Wei Jun finally managed to kill all the orc hunting parties. Except for the first two, Wei Jun didn''t let another orc die once he knew how to deal with them. It was difficult to do so initially given their coordination and strength, but once he got used to it, there wasn''t anything difficult about it.


    Once he was done with the killing, Wei Jun simply scoped out the camp instead of going inside. He had time so he decided to make the most of it and decided to be smart about it instead of being hasty and storming the camp full of orcs.


    That night when the hunting parties didn''t return, Wei Jun spotted unrest inside of the camp. There were orcs moving around inside the camo until he saw about thirty orcs leave the camp in parties of ten, making it three parties in total. They carried torches in their hands and weapons of different kinds but what stood out the most was a robbed hooded figure in one of the parties carrying a cane with a crystal on top of it.


    Wei Jun had a good guess it was the infamous orc shaman that the system quest mentioned. Wei Jun made sure to notice the orc shaman to the best of his ability but the need for battle didn''t seem to arise for the orc shaman.


    There were other creatures in the mountain such as wild animals or being like they were made of wood or something like that, but none of them were stronger than the orcs. The orc shaman didn''t need to even fight before the battle would be over in an instant when the orc warriors took charge of the battle.


    Wei Jun decided to go over to the other orcs who were also searching for the hunting parties. Wei Jun headed straight into the battle until dawn approached and Wei Jun took deep breaths as he stood before the unconscious orcs. Twenty orcs in one night and ten at once was a bit too much even for Wei Jun.


    Also when the objective wasn''t to kill them but to knock them out so some magical vortex could suck them in.


    Yet, even after all that, Wei Jun wasn''t confident he''d be able to fight the orc shamans without knowing the full extent of their abilities. All the more so when they were surrounded by orcs who were also very strong.


    Wei Jun kept his eyes on the orc shaman, looking for any opportunity to attack but none arrived even when dawn arrived.


    ''It seems like I''ll have to create one.'' Wei Jun decided inwardly and ran away, waiting for the daylight to prevail. It wasn''t until well bright that the orcs returned back to the camp only to find no other party other than them return.


    Wei Jun could see the unrest present in the party and was sure the next party would be a lot more than just them but he was mistaken because no orc left the camp for about an hour or so before he spotted movement once again, but once again inside the camp.


    Wei Jun saw five orcs in hooded robes gathered in the middle of the camp. He also witnessed some orcs bringing some furry animals and they began to kill them. Once all the animals were dead, they gathered them all in the middle and the five orc shaman surrounded them.


    The orc shamans began to chant something until the bodies began to levitate and float in the air.


    [Umm... Host]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [You might wanna step away]


    [Far away]


    [Right now]


    Wei Jun didn''t hesitate and jumped in the air, running as far away from the area as he could. Unfortunately, it was too late as a shockwave emitted from the middle of the camp and covered a set radius in the surroundings, him included.


    Just as the light wave passed him, Wei Jun didn''t feel much of a difference or anything else happened to him but that was the least of his concerns when the system yelled.


    [Host, move!]


    Wei Jun''s senses screamed almost at the same time and Wei Jun moved to the side and something landed in the place he was just standing.


    A strong wind pressure assaulted him, pushing him back a little. The power and strength of the individual who had just landed close to him could be felt from the sheer pressure from the shockwave that was emitted.


    Wei Jun looked at the said figure and as expected, it was an orc. Just it was bigger than all the rest he had defeated, almost two feet taller than them and on the buffer side.


    The most striking feature, however, was...


    "Ki ha nak to hi saa."


    [So you''re the one killing my kin]


    "Kata to sak haak."


    [Now prepare to die]


    Wei Jun immediately brought both of his daggers out and put as much of Death Qi as he could inside of them. Just as he brought them forward in a cross formation, the heavy axe in the hand of the giant orc that appeared out of nowhere fell on him, colliding with his daggers.


    "Kugh!"


    Wei Jun''s knees trembled under the intense pressure from the orc''s attack. Wei Jun managed to keep standing but he was sure had he been a little late or not input that much of his power, then his knees would not have only collapsed, but that axe would have also cleaved him in half.


    Wei Jun managed to keep standing but there was no moment of relief as the orc raised the axe in its hands again, bringing it down with more power than before.


    Wei Jun tried his best to dodge and moved to the side but the orc was as swift as he was powerful. It immediately swung the axe mid-motion, changing the direction from a vertical slash to a horizontal one, slashing Wei Jun just at the right angle.


    "What the..."


    A single moment was all Wei Jun had to emit a shockwave of Death Qi, halting the attack of the orc just for a little while, just enough of a break for him to step back and jump out of the orc''s attack radius.


    But he knew full well how wide the orc''s attack radius was given its swiftness and speed as before.


    The orc chieftain, fortunately for Wei Jun, however, stopped.


    "Ta aka chu tikh min." The orc spoke in a strange language and the system translated just like before.


    [You fight well for a human]


    "Chaha jak akun ma."


    [Though you wield Death]


    "Ni aa ma."


    [I do too]


    Wei Jun was momentarily surprised as he heard those words translated by the system but that wasn''t the end of it when the orc began to emit something dark and smoky.


    Wei Jun was stunned to feel the power, the familiar power the orc chieftain emitted. It was the same, yet different in a strange way.


    It resembled...


    "Guardian."


    ~~


    [Sir, are you sure?]


    "What do you mean?" A man in a black suit asked.


    [The elder prince is going wild]


    "Haha..." The man chuckled softly as he was reported on his elder son''s antics. He had no reply to that statement but one, "Young blood, Anderssen. Young blood."


    [But should he be playing like that?]


    [It is ''time'', after all]


    "You underestimate him, Anderssen."


    [Not at all] sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [I know the elder prince wouldn''t let things get out of hand]


    "Not him." The man said once the voice that sounded around him but no source of it finished.


    "My younger one."


    "Everyone does."


    "That''s precisely why..."


    The man paused as he looked into the distance, into the deep night of the city and the twinkling lights of the buildings spread all over the view, and said, "He always wins."

 Chapter 384 - 384: Berserk

    Wei Jun looked at the Orc chieftain, who was emitting dark smoke from its body. The power emitting from it was once again of darkness, not Death. But the closest sub-element of the Death element was darkness so compared to other branches of the the Death element, the power of darkness was very strong.


    [If we''re talking in the sense of the orc]


    [Then what he''d have is the dark aura]


    [Its defense would be double]


    [While its attack power would be immense as well]


    [That''s what the power of darkness is]


    [It enhances the power of an individual at the cost of something]


    Wei Jun''s ears suddenly perked up as he heard the last point of the system. ''What do you mean by a cost?''


    [It''s as if you''ve heard]


    [For some it''s their life force]


    [For some it''s their sanity]


    [But unlike witchcraft, where an alternate source of life can be provided such as a sacrifice]


    [In the case of the element of darkness]


    [It must be something the user possesses for themself]


    [In return, the cost is very less and the power is very high]


    Wei Jun more or less understood what the system explained. If Wei Jun were to put it into simpler words, the orc was currently using some sort of sacrifice, his very own being, to increase its power drastically.


    ''Then am I too...?'' Wei Jun asked but he didn''t complete his sentence because the system interrupted him.


    [No]


    [What you wield is death]


    [Death has no price but one]


    [You reap]


    Wei Jun''s eyes widened as the system said that but before he could dive into it, the orc spoke once again and the system translated it for him.


    [I am stronger than you]


    [Surrender, and I shall end you with honor]


    Wei Jun heard the orc''s words through the system and scoffed. Although he was interested in his own matter, he wasn''t so immersed in ignoring the orc who had now become more powerful and could end him without much effort.


    [It''s right, you know]


    [It is stronger than you]


    ''So what?'' Wei Jun asked before he added, "What good is honor if you''re dead?"


    Wei Jun decided to reach down deep into his abdomen and reached for the Death Qi core. When he always used it, the Death Qi activated and moved according to his whims, almost like the skills of the system but there were no Death Qi specific skills in the system.


    If he were to use the Death whips, he''d just have to think about it and they''d appear on his hands without even a second''s delay.


    However, he did it today after he witnessed the flow of the Orc''s aura. He had noticed it before when he witnessed the flow of Guardian''s mana through his heart, but the mana of Guardian was in a little disarray due to it being outside his body, however, the aura of the orc before him was perfectly stabilized.


    As if it followed every whim of it but not only that, it was in perfect control, along with too low of a consumption. Wei Jun knew that if the plan was to tire the orc out by making him use too much power of darkness for an extended period of time, then it was a losing battle.


    Wei Jun was sure he''d die before that


    [You''ll definitely die before that]


    ''Thanks for the confirmation.''


    Wei Jun sighed and reached deep down into his core.


    As he touched the Death Qi core, he felt a sudden push back but he immediately gathered himself before his consciousness could exit the core. He immediately went back in because he was low on time and felt it.


    The resistance.


    The resistance from the Death Qi core was massive. It was as if it was saying that Wei Jun was free to use it, but he was not allowed to control it. However, Wei Jun was not there to control it. He was simply there to bond with it.


    "Oi," Wei Jun said out loud, looking at the orc while his mind was deep down into the Death Qi core as he said, "Let''s become one."


    Become one. He had felt it before when he assimilated with the Yang Qi. The feeling of powerful addiction was the greatest problem with that method but he remembered how the yang Qi assimilated into his body.


    He tried the same, only with Death Qi this time. It had happened before too, when he accidentally did so and gained one stat each in his physical stats but the risk associated with that was that he would be becoming death itself.


    He would be branded as an evil cultivator and be hunted for life. However, there was a slight hope that there was a solution to that as well. What if he didn''t assimilate with it permanently but for a short amount of time?


    Like the skill [Qi empowerment] but different than that. Like something more than that. Something more...


    "Chaotic."


    As if the Death Qi could understand his words perfectly, it moved in a manner that wasn''t stable in the least. Not like it usually moved when Wei Jun activated skills, but it moved as if it was out to destroy everything.


    "Let there be chaos." Wei Jun said before his eyes went dark and his power reached another level.


    [You have triggered the state of Berserk]


    [Warning]


    [The state of berserk has been deemed unethical and forbidden by the laws of nature]


    [The longer the user remains in the state of Berserk]


    [The more there will be the risk of mental capability loss]


    Wei Jun could feel his head going mad, filled with thoughts to destroy everything in his path he didn''t take one step forward even when the orc had finished saying whatever it had to say and jumped at Wei Jun, intent on killing him.


    "Oi." Wei Jun said, his tone calm as ever even when his head was on a rampage, "I said I''ll work with you, never said I''ll work for you."


    [The user''s mental resistance has proven to be too strong]


    [The effects of the berserk state would drastically decrease]


    [An unbelievable achievement]


    [You have gained the title ''One who resisted the laws'']


    [Error]


    [A title contained with such a power cannot be assimilated with the user as a higher class status with a strong class already exists]


    [The title will be assimilated with the class ''Invader'']


    [You have gained a new skill]


    [Berserk]


    [Tier: SSS]


    [Description: Not many can suppress their emotions when it goes against their nature


    Is it because the skill is faulty or the user is a robot?


    The user can be called the oddball in that sense then


    A skill created specifically for the user as the user has proven to be the first of his kind]


    [Effect(s):


    Attack +100


    Defense +100]


    [Cost: 5000 Death Qi] S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Disadvantage: For every second the skill is in use, -1 HP]


    [Cooldown: 24 hours]


    "Gah!!!"


    ~~


    "Excuse me, Doctor James." A woman dressed in a nurse outfit knocked on the door of a man and after getting permission from the man, she entered and informed him of her reason for coming, "Someone is here to see you. She addresses herself as Doctor Marlene Quinn."


    "Doctor Quinn?" The man surnamed James, Doctor James to be precise asked before he added, "British? Is she sent by Johnathan?"


    "She didn''t say." The nurse replied.


    "Hmm..." Kevin James, a renowned cardiologist, a doctor of many talents and skills far beyond any other doctor, even many, many doctors combined. Such a man was known throughout the world and it wasn''t strange for doctors to visit and consult with him on various aspects.


    The problem was that he had never heard of someone going by that name. Even when he racked his brain, no one by the name came up.


    "Send her in," Kevin said and closed his laptop. The nurse nodded and left, and after about ten minutes, the door knocked once again and once Kevin gave the permission, the door opened to reveal a young woman of exquisite beauty.


    Her beauty would have charmed any man but Kevin wasn''t just any man. He could see beyond that beauty and he sighed as he asked, "Is there a reason you wish to see me, Doctor Quinn?"


    He didn''t bother wasting time with pleasantries or anything else. Even before she properly stepped inside the office, Kevin posed the question, stopping her in her tracks. She looked at Kevin and said in her exquisite British accent, "Hello, Mister James. I know it may come off as rude but..."


    Since Kevin had gotten straight to the point, Marlene did so as well and said, "I''m here to discuss a patient of yours."


    "Who?" A frown appeared on Kevin''s face but he didn''t show any further hostility except for the frown.


    Marlene smiled and took another step inside the office, her expression calm and serene as she replied, "Damien. Damien Smith."

 Chapter 385 - 385: Disharmony

    "And may I ask why you wish to discuss my patient?" Kevin asked as he leaned back in his chair. His question was a signal for Marlene to take a seat. But it was also an indication of whether or not Kevin would allow their conversation to continue.


    "I''m a psychologist. In our circle, everyone has heard of the infamous patient who drove nine psychiatrists mad." Marlene replied.


    Kevin chuckled and said, "And you want to be the tenth, huh?"


    Marlene remained silent while Kevin laughed for a while. Once he was done, he pointed at the seat across him and said, "So, what do you want to know?"


    "You were his tenth doctor. Can you tell me how you treated him?" Marlene asked once she was in the seat.


    Kevin shook his head and said, "You''re wrong about one thing."


    "And that is?" Marlene asked.


    "Damien was never ill," Kevin replied, making Marlene frown but she didn''t say anything. Kevin continued, "Damien only had three problems that plagued him. One was his strong obsession."


    "Obsession?" Marlene asked.


    "Mhm." Kevin nodded and began to explain, "He would be the classic example of an obsessive lover. He wouldn''t fall in love that easily, but once he''d fall, he would obsess over that person like a madman."


    Marlene wrote something in her diary and then asked, "And the others..."


    "Damien suffered from the simplest of Machiavellianism. More simply known as the ''Dark Triad Trait''. ASPD would be more dominant for Damien than NPD. Lack of empathy for someone else, complete disregard for others completely unrelated to him." Kevin explained the second condition of Damien.


    "And how did he cope with it?" Marlene asked.


    "His high level of intelligence came into play. He managed to do what no other person suffering from these conditions could do. He managed to not only suppress these feelings but also control them. I''ve never seen anyone be able to do that before." Kevin explained.


    "Are you saying he suppressed the very nature of a human?" Marlene asked.


    "Haha," Kevin chuckled and nodded as he replied, "Yes, you could say that. An oddball who resisted what it means to be a human."


    "I see." Marlene once again wrote something in her book before she asked, "And the last condition?"


    "The last condition..." Kevin paused. He remembered the consequences of the last condition and simply said, "Chaos."


    He raised his eyes to look into Marlene''s as he said, "He suffered from chaos."


    "Chaos? Do you mean to say Sadism? BPD? STPD? Mania? One of these conditions?" Marlene asked.


    Kevin simply shook his head. "None of these."


    "None?" Marlene asked.


    Kevin nodded as he replied, "If I have to be specific, then there can be no psychological term or condition to explain that symptom of his. He simply desired chaos. He liked it when others were in pain; when the world was in pain. Anyone he didn''t know or he didn''t care about, he wouldn''t consider a second time before destroying that person, or multiple for that matter."


    "And was he in control of that condition as well?" Marlene asked.


    "Was he?" Kevin asked as if he wasn''t even sure of it. "Well, all I can say is that if he was the perfect human by denying the very nature of a human, then he was a perfect animal as well, by denying the nature of an animal. An animal, when goes mad, considers nothing in his sight. Not a thing but if an animal can suppress that, if an animal can go mad but remain in full control then..."


    Kevin didn''t complete his sentence because Marlene did so for him, "Then one becomes unstoppable."


    "Precisely. Now consider a person who is a perfect human and a perfect animal. What would be the term best you would use to describe such a person?" Kevin asked.


    Marlene thought for a while, a good while, before she raised her head to look into Kevin''s eyes and replied with one simple word...


    "Chaos."


    ~~~~


    "Gah!!!"


    Wei Jun let out an animalistic roar as Death energy emitted from him, even making the orc war of Wei Jun. Wei Jun looked at the orc chieftain, his eyes fully black and his veins trembling. Wei Jun stepped forward but in an instant, he was before the orc chieftain who didn''t move from his spot but kept looking at Wei Jun.


    Even with that power-up, Wei Jun was no match for the orc, it knew that very well, so it stood in its spot, ready to block Wei Jun''s attack but Wei Jun stopped mid-way and moved to the side...


    Clang!!!


    A dagger appeared in Wei Jun''s hand out of nowhere, enhanced by the black power emitting from Wei Jun.


    The dagger smashed with the side of the axe, creating sparks due to their collision. The orc didn''t feel anything but the axe did move away slightly. Still, it was too slight for the orc to worry about and he moved to attack Wei Jun as well. Wei Jun raised his arm to cover his head and blocked the punch from the orc.


    [HP -98]


    His HP was already going down with every second and then the massive damage from the orc was a bonus on top of that as well. Luckily, he had Yang Qi which was consumed by the green power in his heart to constantly replenish his health but Wei Jun knew that sooner or later that would run out as well.


    Wei Jun calculated and even if the Orc didn''t damage him which was impossible, he would only last for ten minutes in that berserk state given his HP And with the damage from the orc, that time lessened even further.


    Wei Jun moved to the side and dodged the other attack while he once again struck the axe with his pointed dagger. Wei Jun swiftly stepped away before the orc swung its axe again.


    Wei Jun ducked to avoid the attack and just as it was passing over his head, Wei Jun struck the axe with his dagger once again. The orc was confused about why Wei Jun would do that but Wei Jun, who was superior in combat, smirked as he saw his plan working.


    The orc wasn''t getting flustered over attacks like that but Wei Jun kept doing that. His health was going down and being restored at the same time and the power of Death coming out of him was becoming overbearing for him as time passed.


    Wei Jun had guessed that this simple ''Berserk'' skill which didn''t have any side effects mentioned in the system other than the health drop would have another side effect as well.


    But Wei Jun was confident he would be able to end the battle by then. With each passing hit, his attacks were becoming faster and sharper. His attacks were becoming more refined and precise, accurately striking the axe. Wei Jun was becoming used to his strength as time passed by.


    With each minute passing by, Wei Jun was getting used to the Berserk state and after five minutes of the state, Wei Jun was finally able to do what he wanted to do.


    Crack!!!


    The axe shattered and the shockwave emitted from that pushed both of them away.


    Wei Jun smirked as he looked at the orc, its expression astonished as to what had happened.


    The orc looked at Wei Jun, a little astonished, but then, its expression returned to normal as it asked...


    [Is that it?]


    [Destroying my axe wouldn''t help you at all]


    Wei Jun smirked and moved in, attacking the orc. The orc moved to dodge and counterattack and Wei Jun swerved to the side, ducking down to slash the orc''s thigh, leaving a deep cut on the orc chieftain.


    The orc moved aside to dodge but it couldn''t. It couldn''t move as naturally as before.


    Once again, with wide eyes, it looked at Wei Jun who smirked back and said, "I noticed it since earlier..."


    Wei Jun moved to attack once again, stopping mid-sentence. The orc moved to dodge the attack once more but the orc couldn''t move as well as before and Wei Jun used that opportunity to slash the same exact slash on the orc''s thigh, deepening the wound even further.


    "Argh!" The orc grunted in pain as it fell on one knee due to the pain and the restriction in movement.


    Wei Jun stood at an arm''s length away from the orc, just enough so he could react in time if the orc decided to attack him.


    Wei Jun looked down at it, a little below his eye level as he said with a terrifying grin on his face, "You''re one with your axe."


    The orc didn''t understand Wei Jun''d words because it didn''t have a translator like Wei Jun but it could perfectly understand what was wrong with it.


    Deciding it would be a losing battle, the thought to retreat briefly entered its mind but before it could even fully entertain such a thought, Wei Jun moved once again, faster and sharper than before, and before the orc could even react, Wei Jun slashed, aiming at its thigh once again. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The orc moved to protect its thigh only to be surprised when Wei Jun changed the trajectory and...


    "AARRGGHH!!!"

 Chapter 386 - 386: An admirer

    Wei Jun changed the trajectory of his slash, slashing the left eye of the orc while it was busy protecting its already deeply gnashed knee.


    [You dirty human!!!]


    The orc yelled as it tried to overcome the pain of losing its eye but the human he had just mentioned held no mercy in his heart. He placed his hand on the Orc and said, "Let''s hope you don''t die. It''d be a pity after all."


    And with that, Wei Jun let out a whopping fifty points of Death Qi inside of the orc chieftain, immediately making it scream in pain. But Wei Jun didn''t take his hand off. Instead of letting the Death Qi wreak havoc inside of the orc''s body and letting nature take its course, he decided to take the charge in his own hands.


    He controlled the Death Qi to only tear the orc from the only surface regions instead of going in deep and risking killing the orc. There was only one Orc chieftain after all, Wei Jun couldn''t take a risk.


    In doing so, Wei Jun even began to withdraw some of Death Qi, keeping the damage to a minimum but as he pulled the Death Qi out, something else came along with it.


    [The user is absorbing the inherent darkness of the herald of darkness]


    [Conversion to Death possible]


    [Compressing the power of Darkness to purify into Death]


    [Death Qi +100]


    [Death Qi +101]


    [Death Qi +102]


    As each second passed, the amount of Death Qi Wei Jun attained increased bit by bit but in doing so, the Orc screamed that much more. Finally, Wei Jun stopped altogether once he observed a notification appear in his view.


    [The orc chieftain has been captured]


    With just that notification, the strong current as before was felt once again and Wei Jun looked up to see the familiar vortex form in the air. After it was fully formed, it sucked the Orc Chieftain in while Wei Jun noticed something green appear around the orc but it was too fast for him to properly observe and before he knew it, the vortex had swallowed the Orc chieftain, and the vortex soon closed behind it.


    Wei Jun sighed as he internally said, ''Just in time.''


    [Skill ''Berserk'' has ended]


    [You cannot use the skill for the next twenty-four hours]


    [QP: 128]


    [Death Qi: 2307]


    His Qi had decreased by a lot and only a little of it was left. So much so that even if he had to fight a master-ranked cultivator, it would be very difficult for him. He''d still win but with great difficulty.


    And not just that...


    "Argh!" Wei Jun grunted as pain seeped out of his every pore. He felt as if someone was tearing his body apart, pulling his limbs from every corner but not so much to pull them off of his body. It wasn''t to the point that Wei Jun feared he''d pass out but it was still enough for him to know he wouldn''t survive in a battle.


    [And then there''s them]


    Wei Jun could feel some strong presences making their way to him, coming at a fast pace. Wei Jun took a deep breath and straightened his back.


    [A health pill has been consumed]


    [A Qi replenishment pill has been consumed]


    Once his health was restored, the green power in his heart stopped using the yang Qi to restore his health. Once his Qi and Death Qi were fully restored, the only setback Wei Jun had was his aching body. Other than that, he was ready to face the ones marching towards him.


    [Death Qi +2009] Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Jun obtained a great amount of Death Qi from the Orc Chieftain but no matter how much it was, it wouldn''t be enough to fill that bottomless pit of the Death Qi core in his abdomen.


    Ignoring the ache in his body, Wei Jun straightened himself once again and readied the two daggers in his hands. He had only used one against the orc chief because he was using his other hand to defend himself, but now that there were almost a hundred orcs headed in his direction, some of them hooded figures known as orc shamans, Wei Jun was sure he wouldn''t be able to have an easy fight up ahead.


    "Well, nothing''s easy in life."


    And with that, Wei Jun prepared himself for the battle up ahead.


    ~~


    "Thank you very much, Doctor James, for sharing such insightful data with me." Marlene showed her gratitude with a smile. Kevin nodded in return with a smile and said, "Although it''s nowhere near enough, unfortunately, I cannot share anymore."


    "This much is more than enough." Marlene replied before she added, "Now I just have to hope I can get some of the party concerned''s attention so I can read about him properly."


    "Good luck with that." Kevin replied with a smile once again, and Marlene was about to get up to leave when the door to Kevin''s office knocked once again, and a nurse, the one who had come before, appeared from the door once again and said, "Mister James, Mister Smith is here to see you."


    "Which one?" Kevin asked.


    "Doctor Smith." The nurse replied with a dreamy look in his eyes.


    "He''s married, Martha." Kevin replied but he could understand the nurse''s reaction before he said, "Send him in."


    Marlene, on the other hand, panicked inwardly but didn''t show any sign as she said, "Then I guess I should take my leave."


    "Mhm." Kevin could spot the hurriedness but he didn''t say anything about it. He knew there was something up with that girl but whatever it was, there wouldn''t be much she would be able to do about the Smith family.


    Just as she was about to leave, close to the door, the door opened before she could and a handsome man in his early twenties entered but he was a lot older than he appeared to be.


    "Hey, Uncle Kevin." The young man said before his gaze went to Marlene but he simply smiled at her.


    Once Marlene was gone, the young man looked at Kevin and said with a teasing smile, "Master, you shouldn''t meet young girls alone in your office. Aunt Maria would be very hurt."


    "Haha." Kevin let out a fake chuckle before he asked, "You know her, don''t you?"


    "What makes you think I do?" The young man asked.


    "..." Kevin simply remained silent with a knowing expression and the young man just gave in with a chuckle. Kevin continued, "Her disguise was flawless. Not to mention her accent. No one would even think to doubt her."


    "That it was." The young man replied.


    "So, who''s she?" Kevin asked.


    "She''s Miss Secretary." The young man replied.


    "Secretary?" Kevin asked with a frown on his face.


    "Mhm." The young man replied before he added, "She''s the legendary woman who managed to fool none other than my brother."


    "Damien? Her?" Kevin looked like he didn''t believe one word of the young man but the young man only nodded and said, "I know. Hard to believe right?"


    "It sure is." Kevin replied before he asked, "And you''re going to let it go?"


    "Whoever said that." The young man replied before he disappeared before the very eyes of Kevin, making him sigh.


    ~~


    Marlene entered into her apartment, a clean and neat place. One would think there would be nothing odd about this place but one would discard such a thought when they would witness the inside of her room.


    A shrine, the ceiling, walls, and even the dressing mirror were only covered in one thing.


    The images of a young and handsome man. The young man in the images only had a cold expression on his face, and another fact about those pictures that stood out was that none of them were taken with consent.


    "Aahh~~" Marlene let out a moan of ecstasy as she looked at the pictures of the man with a ripe blush on her face, "Damien. When will you notice me?"


    "You keep that up and he''ll pay special attention to you." Marlene suddenly heard a voice behind her and her first instinct was to turn around and throw a punch. Just as her punch collided with what felt like a stone wall, she looked at the smiling man with a teasing look in his eyes.


    A man whom she was well aware of and had seen on many occasions. She immediately jumped back to create some distance between her and the intruder.


    ''I can''t win.'' She deduced instantly when she felt the toughness of the man, his body like a solid war.


    The young man, however, only smiled and remained in his spot, "I see you have a massive crush on my brother."


    "Don''t tell me you''re jealous," Marlene said as she brought her hand behind her and activated something that looked like a bracelet.


    Once it was activated, all she had to do now was to buy some time.


    "Not at all." The young man replied, "No matter what you do to him, you can''t do much."


    "I know," Marlene replied as the device was half charged.


    "Then what do you want from him?" The young man asked.


    "Just his child." Marlene straightforwardly replied.


    "That''s messed up." The young man replied with a straight face before he said, "The coordinates are wrong."


    "What?" Marlene asked.


    "I''m talking about this." The young appeared right next to Marlene, the very bracelet that was in her pocket in his hands as he said, "This won''t take you to him."


    Marlene was about to move but she froze in place as the young man handed her the bracelet with a smile and said, "Good luck. You''re gonna need it."


    And just with that, the very next instant, Marlene had disappeared from her spot, her being nowhere to be seen.


    As for the young man, he looked around and said with a chuckle, "A yandere, huh? Not bad, little brother of mine. Not bad."

 Chapter 387 - 387: An unknown place

    "Haa... Haa..." Wei Jun stood atop a pile of corpses while around him, many more orcs stood, a little afraid but ready to strike while some hooded figures, better known as Orc shamans, were chanting another spell, their language strange and the amassed power of darkness around them assaulting Wei Jun''s senses as he tried to get a hold of them.


    The battle hadn''t been as easy as he had expected. The ache of the skill [Berserk] was a little more than he anticipated. Even with the immense Death Qi and Yang Qi, along with the green power in his heart, Wei Jun was on his last legs.


    Having no choice, he sighed and looked at the system panel, ready to activate one last skill. A skill he had never used before.


    However, just as he was about to use it to fight until the bitter end, something landed just a little ahead of him, creating a barrier around him. And soon... hell followed.


    Wei Jun raised his head to look at a few robbed figures and people in armor, their chosen color black. Wei Jun looked at them, or more precisely, a woman in a robe at the forefront. She chanted just one spell, and the explosion that soon followed was massive. Much more than Wei Jun could have anticipated of a mage. They were... beautiful.


    As soon as the dark explosion ended, the remaining orcs retreated, and all that remained in the snowy field, at the edge of the mountain, were Wei Jun and the multiple hooded figures.


    Wei Jun raised his daggers in front of him, ready to counter if needed but the woman at the forefront raised her hand to stop the man beside her who was about to step forward with his sword raised as well. She looked at Wei Jun from underneath her robe, her eyes were the only thing Wei Jun could see under her robe, the eyes of darkness.


    "You have two choices, ahead of us, prophet of Death." The woman spoke, her voice cold and pristine. "Live or die."


    Surrender meant to live, and a fight meant death.


    Wei Jun looked at the force she had brought and it wasn''t anywhere less than the number of orcs. The orcs were running away in the distance despite their numbers and that was enough to speak of the newcomer force''s power.


    [You''ll lose]


    Wei Jun nodded and the daggers in his hands disappeared, making the man beside the woman frown as he couldn''t help but say, "The prophet''s a mage?"


    "Shh." The woman quickly shushed the man and said, "Quiet. Bring him."


    The man jumped in the air and landed just before Wei Jun. Unlike his expectations, Wei Jun didn''t even flinch at the presence of the man. He just looked back at him, his eyes as cold as the woman''s. The man even flinched at that cold stare and was about to yell back in defiance, the woman said, "Be quick."


    The man went silent, holding his words back, he said, "Come with me."


    Wei Jun just stared at him coldly and simply nodded. Wei Jun followed the man next to the woman whose half face could be seen now but not her entire face. Wei Jun could tell there was something about her face but Wei Jun couldn''t be certain.


    The woman raised her hands and chanted something for some time. A giant circle made of intricate designs appeared before Wei Jun''s head, covering a good bit of the sky, covering every one of the woman''s team and the ground beneath them began to glow. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The glow only brightened and brightened until Wei Jun''s view outside of the glow trembled, retorted, and finally, changed.


    What appeared before Wei Jun was a giant building, like a castle, and the scene was no less than out of a fantasy. A tall building, a giant no less, people walking by as if the sight of people appearing before them was normal, and most of all, what Wei Jun felt was...


    [That''s something]


    ''Something indeed.''


    Wei Jun looked into the distance, at the giant statue that could be seen in the distance. The statue of a winged creature, its appearance majestic as if it was alive, not made of stone, and most of all...


    [The mana is the same]


    [The mana emitting from it belongs to...]


    "Guardian." Wei Jun finished before the system could, not in his head at that, attracting the attention of the robed woman who turned to look at him but didn''t say anything about it. Instead, she said, "We need to meet the master. Take him to clean his appearance."


    The man beside Wei Jun nudged him on his shoulder, incurring a scary expression from Wei Jun that made the man step back a little in fright. In that crowd, Wei Jun was sure he could defeat everyone and the only one who could contend against him was the robbed woman.


    [I have a guess there''s one another]


    Wei Jun nodded. The man mentioned as ''the master'' by the woman, Wei Jun guessed he was the master of that place, his power of course, immense if gone by the setting. Wei Jun followed the man, in the end, ending up in front of a door that led to a luxurious room.


    Wei Jun spotted a clean set of clothes on the bed but he ignored them. Once he had taken a bath, he changed his clothes from the system, purchasing an armored three-piece suit.


    Wei Jun didn''t remain in the room for a long time because he still had to familiarize himself with the layout of the castle. Wei Jun couldn''t afford to be at a disadvantage and now that the ache in his body was a lot less and his Qi replenishment pill''s cooldown had ended, he was sure he would be able to at least make an escape, even if he wasn''t able to win the fight.


    As Wei Jun left the room, the same man as before, the one who had guided him all the way there, a seventh star knight. By the standard of this world, a seven-star aura master was considered quite a force to reckon with but Wei Jun was stronger than him, that was for sure.


    But...


    "Follow me now." The same hooded woman from before met them at an intersection and said. Looking at her, Wei Jun could tell, he would lose. If it was just running away, he was confident in doing so. However, if it was a direct battle, then he would lose, ten out of ten.


    [Such pure mana and already an eighth circle mage at her age]


    [She''s the real definition of talent]


    [Much like Yan Rong]


    The system offered its own opinion and Wei Jun wasn''t one to dismiss that. Wei Jun simply sighed and followed after the woman, hoping for the good because he was sure, now that he was in the deep, surviving would be immensely difficult.


    Wei Jun finally arrived along with the hooded woman in front of an ordinary door. It was nothing like the luxurious door of the room Wei Jun had rested in. It simply looked like a utility closet, or perhaps worse.


    Still, as Wei Jun followed the woman who opened the door for him and entered before him, Wei Jun was amazed once he was inside.


    An open space, tall expansive grass, lush trees, and a stream that flowed nearby, completed the serene scene with such beauty that even Wei Jun had to take a moment to admire the scene.


    "Welcome." Wei Jun heard a jubilant voice and turned to look at a young man who made his way toward him, wearing a suit similar to his but a little older, much like from the eighties. One thing, however, was for sure. It didn''t belong to that era.


    "You must be Damien." The young man said with a welcoming smile as he extended his hand for a handshake but Wei Jun was more focused on what he had heard.


    Still, he extended his hand and shook the young man''s hand who hadn''t introduced himself yet. The young man chuckled softly and said, "Haha, no need to be on guard. I was simply informed of your arrival."


    "Arrival?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Yes." The young man nodded before he turned to the woman and said, "You may take your leave now."


    "Yes, master." The hooded woman bowed and left the door that was simply in the open space behind them. Once she was gone and the door closed behind her, the door itself disappeared.


    Wei Jun looked at the young man with a questioning gaze to which he replied, "Haha, perks of magic, you could say."


    Wei Jun didn''t react in any way to that. The young man simply nodded and said, "You must be curious as to who I am. Well, all your questions will be answered. Allow me to introduce myself. I''m Richard von Statham."


    "Will you be answering my questions, Richard?" Wei Jun got straight to the point.


    "Haha, I dare wouldn''t," Richard replied before he said, "Come. My master is waiting for you."


    "Master?" Wei Jun asked as he heard that word.

 Chapter 388 - 388: This place...?

    "Haha, yes." Richard replied as he clarified, "I may be the master of that organization, I too have a master I serve."


    Wei Jun nodded at the incomplete answer but he knew he wasn''t getting anything more out of Richard so he simply asked, "Where to?"


    "Over here," Richard said and Wei Jun followed. They soon arrived at a small cliff beyond which was an entire city. It wasn''t a very big city. At a quick count, Wei Jun could only tell there would be space for ten thousand people at most, and even that was overdoing it.


    "What you see right now is the city bestowed upon us by the gods," Richard said.


    "Gods?" Wei Jun asked.


    "The Supremes. Some of them who were on the side of humanity, joined the great dragon Seraph and created this space for us." Richard replied.


    Wei Jun had many questions from that simple answer. Supremes? Great dragon Seraph? That space?


    Each and every word that left Richard''s mouth was a question and Wei Jun couldn''t wait to get some answers to make sense of everything. Or to at least get a clear view of the matter, if not an entire answer.


    "And you are?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Aren''t you a keen one?" Richard said with a laugh and said, "I''m a red wyvern. Much like that brother of mine who''s your familiar."


    ''I''m not.'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but say. The truth was, it was the system that had revealed the identity of the man beside Wei Jun. Wei Jun hadn''t been able to get anything on his own.


    "I see." Wei Jun could only say that because he knew he wouldn''t be getting any answers out of Richard. He would have to wait to meet that aforementioned master of Richard''s. And he had a strong feeling it wouldn''t be long before he would. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I wanted to say this, but my wyvern brother is a bit unruly. You do not have to worry. He will soon see the merits of serving you." Richard once again spoke, referencing Morial who remained quiet in his own space.


    They soon arrived at the city and passed through the walls to enter the city. The city Wei Jun witnessed was much like the Victorian Era London. Men and women were dressed from that time, making Richard the only oddball among them. Of course, that made Wei Jun an oddball as well.


    "This way," Richard said, taking Wei Jun to the deepest part of the city where a castle could be seen. Wei Jun arrived before the castle and followed Richard inside. The theme of the castle was that of the Victorian era. Passing the guards, they soon arrived at the front door.


    "Unfortunately," Richard stopped at that point and said, "I cannot follow you inside. No one is allowed to go beyond this point. And I say no one so going beyond here is considered a great honor. An honor even I have never been graced with and unfortunately, the same stands for my wyvern brother who is your familiar."


    Wei Jun nodded after Richard had said his bit and summoned Morial out. The red-haired man who appeared beside Wei Jun seemed more docile than usual. He looked at Wei Jun and simply said, "I will say the same thing I said when you went to meet the Great Dark Elder Dragon. Return."


    Wei Jun dismissed his words because going back wasn''t an option. Now not only was he curious, but he was sure that going back would be impossible because he could sense nothing beyond that space. Even the system couldn''t.


    So the only option was to go inside and meet whoever it was. If the other party wanted him dead, he would have been so by now. If he wasn''t, then there was a good chance he wouldn''t be and the other party was somewhat friendly. Still, he wasn''t naive enough to completely disregard every threat.


    Every negotiation had a chance of failing and no one other than a businessman like Wei Jun could understand that better.


    "Fwoo..."


    Wei Jun let out a long exhale before he entered the door that opened by itself and as soon as he was on the other side, it closed by itself as well. Inside was nothing but still silence. Torches were lit on the walls on both sides while an extended corridor led deep into the castle, deep into the darkness. It was like the entire castle consisted of nothing but that corridor and wherever that corridor would end would be Wei Jun''s destination.


    So he walked. He walked all the way to the end of the corridor until he arrived at a hall that was as big as the entire city. In no way was it the castle Wei Jun had seen from the outside.


    And in that dark space sat a red-haired man all the way over there in the middle. Wei Jun could still spot him even when the distance between him and the red-haired man was so vast. Wei Jun once again sighed and began to walk. He walked until he felt like a day had passed before he finally arrived in front of the man who was sitting crosslegged with his eyes closed.


    Just as Wei Jun arrived before the man, the man opened his eyes and looked at Wei Jun with a smile, "Welcome."


    "Hello...?" Wei Jun was unsure of how to reply so he simply said that. The red-haired man, his features only describable in one word, "Ethereal."


    His beauty, his red eyes, the gentle look in his eyes coupled with his rosy pink complexion.


    Even Wei Jun had to admit that even with such a high charm that he had, he paled in comparison to the red-haired man. It wasn''t like he was jealous. But if he had to admire the man''s beauty and compare him to someone, then only one person came to his mind.


    "No need to be so uptight. This isn''t an interrogation, negotiation, or a show of hostility. I simply wish to welcome you. I may not seem like it, but I knew your father." The red-haired man said.


    "My father...?" Wei Jun was suddenly taken aback by the mention of the very person he was thinking of earlier. If there was one person who matched or even surpassed the red-haired man in the majesty he exuded, then it was his father.


    "Yes, your father." The red-haired man replied before he added, "It wasn''t for a long time. Only for a thousand years or so. After all, for a conquerer like him, this small place was too cramped."


    The red-haired man seemed like he knew his father well. Or at least well enough to know his thirst for power. Wei Jun had never seen another person in his life who could claim or even think to be greater than his father. His mother was a different story because his father was a good husband but the only other person he had ever seen defy his father was his brother, and even that wasn''t by a great stretch.


    "How do you know Guardian?" Wei Jun finally asked.


    "Haha." The red-haired man chuckled before he said, "To me, Damien, he isn''t Guardian but a kind-hearted man known as Azreal. Kindness is accompanied by strictness but that''s what a parent is."


    "You knew of him? The real him?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I admired him. I yearned to be him." The red-haired man replied before he sighed and looked at Wei Jun, "But now is not the time to discuss that. That was the past, now is the present, and what we need to worry about is the future."


    "Future?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Our future." The red-haired man replied before he said, "There is an entity that wishes to devour my world. I seek liberation from that world. Do you understand where I''m getting with this?"


    "No." Wei Jun straightforwardly replied. He knew for sure that the red-haired man wasn''t asking him to defeat that said entity because if the red-haired man couldn''t, then he was sure he wouldn''t be able to either.


    "You''re right. The way you are now, I see no scenario of you lasting even ten nanoseconds and that is me being generous." The red-haired man said before he said, "No. What I require of you is to completely sever the connection between this world and yours."


    "Mine?" Wei Jun asked, but he wasn''t asking in that sense but in the sense of clarification. His world or Wei Jun''s. After all, he was two in one.


    "No harm can ever come to Earth because your family is there. So, naturally, I mean the world you are currently in. The world of that vessel you''re in." The red-haired man clarified.


    "So? What do you want me to do?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Simply sever the connection between this world and that one. Doing so would benefit you as well." The red-haired man asked.


    "How so?" Wei Jun asked as he remained standing in front of the man.


    Just as he asked that question, the world trembled like an earthquake had just struck it. Wei Jun could for sure tell it was in no way natural.


    So, he looked at the red-haired man for clarification.

 Chapter 389 - 389: Completion

    Wei Jun came out of the castle after about two hours when many of his questions had been answered. The red dragon known as Seraph inside the castle remained elusive in many details and when asked for a reason, the simple reply came, "Some things have to remain a mystery."


    Wei Jun didn''t care if there was a great ploy at play here or if it was something else. What he knew for sure was there were many things going on behind the curtain, things that were beyond his current state of comprehension.


    All said and done, he was shoved into another world, plucked from his usual life with no explanation whatsoever. He had to find many details on his own and even then, things had been very difficult for him. Now that there was a new detail before him, an entirely new scenario that he thought he needed to face, he turned out to be wrong, and very relieved.


    Seraph had asked Wei Jun to sever the connection between this world and the world of the novels. The method to do so was difficult but Wei Jun was sure he could do it. He had to do it. After all, if he weren''t to do so, then he would have to deal with problems from another world along with the destruction of the world of the novels and the protagonists of those novels.


    ''I''d rather commit harakiri.''


    "Are you done?" Richard asked as he stood outside the castle, just where Wei Jun had left him, along with Morial who remained silent as always.


    "Yes." Wei Jun replied. Richard nodded and waved his hand. The next moment, Wei Jun found his scenery being changed and all three of them were in the same grassy expanse they were before when Wei Jun arrived in that strange space through the dilapidated door.


    "Tanya will take you where she had picked you up. As I understand, you still need to do something." Richard said as the door appeared behind him.


    Wei Jun looked at the system panel and nodded.


    [Quest: Dungeon creation]


    [Status: Incomplete]


    [Orc chieftain 1\\1]


    [Orc shamans 2\\2]


    [Orc warriors 30\\50]


    [Twenty females required]


    [Quest: Past and Present and The World Beyond]


    [Status: Incomplete]


    [Leave your name to be remembered]


    Wei Jun looked at the two incomplete quests and sighed. He still had a lot of work to do.


    He had come to the snowy mountains in the first place to eradicate a dark cult but now that he had discovered a connection with the cult, that plan was off.


    What he needed to do now was to capture twenty female orcs and do something that would leave his name in this world for centuries. He just didn''t know how to do that.


    The answer, however, soon came to his mind. Just as the woman known as Tanya created the spell to teleport them in front of the Orc camp, Wei Jun looked at her and asked with a grin on his face, "Can you take me to a kingdom that''s strong and has a firm standing?"


    The hooded woman looked at him but Wei Jun couldn''t discern anything underneath her robe. She asked, "Why?"


    "Why indeed." Wei Jun said with a terrifying grin on his face.


    ~~


    "Haa... Would you look at this guy? Hey, if you drink on the job, the commander will chew your head off." A soldier told his colleague who was sitting down on his post, with a bottle of alcohol in his hand.


    "Hya~ Stop spoiling my mood. The commander is having fun in his tent himself. Why can''t we enjoy ourselves a little? Nothing happens here anyway." The drunk soldier replied and much to the dismay of their oath and job, the other soldier had to agree as well.


    It was the city of Argus, the border city of the Kingdom of Agentine. Of course, it wasn''t situated at the border of the kingdom where there was the threat of other kingdoms because on this border was nothing but a steep mountain range that made it difficult for any sort of invasion. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, if a kingdom truly wanted to, they would have created magic circles or teleportation incantations to take over the city by teleporting an entire army but who in the world would waste so many resources for the city so useless?


    The best this city was known was for nothing. The kingdom was even thinking of taking this city off its map and the support from the kingdom had lessened over the years, indicating that such a time wasn''t too far away.


    The soldier sighed and said, "Haa... Give me one too, you bastard."


    And like that, the soldiers indulged themselves in alcohol, ignoring their duties because if they did so, then two hours later, almost everyone in the city would have been...


    "Just what is happening?" The commander, who was indulging himself in worldly desires looked at the few hundred walking dead advancing towards him. He was a five star aura master and had seen a lot of things in his life time before settling down for such a comfortable job but even he hadn''t seen such a thing ever before.


    "What do you think is happening?" The only man who didn''t seem dead in those few hundred walking dead walked forward and said, "I''m taking over."


    Wei Jun extended his hand and before the commander could even react, his head splattered by what looked like a whip extending from Wei Jun''s hand.


    "What a bunch of idiots." Wei Jun couldn''t help but remark as he made his way to the other side of the city. The city of Argus may not have been important at all but there was one point that everyone, even the neighboring kingdoms had failed to notice.


    While the city of Argus itself was not important, it was still a prime location to invade the kingdom of Agentine without a hitch. The communications in the city didn''t reach the other city and there was barely any influx of merchants to announce the fall of the city.


    Any decent-sized army could invade the city, capture it, and pretend as if nothing was going on while they could easily recon and arrange their forces over time before launching a full-scale attack from a completely unexpected point.


    From within the kingdom itself.


    Still, Wei Jun wasn''t going to do such a thing. He didn''t have enough time to. Now that he had something in his hand that he didn''t have before, he was eager to return.


    But to return, he needed to deal with the current circumstances and complete the quests. So far, he had only obtained two rewards, an increment of five levels and the reward from completing the quest ''Dungeon creation'' which was a whopping fifteen levels, along with a little something special.


    "Can''t wait to check it out. But first..." Wei Jun said as he arrived outside of the city and in the distance of about a walk for half a day, he could lights of another city.


    Wei Jun smiled and made his way over there along with the walking dead consisting of about three hundred. He spared the citizens and noncombatants, only taking those who could fight. It was a pity the walking dead would lose their abilities they''d have prior to their death, but it couldn''t be helped. They couldn''t be killed so that was a great plus point in itself.


    The advantage of the skill lied in the numbers and Wei Jun was sure by the time he''d arrive at the capital of the kingdom, he''s have an army no one would be able to contend with.


    "You are insane." Tanya, the robbed woman said as she appeared before Wei Jun. Wei Jun smiled and said, "I am very, very thankful for your help."


    Without her, he couldn''t have done it so easily after all. She was the one who had familiarized him with the geography of the kingdom.


    Just that allowed Wei Jun to come up with a plan that couldn''t be countered no matter what. At least not with the short amount of time he was giving the kingdom.


    "I am doing so on the orders of the master." Tanya straightforwardly replied. Wei Jun nodded but he still pulled a few mana crystals and handed them to her. She looked at them without any expression on her face which Wei Jun couldn''t see anyway since her face was covered by her hood.


    "I suppose I should show my gratitude for these," Tanya said.


    "Are they precious or expensive?" Wei Jun asked as he didn''t know the true value of the mana crystals. The system had said it was an important resource and could help his subordinates but he was still under the impression that the mana crystals weren''t more precious than miasma cores.


    Tanya looked at him with a strange expression which Wei Jun couldn''t see and said, "You have to be a hermit or an illiterate to not know the value of these."


    Wei Jun simply shook his head and replied "I''m quite new here you see. Besides, I won''t be here for long so learning is not the thing I''m most focused on at the time."


    With that, she shook her head and said, "Let us depart then, I was not informed helping you would take such a long time."


    Wei Jun nodded in appreciation before he turned to look at the city with a grin as he said, "You''re right. Let''s not waste any time. It''s time to bring Chaos."

 Chapter 390 - 390: Questions

    "It''s inefficient," Tanya said as Wei Jun and her were eating in front of a campfire.


    "What is?" Wei Jun asked as he finished eating a piece of roasted meat before he picked up another one of the well-roasted cow''s pieces.


    "The way you use your power," Tanya said.


    "Really?" Wei Jun as if he couldn''t believe her words, "I was told I had a very good control."


    "You were told correctly." Tanya said before she said, "The powers of the universes have their own mind so one can have a hard time controlling it. However, your control is flawless. There''s no fluctuation or wasted energy when you use your power."


    "Then I don''t see what''s wrong with it." Wei Jun said.


    "Nothing is wrong with your power. What''s wrong is with your imagination." Tanya argued.


    "My imagination?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Mhm." Tanya nodded before she explained, "I can tell you have had a very sheltered life. Not as in the sense you were coddled but the experiences you went through were too few. One would think it is not of great importance but I disagree."


    She looked at Wei Jun and said, her face still half covered by her hood, "You don''t question yourself."


    "Question myself?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Mhm." Tanya nodded once more before she said, "Imagination is the realm of impossibility but that is not purely accurate. Possibility lies in imagination. That possibility gives birth to probability and that probability in turn gives way to questions."


    "Is this possible? If possible then how? Is it possible to make it better? If so then how?"


    "Endless questions create room to grow. You, on the other hand, appear as if you have a path decided and move on to it without ever questioning yourself whether or not you''re doing it right or not."


    "It is like you have already created a set of principles for your life and you abide by them. It is not wrong if you live the same life, but if you''re living another then..."


    She finally raised her head, enough so Wei Jun could look at her face, spotting her deep blue eyes, "One becomes inefficient."


    "..." Wei Jun remained silent. He had never thought about it and even the system had never pointed out such a thing. But if he thought about it again, it probably wasn''t the system''s job. It was his assistant, not a mentor who was there to help him figure out his way.


    As Tanya said, Wei Jun had lived his life with a certain set of principles. Those who betrayed him were only met by one fate and those who helped him... well, he never needed anyone to help him in the first place. He took what he desired and left nothing for the others.


    That was the life he had lived. That was the life Damien had lived. It was fine for him in the world he originally belonged to and it worked for him in the world of novels but it was as Tanya said, he wasn''t on Earth anymore. He was on an entirely different planet, with entirely different beliefs and a power that never existed back in his original world.


    How was he supposed to deal with those changes? Would doing as the world offered him would make him the best? No, it would make him like them. He didn''t want to be like them. He was different. He wanted to be different.


    He never thought if there could be something done about the way he cultivated or if the powers in his abdomen could somehow be... changed.


    "Then..." Wei Jun looked at Tanya and asked, "What should I do?"


    "Questions are a necessary part of your life. If there are no questions, there can be no answers. Without answers, life is aimless. So just simply question yourself and be confident you''ll come up with an answer." Tanya said.


    She then finished eating and stood up. She left, leaving Wei Jun with his thoughts. As he was alone, he asked the one person who was more well-versed in Qi than anyone else he knew at the moment.


    ''How did you create those cultivation techniques?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I took what I had]


    [Broke it down]


    [And built in my own image]


    [Simple but complex]


    [But...]


    [It''s nothing new, host]


    [I may have been born special]


    [But, in the end, I was just a human]


    [But, I was also a human]


    [Did you know, host]


    [In all of existence, a human is the sole creation that has no limit]


    [They don''t have strong bodies, exceptional vessels, or unique physiques]


    [Yet they always stand next to those who do]


    [Why do you think that is?]


    ''Because...''


    "They wonder." Wei Jun said as he slashed the head of the city lord. It was a difficult battle but Wei Jun had managed to defeat the city lord and his knights.


    He looked down at the stream of blood that flowed throughout the city, washing down in the sewers. It had been about five days since he began to take over the kingdom of Agentine. The kingdom of course figured things out but it was too late. He was already very close to the capital of the kingdom and one final battle remained before the kingdom of Agentine would fall.


    However, that wasn''t why Wei Jun was having a hard time. It wasn''t because the battles were becoming difficult and the opponents were becoming stronger.


    No. It was simply because his head wasn''t in the right place. He couldn''t figure out his path. What was he doing? How was he doing? What was the path of Qi? How should he proceed?


    Such questions and a hundred others occupied his mind and left no place for him to focus on the battle. He didn''t know how to deal with it or how he should move forward from that point on.


    All he knew was that he knew nothing. He couldn''t understand Tanya''s or the system''s words at all.


    He could understand what they said. What they meant.


    But, he couldn''t understand what they meant by that. What was the unique experience they both had that made them unique and how was Wei Jun supposed to figure that out? S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are you doing?" He asked.


    "Huh?" Damien raised his head to look at his brother who had just entered the room and saw Damien looking at the wooden puzzle intently.


    "I''m trying to solve it," Damien replied. At the age of seven, Damien had nothing to do but laze around. He wasn''t an immature child so he busied himself with learning several things along with playing around.


    Latin, religion, cars, animals, guns, and literature.


    Puzzles came in the category of the games, he guessed, so he gave them a good time. He''d often get immersed in a puzzle so much that he''d lose track of everything else.


    The time when he discovered Rubik''s cube was a terrible time in his life. He lost track of sleep and food, nothing else mattered but the puzzle did.


    But, unlike all those puzzles, this puzzle didn''t come with a set of directions. There was no goal, just one.


    Make something with it.


    Anything.


    A puzzle of imagination.


    "With what? The psychic power of your mind?" His brother asked as he came close and sat on the opposite side.


    "It''s just... doesn''t make any sense. There must be something to do but no matter how much I try, I can''t just come up with a... shape." Damien wasn''t sure what the puzzle was about in the first place so he didn''t know how to even reply.


    "Haha." His brother laughed as he picked up the wooden pieces and began to assemble them. He failed.


    "Haha, you failed too." Damien laughed, attempting to make fun of his brother.


    "But at least I tried." His brother replied, "If you just keep thinking and do nothing, then nothing will be done."


    His brother began to rearrange the pieces once again while he said, "A thousand years journey begins with a single step. If you just remain in your spot to wonder if this path is correct or not, or if the other path is correct or not, or if the path that comes after that is correct or not, then you will just remain in that spot forever."


    As he said so, the puzzle was complete, and a perfect globe was in his brother''s hands. He looked at Damien, pulling one piece out, and disassembling the entire puzzle, "Why don''t you begin with just one path and see where it leads to? You can always think on the way. Only stop when you fail, or when you end the path and want to try another path."


    "But what if the path is not correct? What if..."


    Damien raised his head to look at his brother who had stood up, "What if I fail?"


    "Then try again." His brother said as if the most obvious thing, "If you let fear of failure hold you back, then you''ve truly lost. The will to keep trying is what being a human is all about."


    "Begin, huh?" Wei Jun said as he looked at the capital city in the distance, an army standing in his path.


    "Why don''t I just begin then?" Wei Jun said a set of daggers appeared in his hands as he began to walk forward and a set of notifications appeared in his vision...


    [Would you like to delete your current cultivation technique?]


    [Yes\\No]


    [Warning]


    [...]


    [.]

 Chapter 391 - 391: One path

    Wei Jun opened his eyes and looked inside his Qi core. He hadn''t been inside of there in a long time. The universe that was covered in strings of flame coursing through the entirety of it.


    It was a sight to see for sure but Wei Jun was not focused on that at the moment. He ignored the pulsating strings and looked at the small bead in the middle of the universe. The solidified section.


    Core solidification had taken a good amount of Wei Jun''s time but his core hadn''t even been half solidified let alone full. That was why even though his control was immense, the expenditure of his Qi was massive.


    Wei Jun closed his eyes and opened them again, this time, finding himself surrounded by black flames. Another universe. A dark universe. A universe of death.


    His Death Qi core.


    Wei Jun looked around to see nothing like a solidified core here. There was no core solidification for this one. That was when he realized what he was doing wrong. His main weapon was his Death Qi yet he had never paid any attention to it.


    The problem, when arrived at that conclusion, was that whenever he''d attempt to do so, he''d always end up solidifying the yang Qi core, not the Death Qi one.


    ''It''s in the way.'' Wei Jun concluded.


    "Pick one path and stick to it. Try another only when it fails or you arrive at its end." Wei Jun repeated the words of his brother. He had never seen his brother fail but that was because it was his brother in that scenario.


    When he was the one concerned, Wei Jun needed to make sure he could do it and he just realized that he couldn''t.


    He couldn''t juggle multiple powers at once. Since the beginning, the system had said the same thing, just in different words. Where the system was a genius when it came to the study of Qi, Wei Jun was a genius when it came to the control of Qi and his state of mind.


    They were geniuses in different aspects. So why was Wei Jun trying to follow the system''s aspect. Why was he thinking of having three cultivation techniques just because the system allowed him to?


    Wei Jun opened his eyes again and looked at the two cores from far away. One ruly and erratic, and one was tame, calm and serene.


    [Would you like to abolish your current cultivation technique?]


    [Yes\\No]


    [Warning]


    [Doing so would erase your current core]


    [Such an action can lead to Qi deviation]


    Wei Jun looked at the two cores from far away and simply uttered, ''Yes''.


    Just as he did, the core of yang Qi began to shake, and it soon got to the intense rumbling as if an earthquake was occurring. The Yang Qi''s solidified core was absolving, freeing all of the Qi in his core.


    His Qi was no longer restricted. It was free to wreak havoc in his body. It was free to go anywhere in his body.


    [HP -10]


    [HP -10]


    [HP -10]


    [...]


    [...]


    The green power in his heart immediately moved as soon as it sensed damage to Wei Jun but even then, the damage that had been caused to Wei Jun was massive. At least half of his Qi was gone before the green power could take action but that suddenly stopped as well. The requirement was to use the yang Qi to heal Wei Jun.


    How was that supposed to happen when Yang Qi was the very thing inflicting damage upon Wei Jun? It was impossible to heal him.


    The Yang Qi could only continue to destroy Wei Jun''s body. But, Wei Jun wasn''t worried in the least. Just like the Yang Qi was now free of his control, he wasn''t controlling his Death Qi core to stay away from the Yang Qi anymore either.


    "Shaa!!!"


    Like a ferocious animal screaming, the Death Qi immediately moved and began to devour the Yang Qi. The very Yang that was wreaking havoc in his body was now running away in fright, finding any corner it could to hide or escape Wei Jun''s body.


    But, death was persistent. It was quick. It was relentless.


    It couldn''t escape.


    [Death Qi +100]


    [Death Qi +100]


    [Death Qi +100]


    [...]


    [...]


    [...]


    [HP 15\\451]


    [Death Qi 20319\\20319]


    [QP 0\\0]


    [Qi: 0]


    Wei Jun''s stats changed for the better or for worse, he didn''t know. All he did know was that he had chosen death as his set path and now he was going to walk on it.


    Forever.


    Or at least until he arrived at the end.


    [Are you sure?]


    [You''ll be branded as an evil cultivator forever]


    ''There''s an answer for that as well.''


    Before he became a Qi grandmaster, he remembered the system saying that he could hide his Qi signatures when needed. He just needed practice for that.


    Wei Jun opened his eyes and looked at Tanya who had just appeared before him, looking at the unsettling scene before her... before him.


    Scores of dead bodies and streams of blood flowed throughout the capital. All the soldiers who stood against him were dead, even those who ran away weren''t spared. Each and every one of them was killed. Killed at the hands of the man who kept his eyes closed the entire time.


    Tanya raised her hand and aimed it at Wei Jun.


    [High Heal has been cast on the user]


    [Skill rejection has been stopped]


    [HP has been fully restored]


    "Teach me." Wei Jun said as soon as he looked at Tanya and added, "Teach me how to become one with your power and become... itself."


    Tanya looked at him for a while before she raised her hand once again and brought it to her head. She took off her hood and looked at him, her deep sea-green eyes staring at him. Her beauty outmatched any other Wei Jun had ever seen but at the moment, his eyes weren''t focused on her beauty but on the veins traveling through her light green eyes.


    "Follow me once you''re done here." Tanya said and left. Wei Jun looked at the trembling king before him and then at the people gathered in the plaza. Nobles, merchants, and anyone who held any influence or even a house in the capital was gathered. Nobels and commoners were the same as Wei Jun, in front of all of them, raised his dagger and brought it down on the king who was kneeling before him.


    Wei Jun cleaved the king in half and then turned to the people, his deep dark eyes looked at them with no emotion inside of them.


    "Remember this day. The day I, Damien Smith, destroyed your kingdom And I do hope, you remember it for eternity. For your own sakes." Wei Jun said.


    Although his voice was very low, everyone in the plaza could hear him. Wei Jun simply looked at the different variety of people. Women he had widowed. Children, he had orphaned. Elders who had lost their children.


    He could see the hate in their eyes. And that was why, he knew for sure that they''d remember him forever. And that was why...


    [Quest complete]


    [You have successfully left your name in the world]


    [You have successfully distorted the fate of the world ''Arcadia'']


    [You have been rewarded with massive experience points]


    [You have leveled up...]


    [You have leveled...]


    [You have...]


    [You...]


    Wei Jun could feel the power coursing through his veins as the power of the dark dragon assimilated with his body, increasing his physical stats with each level increase.


    Wei Jun simply took a deep breath and looked up at the sky while the system notifications kept appearing in his view in droves.


    "Have I properly paved the path now?"


    He didn''t know. But he''d sure like to know if he was right or not. He''d like to know if all his effort was in vain or if there was some benefit to it.


    If ''he'' would take benefit from it.


    ~~


    Far away from where Wei Jun was, in the depth of the castle that was the main base for those who worshipped the dark dragon Guardian, inside of a door, was an entirely different space.


    In that space was a city were only wyverns in there human form lived. In the middle of that city was a giant castle that was nothing like a castle from the inside.


    Inside that castle, deep in the middle of it, was a red haired man who sat cross legged, his eyes closed but he suddenly opened them.


    A smirk appeared on his face as he muttered, "He''s finally done it."


    The cracks could be seen in the sky, cracks that couldn''t be seen by a normal eye. And in that crack, the red-haired man known as Seraph could see a pair of golden eyes looking back at him.


    "Do you think you have won with this stunt, child?"


    The owner of the golden eyes asked in a heavy tone.


    Hearing his question, Seraph only smiled and said...


    "This is just the beginning of my victory. Do wait. There is more to come."


    "Foolish child." The owner of the golden eyes said in a contemptuous voice.


    "Perhaps," Seraph didn''t refute those words but then he looked at the pair of golden eyes and said, "But I will not let you destroy another world."


    Seraph didn''t talk back anymore and muttered, "Begin process of return and transportation. Selected souls..."


    "Richard."


    "Martha." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Augustus."


    "Tanya."


    "Diemvile."


    "And..."


    He raised his head once again to look at the pair of golden eyes that looked back at him and said, "... Me."

 Chapter 392 - 392: Return (Bonus)

    [The user has abolished his Yang Qi core]


    [You can no longer obtain stats or Qi from the opponents you kill]


    [The element of Death has taken over your body]


    [Your existence becomes shrouded in Death]


    [Wherever you walk, death shall follow]


    [Your steps shall become laced with death and you become a part of death itself]


    [Class ''Invader'' has been updated]


    [Classes]


    [Primary]


    [Secondary]


    [Primary class: Invader]


    [Secondary class: Immortal]


    [Immortal]


    [HP has increased by 100]


    [Passive skill ''Regeneration'']


    [Effect: Constant regeneration of health]


    [Sleeping explosively enhances regeneration of health]


    [Active skill ''Sacrifice'']


    [Effect: Restores a portion of your health upon killing]


    [Duration: 10 minutes]


    [Cost: 500 QP]


    The secondary class that kept him alive along with the power of Death restored him almost instantly along with the power of the green dragon in his heart. Least to say, Wei Jun was almost immortal, decreasing his chances of death by a good, good bit.


    [Error]


    [A permanent change has been made]


    [QP has been erased]


    [All skills activation will now depend upon Death Qi]


    [Cooldown and duration will not be affected]


    [Cost will not be affected]


    [All skills have become 100% more effective]


    To summarize, his system had gone through a lot of changes but now that he had just one single power source, the system had molded itself to change its functions accordingly as well.


    But none of it, not one bit of it, became close to the change in his main class. Had it been Wei Jun from a year ago, he wouldn''t have understood but he now did. He now understood the importance of everything he obtained.


    [Class: Invader]


    [Effect(s):


    #1: The effect of the world''s laws decreased by 50%


    #2: Attack and defense of the children of destiny decreased by 50%


    #3: ???]


    The attack and defense decrease of a protagonist. It was amazing, to say the least. If a protagonist dealt a hundred points of damage to Wei Jun before, with this effect, the damage dealt would be only seventy-five.


    And if a protagonist could block a hundred points of his attack before, now he''d be able to block only seventy-five points, letting twenty-five points of damage through.


    [Note from author: A 50% decrease doesn''t mean fifty points but twenty-five


    100% would mean a reduction by half or double effectiveness in which case, the damage blocked would be fifty instead of a total hundred, and the damage given would be fifty instead of a total hundred


    Game logic. A little confusing. Don''t blame me]


    With such an effect applied, Wei Jun could only wonder what the third effect would be and he could only hope it''d be something better than the other two, or at least equally efficient as the two effects before it.


    "It seems you have found your path." Wei Jun opened his eyes to look into Tanya''s sea-green eyes. Wei Jun let out a deep exhale and nodded. Tanya nodded as well before red particles began to emit from her.


    Wei Jun scrunched his eyebrows and was about to speak when Tanya raised her hand to stop him and said, "Don''t worry about this. It is simply time."


    "Time?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Mhm. You should return too. We have done what we needed to do and you have done what you needed to do. There''s no need for you to remain here anymore. You should return to your own world and resume your journey." Tanya said.


    Wei Jun nodded and stood up. Although he had never done it before, he still took a deep breath and bowed slightly at an angle of about forty-five degrees.


    Tanya looked at him without blinking. She accepted his bow with a smile and said, "Let''s hope what I taught you helps you and allows you to grow."


    "It will." Wei Jun said with certainty as he straightened his back to see Tanya not in her spot. She had disappeared, and he had no idea where.


    But he didn''t have the time to.


    The world soon began to shake and the ground began to tear apart.


    But it wasn''t only the ground that was falling apart but the sky soon followed as well. Wei Jun looked up to see what could only be described as the end of the world.


    But, he wasn''t looking at that end of the world. He was looking at the deep golden eyes lookin straight back at him, a tinge of anger inside of them. The eyes that were s big as buildings looked straight at him and he looked straight back at them.


    They were familiar.


    "Brother." Wei Jun heard a voice straight in his head. He knew who those words belonged to and kept his gaze straight to meet the golden eyes.


    [The world of Arcadia is captured in a time loop]


    [The user is a variable not accountable]


    [The user will be expelled from the world of Arcadia]


    Wei Jun felt a vortex, like a dungeon gate form behind him and pull him in. Wei Jun didn''t resist the pull but he kept his gaze fixed on the pair of golden eyes as he heard a few words from the owner of the eyes just before the gate fully enveloped him.


    "I shall find you soon."


    And then, there was nothing but darkness. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ~~


    "Are you sure?" General Ming asked Jang Haogua.


    Haogua could only nod as she looked at the red portal letting out shots of electricity that were enough to even harm a master rank cultivator like her.


    General Ming turned to look at the people that were present, most of them the grandmaster realm martial artists that she could amass on such short notice.


    And...


    "Hohoho." A peal of laughter full of kindness and life. The laughter of an elderly, old man who stood back in the corner behind Commander Yan of the CSF and General Shao. "I haven''t seen a dungeon break for so long."


    With him there, the dungeon was nothing to be afraid of and everyone was at ease for that but the would have been the case if it had been a normal S rank dungeon. It wasn''t.


    The dungeon was showing signs that couldn''t be read. Even when the scholars of the magic society studied the dungeon, they couldn''t make anything out of it. It was an S rank dungeon, that much everyone was aware of, but what was inside of it was unknown to everyone.


    The dungeon couldn''t be accessed. They couldn''t tell what sort of monsters were inside or when the dungeon break would happen. The dungeon was growing worse and worse with each passing day but it hadn''t exploded even when it had been about a month since it formed.


    Usually a dungeon would break in a week''s time but this time, this dungeon hadn''t opened up even when a month had passed but that only worried everyone. the electric shocks emitting from the dungeon had intensified as well, to the point it was even lethal to a grandmaster realm cultivator.


    General Ming was sure that if she were to attempt such a dungeon, she would lose.


    A dungeon no one was able to tell anything about. Well, one thing, actually. And that, on the contrary, caused heavy panic among everyone.


    The people from the magic society just said this...


    "This dungeon is emitting mana, not miasma." The robed figure said. "And the purest of mana you wouldn''t pick up even from a ninth-circle mage."


    A dungeon never emitted mana, it only emitted miasma. That had always been the case. There was no change at all, no such occurrence at all.


    And in that, if there was news that such a powerful mana was emitting from it meant there was a powerful figure inside with that much mana and if there was such a thing inside, then there was a good possibility they wouldn''t be able to stop it so easily once it came out, free of all restrictions.


    ''Fu*k. Does this have anything to do with him?''


    General Ming couldn''t help but think so. The only person who had ever been able to enter the dungeon was Wei Jun and no one else. Even the elder couldn''t enter it and seeing as he strong he was, it could only be assumed that there was a special condition at play.


    ''One thing is for sure...'' General Ming thought as she turned to look at the old man who was sitting with a nonchalant attitude.


    With this incident, Wei Jun definitely caught his attention. Wei Jun was now on the elder''s radar. And there was nothing that could help him now.


    Suddenly, just as she was about to turn around, a chill spread throughout the entire area.


    Everything just froze.


    Fear enveloped everything and only one emotion remained deep into the still eyes of everyone.


    Helplessness.


    "This is... something." Even the old man couldn''t help but say as he stood up, his buff body crackling with each of his movements.


    However, just as he stood up, the strong feeling of whatever it was, just like it came, passed like it was never there.


    But it was there.


    Everyone had felt it.


    They could still feel it.


    And in all of that, the dungeon gate began to let out strong currents of air and just as they did, a figure was thrown out of the dungeon gate and rolled on the ground for a few meters before it stopped at the feet of a cold, blue eyes woman who had been standing in front of the dungeon gate for days.


    Everyone looked at the figure and the figure looked at the woman in whose feet he was and said, with a smile on his face, "Darling, I''m home."

 Chapter 393 - 393: True Emperor

    Yan Rong had been stationed at the dungeon from the seventh day. She hadn''t been ordered but had voluntarily asked to be stationed at the dungeon.


    The dungeon had been deemed dangerous, jumping from A rank to S rank and the sole diver of the dungeon had been none other than her lover, Wei Jun.


    She didn''t know why Wei Jun had been assigned that dungeon, but when she found out, her anger had broken through the roof, and so had her rank.


    She transitioned from being a master rank cultivator to a grandmaster realm cultivator and almost destroyed an entire military base. She had been contained by her father who was surprised at her growth but even he was having a harm time to control her.


    General Ming looked at her and gulped, remembering the punch she received when Yan Rong broke through to vent her anger that she had due to the military.


    Yan Rong, however, kept her gaze on the dungeon gate, clinging to nothing but hope that Wei Jun would appear from that dungeon gate the very next moment.


    And, as if all her prayers for the last three weeks had been answered, the person she so desperately wished to see fell at her feet, looked at him, and with his usual charming smile, said, "Darling. I''m home."


    Her heart quivered and her body shook. She couldn''t react. She didn''t know how to.


    Everything around her stopped. Everyone around her kept looking at her. And she, in turn, kept looking at him. She took a deep breath, once again making sure she wasn''t dreaming, and went down on her knees, looking at the man of her dreams who looked up at her and did what she had been wishing to do for the last three weeks. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She raised her hand, with a loving expression on her face, she said as she brought her hand down, "I missed you, darling."


    To Wei Jun''s gut.


    "Argh!!!"


    Wei Jun grunted loudly in pain as Yan Rong punched him in the gut, but that wasn''t the end of it. She rained punches down on him wherever she could, unleashing a chain of curses that would make one''s ears bleed. A kind of cursing that didn''t suit a woman at that.


    Something involving Wei Jun, and a pair of balls in his possession.


    ~~


    "So, you''re Wei Jun? Hohoho." The elder laughed but this time there was no kindness in his laughter but pure mock. Wei Jun''s eyes twitched as he heard the old man''s laughter but he held himself back.


    He looked at him, his face showing no indication that it was swollen just a few minutes ago so badly that it could have been mistaken for a red tomato, and said, "Yes."


    "Show respect to the elder." Commander Yan immediately said. Wei Jun looked at him for a moment with chilly eyes but gulped down his anger once again. He couldn''t yell at Yan Rong''s father. Especially not after the beating he had been through.


    "Hohoho. It''s fine. The young man is already in too much pain from his wounded pride." The elder once again made fun of Wei Jun, making his eye twitch again, but Wei Jun displayed patience that couldn''t be found in a young man his age.


    "So? Feel like telling us what you witnessed inside that dungeon?" The elder asked now that he had made enough fun of Wei Jun.


    The dungeon that Wei Jun came out from, the dungeon from where they felt that presence that shook them down to their souls, had closed just as Wei Jun came out of it.


    Anyone could tell Wei Jun had something to do with it. The fact that he could defeat the person whose presence they felt was impossible on its own so there must have been some other scenario at play here.


    "I''m afraid you can''t ask my disciple such a question." The sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect spoke.


    He attracted everyone''s attention in the room and with a frown, General Shao asked, "Why not?"


    "It''s a breach of contract. He''s to clear dungeons for you, not answer your questions." The sect master said.


    "Hohoho." The old man chuckled and said, "Little Song has surely gotten gutsy."


    "I sure have, old man." The sect master replied.


    "You dare!" General Shao and Commander Yan yelled in unison while the other generals also had a frown on their faces.


    "Cool down. You cannot defeat him anyway." The old man said. At the old man''s words, everyone remembered the kind of lunatic they were looking at and some of them even trembled.


    The sect master only smiled softly and said, "How about we don''t stretch this matter any longer? The dungeon was a threat. It disappeared. Problem solved."


    "But it could appear again." The old man argued.


    "And we can band together to deal with it then." The sect master countered before he added, "Regardless, I''ll not have a member of my sect be bullied by your hands, old man."


    "..." The old man remained silent for a while before he nodded and said, "Very well. State your demands."


    ''Cunning bastard.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly but he couldn''t help but nod in acknowledgment. Wei Jun would have taken advantage of the situation himself as well but he wasn''t strong enough to do it but the sect master was and it appeared the high command was aware of his strength and the old man was aware of his true strength.


    He had the right to demand from the military, but Wei Jun didn''t.


    "I want the contract that binds my disciple to the military to be abolished and he be paid significant amount of resources for his troubles." The sect master said.


    "That is too much." General Ming interjected.


    "Not necessarily. I don''t know how he did it, but he prevented a great tragedy from coming to this earth. Had that dungeon been opened, nobody here would have been alive. I think you owe him greatly for that." The sect master argued and it was such a valid point that even General Ming had to agree.


    But, just because she agreed, didn''t mean they were bound to agree.


    "You''re right, little Song," The old man said before he looked at the sect master with a devious look as he said, "I don''t want to. What are you gonna do about it?"


    Wei Jun involuntarily took a step back even when he had remained unfazed in the presence of the golden eyes.


    The sect master, on the other hand, remained in his place as he dusted off his shoulder. He looked at the old man and said, "Don''t be unreasonable, old man. You don''t want me as an enemy, do you?"


    The old man looked at the unfazed expression of the sect master and smiled, "Very well. I am willing to compensate him but his bond to the military shall remain. I cannot lose such a strong asset, after all."


    The old man openly announced his intentions. And no one in the room could refute his words. And no one could even think of refuting his words. All they could do was stand there in complete and utter silence.


    Even Wei Jun abided by rule of the strong was the law. He knew he had no right to make a demand from the old man unless he had something the old man wanted but unfortunately, he didn''t.


    ''But that doesn''t mean I don''t have it.'' Wei Jun thought inwardly as he made plans for the future. It was time to use the leverage against the empire once more. After all, now that the times were perfectly hectic, Wei Jun could take advantage of that. Advantage of the empire''s and its law enforcement''s frustration.


    "How shameless can you be, old man?" The sect master said but he knew he wasn''t getting anything more than the old man was offering so he said, "Then, in return, approve the sect takeover."


    Wei Jun raised his head to look at the sect master. He wasn''t well versed in the matter of the sects but even he knew what a sect takeover was. It was just like a hostile takeover when a business was concerned. Just the word ''sect'' was added before to show what would be taken over.


    The Thunder Cloud Tempest sect had been the first-ranking sect across the empire but, due to some reasons, dropped down to the third rank. Wei Jun was certain that there was none other like the sect master in those sects, so either he wasn''t involved for some reason, or he didn''t want to do anything about it when his sect fell in the ranking.


    However, now that times were changing, perhaps the sect master had decided to get involved.


    "Ambitious as always, little Song." The old man said with a straight expression before he added, "Very well. Whatever you do between you sects, the empire will not get involved."


    "Do you speak for the imperial family?" The sect master asked even when the old man had given his permission.


    "Hohoho." The old man chuckled but this time, arrogance could be spotted in his laughter as he asked, "When I have said something, what can the imperial family do?"


    He then stood up and then proudly said a few simple words, "Do not forget, Little Song. I am the true king of his empire. Liu Qianghua."

 Chapter 394 - 394: Anger

    "Are you gonna tell me what happened to you in there?" The sect master asked as he and Wei Jun were leaving the military base after the meeting.


    "No." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "Sure." The sect master said before he asked, "Do you like what I got you?"


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but nod his head. Although there were a few things that could take his attention, Wei Jun couldn''t help but admit what the military had provided him due to the sect master''s backing was one of those few things.


    [Sword of the Mountain King]


    [Tier: S]


    [Description: A sword smelted after using the entire body of the mountain king, barehanded defeated by a renowned swordsman who smelted the sword with his own Qi, melting the body and molding it to the sword


    From the hilt to the tip, the sword is made entirely of the king of the mountains]


    [Effect(s):


    #1: Return damage +10% sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    #2 Damage reduction +10%


    #3: Armor penetration +20%


    #4: Lifesteal +10%


    #5: Base User attack +20%]


    [Required level: 400]


    Wei Jun loved the sword in his hand but there was one short problem with all of that. And that was...


    [You have leveled up x50]


    The massive level-ups he obtained in the world of Arcadia after completing the quest which had popped out of nowhere. Wei Jun didn''t believe in coincidences and he was sure that even though he obtained those levels rather easily, expending little effort, he was sure someone else would have to bear the brunt.


    The one for who he had prepared all of that.


    But even with all that, his current level was...


    [Level: 396]


    [AN(Author Note): I didn''t know if I made a mistake in the previous chapters somewhere about the level and HP but this is the accurate one after an intense check-up of the previous chapters]


    He was still four levels short before he could use the sword. He sighed and stored the sword in his inventory, looked at the sect master, and asked, "So? What do you want for this?"


    "Quick to catch on, I see." The sect master said before he got to the main point, "Remember the sect takeover I mentioned inside, right?"


    "Yeah." Wei Jun replied.


    "I have a feeling you''ll like the task I''m about to entrust you with." The sect master said with a grin on his face that, for some reason, excited Wei Jun.


    ~~


    As Wei Jun was leaving, he suddenly stopped. In his path stood none other than the old man who had displayed his immense authority inside the room.


    "I didn''t think Little Song would leave you alone. You''re like a married couple." Liu Qianghua said.


    Wei Jun didn''t reply but he didn''t bother putting up his guard as well. If the old man wanted to kill him, unfortunately, the current Wei Jun could only helplessly die.


    He could see it. The flame emitting from the old man. The flame of Qi that he had been able to see after he reached the realm of a grandmaster. He was under the impression that the Generals were strong but he was wrong. They were nothing compared to the purity and denseness of this old man''s Qi.


    [Qi saint]


    [Strength: 5129]


    [Agility: 4893]


    [Stamina: 4771]


    [Qi: 10940]


    What scared him even more was the rank of the old man. The very thing he was sure he wouldn''t be able to compare to. No matter what he did, Wei Jun was sure he would die if the old man was to make a move on him. And those were his stats even when he hadn''t activated any sort of skills. With Qi armament, Wei Jun was certain he would lose.


    Compared to him, Wei Jun''s stats were outright disappointing.


    ''Not for long.'' But Wei Jun wasn''t born to be oppressed. If not today, he''d defy the old man tomorrow, or after a week, or a month, or a year but a time will come when the old man would be standing in his place while Wei Jun would be the one to look down on him.


    "What do you want?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Quite impolite of you." The old man said with a chuckle before he asked, "Why don''t you come to me? I can give you power beyond measure."


    Wei Jun remained silent. Coming to him meant coming under him. Wei Jun couldn''t have that.


    "No." A straight answer. The old man wasn''t looking for any excuses. He was old enough to know when Wei Jun would be lying, stalling, or just outright not with him. Wei Jun found truth to be a far better option than trying and lie.


    "Why?" The old man asked.


    Wei Jun looked at him and simply replied, "Because you''re trying to limit me."


    ''Never let yourself be limited by anyone.'' The words of his father. He had never allowed anyone to limit him based on those very few words.


    But those few words had been what running his life. Wei Jun looked at the old man who remained silent and said nothing for quite a while before he simply began to walk, passing him as he entered the building behind Wei Jun all the while Wei Jun remained as he was.


    Wei Jun only moved once he was gone. A slight sigh of relief couldn''t help but leave his lips. Still, all things considered, he''d think the conversation ended a lot better than one would have thought when the person in question was a man like the old man.


    Wei Jun slightly shook his head and began to walk, making his way to his car.


    Just as arrived at his car, he saw someone familiar standing against the bonnet of his car. Looking at the familiar person, Wei Jun grabbed his stomach.


    He gulped unconsciously and didn''t move from his spot. Seeing him acting like that, Yan Rong clicked her tongue and said with obvious dissatisfaction in her tone, "Come over here. I won''t kill you."


    But she definitely thought of doing so.


    Wei Jun took a deep breath and obediently made his way to the blue-eyed young woman who kept following him with her deep blue piercing eyes.


    "Where were you?" Yan Rong asked.


    "Inside a dungeon." Wei Jun quickly replied.


    "Were you in danger?" Yan Rong asked with little to no emotion in his voice.


    "No." Wei Jun simply replied.


    Tan Rong nodded and moved forward, making Wei Jun take a step back involuntarily. She looked at him with her eyes piercing deep into his very soul as she said, "You move again, I''m gonna hit you."


    "Yes, ma''am." Wei Jun replied as he remained in his spot. Yan Rong nodded and moved forward, putting her arms around Wei Jun''s broad shoulders and enveloping him in a hug. She remained like that for a while, for about ten minutes, and in all those ten minutes, Wei Jun only returned the hug by locking his arms around her, nothing else.


    She took a few deep breaths before she backed away, releasing Wei Jun from her hold and Wei Jun did the same.


    "What we''re gonna do is right now is we''re gonna eat. A lot. And then you''re not sleeping for a couple of days." Yan Rong said as she made her way to the passenger side of the car, leaving Wei Jun to follow her with his eyes as a smile clung to his lips.


    However, before she could enter the car, she turned to Wei Jun and said, "Oh, and there''s another one."


    "Another one?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Another beating you''ll have to go through." Yan Rong replied before she got into her car.


    Not being a dense person at all, Wei Jun immediately figured out what she was talking about and couldn''t help but gulp once more.


    ~~


    "GAAAHHH!!!" A man yelled as he threw everything in the room on the ground, shattering whatever could be shattered and just throwing away what couldn''t be.


    "Calm down, will you?" A man sitting on the sole couch in the room said as he looked at the man showing his anger with contempt.


    "Calm down? Calm down! HOW CAN I BE CALM!!!"


    The second man winched at the shouts of the first man but didn''t say anything about it. Instead, he said, "Relax. It''s no big deal."


    "No big deal? No big deal?! Can''t you see that massive tear in time and space!!!? The laws are severely affected and all our placed cards have been mostly used!!!!" The first man was not showing signs of calming down in the least before he added, "AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHO IS CAUSING ALL OF THIS!!!! THE HARD WORK OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS IS AT STAKE HERE."


    "And yelling is gonna make everything okay." The second man calmly said before he stood up and walked out of the room, leaving a few words behind, "Don''t worry. Our current card has found something to make him stronger than he was supposed to."


    "What?" The first man asked but the second man only waved his hand as he left, leaving the angry man with nothing but questions.

 Chapter 395 - 395: Vessel?

    "For now there have been no reports of that guy going into secluded training." Mark Wilson reported to Wei Jun in his office and added, "Still, according to your instructions, while we are a little aggressive, we''re keeping it professional and the government involved. The military is helping with that so there''s no need to worry about the government''s cooperation as well. Regardless to say, if we don''t take it too far, they cannot use any legitimate reason to come after us."


    "Mhm." Wei Jun just nodded.


    "And if they come after us in other ways, we can involve the government. They won''t go against the government after all. The military is behind them." Mark Wilson reported further to which Wei Jun once again nodded.


    "By the way, boss, I''ve been meaning to ask this for some time but..." Mark Wilson was hesitant to ask the question but Wei Jun waved his hand, giving him the permission to speak.


    Hesitantly and still unsure of himself, Mark Wilson asked, "Have you not been eating these days?"


    "Huh?" Wei Jun asked.


    "No, it''s just that, you''re a little... shrink." Mark Wilson pointed to the black circles underneath Wei Jun''s eyes and his sunken cheeks.


    "Haa..." Wei Jun let out a long sigh before he said, looking at the ceiling as if he was looking at the sky, a serene expression on his face like a person who was about to reach the end of his life span, "I now understand the predicaments of my father."


    "Pardon?" Mark Wilson asked but Wei Jun simply waved his hand and said, "You''re dismissed. I need to deal with some personal things."


    "Ah, yes." Mark Wilson nodded and left.


    Wei Jun, now left alone, sighed once again.


    [They sure wrung you dry]


    ''I wouldn''t say dry. They completely took every moisture in my body.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [Hahahaha]


    [My wives were like that too]


    [And you should be grateful] Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [A a cultivator grows in strength, they begin to lose worldly emotions]


    [Family, wives, children]


    [The desire to have them or protect them ends as one grows stronger]


    [Just look at me]


    [I had nine wives yet only two children]


    [As years passed by, their desire to have children or show any sort of love ended]


    [And what was left was just the desire to become strong]


    [Even the cultivator daughter I had was the result of my first wife''s vulnerability]


    [Otherwise, that would have been impossible as well]


    ''So you mean to say women''s drive ends as they grow stronger?''


    [Men''s too]


    [At a certain age, the essence of a male becomes affected by Qi, decreasing the chances of having children]


    [Those chances were further lowered by the desire of the women to not have any so they''d nullify the essence that entered them]


    ''I... see.'' Wei Jun wasn''t sure what to think about it. He never thought about children before, ever. His love life was a mess due to his original status and a cliched scenario like a girl liking him for himself, not his wealth never occurred to him as well.


    He had never been with a woman so having children was a thought too far away but now that he was with two women and both he cared about, he didn''t really know what to feel about it.


    ''Did you desire children?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Immensely]


    [The day my firstborn, my daughter, was born was the happiest day of my life]


    [I even spared the life of a rival sect master who had tried to kill me]


    ''Nice of you.'' Wei Jun remarked.


    [Yes]


    [He was lucky he didn''t lose his life]


    [I remember how he ran out on his arms, brimming with happiness and gratitude]


    ''Why arms?'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but ask.


    [Oh]


    [Because his torso was splattered into millions of particles]


    ''... Nice of you.'' Wei Jun was left speechless.


    Still, as far as children were concerned, he himself had been one and if someone said he didn''t know what it was like being a father, then it would be wrong. He had seen two fathers in his life who loved their children and feared their wives.


    ''My father and my brother.''


    [How were they?]


    ''No idea about my father but the day my niece was born, my brother had this... expression on his face. Like for the first time in his life, he was... uncertain. Scared.''


    [But he was happy?]


    ''A lot.''


    [Well, I suggest you think about having children then too]


    [They''re nothing if not a bundle of joy]


    Wei Jun nodded and sighed. He looked at his watch and checked the time. It was still three in the afternoon but the girls had told him to be home by four. Wei Jun sighed once again and left his office, leaving Li Wei with some instructions.


    ~~


    Next day, Wei Jun drove to his office, a little tired. Killing hundreds of monsters didn''t tire him out but two women did that in such a short time.


    [Can I ask you something, host?]


    ''What?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Why did you erase the Qi core?]


    ''Because it was holding me back.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [I see]


    The system was wise enough to understand what Wei Jun was really talking about.


    To increase his Qi stat, and in doing so, increase his Qi, he needed to increase his level. However, Death Qi didn''t require his level increment. He didn''t know if there was a limit to Death Qi in his body, but at the moment, his Death Qi was a lot more than his Yang Qi could have been and although he would still be bound, he would be able to increase it without increasing his level.


    [There isn''t one]


    ''What?''


    [There isn''t a limit to how much Death Qi you can store at once]


    [It would have been usually but it''s not now]


    ''Usually? What do you mean?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [I''m saying that if you were usually brought into this world in someone''s vessel]


    [You would be in that vessel]


    [To make that vessel yours]


    [You''d need body reconstruction to break that body and build one that would be yours]


    [However, this vessel, Wei Jun''s vessel, was built for you]


    [So, in a sense, it is yours]


    [You, are a spawn of Death]


    [A literal one]


    [So you have no limit when it comes to storing Death inside of you]


    Wei Jun was very much confused after the system''s explanation which according to it was very simple.


    ''What do you mean this vessel was built for me?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Well, that question is for you brother more than me]


    [He''s the one who came to see Pei Ruan]


    ''Wei Jun''s mother?'' Wei Jun asked. ''Why?''


    [You''ll have to ask him]


    Wei Jun had a strange feeling about this and the scenario that came to his mind was a little... disturbing.


    ''No. No. No. He''s too chicken to do that to his wife.'' Wei Jun immediately dismissed the thought and convinced himself there was something else at play.


    ''For now, let''s just focus on increasing my Death Qi.'' Wei Jun decided to distract himself and focus on what he could do at the moment.


    Just as he thought so, his phone rang. He took it out to see who it was and it turned out to be none other than Mark Wilson.


    "Boss, you need to come here. Fast." Mark Wilson sounded a little... scared. Scared of not what could have happened but scared of him.


    ''I wonder why?'' Wei Jun asked but he soon found out why. As he looked at the burning building before him, Wei Jun''s anger reached his peak. The merchandise worth ten billion yuan that had been imported from ten countries around the world was stored in that building with a heavy guard but all of it was now burning to ashes.


    "Haa..." Wei Jun let out a deep exhale, his expression turning calm as he looked at Mark Wilson who flinched and gulped. For some reason, a calm Wei Jun was scarier.


    "What do you have?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Just a distorted image, boss." Wei Jun heard from someone else and turned to look at Li Wei who extended the tablet in her hand.


    As Wei Jun checked the footage, all he could see was a blurry image before an explosion shook the area and the image went blank.


    Wei Jun looked at the scene with cold eyes but even he couldn''t glean anything. There was no Qi trace left behind to do anything and since the accident happened in an area under the government jurisdiction, unless it was found out to be a Qi attack, not a terrorist one, supernatural forces such as CSF or military would not be involved.


    But, Wei Jun didn''t need to be told who did this. He already had a very good guess. And as if his hunch was right. He picked up the phone only to hear the words...


    "How do you like my present?"


    "Haha." Wei Jun chuckled as he recognized the familiar voice and crushed his phone in anger.


    He looked at Li Wei, making her tremble a little, and said with a crazed look in his eyes, "Get me a bike."

 Chapter 396 - 396: Loss?

    "Are you sure he''ll come?" A man asked Li Fan Sho, who stood outside a factory that held merchandise worth more than five billion yuan. It was a simple bait for the one who would be coming to exact his revenge.


    "He will. He definitely will." Li Fan Sho replied before he thought back to the instructions he received from the spirits around him.


    Wei Jun had been a thorn in Li Fan Sho''s side for a long time so Li Fan Sho came up with a scheme. He learned everything there was to know about Wei Jun Ruan which wasn''t much. About a year ago, Wei Jun Ruan was nothing but a waste but in just a short span of a year, Wei jun had become a figure that had problems with almost everyone and his backing was also great.


    Since the military announced its open support for Wei Jun, even Li Fan Sho couldn''t take him lightly. Wei Jun had power to back up his worth as well so Li Fan Sho decided to opt to a method that couldn''t be backed up by power.


    A method that would grant Li Fan Sho to kill Wei Jun without incurring the wrath of the supernatural forces of the world.


    The democracy.


    "Be prepared. He will attack one of our business modules. We need a legitimate reason to take him down."


    Li Fan Sho''s plan was simple. If Wei Jun was the first person to initiate this dispute, and if Li Fan Sho was able to catch him in the act, painting himself as the victim, even the military wouldn''t have a choice to butt in.


    Li Fan Sho smiled and waited for the impulse reaction from Wei Jun which he suspected wouldn''t take long considering Wei Jun was an impatient young man who only used his family''s influence to rise up to that point.


    With Sun Ruan, the true mastermind of the Ruan family dead, there was nothing holding Wei Jun back anymore.


    Wei Jun was bound to make a mistake. Even if he were to show up in his outfit as a biker which was still just a suspicion, Li Fan Sho was sure he could take care of him.


    While Li Fan Sho was waiting for Wei Jun for a day and night, putting some of his plans on hold, he received a phone call from an unknown caller ID.


    As he answered...


    "Sniffsss... HuHu..."


    Sniffles and cries of a woman he was well familiar with could be heard on the call he just received. But just to be sure, he asked, "Who is this?"


    "Who do you think?" A distorted voice was heard from the other side, a voice with the blend of a male, a female, and a heavy voice like that of a monster in movies. The voice asked, "Do you recognize the cries?"


    "They''re familiar, aren''t they?"


    "You..." Li Fan Sho said with the air around him distorting, his Qi emitting from him, burning many things around him, pushing the people near him away.


    "Do you think you will live after this?" Li Fan Sho asked.


    "Don''t know about me, but your sister surely wouldn''t." The distorted voice from the other side replied before it said, "Now you have two hours to find her. Otherwise, someone else will find a rotting corpse soon."


    The call soon disconnected and Li Fan Sho was left in silence. The calm before the storm, it was, because soon, a storm of Qi ensued, blowing everything away, even the five billion yuan worth of merchandise and many more people who couldn''t bear the brunt of that Qi.


    On the other side, Wei Jun ended the call and look at Yan Rong who was looking at him with an incredulous look in her voice.


    "How can you mimic a woman''s voice?" Yan Rong asked.


    "Practice." Wei Jun replied.


    Before Yan Rong could ask anything, a feminine voice entered their ear, "Come on, you two. Tea is ready."


    "Coming~ Miss Su~" Yan Rong said and looked at the child playing a little distance away and said, "Come on~ Little Ling. Time for some cookies and tea~"


    Wei Jun looked at the kid running in their direction with a cheerful expression on his face and asked, "What do you think about kids?"


    "I love them." Yan Rong didn''t hesitate before she replied.


    "Why do you ask?" Yan Rong asked curiously.


    "No reason." Wei Jun replied before he stored the phone in his inventory. With it gone from the face of this world, it would be impossible to trace it. and to help facilitate that process, Wei Jun called someone else.


    "Yes, boss?" Li Wei asked from the other side.


    "Do it." Wei Jun replied.


    "Yes, boss." Li Wei replied in a cheerful voice.


    Wei Jun turned the phone off and looked at Su Liao, "Why don''t you ladies enjoy? I have an urgent task to take care of."


    "Sure. I know how busy you are Mister Ruan." Su Liao replied with a smile. Wei Jun nodded and looked at Yan Rong. Yan Rong nodded without a word and joined Su Liao.


    Wei Jun left for his car which took him to the helicopter a few miles away. As he boarded the helicopter, he said to the pilot, "Set destination. Long Bao City."


    The pilot nodded and left for the set destination.


    ~~


    "The biker has contacted us." Commander Yan was in his office when a subordinate of his hurriedly entered and said, "He wants to make a deal."


    "What? What do you mean by a deal?" Commander Yan asked. He couldn''t be impulsive now that Wei Jun, the suspected biker, was now under the radar of the elder. They couldn''t risk making an enemy out of him.


    "He says he will return all of the data he stole from us." The subordinate replied.


    "And what does he want in return?" Commander Yan asked.


    "He wants us to remain silent about Long Bao city." The subordinate replied.


    "What about Long Bao City?" Commander Yan asked.


    "No idea." The subordinate replied.


    "..." Commander Yan remained silent for a while before he looked at the subordinate and said, "Tell him we will not be responsible for the backlash."


    If the CSF were to do nothing, the public backlash would be a little too much for the CSF. Even if the information was returned, if the public lost any further trust in them, it was no use trying to keep the CSF up.


    "He..." The subordinate replied before he added after a slight pause, "has an answer for that as well."


    "What?" Commander Yan asked.


    Just as he did...


    Boommm!!!!!


    An explosion shook the entire world and soon, several others followed, shaking the ground beyond measure.


    "What the..." Commander Yan looked at the explosions recurring around the CSF facility and couldn''t help but look at the subordinate who replied, "He, uh, said... ''defend''."


    "That fu*k" Commander Yan could only say.


    ~~


    "Where is she?" Li Fan Sho looked at the figure in a black outfit, its face covered and tightly covered so he couldn''t tell if it was a man or a woman. The height of the figure indicated it was a man so Li Fan Sho was more leaning toward the identity of the figure being a man.


    "Who knows." But the voice of the figure was that of a woman''s, quite a charming one at that.


    "I was just told to hold you here." The dark clothed woman replied before a sword appeared in her hand, and readied herself by assuming a proper stance.


    Li Fan Sho looked at her without any worry and asked, "Are you on the side of that bastard, Wei Jun Ruan?"


    "..." The woman remained silent.


    "Tch!" Li Fan Sho clicked his tongue and was about to move when his eyes widened and the woman with the sword in her hand appeared before him in an instant, her figure shrouded in a pink hue.


    Li Fan Sho immediately raised his hand and blocked the sword with his bare hand, his hand covered in a dense amount of Qi.


    However, just as he pushed back and the woman was pushed back a little, Li Fan Sho felt something. Something deep inside of him. Something... inherent.


    "Who are you?" Li Fan Sho asked but the woman remained quiet.


    Li Fan Sho once again tried to feel the changes inside of him but he couldn''t tell. However, his opponent wasn''t too keen on granting him such a long reprieve.


    She moved again, her sword moving in exquisite patterns that even made it difficult for Li Fan Sho to follow. Still, he was fast enough to fight before the attack landed on him so he was unscathed, unaffected by the technique of the woman. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However...


    Cut.


    A slight cut appeared on his cheek as the pink-colored Qi, a little different from the usual, penetrated his cheek.


    Not holding back anymore, he emitted a strong wave of Qi to push the woman back but just as he did, he felt it again.


    The feeling of loss.


    As if something had been taken away from him.


    And while he felt that, puzzled by the strange feeling, a lot, lot of distance of away, a man was smiling from ear to ear as something appeared in his vision...


    [You have leveled up]

 Chapter 397 - 397: Interrupted

    Wei Jun looked at the constant ringing in his vision and smiled deviously. The plan was to disrupt the destiny while keeping Li Fan Sho busy as well. While that happened, Wei Jun looked at the factory in front of him with a smile underneath his helmet.


    Well, it was more like the person standing in front of the factory. Wei Jun looked at the woman who was looking at him with a menacing gaze. She was good-looking for sure, but her beauty didn''t even match that of Yan Rong or Xia Lu, let alone match the beauty of Xing Xiaomei, the main heroine of the current novel.


    One of the secondary heroines and Li Fan Sho''s wife, the one who helped him gain a new level of strength with the help of the resources from her sect, Phoenix''s Wrath Sect, Nan Gaomeng.


    Wei Jun looked at her and spoke, "I''m not here to kill you. So how about you get out of the way?"


    "..." Nan Gaomeng remained silent but in response to Wei Jun''s words, the Qi around her began to permeate, making the air around her tremble and the ground beneath her shake.


    ''A grandmaster...'' Wei Jun thought.


    Wei Jun looked at her. Now considering her overall strength, she was at the middle level of the grandmaster.


    Still, Wei Jun just couldn''t help but take her seriously. A grandmaster-level martial artist was no longer dangerous for him. The sect master and the old man behind the CSF and the military were far too strong for Wei Jun to even think about facing them.


    A cultivator who was in the same realm as him was no longer threatening.


    The first one to make the move was Nan Gaomeng. She ran over to Wei Jun and bucked down, delivering a spinning kick to Wei Jun, intent on throwing him off balance. Wei Jun remained in his place and simply raised his left leg, keeping his right one firmly on the ground.


    The spinning leg of Nan Gaomeng was only long enough to knock his left leg, not right so when he raised the left leg, Nan Gaomeng''s leg just passed an empty space.


    However, Wei Jun brought his left foot down just as her leg was underneath his foot, landing it squarely on her foot, making her wince in pain.


    She let out a burst of Qi which worked as Wei Jun was not using any sort of Qi enhancements. The Qi penetrated his body, pushing him away but Wei Jun wasn''t harmed much because the Qi to enter his body met the dormant Death Qi inside of him, devouring it before it could wreak any havoc.


    As for Wei Jun, he immediately moved forward, bringing a punch down on Nan Gaomeng who moved back to avoid, making his fist strike the ground underneath, making cracks appear in it.


    Nan Gaomeng used the opportunity to use her legs again but Wei Jun blocked her strike with his forearms reenforced with Death Qi only in that area.


    They both got on their feet and created some distance from each other. It was safe to say none of them were harmed in that exchange but both of them had a rough estimate of each other.


    Once again, Nan Gaomeng was the one to initiate an attack with her feet firmly planted on the ground and her hands raised to guard her head as she dived in, beginning with a straight jab to Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun simply slipped to the side to avoid that strike but Nan Gaomeng was proficient and immediately followed up with a cross and a hook. Wei Jun managed to block both by deflecting the first strike with his hand and blocking her second attack with his forearm but there was Qi imbued in that strike, harming Wei Jun''s forearms.


    Although the Death Qi eliminated the Qi that had penetrated him, it didn''t heal him. The green power that could heal him was no longer optional since he no longer had any QP and according to the system, Death Qi couldn''t be used to heal him. Still, his class ''Immortal'' helped with small injuries so he wasn''t as bothered.


    Nan Gaomeng immediately displayed her agility and swiftness, launching a back fist and immediately a spinning back fist.


    Wei Jun leaned back to avoid the first strike but Nan Gaomeng was agile enough for Wei Jun to not be able to dodge or block the second attack and he was struck straight in the helmet with the back of her hand.


    While one would have thought Nan Gaomeng would be happy with the strike and celebrate, she didn''t hesitate for even a second, planted her feet firmly on the ground, and delivered a hammer strike with her open palm, throwing Wei Jun a few feet away, rolling on the ground.


    "Haha." Wei Jun chuckled and immediately raised his hand because Nan Gaomeng was relentless. She followed up with an attack even when Wei Jun was down.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, decided to stop playing and use his Qi skills.


    [Qi armament]


    [Qi empowerment]


    With the defense skill, the damage was mostly negated now that Death Qi was covering his body. And as it was, Nan Gaomeng''s expression changed to that of pure hatred.


    "You bastard!" She yelled and brought her attack down with even more intensity but...


    "Kugh!" Wei Jun swiped his hand away, deflecting her hit before he used his elbow to strike her in her stomach. It wasn''t a lethal strike but since she was completely open due to her flux in emotions, leaving her prone to more damage than she should have taken even if she was capable of defending herself.


    Wei Jun didn''t let up and attacked her again, releasing a flurry of jabs on face, forcing her to guard her face but Wei Jun wasn''t just punching.


    He delivered a roundhouse kick, hitting straight in the same spot he had struck her before, targeting her liver, and causing her to have difficulty in breathing. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He kneed her in the same spot before she could recover from the pain and even before the effect of the last strike passed, Wei Jun grabbed her neck by locking his arms around her, and once again, kneed her in her stomach, intent on targeting nothing but her liver.


    "Kugh!!!"


    She coughed vehemently on the ground. She tried to get up but Wei Jun brought his foot down on her face, pinning her to the ground with the right cheek of her face firmly planted on the ground.


    Wei Jun looked at her from behind his helmet and said, "You should have left. That was mercy."


    "Angh!"


    "Boom!!"


    Nan Gaomeng once again grunted and emitted another wave of Qi, pushing Wei Jun slightly but not enough for him to move away. However, Wei Jun moved away just enough for her to get out of his hold and stand up.


    Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!


    Anyone who saw her current state would call Wei Jun nothing but cruel. She was coughing vehemently and using her Qi to rearrange her internals that had been heavily damaged by those few strikes of Wei Jun, laced with his Death Qi.


    "Haa..." Wei Jun sighed as if he was just wasting his time and looked at her, with one final act of mercy left in him, "Why don''t you leave now? I get too less out of killing you. You''re not worth it."


    Perhaps those words struck her pride or she couldn''t just back away due to her pride as a warrior, she simply raised her fists in response and prepared to fight Wei Jun to the bitter end.


    "Haa..." Wei Jun sighed once again. Looking at her, she seemed nothing but a fool who couldn''t understand what living truly meant.


    "Can''t you just take the hint. I''m not in the mood of killing today." Wei Jun said as if he was doing something bothersome.


    Still, mercy could only be granted to some extent. Those who didn''t wish for it were simply fools.


    The girl before her was a fool.


    Wei Jun took a step forward, just one step, and appeared in front of Nan Gaomeng who was astonished and caught off guard at the same time.


    She tried to guard herself by placing both of her hands at her front but the single strike that Wei Jun delivered was enough to throw her away to a good distance, internally damaging her to a great extent as well.


    "Cough!! Cough!!!"


    Nan Gaomeng was coughing blood after that strike and was now well aware that her death was at hand.


    Wei Jun made his way over to her, not slow at all, and intending to finish the job as quickly as possible, he raised his foot and with an immense amount of Death Qi, the maximum his skill could allow, he brought his foot down on her head, intending to kill her when...


    "Thousand slash!"


    Wei Jun immediately stopped and redirected his kick to his left, shifting the attack to a crescent kick, intercepting the Qi attack heading his way.


    "Kugh!"

 Chapter 398 - 398: ...Son (Bonus)

    Still, the attack was too wide and much for Wei Jun to have blocked all of it.


    Wei Jun raised his arms in a cross position to protect his face and vitals as the strike in the form of small prickly needles penetrated his body, some negated by the Death Qi while others successfully entered his body.


    Wei Jun has pushed a good ten meters away before the wide-area attack finally ended.


    [HP -29]


    He wasn''t hurt much but couldn''t help but be annoyed at the cliched play. Even when he was very quick in dealing with Nan Gaomeng, some side characters still arrived at her rescue.


    And one of them was someone he knew.


    "Seriously." Wei Jun said as he looked at the eight new arrivals and added, "Why can''t things go my way for once?"


    "You monster!" One of the eight individuals, a man at the front said as he witnessed the state Nan Gaomeng was in. Wei Jun, on the other hand, looked at him as if he was looking at an idiot.


    "You''re kidding, right?" Wei Jun asked.


    "What?" The man was confused.


    "Three times." Wei Jun raised his finger and said, "That''s how many times I''ve offered her to leave. To save her life. If she''s so intent on dying, why would that make me a monster?"


    "That--" The man was about to argue when Wei Jun moved past him, shocking him by nicking his cheek. As blood trickled down his cheek, he slowly turned to Wei Jun who held something in his head.


    A head.


    The head of the woman standing next to the man.


    "NO--!!!" The man couldn''t even properly yell before black whips appeared, extending from Wei Jun''s hand, and they slithered like snakes, cutting anything and everything in their path. Of course, that included the people around him too.


    The man who was at the forefront was no exception. Wei Jun killed everyone and looked at the stat gain in his window only to be disappointed.


    [Strength +5]


    [Stamina +7]


    [Agility +10]


    [Error] S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Qi cannot be obtained due to the absence of a Qi core]


    [Randomly substituting stats]


    [Defense +7]


    [Strength +1]


    [Agility +1]


    [Stamina +1]


    [Charm +1]


    [Luck +2]


    The man at the forefront was a grandmaster and even he only gave so little stat gain. Wei Jun was immensely disappointed and turned to the girl whom he had been busy with before the rude interruption of the eight newcomers only to find her gone.


    ''Now that I think about it...'' Wei Jun turned to count the dismembered pieces and only counted seven heads. There was one missing, or there was never one in the first place.


    Wei Jun looked around but found no trace of anyone, not even Qi.


    [They ran away]


    ''...'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but think it was a pity. Still, his goal was never killing today. Today, he was just there to peacefully destroy everything that could help Li Fan Sho in the democratic world, leaving him with the only option of settling this in the martial world where Wei Jun had more backers than Li Fan Sho.


    ''Let''s get to work.'' Wei Jun thought as he moved to the factory. There were still more to take care of after this one and many had to be destroyed beyond recovery.


    ~~


    ''Now that''s a dilemma.'' Wei Jun thought as he looked at the notifications in his vision.


    [Your party member Xing Xiaomei is in mortal danger]


    [The user is advised to rescue her]


    [Loss of the party member can be accompanied by penalties]


    [Penalty in case of party member Xing Xiaomei''s death]


    [Degradation of one cultivation realm]


    The penalty was a little too severe for Wei Jun but that wasn''t what he was worried about. The dilemma that he was under was currently...


    [Due to possible circumstances]


    [Party member Xing Xiaomei cannot be summoned to the user]


    [Would you like to teleport to her location?]


    [Yes\\No]


    If he were to go now, he was sure Li Fan Sho would win. The question was to whether or not he was willing to risk his life and the answer wasn''t easy at all.


    "Haa..." Wei Jun sighed as he couldn''t help but say once again, "Why won''t anything go my way for once."


    Before he raised his head and looked at the notifications in his view and said...


    On the other side, Xing Xiaomei looked at the angry-looking Li Fan Sho who had a terrible expression on his face. It wasn''t the expression of a hero at the very least. If he had to be compared to someone based on that expression, then it would be that of a demon.


    A demon of wrath.


    "You bit*h!" Li Fan Sho said as he looked at the bloodied Xing Xiaomei who was bleeding into her mouth due to many internal injuries she incurred.


    Even at the current moment, Li Fan Sho could feel something leaving him the more he fought the girl before him but no matter how hard he mulled on it, he never came up with an answer.


    And the persistent women before him never let him come up with an answer. In truth, Li Fan Sho had never seen Xing Xiaomei ever before, nor in his past life or the life he currently lived. Xing Xiaomei was his piece of destiny that he was supposed to meet on one fateful day. The spirits had led him to that place, but he didn''t find her. Someone else had taken her away. He could still sense her presence but even that disappeared soon for some reason.


    The only reason he could come up with was either her death or his connection with her had been cut off. So even when he was facing her, and almost killing her, he didn''t know the woman he was about to kill was his significant other.


    Most of all, the actions of the woman made it hard to show her any mercy. She was foul mouthed, lethal, and most of all, persistent. Even when Li Fan Sho showed just a little bit of mercy, she would use it against him, instead of running away.


    And now...


    Li Fan Sho looked at his severed hand and he was filled with anger. Brimming with anger, there was only one thing left to do with the woman before him.


    "I''ll fu*ing kill you!" Li Fan Sho thrust forward and intended to grab Xing Xiaomei''s neck with the hand he still had. Xing Xiaomei, on the other hand, had no means of defending herself. Her clothes were torn from several places, her skin was burned from several places, her left arm and leg were broken and there was a dent in the left side of her stomach.


    She knew this strike would be the last and there''d be nothing she would be able to do against it. All efforts of defense or resistance were useless now.


    ''Fu*k. Had I known, I''d make him pretend to be a rabbit for this favor,'' was all Xing Xiaomei could think before the hand was almost before her.


    However...


    "What took you so long?" She asked as she looked at the man standing before her with a yellow and black blend sword in his hand. Even the man charging at her had stopped when he felt the presence of the newly arrived man.


    Wei Jun turned to look at her as the helmet on his face disappeared and his flawless face came into view. He looked at her and simply said, "Are you flashing?"


    "One flash one million one second. You''ve been staring at me for ten now." Xing Xiaomei said.


    "Seriously." Wei Jun said as he threw a healing pill at her which she caught with her working hand and ate, "Even world-class pro*titutes aren''t that expensive."


    "Then what does that say about me?" As if a magic spell had been cast on Xing Xiaomei, a quite high-ranking one, all her injuries healed and she was restored to the peak state. All the while Li Fan Sho remained in his place and didn''t move. He looked at the scene happening in front of him with great concentration.


    Most of all...


    ''He has no presence.'' Li Fan Sho thought.


    Wei Jun stood before Li Fan Sho yet Li Fan Sho couldn''t detect his presence. It was as if the man before wasn''t there at all.


    ''How?'' He couldn''t help but ask himself. This wasn''t the man whom he had encountered a few weeks ago. He was strong for his level but he wasn''t at this level.


    "You." Li Fan Sho said, garnering Wei Jun''s attention.


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    "You think your arrival changes anything?" Li Fan Sho asked.


    Still, a grandmaster on the verge of breaking through to the next stage was too much even if the two of them were to band together.


    "Nope." Wei Jun simply replied but before he Li Fan Sho could say anything, Wei Jun continued, "But you see, I''m not the main villain of your story."


    "What?" Li Fan Sho asked after that nonsensical statement.


    But Wei Jun simply smiled and pointed behind Li Fan Sho. Li Fan Sho turned around only to see an old man with silver color hair and long nails standing behind him.


    "Tch." Li Fan Sho understood what Wei Jun had done. He turned to the old man while he addressed Wei Jun, "Of all the people, you had to call her."


    "It''s been a while..." The old woman said, "...son."

 Chapter 399 - 399: Guests

    Wei Jun looked at the young man in front of him occupied with the main villain of the story. Wei Jun knew he couldn''t face Li Fan Sho at the moment. Not to mention he had yet to take everything he had. He needed to increase his level as much as he could and he was ashamed to say that he hadn''t been able to take half of what Li Fan Sho had.


    Wei Jun turned to look at Xing Xiaomei, who was now in top-notch condition and ready to go again, but Wei Jun held her back. The fight to come was between Li Fan Sho and his foster mother, the woman who took him in after his father died at the hands of an evil cultivator.


    The leader of one of the strongest dark organizations, the evil cultivator who had actually killed his father but managed to hide the fact and help Li Fan Sho grow so she could turn him into an ultimate soldier.


    The only mishap in that entire story was a girl who began to change Li Fan Sho''s feelings and it didn''t seem like he''d be able to become the ultimate soldier she sought.


    The answer was as simple as ever. Get rid of the distraction. But then the cliche story of the novels came into play. Boy and girl ran, boy and girl became strong, boy and girl got caught, the boy survived, the girl died, the boy moved on to become immortal but never forgot about the girl, and then he returned to the point when the girl was about to die.


    The girl was held captive by the old woman before Li Fan Sho but he was not strong enough yet to free her from her hold.


    The story would soon take a drastic turn but Wei Jun wasn''t prepared for that. Besides, there was a great change from the usual story...


    [Your intervention is what brought the advent of dungeons so fast]


    Wei Jun agreed with the system''s words and said, ''I think I need to think it through more.''


    Wei Jun knew Li Fan Sho was not strong enough to face the woman yet. Li Fan Sho would resort to running away for now and Wei Jun was counting on that. As for the old woman, well, Wei Jun was sure he wouldn''t have to deal with her because she wouldn''t care about him. All she wanted was the star talent Li Fan Sho who could become immortal and rule the world.


    "Let''s bounce." Wei Jun said to Xing Xiaomei.


    "Huh? Why? The two of us can take him." Xing Xiaomei argued but Wei Jun simply shook his head as he replied, "No, we can''t. Not with her present."


    All things considered, the old woman couldn''t let Li Fan Sho die. She would kill anyone in her way to Li Fan Sho and that included Wei Jun as well if he were to annoy her too much.


    "..." Xing Xiaomei remained silent and simply nodded after thinking about it for a few minutes.


    Wei Jun and Xing Xiaomei left the scene. What Wei Jun wanted to accomplish had been done so there was no need to stall any longer. Li Fan Sho would soon be undergoing a breakthrough and Wei Jun could only hope it wasn''t a lucky stroke like the protagonist suddenly breaking through in the middle of a battle.


    [Not when the realm is this high]


    [You don''t have to worry about that]


    Wei Jun sighed and nodded after the system''s confirmation.


    "What do we do now?" Xing Xiaomei asked.


    "You''re going to train." Wei Jun replied.


    "And what you?" Xing Xiaomei asked.


    "I''m going to train too." Wei Jun replied.


    "How?" Xing Xiaomei asked.


    "In a very~ special way." Wei Jun replied.


    [Level: 519]


    Wei Jun smirked as he saw the level gain after he had severed many more strings of fate between Xing Xiaomei and Li Fan Sho, not to mention the number of people he killed and businesses he destroyed. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Fan Sho wasn''t getting back on his feet anytime soon but Wei Jun faced the same problem. He needed to increase his level to increase his cultivation realm. After all, even if the growth barrier on his Qi was now removed, there was still a great difference between the Qi control of a grandmaster and those of the higher realm.


    ''It''s time to use it in full.'' Wei Jun thought as he looked at the reward he received for completing the Ice Orc quest.


    But before that...


    "Hey." Wei Jun looked at the green-eyed beauty he hadn''t seen for quite a while.


    "It''s been a while." Wei Jun said with a warm smile only to be met by a warm smile of her own. Natasha, the green eyed woman, nodded and said, "It really has been."


    Wei Jun nodded in return and turned to the woman who stood next to Natasha, the blonde haired woman who had an annoyed expression on her face. Wei Jun erased the warm expression on his face and said with his usual stoic tone, "Melissa."


    "Wei Jun," Melissa said in an annoyed tone.


    Wei Jun simply ignored her further than that and said, "Come on in. We have a lot to talk about."


    "Sure." Natasha replied and Melissa was about to follow when Wei Jun turned to Lao Chen and said, "Take the guest to the guest room."


    The guest here was referred to as none other than Melissa who was now even more annoyed and mana began to seep out of her. She hadn''t been idle so she was now a full-fledged fifth-circle mage, almost at the edge of advancing to the next circle.


    Wei Jun looked at her and only sighed. He waved his hand and said, "Feel free to follow us if you want."


    "No thanks." Melissa said with an offended tone, "I can see I''m not welcome."


    "Really? What gave you that impression? Was it my blatant disregard for your presence?" Wei Jun asked with the utmost serious expression that only annoyed Melissa more, but she remained silent.


    To vent, however, she threw a vase on the nearby table on the ground when she followed Lao Chen to her designated room.


    Wei Jun could only shake his head at the ridiculous childish manner.


    "Go easy on her." Natasha chided Wei Jun.


    "I don''t like her. She doesn''t like me. End of story." Wei Jun simply said before he pointed to the living room and said, "Come on. We have some catch-up to do."


    "Mhm." Natasha followed Wei Jun. As they arrived in the living room, Mark Wilson was already sitting on a couch, savoring his tea.


    When he saw Wei Jun enter with a Westerner woman, he couldn''t help but say, in Mandarin, of course, "Boss, gotta say. You got a perfect taste."


    Wei Jun awkwardly looked at her while Natasha said with a straight expression, "This taste can perfectly understand you."


    Mark Wilson was taken aback by the flawless Mandarin of Natasha and looked at Wei Jun for rescue who didn''t mind rescuing him because he was running out of time himself.


    "Let''s take a seat. We need to discuss a few things." Wei Jun said. Natasha decided to forego the awkward first encounter and nodded while Mark Wilson thankfully sat down in a hurry.


    "As you know the world is going through a massive change. Only two types of people can survive in such a world. Those with power and those with wealth. I intend to be both of them. And you two are going to help me with that." Wei Jun said.


    It was a great speech or a sales pitch, but both of the individuals in the room weren''t impressed. To them, it was the blabbering of a young rich playboy who couldn''t get enough of what he already had.


    Wei Jun could understand their thought process. It was well within the norms. Only rich playboys were eccentric enough to make such moves.


    So, Wei Jun decided to let his actions talk, not his words.


    He sat down in front of both of them and said, "I can see how you are having a hard time trying to believe my words or even understand them. So, to cut it short..."


    Wei Jun waved his hand at the table in front of them and six mana crystals appeared on it. The mana exuding from them could be felt by both of the mages even when the mana crystals were perfectly stable.


    "B-Boss... This is..." Mark Wilson couldn''t form proper words because he had never seen anything like the crystals on the table with such pure mana.


    Wei Jun smiled and said, "Welcome to the future that only we will hold."


    Wei Jun looked at Natasha who was also looking at him seriously, ignoring how precious the mana crystals were. She could now perfectly understand what Wei Jun meant.


    ''The academy...'' And now, she had a choice to make. It was clear what Wei Jun intended to do and she could tell what his thought process was. She remembered the conversation the professor''s table was having before they left and could only come to one conclusion.


    ''Wei Jun or them...''

 Chapter 400 - 400: Another mission

    "You two must have a lot to think about, so I''ll leave you to sleep on it. Maybe you''ll have an answer by tomorrow." Wei Jun said as he left three crystals for each of them and left. Unlike Mark who had no allegiance to any organization, Natasha was born and raised in the academy and had a great extent of loyalty to it.


    She was bright enough to know what Wei Jun''s intentions were and wise enough to know she had to pick a side. she knew how her academy was and that they would never consider Wei Jun an equal. They would try to suppress him and make him obedient. She knew it wouldn''t work and sooner or later, Wei Jun would retaliate.


    His retaliation would only mean one thing. A war. A war in which she would have to choose a side. Would she choose her academy which she had been a part of for years or Wei Jun whom she had only known for some time?


    Wei Jun left the choice to her and whatever choice she''d make, he''d respect her. He wouldn''t stop his plan just because she would ask him because that wasn''t an option. Compromise was never an option. Especially for Wei Jun. The most he''d be able to do was to keep her out of it. Other than that, if her academy tried to make an enemy out of Wei Jun, he wouldn''t spare anyone. Not a single person.


    And that included...


    "Are you done with your secret meeting?" Melissa asked as Wei Jun found her at the bottom of the stairs waiting for him. Wei Jun simply smiled and said, "It wasn''t a secret meeting. You were welcome to join."


    "I didn''t feel welcome at all," Melissa replied.


    "Then that must have been the case." Wei Jun replied with a sweet smile.


    "Haa..." Melissa sighed as she tried to control her breathing and said, "I''m only wasting my brain cells talking to you."


    "I''m surprised to know you have one." Wei Jun replied.


    "Tch!" Melissa clicked her tongue but ignored that last remark and said, "Anyway, my master wanted me to go out on a date with you. If he calls, tell her we went all the way."


    "Sure." Wei Jun simply replied.


    "Then we''re done here." Melissa turned and left, heading up the stairs to her room.


    Dealing with her academy was the last thing on Wei Jun''s mind at the moment. He had enough troubles in the empire to worry about the troubles outside of it.


    He was sure they''d make a move, and to prepare for that, he needed to deal with the internal problems first.


    First and foremost being...


    "There''s a dungeon that has spawned. You are required to clear it." General Ming said from the other side of the phone. Wei Jun sighed and asked, "What kind?"


    "It''s an S rank dungeon. We don''t know what type." General Ming replied.


    "The team?" Wei Jun asked. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You, me, Shao, and..." General Ming hesitated. She wasn''t the type to hesitate so even Wei Jun was curious as he asked, "And?"


    "Just come here. I''m too tired to explain it over the phone." General Ming replied. Wei Jun nodded and disconnected the call before he made his way to his personal helicopter which was always fueled and ready to go in ten minutes.


    Upon the arrival at the military base, Wei Jun saw the security was extra tight. It wasn''t just the military or the CSF, but there were some other people in black outfits too like commandos. The lowest among them was at the master rank while there were three exuding the pressure of a grandmaster realm cultivator.


    Wei Jun was about to enter the base when he was stopped by one of the masters in the black outfits.


    "Who are you?" He asked rudely. Wei jun was in a good mood so he simply smiled and ignored him, making his way past him.


    However, more of the men and women in black outfits hurriedly surrounded him and were about to unleash their aura when they were suddenly on the ground, and the handsome man they were trying to stop kept walking forward.


    The commotion was of course noticed by those inside the compound and the three grandmasters were about to move when General Ming said, "You do not have the authority to control my base. Keep yourselves contained."


    One of the men looked at her with a distasteful expression and said, "You do know this concerns the safety of the imperial family, don''t you?"


    "Then you can take it up with the elder. If you think you can." General Ming replied, leaving the man speechless all the while Wei Jun arrived beside them. She turned to Wei Jun and said, "You could have just introduced yourself."


    "They were being rude." Wei Jun simply replied, "They should have asked the higher-ups of this base before making a move. Unless they were acting on your authority which would make it that more awkward since you''re the one who called me here."


    "..." General Ming remained silent and turned to the grandmasters in black clothes. "We''ll be ready in ten minutes. You should get his highness ready as well." The man nodded and left after giving Wei Jun a sideway glance full of scorn.


    Wei Jun ignored the man and turned to General Ming, "His Highness?"


    "The imperial family wants to train their successor. The crown prince, Ziao Li will be joining us on this dungeon expedition. They think it''d be a good experience." General Ming explained.


    "They think an S rank dungeon would be a good starting point?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Haa..." General Ming only sighed in reply which was enough of a reply. Wei Jun nodded and asked, "And why do I have to be here?"


    "The elder said so." General Ming simply replied. Wei Jun remained silent. The possibility was that even General Ming didn''t know the reason. Wei Jun nodded and asked, "What do the details of this mission specify?"


    "The dungeon has appeared in the corner section of the Yuan Yin city. The area has been completely blocked off and evacuated. Mages are trying to calculate its miasma emissions as we speak. By the time we get there, we will have a rough estimate of what to expect." General Ming explained, but she didn''t say anything about what Wei Jun really wanted to know.


    "..." Wei Jun simply remained silent and kept looking at her. She sighed and said, "We are not to interrupt His Highness''s hunt."


    "Interrupt?" Wei Jun asked. Wei Jun wasn''t foolish enough to not understand the game of the words. If they were to not interrupt the hunt of the crown prince, then they wouldn''t have been called.


    "So I can take the imperial family is trying to get one up." Wei Jun asked.


    "That sentence right there would cost you your life and three generations of your family." General Ming replied.


    "..." Wei Jun remained silent and kept looking at her.


    "Haa... Yes." General Ming had no choice but to reply. They wanted the military and the CSF to take the hit if anything were to happen to the crown prince. From an interaction that didn''t end well already, Wei Jun knew for sure the imperial family wouldn''t be cooperative.


    It wasn''t like he couldn''t understand the stance of the imperial family. There was a man who was blatantly announcing that he was true emperor of the empire, disregarding the authority of the imperial family.


    The worst part was that there was nothing the imperial family could do about it. They could only resort to petty tricks and technicalities.


    Now as to why Wei Jun was there. Well, that was to create enmity between the imperial family and Wei Jun, a private organization member who belonged to a sect. The old man was trying to get the sect involved.


    "Haha." Wei Jun couldn''t help but chuckle when he figured out the whole plan. It was a problem if Wei Jun had to say. Wei Jun wasn''t the sect, the sect master was. If Wei Jun were to involve the sect in his private affairs which was his contract with the military, then the sect master had all the right to punish him or use it against him.


    Wei Jun was sandwiched between the schemes of two old men and he couldn''t see a way out. At least not at the moment.


    "Get ready if you need to be." General Ming said once she figured out Wei Jun''s thought process from his expression. Wei Jun nodded and replied while pointing to his ring, "I''m ready to leave whenever we need to."


    "I see." General Ming replied.


    As they were chatting, Wei Jun heard the footsteps of some people heading his way and when he turned to look at them, he saw the men and woman in black from earlier with the addition of three more individuals whom Wei Jun could only described in two words.


    Sheltered and delicate.


    Especially the man with the soft features at the front. Wei Jun didn''t need to be told he was the crown prince because he was wearing a crown made of gold and miasma crystals embedded into it. He screamed rich and arrogant and Wei Jun knew of one thing for sure...


    ''This is going to be a long hunt.''

 Chapter 401 - 401: Another quest

    The man at the forefront, whose black hair flowed down until his waist, seemed as delicate as a flower grown in a flower house. Wei Jun could tell that he had had a sheltered life and from the look on his face that held contempt for his surroundings, he had nothing but arrogance to offer others.


    Along with him were a man and a woman of young age. the man had a smirk on his face as if he was born confident and the woman had a gentle smile on her face as if her gentleness was her main point.


    What Wei Jun noticed common in them was how they looked down on anything and everything.


    ''Royal by birth?'' Wei Jun remembered having a conversation with his father. It was when he was young and innocent, just six, recently discovering many things and becoming curious about everything.


    Damien was born rich, with a spoon made of meteorite metals in his mouth. Whether it was planes, amusement parks, or even buildings, whatever he wondered was possible for him to buy.


    So one day, he read about royals who were born the same way. They had authority, power, wealth and everything one could desire. So he wondered if he was a royal as well? Was he the same?


    Did he have the right to treat everyone as the same?


    He asked his father that question and his father simply smiled. the next day, his plane as gone, the amusement park he his father had built him was gone, the building in the middle of the New York that was gifted to him was also gone.


    HIs father then looked at him and said with a smile, "What royal would worry losing something of theirs?"


    Wei Jun looked at the three individuals and thought the same thing. Just because they were royals, didn''t mean everything belonged to them. It could easily be taken away by those in power. The old man known as the elder was the one such person who could take it from them. If they were truly worried that someone might take their belongings from them, then they were not truly royals.


    Wei Jun only gave them a cursory glance, just enough to notice anything of significance about them. Other than them being royal and being grandmaster realm cultivators, there was nothing special about them.


    [There is one fact you have missed]


    ''And that is?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [The men]


    [Their cultivation is unstable]


    [Not to the point it''d collapse on its own]


    [But enough to lower their efficiency by a lot]


    Wei Jun turned to look at them again and by now, they had noticed him as well. Wei Jun ignored their gazes and looked at the girl among them.


    With a set of auburn hair and deep black eyes, she stood six feet tall, a lean figure and beauty to match that of Xia Lu''s. What was most intriguing about her was the mention of the system.


    The system had only mentioned the two men, not her. It could mean there were two possibilities. Either she was the true royal among the three, or, she was an outsider.


    Wei Jun always went by the worst option so assuming the same in this case, Wei Jun had to lean on the latter option.


    "If you look at me so intently, it could endanger your entire family." The girl said with a gentle smile, her voice clear and pristine like a melody.


    "..." Wei Jun remained silent, his expression as stoic as ever as he simply blinked and turned his attention elsewhere.


    "..." Least to say, due to him blatantly ignoring the royals, not even greeting them in the formal imperial manner, Wei Jun had incurred their wrath.


    "How impudent!" One of the men in black outfits said as his Qi began to emanate from his being. Wei Jun ignored him as well because he wasn''t going to cause any trouble.


    None of them could. How could they? If they were true royals, why would they ever fear someone else? Right now, they were scared. Scared of the man who stood behind Wei Jun.


    "Now, now. This person is an outsider. He hasn''t had any contact with the imperial family ever so you cannot expect him to know the imperial ways." General Ming tried to diffuse the situation but not a lot of respect could be heard in her tone and words.


    The man tutted and the man with the crown, the crown prince, waved his hand to pull the man back. He then turned to General Ming and said, his voice smoother than woman, but not womanly, "I know we came here suddenly and you feel burdensome. But I would appreciate it if we were given the respect we were due."


    ''Huh?'' Wei Jun suddenly sensed something. Something familiar.


    "My apologies, your highness." General Ming said as she bowed a little as per imperial decorum.


    As for Wei Jun, he was still trying to make sense of the situation. Was it just his imagination or was there really something at play here?


    ''Oi.'' Wei Jun called out to the system to ask for clarification but the system simply remained silent.


    [I''m your assistant, host]


    [There''s a limit to how much I can interfere]


    [Unfortunately, you will have to deal with this on your own]


    That was as good as the answer Wei Jun needed. His hypothesis wasn''t confirmed, but he was sure he wasn''t mistaken as well.


    ''There''s more to this mission.'' Wei Jun thought.


    Soon enough, everyone was ready to depart. There were helicopters prepared to take them to the dungeon site. Wei Jun and the military personnel were in one helicopter while the imperial members were in another.


    They arrived at their destination in simply fifteen minutes. As they arrived, the miasma emitting from the dungeon was threatening the surroundings. Buildings and the ground trembled under the miasma waves emitting from the dungeon gate.


    "Wow. So beautiful." The woman with the crown prince said in a gentle tone with a gentle expression on her face. Nothing that would back up her astonished words. Wei Jun was sure of one thing now. That was an excellent facade.


    "It''s as dangerous as it looks." The man with the crown prince, the one with the constant smirk on his face, said as he looked at the woman and said, "Be careful not to lose a leg in there or something. Crippled women are such a turn-off."


    "Tch." General Ming clicked her tongue.


    The remark was clearly pointed at her, given her facial disfiguration. Wei Jun could tell the three idiots were trying to get on their nerves. Otherwise, if the gentle woman and General Ming were to be compared, most men would pick General Ming even when her face was a little disfigured.


    Of course, Wei Jun stayed out of it. He wasn''t a military man so he didn''t have to stand with them. Even the imperial faction. If they didn''t make an enemy out of him, Wei Jun would ignore small problems.


    The dungeon was prepared to enter and so the party made their way towards the dungeon gate. The composition was very simply. There were thirty master ranked cultivators from the military and CSF side, with General Ming and General Shao who had remained silent since the beginning in the grandmaster realm.


    Wei Jun could be considered to be on the military side as well so that would make it three grandmaster realm cultivators.


    From the imperial side, there were twenty master ranked cultivators in black outfits. As for the three men and woman in black outfits including the three idiots as Wei Jun called them, that made their force a whopping six grandmaster realm cultivators.


    Even for an S rank dungeon, it was overkill. Of course, there were ranks within the S rank dungeons as well and some required even more force than their current one.


    But Wei Jun was sure that from the miasma emitting from this one, this one didn''t require more than two to three grandmasters if they were being cautious about it. Even Wei Jun was confident he could clear that dungeon alone.


    ''Then that means the dungeon is not the real target.'' Wei Jun concluded and entered the dungeon along with everyone else. The first to go in were the master-ranked cultivators because the grandmasters were to stay behind with the imperial prince.


    As Wei Jun arrived on the other side, scorching heat welcomed him by slamming in his face directly. It wasn''t just that, even his feet felt heavier. Not just because it was a desert, no, it was because of the gravitational pull in that place.


    [A side quest has arrived]


    ''Huh?'' Wei Jun was suddenly surprised by the system notification.


    He clicked on it for the quest info to expand when he heard the gentle woman say, "I have a good feeling we should head in that direction. What do you guys think?"


    And with that, Wei Jun''s hypothesis was confirmed.


    ''They''re evil cultivators.''


    [Quest: Tomb of the banished Witch Princess]


    [Tier: A]


    [...]


    [.]


    Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 402 - 402: Centipede

    [Tomb of the banished Witch Princess]


    [Tier: A]


    [Description: The Princess of the Huanan empire who sought the throne of her brother had her sister-in-law murdered along with her brother''s child


    She dipped into the realm of dark cultivation and used sorcery of unknown origins to curse her brother''s bloodline so only she would remain.


    She was stopped by the empire''s grand knight, Lee Hugao who imprisoned her in a dimensional pocket where she died and that dimension later became her tomb.


    The items she used to curse her brother were buried along with her


    Now someone had come to claim those items but how could there be another invader than the user]


    [Task: Retrieve the item ''Wand of the Damned'' before exiting this dungeon]


    [Time limit: 24 hours]


    [Punishment: None]


    [Reward: Unknown...]


    Wei Jun looked at the description and couldn''t help but ask, ''What does the time limit mean?''


    [The dungeon would collapse on itself in twenty-four hours]


    ''Collapse?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [It''s as you suspected]


    [Anyone who''s inside before the dungeon collapsed would perish along with the spatial distortion]


    Gulp!


    For some reason, Wei Jun couldn''t help but gulp as cold sweats began to flow down his back. He looked at the gentle woman who was suggesting going in a particular direction.


    Wei Jun looked in that direction and couldn''t help but notice the dark and purple fog condensed in that area.


    ''That''s a bit overkill, don''t you think?'' sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Wei Jun could feel the ominous power emitting from that fog and he had no experience in such things.


    [That''s... indeed overkill]


    Wei Jun looked at the gentle woman who was also looking at him now, her eyes shimmering in purple light. Wei Jun didn''t need anymore explanation but he kept himself contained for now.


    "Why there?" General Ming questioned the gentle woman who smiled and replied, "I just have a very~ good~ feeling about it."


    "That''s it?" General Ming wasn''t convinced but before she could say anything Wei Jun interjected, "We have to begin from somewhere. Wouldn''t matter if we start from there."


    General Ming nodded to the sensible explanation and said, "Very well. We''ll go there. The formation would be a simple pincer with the guests in the middle. I will stay at the back and Shao will remain at the front."


    No one objected and it was unanimously decided that everyone would go in that direction. As they traveled in the scorching heat of the desert, Wei Jun witnessed the three idiots wearing something around their necks.


    [It''s an enchantment artifact]


    [It seems like one to keep them cold in this heat]


    ''Sheltered, indeed.'' Wei Jun scoffed at them. He chose to remain at the back of the formation with General Ming so he could react if they were to pull any tricks. He simply wanted to be prepared for the worst scenario.


    While he was looking at them, the gentlewoman turned to look at him with a smile as well. Her auburn hair gently flowed down to her waist and as she turned her head, they followed her movements like they were made of silk.


    Her deep dark eyes peered into his own as she smiled and lowered her speed, leaving the formation until she was right next to Wei Jun and in front of General Ming. "I hope I have nothing on my face." The gentle woman said.


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    "You staring at it for quite a while now." The gentle woman said with a charming smile.


    "Oh." Wei Jun said, "I''m sorry. Was I staring for too long? I was just wondering what''s so special about you."


    "Oh?" The woman was surprised as she asked, "And have you found something intriguing about me yet?"


    "Not one thing." Wei Jun bluntly replied.


    "Haha." Stifled laughter could be heard from behind them as General Ming couldn''t help but laugh at Wei Jun''s reply. The gentle woman''s gentle smile froze as well but only for a moment before she recollected herself and said, "Well, we have a long journey ahead of us. I hope you can find something special about me in that time."


    "Sure." Wei Jun simply replied and turned his head forward, having no intentions to speak to the gentle woman any longer but it looked like she didn''t share the same thoughts as she said, "I''m called Yuna by the way."


    "I know what you''re thinking but my real name is a bit too long me being a royal princess and all so I call myself Yuna." Yuna rambled on and on but Wei Jun never even once turned to look at her.


    Instead, he was more focused on the ominous feeling emitting from the distance. Wei Jun was worried about whoever was there.


    ''We won''t survive against them without cannon fodder.'' Wei Jun thought before he opened the shop and began to search for something before he finally found the item he was looking for.


    [Pills of yin''s essence]


    [Tier: C]


    [Effect: Keeps the body of the consumer resistant to heat for three hours]


    [Cost: 10,000]


    A vial containing ten pills emanating chill appeared in Wei Jun''s hand. They were costly and Wei Jun had to purchase nine more for the entire party, even the other side, and handed them over to General Ming, "Give this to everyone, each. Our speed is slowing down."


    "What are these?" General Ming couldn''t help but ask.


    "Just give it to them." Wei Jun insisted to which she sighed and took the vials. Then Wei Jun gave the rest to Yuna who smiled and shook her head, "I don''t need these."


    She was referring to her lcoket that she wore around her neck. Wei Jun grumpily replied, "I know. These are for your men. I don''t want them to slow us down."


    Wei Jun''s volume was loud enough for everyone to hear and the people from the imperial side weren''t too happy to hear that.


    Especially the crown prince who turned to glare at Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun ignored him and looked at Yuna who smiled and said, "Sure. Why not."


    The pills were then distributed and once everyone felt the effects, they couldn''t help but inwardly thank Wei Jun. The speed of their expedition did enhance with that and in three short hours, before the effects of the pills ended, they had traveled enough to look at a building in the distance.


    From a distance, it looked like a temple with a statue in the middle and a circular building around it with various towers that had a lot of bells on them.


    "Oh my! My hunch was on the spot again." Yuna said with a quippy act which no one in charge was buying. General Ming could tell she had intentionally led them there as she asked, "So does your hunch also tell you what''s inside there?"


    "No idea," Yuna replied while shrugging her shoulders.


    "Tch!" General Ming once again clicked her tongue in displeasure.


    Wei Jun ignored that exchange and kept moving along with the rest. The effect of the pills had ended but they were near the building so no one asked for more. As they arrived outside the building, Wei Jun took each step very cautiously.


    He couldn''t tell from far away but now that was inside the fog of black and purple, he could tell where it was actually coming from.


    [To the left]


    Wei Jun moved to the left and just as he did, something erupted from the sand and swallowed the two masters near him. Wei Jun couldn''t feel the ascendance of the creature but thanks to the system, he was able to narrowly avoid it.


    "What the...!!!"


    General Ming yelled a she was also barely able to survive. Wei Jun was at a loss. When he gazed at the creature that had came out of the sand, it was none other than a centipede. There were no special monstrous features of the centipede as in other monsters.


    The only difference between this one and the one he was familiar with was the difference in size.


    The ones he used to torture in his childhood with salt were barely five inches long but this one was as long as a train and twice the size of it in width.


    And the worst part was...


    "Hya!"


    General Shao attacked the worm while it was still outside but...


    "What the..." Once again, everyone was left speechless. There was not one single scratch on the centipede even after that attack.


    [So what''s the problem?]


    ''''Ha? Don''t you see its size?" Wei Jun was so shocked that e even forgot to speak in his mind and spoke out loud.


    [But isn''t it just a centipede?]


    [What weakness did they have when you were little?]


    Suddenly Wei Jun''s eyes widened and Wei Jun instantly yelled, "Ming! Shout out as loud as you can! Infuse Qi! Hurry before it goes back down!"


    General Ming was taken aback at the mention of her name in that way but she didn''t take too long. She was a seasoned warrior after all.


    She sucked in a deep breath until her chest was pushed out to the point before she let out a shriek that forced everyone in the vicinity to cover their ears because Wei Jun was sure, he wasn''t the only one with busted eardrums.


    "AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 Chapter 403 - 403: Blood lock

    Centipedes travel under the ground, and with their bodies, like they were, they couldn''t just rely on their hearing, so they were built in a way that their entire body was a sensor.


    In other words, like many other insects, they were sensitive to sound and vibrations. Now what would happen if an extremely loud noise was deployed anywhere near their bodies?


    The entire body would suffer.


    Wei Jun used to experiment on them a lot when he was a child. Using ultrasounds, sounds from microphones or how loud the noise was needed, vibrations of different kinds and their intensity.


    Unfortunately, however, ever since he came to that world, he faced many different monsters but he never required any scientific mean to deal with them. This monster, however, was large enough and strong enough that Qi would be useless.


    Not to mention he couldn''t use his Qi to deal with it at the risk of exposure to the rest. But that was why he had others.


    "AAAAHHHH!!!"


    General Ming yelled out loud without holding back, assaulting the senses of the centipede.


    The centipede that was retreating back into the ground halted as the loud noise struck its body, making it waver. While others covered their ears, Wei Jun ignored the pain of his eardrums being torn apart and prepared a punch with his full behind it.


    It was pure physical power with no Qi to back it up but even without that when Wei Jun''s punch connected with the centipede, the monster''s exoskeleton cracked open and Wei Jun''s fist went through.


    Green blood of the monster coated Wei Jun and the poison present in the blood burned his skin but Wei Jun ignored that because it wasn''t enough to melt his skin.


    Wei Jun retracted and attacked the monster again while it was still disoriented, in the same spot he had hit before and this time, his fist went in deeper and then another strike before Wei Jun was sure that his Death Qi would be masked by the evil Qi emitting from the worm and released a whopping hundred points of Death Qi inside its body.


    Just as he did, he retreated to the back as the worm began to let out loud noises that were strange to the ear. It also began to wiggle around as if in pain and soon enough, its body that was out of the ground yet, that was still as tall as a ten story building fell on the ground, producing a tremble that traveled far and wide, throwing the sand around.


    "Haa... Haa..."


    Wei Jun breathed heavily as his wounds healed on their own due to his class ''Immortal''. The speed wasn''t as fast as when the green power healed him, but it was still enough and Wei Jun expected to be fully healed in ten minutes.


    [You have eliminated an S rank Sand lord]


    [Your Death Qi has increased by 100]


    [You have obtained an S rank miasma core]


    [Number of sand shards obtained: 1]


    [Shards required to open the temple: 100]


    [Remaining shards required: 99]


    Wei Jun looked at the first three notifications with glee but his expression changed for the worse as he read the next three. His skin color, already pale, turned paler as he felt the ground tremble underneath his feet and he knew this wasn''t just the mother earth saying hello.


    "JUMP ON THE WALL!!!!!!!!!!!"


    Wei Jun yelled and grabbed the closest people to him without hesitation and jumped up in the air to get on the temple wall. General Shao and General Ming, well aware of Wei jun''s reputation did the same and jumped up in the air. The three idiots followed suit without hesitation and the three grandmasters with them did the same.


    However, many, many of the cultivators who couldn''t react in time were the victims of only one fate.


    "Aaahh!!!


    The ground split apart beneath their feet and all they saw was an open mouth and then nothing. Almost three-fourths of the party was eaten just like that, military and imperial members alike.


    The monsters that rose in the sky slowly fell down but they didn''t enter the ground again. The remained outside of it and when the survivors saw the ground full of monsters like before that covered the ground like so that nothing beneath could be seen, they forgot that almost all of their party had just been eaten.


    Pale, they all watched the centipedes on the ground like waves of darkness on top of each other, covering the entire area around the temple.


    "How the hell...?" Even Wei Jun was at a loss for words. He didn''t know how he could ever deal with those monsters without risking his life. Although they were big and were an easy target, that situation changed when their numbers increased by almost a hundred.


    Wei Jun closed his eyes and took deep breaths repeatedly until he was able to calm himself down. He looked around to assess the situation, to see how many of them there were and what strategy would be best in that situation.


    "Wha--What are those?" A cultivator from the military side muttered but he was too scared to continue. Even General Shao and General Ming were silent.


    "Monsters we need to kill." Wei Jun simply replied before he approached the crown prince and asked, "How were you going to get inside the temple?"


    "Maintain a distance from the prince." The man with smirk approached Wei jun but Wei Jun closed his eyes to take a deep breath and looked at him, his eyes turning so chilly the smirk man froze on the spot, "You interrupt me again, and I''m gonna rip your vocal cords out of your neck."


    Wei Jun simply turned his attention back to the crown prince and asked, "How were you going to enter the temple?"


    "Who said anything about the temple?" The crown prince asked in his gentle and smooth voice, "How would we know in the first place?"


    Wei Jun looked at him for a few moments before he sighed and simply...


    "Kugh!!!"


    "What the!!!"


    "Let him go!!!" sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three grandmasters with the imperial family unleashed their Qi but stopped in their tracks when they noticed how


    serious it was.


    Wei Jun held the crown prince by his throat and pushed him over to the wall. If Wei Jun were to let go of him now, one fate would await him no matter how strong he was. Even the crown prince himself knew that but he wasn''t panicked in the least.


    He simply kept his gaze locked with Wei Jun and asked, "How would we know?"


    "Because you''re evil cultivators." Wei Jun replied.


    "That is why instead of using your Qi to protect yourselves, you brought items for every situation. Even now, only your subordinates reacted but even when I''m holding you like this, you cannot use your Qi, can you?"


    When Wei Jun made the claim, everyone thought he was out of it but once he explained the situation, it didn''t make sense to the most but it did to those who mattered. Especially General Shao and General Ming.


    "How dare you accuse a member of the imperial family of such a thing?!" The grandmaster in charge of the imperial family''s security yelled in rage but Wei Jun simply ignored him and asked, "Then why don''t you show us all your Qi and I''ll apologize if I''m wrong."


    Wei Jun''s words were received well as General Shao and General Ming moved forward to stop the three grandmasters of the imperial family from advancing.


    The imperial prince kept his gaze locked with Wei Jun for a while before a smile appeared on his face. A smile so charming that no woman could have resisted as he replied, "You''re more clever than I thought."


    If it was just exposing them, Wei Jun could have done it in the secret to use it to his full advantage. After all, if he was the sole secret keeper, he could blackmail none other than the imperial family. Not many people in the world knew that.


    But by exposing them out in the open, in front of the military especially, Wei Jun had pushed them both to the brink of a fight, where no matter who won, the true victor would be the one on the sidelines.


    Him.


    "How were you planning on getting inside?" Wei Jun once again asked.


    "By using the keys." The crown prince replied.


    "What keys?" Wei Jun asked.


    "You''re holding one of them." The crown prince replied.


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    "What? You never wondered why there were three of us specifically when the main mission was just supposed to be me. The woman buried underneath is our ancestor. The blood of her bloodline is required to open the tomb."


    [It''s most probably a blood lock]


    ''A what now?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [A bloodline lock]


    [It has very strict requirements]


    ''Such as?'' Wei Jun asked.


    "So how about you let me go now, since if you were to kill me, the only way to get inside is by killing them." The crown prince said as he pointed at the monsters on the ground.


    "Haa..." Wei Jun sighed and threw the crown prince to the side before he asked the system, ''Put that conversation on hold.''


    [Yes, host]

 Chapter 404 - 404: Blood lock (1)

    "How is that possible?" General Shao couldn''t believe his ears as he heard the fact that the imperial family was working with evil cultivators and their current crown prince was an evil cultivator.


    Many couldn''t come to terms with that fact. Even the grandmasters on the imperial faction couldn''t believe and would have dismissed such a thing had it not been said by the crown prince himself.


    But, some were quick to recover. Such as General Ming.


    Clad in Qi, she began to walk in the direction of the crown prince, heavy rage and hatred in her eyes.


    Wei Jun looked at her and moved to step between her and the crown prince.


    "Move." She said in an extremely low voice.


    "No." Wei Jun replied.


    "Then you die with him." General Ming said and moved forward to kill but Wei Jun managed to block her strike with his bare hands, although the amount of damage he received was a lot.


    "Just listen to me." Wei Jun said with great difficulty, but General Ming wasn''t holding back. Wei Jun knew she was stronger than him, and if she had already wanted him dead, without the use of Qi at his disposal, he would have been already dead.


    That was her holding back.


    In the end, General Shao had to come to his senses and come to Wei Jun''s rescue. He wasn''t blinded by anger or hatred like General Ming. He specifically remembered Wei Jun asking about some entrance into the temple and considering the temple he referred to was where they stood, the crown prince and his party was needed for that.


    "Ming! Calm down!" General Shao put in his full Qi and Wei Jun had to step back, not just him, many other had to, even the three grandmasters with the imperial faction.


    The clash of hot and cold Qi was unlike they had ever seen. That there was testimony enough that those two were the strongest there and no one could stand up to them. Even Wei Jun had to have second thoughts seeing the situation. At first, he thought he could have won against them with various tricks at his disposal but he was wrong.


    He wouldn''t be able to win against them no matter how hard he tried.


    Regardless, all he could do was hope that General Ming would calm down. His hopes were answered General Shao managed to calm her down about ten minutes of back and forth but once she was out of Qi and breath, General Shao sighed as well as he let go of her.


    They both fell on their behinds and they took heavy and deep breaths. While they did so, General Ming said just one word, "Explain."


    Wei Jun took a deep breath to calm himself down and replied, "They have a method of entering this building. Without them, we need to kill those giant guys on the ground. I have a feeling none of us wants that."


    General Ming remained silent for a while before she raised her head to look at Wei Jun and Wei Jun had to take a step back out of instinct as she said, "You ever try to stop me again, and I won''t hold back."


    Shivers went down Wei Jun''s spine as he nodded involuntarily. General Ming lowered her head again and stood up. She pulled out a miasma core from her pocket and slowly began to replenish her Qi.


    General Shao stood up and once he was sure his colleague wouldn''t do anything now, he took the command of the scene and said, "Alright everybody listen up. You have ten minutes to clean your heads and gather your belongings."


    Then he turned to Wei Jun and said, "Which means those guys have ten minutes to open this place up or I''ll kill them."


    Wei Jun wasn''t going to get on the bad side of those two for those imperial idiots so he simply nodded in return.


    He then turned to the crown prince and said, "You heard him."


    "I did." The crown prince replied in his usual smooth but arrogant tone before he said, "It is not easy to enter the temple. We need... sacrifices."


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    [That''s one of the requirements]


    [For each lock]


    [One sacrifice]


    [Three keys means three locks]


    [That means you need three sacrifices]


    "We nee--" The crown prince was about to explain when Wei Jun raised his hand and stopped him from speaking and said, "Just get ready to move."


    As planned, they began to walk in then minutes. They got off of the walls on the other side of the building. It was one of those olden era desert palaces. Only it was constructed like a temple.


    "Where are we going?" Wei Jun asked.


    "To the middle where the garden is," Yuna replied.


    "Why there?" General Ming asked her tone chill as frost.


    "Because that''s where the entrance to the toms is." The smirk man replied.


    Wei Jun let them do the leading as he addressed the system and asked him to explain the system to that blood lock or whatever.


    [A bloodline lock]


    [It is a type of lock with a strict set of requirements to open] Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [The restrictions are divided into three]


    [One, you need to carry the bloodline of the one buried inside the tomb to open the lock]


    [Two, you need to carry the bloodline of the one who locked the tomb]


    [And three, you need a sacrifice to open the lock]


    [Now that is in case there is only one lock]


    [If there is more than one lock, then the requirement changes a little]


    [Most of them remain the same]


    [But in case of two or more locks, the keys have to be born on the same day, one minute apart bringing the maximum limit]


    ''So they''re triplets?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [No]


    [I mean, in a sense they are]


    [But they all belong to different parents]


    [The mother and father of each of the keys have to be different]


    ''Isn''t that a bit too tricky?'' Wei Jun asked.


    After all, what were the odds that each of the bloodline member did all of that on the same day, sired children one minute apart, and created keys in that great coordination.


    [Too great control is required for that, host


    [And I''m willing to bet the process is anything but ethical]


    Wei Jun didn''t care how that worked. What he was more concerned about was the fact that someone went through a lot of trouble to open that tomb and if someone did, then whoever was inside that tomb was worth the trouble.


    Since the system was refusing to say anything in that regard, Wei Jun decided to worry about it on his own. While they were having the conversation, they arrived at the lush beautiful garden in the middle of the temple.


    Unlike outside of it, the air inside the garden was cool and soothing. Almost as if the place inside the garden and outside of it were in different dimensions.


    Wei Jun looked at the sole tree in the garden that had about ten peach colored fruits hanging on them.


    [You should take those]


    ''I thought you weren''t interfering.''


    [Not in regards to the quest]


    Wei Jun nodded his head and went for the fruits.


    However, he wasn''t alone. Yuna was also heading for them but Wei Jun was one step faster and took all the fruits before she could even arrive before the tree.


    He stored them all in his inventory so they disappeared from sight.


    "Hey!" Yuna complained but Wei Jun ignored her and made his way back to the group.


    "Come on! Give me one too." Yuna complained as she followed Wei Jun but Wei Jun kept ignoring her but he didn''t miss the gaze of the crown prince on the ring of his finger.


    They must have thought that Wei Jun stored the fruits in that ring.


    ''Care to explain what that fruit is?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Food]


    [It didn''t look that appetizing]


    Wei Jun was certain the system wouldn''t have pointed out those fruits if they were just fruits. There was something else to it. Something the system wasn''t telling him but he had a hunch it wasn''t because the system was being cryptic. The system couldn''t say. At least not in clear terms.


    [All I can say is that they have no effect in this garden]


    [But if you were to pull them out in the tomb]


    [Which is technically outside of this garden]


    [Then who knows?]


    [Maybe something interesting would happen]


    The system went silent after those words and so did Wei Jun. He decided to be careful from that point forth because he would be in uncharted and unknown territory with a monster so strong he was getting tingles at the back of his neck ever since he entered the garden.


    "It''s here." The crown prince pointed at the pool in the middle of the garden.


    "Underneath the pool?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Ahan." the crown prince replied before he slit his palm and let the blood flow in. The smirk man and Yuna did the same. And that was when Wei Jun noticed something else.

 Chapter 405 - 405: Why the sacrifice?

    ''There are a total of hundred of them.'' Wei Jun commented inwardly as he saw the small circular holes at the bottom of the pool. They were constructed in a way that there were three circular orbs, slightly bigger than the hundred holes, in the middle, and around them were the hundred cavities that were circular as well.


    The blood that fell into the pool didn''t dirty the pristine blue water but accumulated in the three orbs in the middle. The orbs that were transparent began to change color to the color of crimson blood until they were full of blood and the three idiots stopped pouring their blood in the water.


    The pool began to tremble but no change occurred in it. Instead, the water on the surface began to circulate, creating a whirlpool eventually.


    [You can jump in now]


    Wei Jun nodded and before the three idiots could jump in, Wei Jun jumped in and entered the pool first and foremost. As soon as he did, his gaze went to the golden keys in the middle.


    Yuna shortly followed, the fastest of the three but once again, she was a second too late before Wei Jun took all the keys for himself. Once again, he stored them in his inventory without reading their description.


    "Hey!" Yuna yelled again, this time in anger rather than complaint.


    Wei Jun ignored her and simply waited for the rest. She created a ruckus but stopped once the crown prince and the others entered. As they did, it didn''t take them long to understand what was going on.


    "You''re better off returning them to us." The crown prince said with a frown on his face. Wei Jun smirked and replied, "It''s nice to see a troubled expression on your face instead of your usual arrogance."


    But Wei Jun wasn''t looking for trouble, at least not at the moment, and said, "Don''t worry too much. I simply can''t trust you is all. I hope you understand."


    "But even if you don''t..." Wei Jun looked at the crown prince, his killing intent on full display, "I don''t really care."


    The crown prince''s frown further deepened but he didn''t have enough courage to stand up to Wei Jun. Wei Jun was strong, that fact had been established well by everyone in the party. Except for the two military generals who were the strongest, the third person they needed to worry about, or perhaps worry about the most, was Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun''s expression turned back to a smiley one as he said, "But you don''t need to worry as long as you play nice. Trust me, you won''t be happy with the consequences if you were not to."


    A clear threat with no intention of being subtle.


    The crown prince and his two companions now fully understood Wei Jun''s nature. Or at the very least, they could glean one part of his nature.


    He was ruthless.


    Wei Jun finally looked around the place they were. The word catacombs perfectly described the place they were in. There was nothing but darkness beyond the clearing they were in. Around them, there were four paths that led to nothing but darkness.


    ''Weird. I can still see.'' Wei Jun inwardly thought. If he wanted to see in darkness, he would have to apply Qi to his eyes in the past but that didn''t seem to be the case anymore.


    [Well, of course]


    [When I told you to do that, you were merely beginning your cultivation journey]


    [Your body, now, however, has developed beyond the realm of a human]


    [The effect would of course be like that]


    Wei Jun thanked the system for the information and turned to the crown prince, "So? Where to now?"


    [You''re not gonna like the answer to that]


    ''Why?''


    [Four paths]


    [Only one leads to the destination]


    [The other three lead to an array of illusions that would forever trap you in a world of torture]


    [Even with your mind, host]


    [You wouldn''t be able to resist the effects]


    [Usually, there are only two paths]


    [One right and one wrong]


    [Three paths were made so the prison was intentionally fashioned in such a way]


    [Three paths that lead to the world of nightmares and only one that leads to the true destination]


    [You can only choose one once]


    [There are no do-overs]


    [If someone without knowing that manages to enter]


    [They''re doomed to die]


    [However, there is one way to know for sure]


    [Do you know what that is, host?]


    ''A sacrifice.''


    Wei Jun realized that midway through the system''s explanation. This was the point where a sacrifice was needed. Those three keys and those fruits. They were offerings.


    [Three sacrifices, in this case, host]


    Wei Jun had a headache coming as he listened to the system''s explanation. He had no qualms with killing three people, the only problem was the aftermath. If he were the one to do so, then he would lose all trust General Shao and Ming had in him, making him lose a substantial standing in the army. He would never be listened to again and that wouldn''t have mattered usually but for the remainder of that mission, it did as he needed his opinion to matter.


    On the other hand, if he were to let the crown prince''s party be the bad guy, then he would lose General Shao''s support in stopping General Ming from killing them and he knew he wasn''t strong enough to stop them. If they killed the three idiots, Wei Jun had no idea how he would move for the rest of the mission.


    By the time he had his conversation with the system and that minor headache, the crown prince had also relayed the progress method to the rest of the group. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No way!" General Ming was instantly furious and Wei Jun could tell nothing was changing her mind. The same could be said for General Shao. Even if he knew the importance of doing such a thing, he would never go against General Ming. Being rational didn''t matter to him in the least.


    ''Come on. Give me a solution.'' Wei Jun racked his brain as much as he could but with no support from the system...


    "Haa..." He could only sigh.


    Suddenly an idea stuck in his mind. A question, really.


    Who were they sacrificing to?


    If the prison was built to keep a bad guy in by a good guy, would the good guy be ruthless enough to pose such a requirement that required the death of a person? There was no way a good person would overlook the fact of killing innocents for the greater good.


    Those were ideals of the fiction. No such person existed who would take a life for the greater good. Wei Jun knew that well. His brother, who was the kindest and most ruthless person in the world, never did such a thing.


    What would have my brother done?


    One thing was for sure, he wouldn''t kill for the greater good.


    What was the second option?


    Figuring out who the sacrifice was for. That was the key point to this. Thinking up to this point, Wei Jun''s mind suddenly clicked.


    "Who built this prison?" Wei Jun asked. The target of this question was the three idiots. Why the sacrifices? That question bugged him since the beginning. Why three paths when the usual requirement was only one? What was the additional condition?


    The answer was very simple.


    The prison structure wasn''t decided by the good guy.


    [...]


    [Everything has a price]


    [Good and evil come to a standstill in the middle]


    [Not one had power over the other]


    [Everything must be in equilibrium]


    ''If someone is imprisoned, then the required key is the sacrifice.''


    Wei Jun finally figured it out. The key to waking up the woman in the tomb. It wasn''t the number of keys. That was just an additional requirement so no one could possibly enter this prison in one timeline. After all, it would be a hell of a lot of a coincidence for three twins to be born with such requirements.


    That wasn''t a requirement at all. That was a failsafe. So no one could possibly attempt this prison escape. The key to the escape, however, was the sacrifice mentioned in the requirements.


    "..." The crown prince stared at him without uttering a word. Wei Jun looked back, and that competition of stare only ended when the crown prince suddenly made his move. Not just him, the rest of the two made a move as well.


    On him.


    Wei Jun raised his hands to guard himself against the sudden attacks but he knew the attacks were coming so he was adequately prepared.


    As he blocked the attack, he felt someone, one of the three, go for a specific thing on his person. It wasn''t his life.


    But, that was the opening they had given Wei Jun and Wei Jun wasn''t the type to give up such an opportunity. He prepared himself, his elbow empowered by the weight of his body, and moved forward.


    And...


    "Kugh!"

 Chapter 406 - 406: Wake her up

    Yuna looked at Wei Jun with great disbelief in her eyes. Wei Jun looked down at her with cold eyes before he looked away and yelled, "Don''t let them kill anyone!"


    The imperial soldiers who had moved to protect the imperial family were about to achieve their objective when the smirk-man executed a killing strike on one of his own, almost killing him but before the man could die, Wei Jun grabbed him and pulled him back so he wouldn''t die.


    Unfortunately, the crown prince managed to kill one while he moved away. When the imperial grandmasters saw their own people dying at the hands of the imperial prince and his companions, he yelled for them to fall back.


    As for Wei Jun, he pulled his hand back and looked at the heart in his hand that had stopped beating while the person he had harvested the heart from fell on the floor with the same look of disbelief she had before.


    Wei Jun moved forward and aimed straight for the smirk-man who realized Wei Jun''s goal and tried to move away but he had forgotten there wasn''t just Wei Jun on the military side.


    "Don''t kill him!" Wei Jun yelled on time before a hand stopped just before the smirk-man''s face, the heat from it melting his face along with that permanent smirk on his face off, surfacing the flesh and bones underneath.


    "Aahhh!!!!!"


    He fell on the ground as he yelled in extreme pain while he clutched his face. Wei Jun ran after the crown prince but the crown prince had a trick up his sleeve as well. He pulled something out from his subspace bracelet and drank it. As he did, he disappeared from his spot and entered one of the paths.


    He was so fast that Wei Jun was only able to catch a glimpse o him. But, it wasn''t like Wei Jun was trying to catch him anyway.


    And the objective was accomplished anyway.


    Wei Jun stopped and everyone stopped. In the background, only the sounds of screams could be heard but Wei Jun ignored them and looked at the crowd that had stopped moving altogether.


    "I hope I don''t need to tell you guys what happens now, do I?" The question was mostly pointed at the imperial cultivators who realized the issue was greater than they thought.


    When everyone remained silent, Wei Jun approached the screaming man, formerly known as the smirk-man, and knelt before him. Wei Jun grabbed him by his melted face which only enhanced the agony of the poor man.


    Wei Jun remained silent and listened to the screams for a while before he knocked the man out.


    Wei Jun stood up and turned to the rest, "We need to follow him. There have already been two deaths which means one more is required. We are to make sure no one dies from here on."


    "What would happen in the case of three deaths?" General Shao who was the only one who was thinking with a cool head at the moment so he was the one to join the conversation.


    "No idea. But it can''t be something good." Wei Jun replied before he added, "The imperial grandmasters will move with me while you two remain here and hold the position. Just make sure no one is killed or dies."


    He then purchased a bunch of health pills from the shop and threw them at General Shao after he stored them in a bottle.


    "What are these?" General Shao who had never seen such a thing asked.


    "They will restore one''s health with the exception of limbs so they will be a good backup. They work only ten minutes apart so don''t take two at once." Wei Jun explained.


    General Shao was shocked by such a thing and he wasn''t the only one. Wei Jun ignored their shock and said, "I will say it again. Make sure no one dies. Not even him." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    General Shao nodded when Wei Jun pointed at the passed-out face-burned man.


    "Wait." Just before Wei Jun was about to move out, General Ming who had been silent since earlier said.


    Wei Jun stopped and let her speak.


    "Why take them?" General Ming asked.


    "Cause someone needs to be here with the masters and I don''t trust them if they are indeed in this together. What if, after we''re gone, they massacre everyone here?" Wei Jun asked as he explained his reasoning.


    The imperial cultivators clicked their tongues but remained silent while General Ming contemplated in total silence before she nodded and said, "Very well."


    "But once we''re done, I''m killing this bastard." General Ming said as she pointed at the unconscious man. Wei Jun nodded without having any qualms and said, "Knock yourself out."


    With that, the next step of the plan was decided. Wei Jun and the imperial cultivator grandmasters followed the path the crown prince had taken. Wei Jun was right in his analysis once again. No where in the requirements said that the keys had to be evil cultivators.


    The word evil wasn''t a requirement but a necessity of the imperial family. To find the right path. Because only someone who was involved in darkness could feel the overwhelming darkness coming from that path.


    Wei Jun himself could tell that...


    ''That sinister energy. Just what could it belong to?''


    Even he was scared. He didn''t know how strong whoever was imprisoned was. He didn''t know much, but he knew of one thing, whoever it was, it was sinister to the point that even Wei Jun felt chills down his spine.


    Wei Jun looked at his hand and noticed the absence of the subspace ring once again. Wei Jun was curious what they wanted but he had a guess. They were after the fruits and the keys. There were some additional requirements. Wei Jun just wasn''t aware of them yet.


    "How long do we have to walk?" The woman among the masters asked.


    "As long as we have to." Wei Jun replied.


    "And why do we have to listen to you?" One of the grandmasters asked.


    "Because if you don''t, that angry woman back there will freeze your balls." Wei Jun replied.


    The grandmasters had no choice but to listen to them. They couldn''t kill General Ming and Shao because they were not strong enough. Why the need to kill them? Because if they were to get out and the fact that they were with evil cultivators became apparent, the imperial family''s fate would be unknown, but their fate would be perfectly clear.


    Only two ways to prevent that.


    Either kill everyone or have them as your witness.


    Since killing them was not an option because they couldn''t, they had to curry their favor, and being a douche was not a wise option if they wanted that.


    Wei Jun knew what was going through their minds but he didn''t care one bit. He was sure they would listen to him as long as they wanted to get out and not be branded as evil cultivators.


    ''Besides...'' Wei Jun had other plans for them.


    While they walked, Wei Jun finally decided to check the descriptions on the fruits and the keys and as he did so, his eyes turned wide in surprise before a smirk appeared on his face as he kept walking to their destination.


    ~~


    "Haa... Haa..." The crown prince took deep breaths as he arrived at the end of the catacombs and entered the ginormous room that held something in the middle of it.


    He sighed and pulled the subspace ring he had pulled off of Wei Jun. There was something in it that he needed. Needed to have it before he would open the sarcophagus that was in the middle of the giant room.


    However...


    "What?" He couldn''t help but ask himself as he checked the subspace ring in his hand.


    "How could it be? I surely saw him." The crown prince said as he looked at the empty subspace ring in disbelief.


    "Looking for there?" He heard a voice from behind him before he could even get over the dreaded surprise.


    "You!" The crown prince yelled as he saw Wei Jun and the rest of the cultivators enter the giant room.


    "Me." Wei Jun simply replied before he asked, "So? What was the big plan? Wake her up and have her under your control?"


    The crown prince''s eyes went wide as that question was asked. He couldn''t believe how Wei Jun knew of that.


    "How did you?" The crown prince couldn''t help but ask.


    Wei Jun remained silent as he was once again reminded of what he read in the system description. If the answer his gut and analysis had arrived was true, then he was sure he wouldn''t be able to do what the imperial family was planning to do due to the additional requirement.


    A requirement they had missed.


    Wei Jun simply smiled and threw the keys towards the crown prince along with three fruits and said, much to the surprise of everyone in the room, "Go ahead, wake her up."

 Chapter 407 - 407: Her

    Wei Jun kept thinking when he came to the dungeon. The nature of the quest. It never said to stop the awakening of the banished princess or kill her, fight her, defeat her, or anything related to her.


    All he had to do was escape with something called the ''Wand of the Damned''. He had no idea how to get it or where to get it from but what he was sure of was that he could get from the tomb.


    But the requirements bugged him. Everything was so confusing. The keys, the fruits, the golden keys he found at the catacombs, and finally, the sacrifices.


    Wei Jun finally understood what was required. What he needed to do. Hence, "Go ahead. Wake her up."


    "What?" The crown prince was taken aback by what Wei Jun said. If he was there to stop the witch from waking up, why would he let him waker her up?


    But, did he care? Did he have to care? Perhaps Wei Jun simply wanted to see how it would be done and was confident he could stop the witch princess.


    "Haha." The crown prince chuckled as he picked up the fruits and the keys at his feet and said, "As you wish."


    If Wei Jun thought he could stop the witch princess, then that presumptuousness was going to cost him his life and the lives of others.


    The crown prince walked towards the sarcophagus and placed the keys and the fruits in the three slots on it. However, he noticed three gems on top of the object where the head of the person inside was supposed to be. Only two of them were sparkling red but one of them was transparent.


    He couldn''t tell what it was because there was no mention of such a thing. To him, the sacrifices were only supposed to mark out the correct path and since they could sense her presence anyway, sacrifices weren''t needed.


    He ignored that since the requirements to open the sarcophagus were met and...


    Boom!!!


    "Kugh!"


    Wei Jun grunted and used his full strength to plant his feet firmly in the ground to protect himself, however, no matter what he could, the power that was emitting from the open sarcophagus wasn''t something he could contend against.


    His eyes wide, he couldn''t comprehend the evil desire in that power. And that desire attracted him. The desire to destroy and the desire to bring chaos.


    ''Chaos.'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but mutter inwardly as the lid of the sarcophagus began to rise until it was well above ten feet in the air. Wei Jun looked around and saw the grandmasters he had brought with him on their knees.


    Their hands were covering their ears and they were muttering something Wei Jun couldn''t tell. However, Wei Jun was sure of one thing.


    They were losing their minds. Very, very slowly.


    "HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"


    Wei Jun returned to look at the laughing crown prince who seemed so ecstatic as if all his heartfelt desires were about to be granted.


    Wei Jun could only shake his head.


    "OH PRINCESS! WELCOME! WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING! I, YOUR LOYAL DESCENDANT, HAVE COME TO BRING YOU BACK TO THE WORLD SO YOU CAN ONCE AGAIN LET THE NAME OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY BE KNOWN TO THE WORLD!"


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but shake his head at the long maniacal speech once again. ''Run away dude.'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but say since the third gem wasn''t alighted yet.


    As expected, what appeared out of the sarcophagus was a withered skeleton with corroded flesh, covered in rags and bandages all over. Wei Jun couldn''t help but take a step back as the hollowed eyes looked around, passing over him briefly.


    As for the crown prince...


    "Huh?" He suddenly stopped laughing and looked at the thing that had come out of the sarcophagus in confusion. He looked at her before he tried to remember the details once again before he looked at her once again.


    The beautiful woman who was supposed to be the imperial princess was nowhere to be seen. All he could see was a skeleton covered in rags.


    "What the hell is this?!" He asked in anger.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, decided to answer the poor man''s question.


    "Why do you think there were three sacrifices?" Wei Jun asked.


    "What?" The crown prince turned to ask Wei Jun, exposing his back to the skeleton mummy.


    "Why do you think there were supposed to be three sacrifices?" Wei Jun asked again. However, before the crown prince could reply after mulling it over, he suddenly felt movement from behind but before he could react...


    "Kugh!"


    He lowered his head to look at the hand that had appeared through his chest, holding his still beating heart that slowly slowed down beating before it finally stopped by the time the crown prince slowly turned to look at the being that had killed him and all he saw was nothing but hollowed darkness before his life left his being.


    As soon as it did though...


    Wei Jun hurriedly covered himself in Death Qi, as much as he could, as the purple and dark ethereal power floating in the air spread throughout the surroundings.


    "AAAHHH!!!"


    The three grandmasters began to yell and scream as they couldn''t bear the pressure anymore, or to be more accurate, their minds couldn''t, and they succumbed to the realm of insanity immediately.


    Even Wei Jun could feel his emotions in a flux as his desire to kill and conquer, to see everything destroyed and burn in chaos enhanced by a great degree.


    But, the Death Qi was protecting him a lot, to the point that he could bear those. However, others couldn''t. He was sure no human would be able to resist this much evil. He had never see evil amalgamated to that point.


    There was resentment in that power. There was nothing that depicted the helplessness of the being that was slowly constructing from a withered skeleton to a beauty whose mere looks could captivate even gods themselves.


    There was nothing like that, not even anger. There was a simple desire to be... insane.


    Her insanity was what made her unique. Evil.


    [And she''s in perfect control of it]


    [I wonder where a woman of such potential came from?]


    Wei Jun had no comments to those questions as he was too busy trying to hold on to his mind and not give in to the immense insanity around him.


    Suddenly, however, it all ended.


    "Haa... Haa..." With loud gasps, Wei Jun took deep breaths as his knees were barely able to support his weight. He managed to remain standing on his two feet, but no matter what, his body was on the verge of falling apart.


    "You can control it." Wei Jun heard a sweet and sugary voice right near his ears as the whispers of the voice that hypnotized his senses flowed into his ears.


    He raised his head only to find a woman he could only describe as beautiful, the word itself, in front of him.


    She had pitch black hair flowing down her body until they ended just below her knees. She wore a top of gold and white blend that only covered her chest while revealing her shoulders and navel. Her lower garment consisted of a long slitted skirt that exposed her thighs and long legs but covered everything from behind.


    Her skin color a milky blend that perfectly matched with her choice of dress colors and her features warm, her red lips adorned with a smile, her nose delicately carved, and..


    [Damn]


    [Those are some eyes]


    Eyes that had different colors to them. Especially her irises. One of her eye was just pitch black like that of a normal human but the other one was purple with a look as if stars were embedded in that eye.


    The most peculiar thing about her was that she was more of a westerner.


    Wei Jun couldn''t take his eyes away. But looking at her, if one thought Wei Jun was captivated by her beauty, then they couldn''t be more wrong.


    No.


    Wei Jun felt only one thing as he looked at her beautiful visage that rivaled his own mother from his first world.


    Fear.


    "You''re going to make me blush if you keep looking at me like that."


    Each word sent shivers down his spine. It wasn''t just because she was strong. Nor was it because Wei Jun was afraid.


    Familiar.


    Each and every word sounded familiar because the voice of the person speaking was familiar as well.


    He couldn''t tell. No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn''t think of the person who that voice belonged to.


    But what made his heart freeze was the very fact that this person was someone around him. Someone he never noticed, or perhaps failed to notice.


    Whatever it was, one fact was clear.


    That person was living right under his nose and he had no idea.


    "Don''t worry about it." The woman''s hypnotizing voice once again flowed in his ears, snapping him out of his daze as he looked at her, her eyes that pulled him in.


    Once his attention was on her, she said... S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Give me something to eat, will you?"

 Chapter 408 - 408: Her (1)

    "Wh-What?" Wei Jun stammered, not sure if he heard her correctly, but her words remained the same, "The fruits in your subspace. Give them to me. God knows how long I''ve been in there. I''m famished."


    Wei Jun kept looking at her face as if he couldn''t decide what to do next. The woman kept looking at him with a sweet smile before she sighed and said, "Fine. You can keep two for yourself but give me the rest. All five of them." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [I think you should give them to her]


    Wei Jun woke up from his stupor at the system''s advice and pulled the five fruits out of his inventory. Wei Jun was surprised that the woman knew about the subspace but he couldn''t tell how. So all he could do was ignore it for the moment and comply with the woman''s demands. Whatever they may be.


    As the five fruits appeared in his hands, she snatched them and began to devour them as if she had really been hungry for years, which she literally was.


    "Eat one yourself and give one to the children outside." The woman said once she was done eating. Wei Jun was confused so he asked, "Children?"


    "The monsters outside. Feed one of the fruit to them to complete the contract. They''d obey you for the rest of their lives." The woman replied.


    Wei Jun''s mind clicked and he understood what ''Children'' she was talking about. Wei Jun remained silent and simply nodded. The woman smiled sweetly and took a step forward. Once she was close enough, she said, "Give me your hands."


    Wei Jun didn''t know what came over him but his hands raised on their own. He knew the woman had nothing to do with it. He just couldn''t resist her order.


    The woman smiled softly and took his hands. As soon as he did, the dark and purple ethereal power began to enter Wei Jun''s body through her. When Wei Jun was about to interrupt thinking the Death Qi inside of him wouldn''t be so kind towards that invasion, he was surprised to see it move as if to welcome the power entering Wei Jun and mingled with it.


    Both of the powers began to merge together until they began to flow through Wei Jun''s body before exiting through one of his hands into her body. Wei Jun could sense the construction of a cycle as if their bodies were not two but one. The cycle of circulation kept going for a while. Seconds stretched to minutes. Minutes to hours and hours to days.


    Finally, after seven days of standing in the same posture, the fusion Death Qi and the power of the woman separated and Death Qi settled back into his core while notifications assaulted his vision.


    The woman''s power returned to her and she let go of Wei Jun''s hands. She stepped back with a smile, the look in her eyes of pure longing as she said, "As expected."


    Wei Jun''s attention was drawn to her when he head that and all he saw in her eyes was obsessiveness. Wei Jun couldn''t tell why or what he should think about it unless he heard the words come out of the woman''s mouth.


    "We''re perfect for each other, Damien."


    Wei Jun''s eyes widened but before he could think of anything else, the woman before her eyes disappeared. Wei Jun hurriedly looked around but he could find no one else but him and the passed-out men and the woman who were on the imperial family''s side.


    Wei Jun had no time to worry about them since he had other matters to worry about. The notifications in his gaze, the woman who knew her real name and disappeared as if she was just a figment of his imagination, and...


    Wei Jun raised his hand to look at the ten-inch black wand that had exquisite patterns carved out on it in purple color. He didn''t know where it appeared from but one thing was for sure.


    [The quest has been completed]


    [Rewards have been granted]


    [Please exit the dungeon for the rewards to be received]


    Wei Jun didn''t know what to think of the events that had unfolded but he didn''t have much time to think when his surroundings began to tremble and he could feel the building breaking down.


    Wei Jun looked down on the three cultivators. Since their minds were no longer sane and he already had plans for them, Wei Jun raised his hands and constructed three Death Qi spears and without hesitation, shot them with the spears straight in their hearts.


    The usual notifications of him killing cultivators appeared but it was a little different this time. Wei Jun left it for later along with the rest and began to make his way out of the tomb.


    After about an hour of running at his full speed, he finally arrived at the section where he saw the cultivators passed out on the ground.


    However, upon closer inspection, he found out that there were only two of them alive, both of them being the generals. He picked them up without much hesitation and jumped out of the pool on the outside. Outside, a storm could be seen all around him as if it sought to uproot everything in the ground and that was exactly what was happening.


    The temple itself was breaking down and everything was rising up above the sky into a black hole that could be seen in the sky.


    Wei Jun didn''t think for a moment and jumped once again, landing outside of the temple, and began to run in the direction of the dungeon gate.


    He willed for the fruit to appear in his hand and as soon as he did, the fruit began to break down until it disappeared in the air. Just as he was thinking what had just happened, a tattoo began to appear on his hand and in a few seconds, it took the shape of a centipede, the one Wei Jun had killed.


    Wei Jun had no idea what he should do about it but he didn''t have the time to worry about everything. He dungeon was still breaking down and the strong pull of the black hole in the sky was pulling him as well.


    Still, Wei Jun managed to run all the way to the entrance and without a second''s thought, jumped into it. As soon as he did, he ended up on the other side of the dungeon, in the city where he could see many, many cultivators gathered, including some familiar faces.


    Before he could register them, however...


    Boom!!!!


    A strong shockwave spread throughout the area, spreading from behind him and shaking the area. The one to take the full face brunt of the shockwave was none other than Wei Jun and the two cultivators in his grasp.


    "Kugh!!!"


    And beyond that moment, Wei Jun remembered nothing.


    ~~


    [How are you feeling?]


    The system asked Wei Jun as he opened his eyes slowly, immense pain coursing through his body. He groaned but the pain slowly began to disappear. As he came to his senses about an hour, he finally chose to reply to the system''s question.


    ''Alive.''


    He sighed for a moment before he asked, ''What the hell happened?''


    [Spatial transference]


    [It''s a phenomenon in which an entire pocket dimension is moved to somewhere else]


    [The dungeon you were in moved to somewhere else as well]


    ''I see.'' That was all Wei Jun could say in reply because he understood nothing about it. He simply sighed and closed his eyes for a while before he asked, ''How long was I out?''


    [A little more than five hours]


    At the system''s reply, Wei Jun sighed and closed his eyes to rest for a little. He had too much on his mind from the events that had happened to the events that happened after that.


    The only survivors of that dungeon were three individuals and all of them were on the military side. The military could no longer prove that the imperial family had evil cultivators so that was a lost cause no matter what.


    Wei Jun was also sure that the imperial family would use that fact to further cement their hold on the public''s sentiment and buy some more time for them. Of course, that also included their newly constructed enmity with Wei Jun.


    He was unsure of the fates of General Shao and General Ming but he decided to worry about them later. Not like he was worried anyway. He was just worried about them because he needed witnesses. Otherwise, he would have another problem on his hand known as the military.


    However, even that wasn''t the biggest agenda on his mind.


    First and foremost, the fact that worried him the most was that woman who seemed clearly western but was dressed like an Egyptian queen, found on the eastern soil and spoke mandarin so flawlessly one would think she was Chinese.


    That woman and everything related to her was what plagued his mind the most.


    Especially.


    [Quest rewar...]


    [...]


    [.]

 Chapter 409 - 409: How did it begin? (Bonus)

    I was thinking of dipping into the past of the sect master and the military but then I decided to not waste anyone''s time with that. A small background story incorporated here and there would be enough.


    Let me know if you don''t want that.


    ~~


    [Circulation of heart and soul has been completed]


    [Your Death Qi core has been fully stabilized]


    [Your Death Qi purity has increased significantly]


    [All skills costs have been reduced by 50%]


    [All skills effects have been enhanced by 50%]


    [Death Qi limit +100%]


    [Death Qi +50,000]


    [Your partner has experienced the same effects]


    [Wand of the Damned has been created due to the perfect fusion of the user and his partner]


    [Wand of the Damned]


    [Tier: Unknown]


    [Description: A wand created from the blood of the dark dragons who sacrificed themselves for their elder


    The wand contains their desire to save their father along with all the emotions they ever held, making it difficult for anyone to ever bear the wand.


    The perfect fusion of their lives created the wand and only those who have undergone perfect fusion can ever use the wand]


    [Effect: For ten minutes, become an immortal dark dragon]


    [All stats +100%]


    [All skills effects +100%]


    [Effect ''Immortality'' would take place during the usage of the wand]


    [Warning: The user''s emotions would be greatly enhanced]


    [Cool down: 10 days]


    [Duration: 10 minutes]


    [Cost: Spilled blood of a sinner]


    [Limited to the user only]


    [...]


    [You have killed a cultivator x3]


    [Death hungrily reacts]


    [Gain of stats is no longer applicable]


    [Death Qi +2091]


    [Death Qi: 83109]


    [...]


    [Quest rewards have been received]


    [Level +10]


    [All stats +100]


    [Skill ''Lord of the Damned'' has been obtained] Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Error]


    [A superior skill is already present]


    [The skill would be absorbed by the existing skill]


    [Skill ''Call of the Undead'' has been upgraded in terms of effects]


    [Now the undead can retain the power they had in their lifetime for thirty minutes]


    [After the duration, the undead would cease to exist]


    [...]


    [A contract has been signed with the ''Child of the Damned'']


    [You can now summon the contracted partner at the cost of 5000 Death Qi]


    [The kills from the contracted monster would be transferred to you]


    [...]


    "Haa..." Wei Jun sighed as he looked at the plethora of notifications in his view, not so sure where to begin. All the rewards he received were immensely good and he couldn''t help but be happy about them but even then, he was sure, the problems that were about to come his way wouldn''t be solved with just that.


    Whatever that woman from the sarcophagus did greatly did something to his Death Qi. In a good way as well.


    The item he received was ridiculously good as well but he had an ominous feeling about the small warning at the end of the effects related to his emotions.


    And he had a guess the mentioned emotions weren''t the good ones either.


    Other than that, there had been another change in his Death Qi. Before whatever the woman in the tomb did, his Death Qi would only move around when needed and otherwise would remain dormant. However, now it was constantly moving through his body. Just like the Yang Qi before Death Qi used to move in his body, it was the same.


    It was no longer dormant. And it was due to that he would no longer gain any more stats from killing cultivators.


    Then he lowered his head and raised his forearm to look at it, at the tattoo of a centipede on his arm. To summon it, Wei Jun required 5000 Death Qi which was not much for him at this point.


    ''But summoning it here would be a bit...'' Wei Jun was unsure if the thing would retain its size but he had a strong feeling it would. Wei Jun sighed and lowered his arm and looked up at the ceiling. He was deciding his next move.


    With the potential threat from the military and the definite threat from the imperial family, Wei Jun was uncertain about his next moves.


    While he was wondering that, the door to the hospital room he was in opened and entered a man he recognized well. The man looked at Wei Jun and smiled, "So you''re up."


    "Seems like it." Wei Jun replied to the sect master who took a seat beside the bed. Wei Jun looked at the sect master who didn''t have a neutral expression on his face. Usually, he was mostly laidback as if nothing in the world could harm him but now, his expression wasn''t so laidback.


    "What?" Wei Jun asked.


    "You killed three imperial family members." The sect master said.


    "Yeah, they had it coming." Wei Jun replied.


    "They don''t really care about that." The sect master replied.


    "Who are they?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Imperial family members." The sect master replied.


    "No, who are they really?" Wei Jun asked again before he clarified, "Your brother and them and then there''s your sister. I wanna know how you all ended up in that setting. The current setting."


    "..." The sect master remained silent for a while before he chuckled. He looked at Wei Jun and asked, "And?"


    "And?" Wei Jun asked.


    "What will you do then?" The sect master asked.


    "Deal with them." Wei Jun replied. Know your enemy before making a move on them. It was the basic rule everyone had to follow involved in an enmity.


    "Haa..." The sect master sighed before he asked, "Do you know what my name is?"


    "Song Huan." Wei Jun replied.


    "That''s the name of the person who I used to hate will all my being." The sect master replied before he added, "My name is Liao Tang. I was once a crown prince of this empire many, many years ago. But then the owner of this name, Song Huan, and his family, the Song family, came after the throne of our family and I was powerless to do anything about it."


    But then, life changed.


    An opportunity that was nothing less of a shortcut arrived. However, it wasn''t his own.


    "What happened?" Wei Jun asked.


    "There was a saying. Talentless would always remain talentless. No matter what I did, I wouldn''t be able to do what the talented could do. I thought if I took back my throne, everything would be over but... nothing was over. Talent was a requirement. A strict requirement."


    From the words of the sect master, otherwise known as Liao Tang, Wei Jun could discern some hidden meanings. The most apparent of them being the talentless body of Liao Tang.


    "Although I took back my throne with overwhelming power, that power was nothing compared to the power of the talented. A boy rose in front of my very eyes, from a child to an adult, and took the throne back from me. I went into hiding once more, determined to take it back again, but..." The sect master stopped.


    "You stunted." Wei Jun completed the words for him. The sect master chuckled and replied, "Yes, I stunted."


    "No matter how hard I tried or how long I lived, I could only remain a helpless cultivator who had reached his limit. My limit was my current realm. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t take back the throne anymore." The sect master said.


    "Before my very eyes, centuries once again passed and I tried many, many times to take back the throne but every time someone would come and take it from me. In the end, I had to give up." The sect master replied.


    "Then I saw another young man grow up before my very eyes and take control of this empire from behind the shadows." The sect master continued.


    "Let me guess; the old man." Wei Jun said.


    "Him." The sect master nodded in assent before he added, "My brother couldn''t accept the same reality, to this day, he kept on trying to take back the throne but no matter what he did, we had to admit, the bloodline of the Tang family ended with us."


    "Are they aware of you?" Wei Jun asked.


    "I am still strong so yes, everyone is afraid of me, however, I am not to only one no longer. There are more stronger than me and they have taken control of what once belonged to me before my very eyes." The sect master said.


    "Your regret?" Wei Jun asked.


    "That I didn''t end this life sooner. Should have ended it before I threw myself in this endless cycle of hatred." The sect master replied.


    "What''s stopping you now?" Wei Jun asked.


    "This." The sect master replied before he pulled a cube from his robe and placed it near Wei Jun. As Wei Jun looked at it, no description appeared in his eyes, even from the system so he was curious and asked.


    "What is it?" Wei Jun asked.


    "My blessing and my curse." The sect master replied, "I made a contract that would allow me to live forever, but in return, I can''t die."


    That was the most nonsensical thing Wei Jun could have heard had he not been able to understand the real meaning behind the sect master''s words.


    He then looked at Wei Jun and said, "You need to keep going. Soon, everything is going to come to an end and you will be at the very center of it. I hope you make the right choice then."


    With that, the sect master left, leaving Wei Jun with his own thoughts.


    ''The right choice, huh?''

 Chapter 410 - 410: Begin

    Wei Jun looked at the old man also known as ''The Elder'' of the military with a difficult name that Wei Jun didn''t bother to remember, with an annoyed expression.


    Liu Qianghua, on the other hand, looked at Wei Jun with pure amusement on his face which only irritated Wei Jun more. Liu Qianghua then looked at another old man with a refined presence, a commander realm martial artist, one rank beyond Wei Jun''s own cultivation.


    He was no match for Liu Qianghua, a saint realm martial artist, but for Wei Jun, he was a powerful adversary that Wei Jun could only think about his future very, very carefully.


    "So you say that the imperial prince and his cousins were evil cultivators?" A man who stood beside the old man with a refined aura, the emperor of the Huanan empire, asked Wei Jun in a calm demeanor.


    "Yes." Wei Jun straightforwardly replied.


    "I see. Do you... have any proof, Mister Ruan?" The man once again asked, his tone composed and his demeanor as calm as it could be.


    "I have two witnesses." Wei Jun replied.


    "Witnesses of the military." The man clarified.


    "Yes." Wei Jun replied.


    "Is there any other witness you can offer?" The man asked.


    "No." Wei Jun replied.


    "Why?" The man asked.


    "Everyone in the tomb died, not being able to bear the pressure of the woman who the crown prince released from her prison." Wei Jun replied.


    "Do correct me, Mister Ruan, were you not also present in the room when this alleged woman who was of the imperial lineage was woken up from her prison?" The man asked.


    "I was." Wei Jun replied.


    "And how come you were not affected?" The man asked.


    "She chose to release me." Wei Jun replied.


    "Why?" The man asked.


    "Upon learning that the cultivators with me belonged to the imperial family, she killed them all but I managed to announce my affiliation before that." Wei Jun replied.


    "And she spared you just for that?" The man asked.


    "Yes." Wei Jun replied.


    "Awfully hard to believe you, Mister Ruan." The man replied. "I know." Wei Jun replied when the man wasn''t expecting one. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, let me get this straight. You have no evidence, no witnesses, yet you claim facts that can cause civil unrest throughout the empire so once again, I would like to ask of you, are you sure you want to stick to those claims?" The man asked.


    "Yes." Wei Jun simply replied.


    The man was a little taken aback by the short reply. There was no attempt to defend oneself nor was there any hesitation which only made Wei Jun a difficult person to manipulate. His answers were clear and precise so his words couldn''t be used against him.


    Tock!


    The old emperor tapped his cane on the ground as an immense wave of Qi that was mainly focused on Wei Jun emitted from him, spreading around but before it could reach Wei Jun, it was negated by an equally powerful Qi that one could tell was being held back.


    "What is the meaning of this, Master Song Haun?!" Another man next to the emperor stood up and yelled. The sect master, on the other hand, remained still and simply smiled, "Contain yourself, your majesty. Accidents can happen both ways."


    The expression on the old emperor''s face remained refined as ever, but the state of Qi was enough to relay how much anger he was in.


    The sect master simply shrugged it and stood up from his seat. There were many, many people in the court room. The people from the military, from Wei Jun''s sect, and from the imperial family.


    Addressing all of them, the sect master said, "I think that we are being too hasty about arriving at a decision. I think we should hold this trial until the generals from the military can offer some clarification on this matter. I also propose that additional investigation be done in this matter as I don''t think this claim can be taken so lightly nor has it been taken lightly ever before. If it was a family accused of such a matter, let alone an investigation, they would have been straight up hanged by now so why is the imperial family so different?"


    "Do keep in mind that you are addressing the imperial family here!" The man next to the old emperor once again shouted.


    "And is the imperial family exempted from such crimes just because of their status?" The sect master calmly asked.


    "Precisely." Liu Qianghua took that very moment to interfere and said out loud for everyone to hear, "Those who worship evil have been enemies of our lives since the very beginning of time. No matter who they are, they shall not be spared regardless of their wealth or status."


    He then looked at the old emperor who finally had an angry expression on his face.


    The angry expression of the emperor made Liu Qianghua smirk and he said, "Commander Yan of the CSF will personally investigate this matter. With all my resources at his disposal, he shall not be interrupted in any case. Interruption would taken as a sign of... guilt. In which case, no matter what the case, judgment shall be delivered."


    Leaving a sect master with a neutral expression, Wei Jun with his usual cold, and an old man with a very, very angry expression that the veins on his forehead could be seen, Liu Qianghua dismissed the court.


    ~~


    "That could have been worse." The sect master said as he and Wei Jun were back in the sect, sitting in the sect master''s usual pagoda as they shared tea. Well, Wei Jun was the only one who drank tea, while the sect master mixed fine tea and exquisite wine together.


    "The claim was not something they could just dismiss. Especially if the old man was on our side." Wei Jun replied.


    "On our side, you say?" The sect master scoffed before he asked, "Do you really think he''s on our side?"


    "No." Wei Jun replied, "He''s probably on no one''s side. But that doesn''t matter in the least. Ours and his goals coincided so at the very least at the moment, he''s on our side."


    "One could take it that way." The sect master replied before he asked, "You know they''re not going to take this lying down, right?"


    "Yes." Wei Jun replied before he asked, "What about them?"


    "Since your mother became a sect elder, she''s been here mostly and I''ve made your sister one too so she has no choice but to move here as well. Your father has obviously chosen to follow your mother. I an essence, they''re all safe." The sect master replied.


    Wei Jun knew he could be reached through his family or his acquaintances but he had a way of protecting his subordinates, but when it came to his family, Wei Jun was sure he wouldn''t be able to muster the same feelings for them so he asked the sect master to protect them out of obligation.


    The sect master of course agreed and relocated his entire family to the sect where they could still access their businesses and not hinder their daily lives.


    "As for your lovers..." The sect master was about to say when Wei Jun interjected, "They''ll be safe."


    "..." The sect master remained silent for a while before he nodded and changed the subject as he asked, "That woman you asked about. I know of her. But, I wouldn''t be able to help you in her case."


    "Why not? She''s an evil cultivator." Wei Jun replied.


    "That she is, no doubt." The sect master replied before he added, "But I still won''t be able to help you. Their organization is so deep underground that it is difficult for even the old man, Liu Qianghua, to locate them. You think I''d be able to do that?"


    Wei Jun remained silent. There were two major evil organizations that terrorized the whole empire. One was mentioned in the novels before this one and Wei Jun had used that information to get rid of almost half of the CSF. The other one was the one that desired to have Li Fan Sho on their side.


    Their power was a level higher but so was their concealment. They were hidden so deep that nothing could be done to find them. Even the old man who appeared last time was a special case. There was a good chance she might never show up again.


    Finding them and stopping them would be immensely difficult, at the very least would require a lot of resources, resources the sect master wasn''t willing to expend on Wei Jun''s behalf but he couldn''t just come out and say that so he had to twist the truth a bit.


    Wei Jun sighed, well aware of the sect master''s inner thoughts, but it wasn''t like he could blame him since he would have done the same in his situation.


    With that, Wei Jun nodded and left to deal with the situation on his own. If they wouldn''t come out, Wei Jun was going to bring them out.


    And as if to reciprocate his thoughts, Wei Jun received a call from Mark Wilson who informed him, "He''s in."


    A terrifying grin appeared on Wei Jun''s face as he replied, "Begin."

 Chapter 411 - 411: Disappointed

    "Report." Wei Jun said as soon as he entered the meeting room where Lin Ruan, Yue Peng, Li Wei, and Mark Wilson were already present.


    Li Wei immediately stood up and replied, "We have begun to expand into Long Bao City at a rapid pace. Though we stand to incur some losses if we go in this fast, President Peng assures us we can take over some of the industries in a month."


    "Is that so, President Peng?" Wei Jun asked Yue Peng who nodded and added, "We may have to face some issues, considering one of them is backed by a sect, but if we were to use the name of the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect, we would be able to hold them back."


    "You don''t have to worry about that." Lin Ruan added, "The only problem is them going to the number one and two sects while offering them incentives."


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I''ll personally keep them busy." Wei Jun replied before he turned to Mark Wilson and asked, "And what about the list I asked for?"


    "Most of the individuals on the list shouldn''t be a problem for the boss but those who could be, I have looked deep into their families and found some weak spots." Mark Wilson replied, expecting a swift answer from the usual ruthless Wei Jun.


    However, contrary to everyone''s expectations, Wei Jun paused for a while before he said, "Those who are children, women, or elderly, ignore them. If they have some dirty history, you are free to use that."


    "... Understood." Mark Wilson replied, a little taken aback but quick to collect himself.


    Everyone looked at each other, wondering what was going on with their ruthless boss but no one pointed it out. While they were busy, the door opened and a green-eyed western girl entered the room.


    When Wei Jun saw Natasha, he dismissed everyone with the instructions, "Begin immediately. Implement overtime. Use all of our connections. Everything must topple in a month. Ensure the livelihood of the ones I mentioned before while being as ruthless as you need to be to others."


    With that, everyone left but Wei Jun held Li Wei back. Once everyone was gone, and only Natasha and Li Wei were present, Wei Jun pulled out a few miasma cores and placed them on the table. They were all A rank so their presence was quite strong.


    Li Wei looked at them in shock before she asked, "What about them boss?"


    "Give three of them to each of them except for Mark." Wei Jun instructed. Li Wei nodded and left with the stuff, leaving Wei Jun and Natasha alone.


    "I apologize that our set time was interrupted due to a set of circumstances." Wei Jun said before he asked, "Have you come to a decision?"


    "No." Natasha immediately replied before she added, "I''ll make one now. After I''ve heard everything you have to say."


    Wei Jun looked at her deep in the eyes. Ever since making her a party member, he couldn''t get angry at her, and perhaps it was because she was the first one, the emotions he felt for her were more intense than for the rest.


    "What do you want to know?" Wei Jun asked. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you going to kill everyone?" Natasha asked.


    "If I have to." Wei Jun straightforwardly replied.


    "What about Melissa?" Natasha asked.


    "If I have to." Wei Jun''s reply remained the same.


    "What about me?" Natasha asked.


    "No." Wei Jun instantly replied, not even taking a second to think.


    "I see." Natasha replied before she said, "I''ll do what you say. Follow your ambition. But you are not to kill people needlessly. Doesn''t matter if they''re from my academy or someone I have no idea of. You won''t kill unless you have to."


    "I never kill unless I have to." Wei Jun replied. He always weighed the consequences before it ever got to the killing. Killing was one thing he always did when necessary, not whenever he needed to solve a situation.


    To him, killing was always the last option. If it ever got to the killing, then one could be sure that Wei Jun had already considered other alternatives and that was the best option.


    "So you''re that kind of a guy." Natasha said before she looked at him and said, "Fine. But as long as you spare Melissa''s life no matter the circumstances. Her infatuation with the academy goes beyond mine."


    "You want me to let her live?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Mhm," Natasha replied.


    "It isn''t a difficult request but if she were to make an enemy out of me later down the line, then unfortunately our promise won''t help her very much." Wei Jun replied.


    "I can control her if that moment was ever to come." Natasha replied before she asked, "So promise me you''ll let me."


    Wei Jun nodded without much hesitation and replied, "Sure."


    Natasha nodded but she didn''t move. Wei Jun could tell she had something else on her mind so he asked, "What is it?"


    "I was out yesterday..." Natasha said and Wei Jun''s expression changed, the chill in his eyes beyond it had ever been.


    ~~


    "Dad, do you hit mom?" He asked his father at the breakfast table while his mother was in the kitchen and his father sat at the head chair, busy reading a newspaper.


    "Hm?" His father was taken aback by the question for a while before he replied, "Yes, I do. A lot."


    "What? Why?" Pure horror flooded his eyes as he heard his father say that.


    "Because she asks for it. Especially when we''re doing it in a do--mmmm!!!" His mother shoved a piece of celery in his mouth to shut him up before she approached her son and knelt before him, "Damien, your father doesn''t hurt me. He loves me. Just like he loves you. He doesn''t hit you, right?"


    Damien innocently shook his head at his mother''s statement. His mother smiled and said, "We don''t hit the people we love, okay, Damien?"


    "Yes." Damien replied before he asked, "Then you don''t love Dad, Mom?"


    "Why do you ask?" His mother was confused as to what could have urged her child to ask such a question from her.


    "Well, you hit Dad all the time." Damien innocently replied, making Damien''s father let out a laugh, which he immediately stifled when his wife turned to glare at him.


    She took a deep breath and then turned to Damien, a smile on her face as she replied, "When a man loves a woman, he cherishes her. When a woman loves a man, she hits him, and only him. Have you ever seen me hit someone else?"


    Damien shook his head which made his mother ask, "See? I love him."


    Damien nodded. The conversation seemed to have come to an end when his father curiously asked, "But why the sudden interest, buddy?"


    "Oh. I have a classmate whose father hits her and her mother a lot. Her mother says it''s because he loves them." Damien innocently replied, not too mature what such a statement implied.


    However, his parents could perfectly understand. His mother looked at her father who looked back at her with a serious gaze. His mother said, "Take care of it."


    "I''ll see what I can do." His father replied.


    Then, Damien''s mother turned to him and said, "Damien. Promise me. When you grow up, you won''t hurt women. Understood?"


    "What if they hurt me first?" Damien asked.


    "Then kill them. But don''t hit them or disrespect them, understood?" His mother seriously asked, no mother''s love present in her eyes to which Damien could only gulp and nod.


    The next day, when Damien went to his school, he heard a few teachers gossiping in a corner, "I heard Melinda''s dad was found assaulted on his way home yesterday. His arms and legs were mangled."


    "What? What then?" Another teacher asked.


    "The doctors couldn''t do anything about him. Such a tragedy though, he would never be able to walk or move his arms." The teacher replied.


    "Oh no. What will happen to their family now?" A teacher asked.


    "Apparently not much. Her mother got a job in the Smith Enterprises so their financial circumstances won''t change." The teacher replied.


    "Oh, thank god then."


    Damien walked away, still too young to understand any of that but he saw happiness turn on his friend''s face for many years to come. All because he asked that one question that day.


    ~~


    And now...


    As he opened his eyes, he held his hand out to stop Natasha who was about to move to save the woman who was being beaten in front of them.


    Wei Jun looked at everything with open eyes, a sort of anger that couldn''t be defined by no words. Natasha, who wanted to protest being stopped, stopped herself when she felt the immense anger flowing through Wei Jun''s body.


    Wei Jun looked at everything going before his eyes and memorized every instance, but only one thing went through his mind.


    ''Ah. Mom would be so disappointed.''

 Chapter 412 - 412: Anger

    "We don''t have much information about them, but it seems they''re a small agency that contracts small-time actresses or recruits newbies and uses them for their own goals such as currying favors with influential government affiliates for a night out drink which could lead to some... other activities." Mark Wilson explained everything but what was it? Since when did he have difficulty speaking?


    Why was he having difficulty breathing?


    "Wei Jun." Natasha said which brought Wei Jun out of his angry trance that relieved others as well. Natasha didn''t know it would be like this when she told Wei Jun about what had happened. It was like Wei Jun had lost control of all of his emotions. Like he was... afraid.


    Afraid of something.


    "Find out everything about them." Wei Jun said as he looked up at Mark Wilson and said, "Drop everything and find out everything about them. Even those who have the same businesses. Find them."


    "Un-Understood, boss." Mark Wilson said and left while Wei Jun turned to Natasha and said, "Let''s go."


    "Where?" Natasha asked.


    "Where you saw that woman being assaulted." Wei Jun replied.


    Natasha had a bad feeling about this but she followed Wei Jun quietly. She could tell, Wei Jun was angry beyond the point of being reasoned with. The only wise thing she could do at the moment was to obey him quietly and let the storm that was created to wash over.


    But, she knew well enough that storms don''t just come and go. In their wake, they leave destructions that can''t be salvaged for years.


    Wei Jun and Natasha arrived outside a club and Wei Jun entered the club along with her. As they entered the deep ends of the place, Wei Jun was able to get inside the VVIP area due to his status.


    "Oh, Mister Ruan~ Come. Come. Have a seat." A man said with a sweet smile and directed Wei Jun towards a seat. Wei Jun, however, kept standing and looked in a corner where a girl, who was drugged out of her mind and on her knees, covering her head as a man kept hitting her, could be seen.


    Natasha was about to intervene when Wei Jun stopped her and looked at the man who seemed to be the boss of the whole thing and said, "Stop."


    "What?" The man was taken aback by Wei Jun''s words and couldn''t arrive at a conclusion as to what Wei Jun was talking about due to the vagueness of this words.


    "Stop that." Wei Jun pointed at the scene in the corner.


    "Oh, that? She just couldn''t learn her lesson so I''m having her taught a good lesson. You don''t have to worry about it." The man explained as if Wei Jun would understand.


    "I will give you one chance. Stop all of this. And I''ll let you live." Wei Jun said, his words clear and concise and even if they were vague on the topic, the man could easily understand what Wei Jun was talking about.


    The smile appeared from the man''s face as he stood up and approached Wei Jun, the cold expression relaying how he didn''t fear Wei Jun. The laws protected him so there was no need to be worried about a cultivator.


    "You have no power here, Mister Ruan. This is the world of mortals. We can do what we want without the fear of cultivators. Old times are no more." The man said before he stepped back and went to the woman who was being hit and stopped the man who was hitting her.


    He then took the hockey stick that was being used to hit the woman and turned to Wei Jun, "Nowadays, if you hit a mortal, it can become a pretty big issue."


    Thack!


    Thack!


    Thack!


    He began to hit the woman like crazy, intent on breaking every bone in her body and only focused on her arms and legs so there wouldn''t be a risk of death.


    Natasha''s blood boiled and she so desperately wished to intervene but she was being blocked by Wei Jun who had a neutral expression on his face and without blinking, his eyes observed the whole scene.


    Once the man had had his fill, he stopped and looked at Wei Jun, out of breath, as he said, "Cultivator brutality, they say. The old times are gone when a cultivator could walk into a village and kill whoever they wanted to. Now that there are laws in place, we have no reason to fear you anymore."


    "..." Silence prevailed at the scene and only the sobs of the woman echoed in the background. Wei Jun remained silent for quite a while before he said, "Laws, morals, rights..."


    "There was a time I used to believe in these things too. But then, I realized, there is no such thing as rights. Only the strong exists." Wei Jun turned and began to leave with Natasha in two before he left some parting words, "Don''t fear cultivators."


    "Fear me."


    "Haha! What a joke!" The man said before he got back to his buddies and began to joke about the situation. On the other hand, Wei Ju and Natasha came out of the bar and entered his car.


    "What now?" Natasha asked.


    The man was right. Laws were in place for a reason. The best way to deal with that situation would be through proper legal channels. The only problem was that then the government would be involved and there was no way the government would be willing to bow down to the cultivators.


    "You''re going to sleep." Wei Jun replied before he went silent and Natasha knew that no matter what she said anymore, Wei Jun would remain silent. She could tell. The burning anger inside of him. While he was calm on the outside and his eyes were cold, she could feel the anger inside of him through the connection they shared.


    Once Wei Jun dropped her at his villa, he left for downtown.


    ''It''s been a long time.'' Wei Jun thought.


    ~~


    "Hahaha. Those people, seriously. What can we do about those idiots? We have the Governor''s backing so what''s there to fear a few cultivators? The CSF is under heat due to some incidents so they wouldn''t just sit by if some cultivators did something." A man replied who sat next to the man who had a sweet smile and drank whisky calmly.


    "There is nothing to worry about. They cannot do anything to us anyway." The man said before he looked at the woman who was being carried out of the room.


    Looking at her, he couldn''t help but scoff internally, trying to mask the ominous feeling that had been weighing on his heart ever since earlier. Ever since he left...


    ''Haa... It''s nothing. There''s not much he can do.'' He thought. Or so he thought as he looked at his terrified expression in the black mirror of the helmet. Around his neck, a strange whip of unknown origin was suspending him in the air while all those around him were on the ground, screaming in horrifying pain.


    He wanted to say it. He wanted to say that the cultivator wouldn''t be safe if he were to attack and kill civilians like this but no words left his mouth. He could feel the intent of death from the one holding him in the air like this.


    The intruder hadn''t come with the intention of talking. He was there to deliver the most excruciating pain that could ever be delivered.


    ''No! No!''


    He said, yelled inwardly, but no matter how much he did, his voice wouldn''t leak out. At that moment, he heard the biker say, "Shall we begin in all earnest?"


    ~~


    "What is the report?" Commander Yan asked as exited the car and was approached by a subordinate.


    "Mayhem." The subordinate replied in a single word and handed him the report.


    As Commander Yan read it, his expression couldn''t help but retort that of confusion as he asked, "Isn''t this a civilian matter? What does the biker have to do with this?"


    "Well..." The subordinate wanted to speak but he couldn''t. He just looked in the direction of the governor''s residence as a chill of horror passed through his body.


    "I... I think you should brace yourself, sir. It''s a very unsettling scene." The subordinate said as he pointed at the entrance of the destroyed house of the governor.


    Commander Yan Bin was confused. Why would the subordinate, who had even attempted dungeons and was used to the gory scene of blood and bits say such a thing? S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And most of all, why was he saying such a thing to Commander Yan, a war veteran, who had seen worse than there could be?


    However, all his questions were answered in an instant as he entered the crime scene. Looking at the scene with a horrified look in his eyes, he could only think that the word ''Gory'' was made for a scene like this.


    "Is... Is he?" Commander Yan asked as he looked at the man who had been suspended in the air.


    "He''s alive, sir." The subordinate replied, much to the horror of Commander Yan.

 Chapter 413 - 413: Choices

    "Hmm..." Liu Qianghua looked at the photographs brought to him and mused. He looked back at Commander Yan and asked, "And they are all?"


    "They''re all government individuals." Commander Yan replied.


    "Then what do they have to do with us?" Liu Qianghua asked.


    "The biker attacked them and reduced them to that state. That involved us and when we started to dig deep, we found multiple cases of embezzlement, human trafficking, drug trafficking, se*ual favors, and frauds of various kinds. It caused the public to calm down but the reaction was still severe. They''re all asking what we are doing now that the biker has resurfaced." Commander Yan explained everything.


    "Since when has this biker been a humanitarian?" Liu Qianghua asked. This was more like the work of a vigilante who tried to help the common people, like Robin Hood, not like a person who did so for his own selfish reasons.


    "We... cannot say." Commander Yan had no answer to that. Even Liu Qianghua couldn''t come up with anything when he suddenly asked, "Where did it begin?"


    "Pardon?" Commander Yan asked.


    "Where did it all begin? Where did the biker strike first?" Liu Qianghua clarified.


    "At some club. Some low-level contractors are involved in se*ual favors cases. They were the first ones to be found." Commander Yan replied.


    "And are they dead as well?" Liu Qianghua asked.


    "They are, elder. But as you can see, they are of no help." Commander Yan replied and referred to the pictures in Liu Qianghua''s grasp. Liu Qianghua once again looked at the pictures, and even he couldn''t help but feel it was the work of a monster who was venting his personal feelings.


    Torso sliced from the middle, leaving only the upper part. Arms cut off. Eyes and tongue gouged out. There was no way of helping them or receiving any clues from them. They couldn''t walk, they couldn''t point, they couldn''t write, they couldn''t speak, and they couldn''t even signal with their eyes.


    Letting them live wasn''t a mercy. It was the cruelty of the highest level. Even the devil wouldn''t be so cruel, or so Liu Qianghua thought. But he was sure of one thing.


    If he shivered, then the devil must too.


    "Begin from them. Try and see what happened at that club two or three days prior. Anything that strikes as unusual." Liu Qianghua instructed.


    "Yes, sir." Commander Yan replied.


    He was about to leave when Liu Qianghua stopped him, "Wait."


    "Yes, sir?" Commander Yan stopped and turned to ask.


    "Don''t engage in a battle with him." Liu Qianghua replied, "I have a deep feeling you''ll lose."


    "..." Commander Yan, while should have been embarrassed given his rank, only took Liu Qianghua''s advice with utmost seriousness as he replied, "Yes, sir."


    "Good. You may leave." Liu Qianghua dismissed Commander Yan and returned his attention back to the photographs with only one question on his mind...


    ''Why did you do it?''


    ~~


    "No. No. No. No. Not like that." He moved to stop a man from cutting with a knife as he took the knife and chided him for doing a bad job, "You have to be swift. Otherwise, there would be marks left behind."


    "I''m being swift." The boy with the knife replied before he added, "But I''m not sure if you can see but there are bones in the way."


    "So?" He asked as he flicked the boy on his forehead as he continued, "You will meet a lot of things in the way but your sharpness can''t decrease."


    "What do you mean sharpness?" The boy mumbled.


    "Sharpness indicates your feelings. If you''re rough, or uneven, then there is something wrong with your head. Most likely guilt or you just don''t want to do it. It leaves an image behind. But the more sharper you are, the cleaner the cut is, the harder it is to assume what you''re thinking." He instructed his brother.


    "What''s the point? The endpoint is to cut them anyway." The boy replied.


    "Wrong." He replied as he fiddled with the knife, "The point is to keep them alive. You''ve seen me use a surgical knife, right? It''s just like that. I cut but don''t kill."


    "But these guys aren''t patients." The boy argued as he looked at the bloodied man who seemed to be in his last throes.


    "Well, of course, they aren''t. That''s why there''s no anesthesia involved, right?" He said before he stabbed the bleeding man in his neck to free him of his misery and he picked another gagged man and said, "Now. Again."


    "Haa..." The boy sighed, took the knife, and began to cut the man from various points.


    "That''s it." He approved in a slight voice as he said, "Make sure there''s no mess. Be careful of the arteries. You want to give them pain. Not death."


    "Not death." Wei Jun mumbled as he looked down at his glove-covered hands that were covered in blood.


    The blood didn''t belong to one or two people either. It belonged to hundreds of people who would now live the rest of their lives in pain and darkness. If someone asked Wei Jun did he felt any guilt, then it wasn''t the right answer.


    He didn''t feel guilt or felt sorry for the people he did that to. That was never a problem in the first place. The problem was, that for the first time in a very, very long while, he enjoyed it. One thing he didn''t want to do was to enjoy doing it. His brother didn''t like it and his mother was disappointed by it. His father... well, he was always supportive of him no matter what he did, but he could tell, even he didn''t like it.


    "Aaahh!!!"


    He threw away whatever was in his hands and everything on the tables. Everything in the room from furniture to glass, everything broke down under his hands until nothing in the room was left intact.


    He hated himself for doing it, but no matter what, he couldn''t stop doing it. When he did it once, he went to another, then another, and then another. He kept on going from one man to another until his mind went blank and when he came to his senses, it was already too late.


    [Chaos]


    [It''s addicting, isn''t it?]


    [Little brother]


    Wei Jun heard the voice of his brother as he sat on the floor with his head lowered. He raised his head slowly to look at the glowing blue screen that had words written on it as always but it wasn''t the usual monotonous voice of the system or the voice of the overseer. It was the lively voice his brother had.


    The tone, the words, they were something his brother would use.


    "It is." Wei Jun replied. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Hahahahaha]


    His brother laughed. There was nothing in that laugh, no amusement, no mockery, no nothing. There was just the laugh of a lively person who laughed for no reason. Wei Jun couldn''t tell what to think of at the moment. Should he be angry? Should he be angry at his brother, the one who brought him to that world? Or should he be angry at himself because he couldn''t control himself?


    [Neither]


    [That''s the fate we Smiths must bear]


    "..."


    [You know, back when I was in college]


    [I killed some people]


    [It was nothing new]


    [But I enjoyed killing them]


    [Wanna know why I did so?]


    "..."


    Wei Jun wanted to know. But before he could reply, his brother continued...


    [There was a time]


    [When Dad was young, young and young]


    [He killed people]


    [An entire city of about 100,000 people]


    [Burned in fire and streams of blood flowed throughout the city]


    [Our Dad did that]


    [Wanna know why?]


    "..."


    Wei Jun wasn''t willing to believe that. There was no way his father could have killed people like that. And although his brother didn''t say so, that included the elderly, women, and children as well. There was no way Wei Jun''s father would have done something like that. He just couldn''t believe it.


    [It''s our curse, you see]


    [It''s since her, isn''t it?]


    [That woman in the tomb]


    Wei Jun''s eyes widened. He remembered. His desire to bring chaos, and not just bring it, but enjoy it as well, the destruction that was brought along with it, he wanted to enjoy it.


    [Hyaa~~]


    [Women I say]


    [Can''t say about Dad, but the one I was in love with, the one who made me enjoy killing was toxic as hell]


    [That is our curse]


    [A man''s curse]


    [A man will fall in love with a beautiful and toxic woman all at once]


    [He''ll know she''d be the reason for his downfall, but he''d still fall for her]


    "I don''t want to know that." Wei Jun said. He didn''t care. He didn''t care about love in the first place. He cared for those who cared for him but no one could ever take the place of his family. So other than his family, even if he loved someone, then it was only temporary.


    [What you want to know is how to stop, right?]


    "..."


    [Then the answer is simple]


    [Do what I did]


    [It would be difficult and it would hurt like hell]


    [Would probably change you for the worse if you''re not lucky like me]


    "What?" Wei Jun just wanted to know.


    [Do what I did, little brother]


    [Rip her heart out while you look her in the eyes]


    [That is the only way]


    [Otherwise]


    [What would remain is only...]


    Wei Jun didn''t know why, but he so desperately wished to say it. To interrupt his brother so he said...


    "Chaos."

 Chapter 414 - 414: Why?

    "We have to move this tonight." A woman said as she approached containers packed with their business merchandise. With the current movements from several companies that appeared out of nowhere and their backup sects lifting their support, their business was in danger. A hostile takeover was imminent and before that happened, she wanted to make sure they had enough assets to begin once again when the real powerhouse returned.


    ''Only when he went into seclusion.'' The woman thought as she was reminded of the man who was their sole backbone. Just as he entered seclusion to break through to the next realm, their businesses began to take helpless attacks against which they couldn''t even dream of retaliating.


    The government that was on their side immediately went silent and the other contacts they had became non-responsive.


    Just as she was thinking of her next move, she felt someone walk past her as if they were simply taking a night stroll. As her senses warned her, she looked at the one who had just passed her, and terror was struck into her heart as she remembered who it was. The man who had almost killed him. The man in a biker outfit with a helmet.


    "Ten thousand strike!"


    Immediately a sword appeared in her hands and she executed her most lethal movement but...


    "Kugh!"


    She stopped mid-strike as she looked down, only to see whips like things extending from the hand of the biker, penetrating her heart, and her lungs.


    The biker didn''t even turn to look at her and kept walking as life slowly left her eyes. As the light in her eyes dimmed, she could only witness her allies being helplessly slaughtered.


    ''No...'' was her last thought before she died, not even being able to remember her beloved. As for the biker, well, he didn''t care who was in his way. As long as they attacked, they died, but if they ran away, then they were spared.


    By the time he arrived before the containers, almost everyone was dead and only some had managed to flee. He opened the container and emptied its reserves before moving on to the next one. And just like that, once he had taken everything, he simply walked and left the scene as he had calmly walked into the place.


    ~~


    "Who did this?!!!" A woman of exquisite beauty and a tiara on her head yelled. No one around her could reply as the woman yelled in anger.


    She stood before the corpse of her disciple, and daughter, her only daughter. The daughter of the sect that was eighth in the ranking was killed just like that and no one could come up with an answer.


    "All the survivors said was that it was a man wearing a helmet, mother." The brother of the deceased woman said as he tried to calm his mother.


    "WHO!!!!?" The woman, however, only got angrier as she couldn''t help but remember the innocent face of her daughter who was now lifeless.


    "W-we don''t know, mother." The son helplessly replied and could only bow his head. As for the woman, she could only helplessly weep as her daughter lay dead before her. However, just as she was weeping, she felt something. Something ominous was stepping in their direction.


    She immediately stood up, a sword in her hand as she executed the largest technique she had in her arsenal and attacked in the direction where the ominous presence she felt was. An evil presence. The presence of an evil cultivator.


    A wave of vertical light emitted from the slash of her sword as it threatened to destroy everything in its path. As it arrived before the ominous presence, the ethereal slash was countered by nothing but darkness. Pitch black darkness that threatened to consume everything in its path.


    No light could escape that darkness as the strike that was enough to cut a mountain vanished in a matter of seconds. The figure who had managed to do that kept walking forward until he appeared in everyone''s view. The blood of the woman boiled as she looked at the man who was assumed to have killed her daughter.


    She didn''t care if he was indeed the one who had done that. All that mattered was that she must kill that man.


    [Blaze of the fiery fairy]


    She executed another strike and a blazing hot slash of fire emitted her sword once again. It was blue in color but it burned worse than the usual fire. Even the biker couldn''t help but take that seriously.


    Placing both of his hands in front of him, an intense accumulation of darkness shrouded his surroundings.


    [Death veil]


    As soon as the slash entered the area of darkness, its effect lessened by half. For the rest, the accumulation of darkness around the biker''s hand was enough. Just like the first strike, this strike was also swallowed in the infinite darkness of death.


    And with that, everyone, especially the female sect master realized that things were more serious than she had anticipated. She immediately asked for her sect defenses to be activated and ordered her sect members to get ready.


    As the defenses of the sect were activated, arrays of different kinds appeared in thin air and weapons made of nothing appeared on the walls of the sect. Ballistas of different kinds took aim at him, and archers with flaming arrows took aim and shot at him.


    With the [Death veil] still active, most of the smaller attacks were snuffed out of existence but the ballista shots were still heading at the biker, although very lessened in power.


    The biker firmly planted his feet on the floor and prepared his fists.


    Tham!


    Tham!


    Tham!


    The ballista shots collided with the fists of the biker and they ceased to exist in an instant. As for the biker, he stopped to look at his fists before he got into the posture, putting all his power in his left fist and throwing it at the barrier that was a good distance away from him.


    Bam!


    The collision of the air from the fist collided with the barrier, shaking the barrier and making cracks at the point of contact.


    "..." Everyone could only watch speechlessly in shock.


    Not even a grandmaster would be able to go so flawlessly like that. Yet, the biker simply shrugged everything off and began to walk in the direction of the barrier. Meanwhile, the people of the sect snapped out of their trance and continued to shoot at the biker.


    Just like before, the arrows were snuffed out of existence as they entered the vicinity of darkness while the biker simply moved to the left and right, dodging the bigger shots that still remained even when they entered the vicinity of death.


    Eventually, the biker arrived before the barrier and touched it barrier with both of his palms. Death energy began to flow into the barrier, entering the cracks that already existed in the barrier. The cracks began to spread slowly but gradually, they spread throughout the entire barrier before they entered their power source.


    The Death energy flowing in those cracks entered the arrays of the barrier and...


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Explosions erupted inside the sect as the barrier came crashing down like shattered glass. It disappeared before it hit the ground though as if they were meteor fragments that were snuffed upon entry into the atmosphere.


    "..." Silence prevailed as everyone just looked at the biker who remained in his place, no movement that could be sensed in his presence.


    And then suddenly...


    Crash!!!


    Whips appeared out of the biker''s body, reaching the sky as big as the water hoses, and began to destroy everything around them. No matter who came into contact died on the spot and everything was destroyed under the assault.


    "Attack!!!" Only now did the female sect master snap to her senses and initiate the attack as several powerhouses attacked the biker at once with various weapons in their hands.


    The biker recalled the whips that created a protective circle around him and once many were close to him, he threw them out in random directions, impeding everyone''s attack and at the same time, spears made of darkness appeared out of thin air and rained down on the sect members.


    "Kugh!!!" S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Arrgghh!!!"


    "Watch out!!!"


    "Retreat!!!"


    Mayhem ensued.


    The sect master couldn''t help but be at a loss as she saw the biker who kept walking forward while killing, reaping many lives with each step.


    However, no matter what they did, no matter the intensity of their attacks, the biker remained unscathed and kept countering until the only ones remaining in the sect were an out-of-breath female sect master and the biker who stood before him, completely motionless.


    There was no chance of retaliation. The biker stopped but the hopes of survival were gone as well. The female sect master couldn''t help but look in her surroundings, at the death that had occurred in a short span of ten minutes by the hand of the biker who stood before her.


    Turning to her, she simply asked one question. A question that would explain her reason because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t understand.


    "Why?"

 Chapter 415 - 415: Something...

    Why?


    A simple question Wei Jun could have easily answered. That was if he had an answer. There was no answer to what he was doing. It was purely for selfish reasons and selfishness wasn''t an answer. There was no grand scheme to him, the destruction of the fragment, the fall of the Supremes or whatever his brother called it, the disruption of the laws...


    Each and every one of those reasons was something he had nothing to do with. They were the schemes of his brother, not his own. All he wished for was destruction and chaos and that was what he was gaining from it. The power that came along with it was just a way to make sure he could stand up against stronger enemies, in return for even bigger destruction.


    So, in response to the woman, all Wei Jun could do was take a step forward and clash with the woman.


    Tang!


    His fist, covered in Death Qi, collided with the blue fiery Qi of the woman which covered her sword. The blue Qi vanished, leaving behind a sword that cracked from the point of contact. As for Wei Jun, he swerved to the left and punched her in the ribs.


    "Haap!!!"


    She let out a deep gasp as if her windpipe was crushed and that was exactly what Wei Jun had done. He had specifically targeted her lung through her ribs, aiming for her to have difficulty breathing. There were a lot of things that came with difficulty in breathing.


    Terror was the biggest factor.


    The woman felt terror, from the man who had come to reap her life. Like a reaper who had to have the job done regardless of the ''how''.


    There was no mercy, no hesitation, it just simply had to be done. And he did it, without holding back. While she coughed, Wei Jun kicked her in the same spot again, crushing her lung under the strong intensity of his Qi.


    Finally, the woman was on her knees, coughing vehemently, so much so that one couldn''t help but pity her. However, the man before her knew no pity. He simply raised his hand and something resembling a whip extended from it. It wrapped itself around the woman''s neck and blocked her breath.


    She gasped as her intake of oxygen was blocked.


    "I''m sure you resent me." Wei Jun said, leaving a few parting words before he looked at the young woman he had killed earlier in the day, "I''m sure you loved your daughter very much."


    The woman''s eyes turned red.


    She cursed the man inwardly because that was all she could do. However, the next words of the man left nothing but guilt in her heart. The last ever memory and the emotion she would ever feel.


    Guilt.


    "Yet you slept with your daughter''s lover. Some mother you are." Wei Jun said with a scoff before the whip tightened and outright separated the head of the woman from her body, blood spurting out like a fountain.


    Wei Jun retracted his hand and walked towards the sect building that was still standing, or at least the core of it was. He wasn''t going to ignore the golden opportunity to rob someone after all.


    And just like that, without even sparing a glance at the countless victims of his actions, he made his way to the sect building.


    ~~


    "Just what the hell is going on?! Why is that woman attacking us?!" A man yelled as he tried to keep the formation but no matter how hard he tried, in the end, the woman charged forward with a sword in her hand covered in pink hue and the power that exceeded everyone present, there wasn''t even enough time for terror to properly spread through them as they all died under her sword one by one.


    "You bastards know that bastard, don''t you?! That''s enough of a sin!!!" Xing Xiaomei charged forward without holding back, her sword strikes precise and only dead left in the wake of her steps while only one thought remained in the ears of the ones who heard her...


    ''Which bastard are you talking about?!!!''


    Alas, there was no time to ask that question because even though the situation could be considered funny, it was deadlier than anyone could have anticipated. The movement of the sword, the refined sword art, and most of all, the power hidden in those gentle movements occupied everyone''s attention until all that was left was nothingness.


    The gentle pink hue enveloped their bodies, devouring their existences and leaving the sweet aroma of petals, along with death, behind.


    Xing Xiaomei, who only stopped once everyone was dead, looked at the time she had taken to destroy the sect and couldn''t help but click her tongue.


    "Tch! It''s all because of those annoying defensive formations." Xing Xiaomei said before she dialed a number on her phone.


    "What?" The cold voice from the other side flowed in as Xing Xiaomei asked only one question, "How many?"


    "Four." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just one word before the call ended, Xing Xiaomei was left embroiled in anger.


    "F***!!!"


    "BI******!!!!!"


    "WH******!!!!!!!"


    She stepped on the dead bodies of those already dead to vent her anger. She had lost the best by a big margin after all. Wei Jun had destroyed four sects while she had only managed to destroy two so far. It made sense why she was angry. Or at the very least, to her it did.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, disconnected the call and looked at the green-eyed woman who stood along with a blue-eyed one, the one who was currently stealing her gaze from Wei Jun because she was afraid he would be angry.


    However, Natasha didn''t care if Wei Jun would be angry or not. Wei Jun gazed deep into her green eyes before he turned to look at the scores of people Natasha had refused to kill. Even at a glance, there were almost five thousand people, from all the sects they had been ordered to take down.


    Natasha only killed those in charge while sparing the rest. Wei Jun''s orders specifically stated that they couldn''t afford hostage situations and even if they chose to spare lives, they would never even consider to thank Wei Jun if he were to spare their lives since he was responsible for that.


    But Natasha was firm and strong. Even Yan Rong was surprised. Yan Rong wasn''t actively trying to hurt her, but even then, she was sure, that if she were to fight Natasha, even if she would be the one to win, the battle wouldn''t be easy.


    Wei Jun tapped on the chair arm and kept his gaze locked on Natasha until finally, he was the one to blink first. He slowly closed his eyes and slowly opened them up to look at Natasha and said, "Contact the master of my sect. Tell him he''s getting new disciples."


    He then stood up and turned to leave but before he did, he left some parting words for Natasha, "I spared them as you wanted me to. But if they want to be spared or not depends on them."


    Mercy could only be granted once. If there were attempts at a rebellion, then even Natasha was well aware that leniency wouldn''t be a wise choice. She sighed and nodded. She didn''t think leniency would be granted even once. She looked at the people who were utterly defeated and could only hope they would recognize the chance given to them, otherwise, she wouldn''t be able to help them a second time.


    [Natasha: 79]


    The current affection for Natasha was 79, and while it wasn''t as high as Yan Rong and Liu Xu, for some reason, her affection mattered more to Wei Jun.


    [She''s the first]


    [First ones always have a special place]


    If Wei Jun was asked if he harbored any romantic feelings for Natasha, his reply would be a simple straight ''No'' without any hesitation. However, the feelings he held for her went beyond the feeling of romance and entered a territory he couldn''t define well.


    It was more like how his brother used to treat him. Roughly but never wanting him to get hurt.


    [We call that ''Family'']


    "..." Wei Jun didn''t refute. He remained silent as there was truth to the system''s words. He was just conflicted about it was all.


    He sighed and pushed everything to the back of his head. He didn''t know how long he had before Li Fan Sho would finish his breakthrough but Wei Jun wanted to finish everything before that. The unfortunate part was that even after four months of constant cleansing, there were still more than half of Li Fan Sho''s allies and assets remaining.


    ''And this feeling...''


    An ominous feeling deep inside of his heart. As if something was going against his plans. Something major, something unaccounted for, no, something new. Something that was never there before.


    "Something... disturbing." Wei Jun couldn''t help but mutter to himself. At the same time, far away from the land he was on, deep inside a hidden cave that no one knew of deep inside of a mountain range, a man with golden hair stood before the cross-legged man whose eyes were closed.


    "Soon." The golden-haired man simply said before he vanished from his spot and the cross-legged man''s figure began to glow. A change that wasn''t there before began to occur in him. Began to change him.


    Into something nonhuman.

 Chapter 416 - 416: Gang up...

    "Kuah!!!"


    "Run away!!!"


    "Don''t retreat!!! Fight to the Death!!!"


    "Death to the evildoers!!!"


    Screams of pain and terror, and screams of bravery and the will to die with honor, rang out at the same time as two different human instincts clashed against each other. One side couldn''t help but want to flee as they watched the monster in the form of a man who tore through all of their defenses, and one said they wanted nothing more than to die whilst protecting the sacred place they were practically born in and raised in.


    However, whether they were scared or full of honor, their assailant was only differentiated by two categories. One who was easy to kill, and the one who was very easy to kill. Those who fought back were killed, and those who ran away were killed even faster. In essence, their honor, pride, self-sacrifice, or the emotions completely opposite of that were regarded with the highest disregard.


    Their attacker didn''t care. All he wished to seek was their demise, and he got it without showing an ounce of mercy.


    Finally, standing before a pile of corpses and the streams of blood, the assailant looked at the man who stood angered beyond the extreme point.


    An old man who was also the sect master of the first-ranked sect of the Huanan Empire. The sect master of the Dragon Blood sect. They held power beyond measure, yet right now, the old man was the one who remained, while those around him, from the insignificant outer disciples to the core instructors and elders, everyone was dead.


    Left, only the sect master who was undergoing seclusion training, he couldn''t help but regret his decision. It was clear the invader came with proper information at hand. He chose the time to attack when the sect master was in seclusion training. He also knew how to disarm the defenses of the sect.


    Considering the current circumstances, there were only two foes he could think of at the moment. The second-ranked sect and the third-ranked sect. The third rank was the most probable one because even among all the sects, there was only one lunatic who would disregard the military''s and the empire''s laws and regulations and attack them so openly.


    "Was it Song Huan?" The old man asked as a golden sword emitting intense radiance appeared in his hand out of nowhere.


    "..." However, the assailant remained silent. He didn''t talk for a second, let alone for an extended period of time. There were no great villainous revelations like it was the norm.


    As silence stretched across the field, the old man''s anger only intensified as he spat, "Can''t you show even a little honor after what you have done?"


    The man in the biker suit and a black helmet with black glass still remained silent. However, even without seeing the eyes of the biker, the old man could feel the gaze the biker held underneath the helmet.


    ''Are you stupid?'' was what he perceived. In the first place, it was stupid to even assume that someone who killed so many people, disregarding the fact that some of them surrendered while some of them showed the greatest of courage, was capable of possessing anything resembling the far-stretched branch of honor.


    The biker simply took a step forward and disappeared from his spot while the old man was boiling with anger. However, just because he was boiling in anger didn''t mean he was any weaker.


    Tang!!!


    Just one sound but an exchange of at the very least twenty attacks. The speed and accuracy of those attacks were far beyond the point of normal, but even among those attacks, the old man showed no signs of breach. The attacks were formed with a scary accuracy that threatened to cut down anyone in the higher realms of the grandmaster realm, yet the old man didn''t even budge from his place, let alone be hit by those scarily accurate attacks.


    ''...'' Wei Jun was taken aback for an instant. It was obvious that he hadn''t assumed the old man to be so strong. Not to mention the defense he displayed was beyond any normal capacity. Wei Jun could even call it an impregnable defense.


    It was even more so to assume after...


    [You have leveled up x321]


    [Level 621]


    Barely away from entering the next stage of the cultivation realm, but he still couldn''t properly match up with the old man. Of course, that was all without any enhancements, but still, Wei Jun couldn''t help but be surprised. At level 630, he would be able to enter the next realm of cultivation, surpassing the grandmaster realm and becoming the very few powerhouses of the entire empire.


    Yet still, the old man before him was a tough opponent. Another problem that he faced was the level-up. He was nine levels away, but he had run out of things to take away from Li Fan Sho. There was his sister and many of those he had spared, but even Wei Jun wasn''t heartless enough to go that far. He wouldn''t have hesitated before, but after assimilating with the Guardian''s heart, Wei Jun was uncharacteristically kind. While it was a weakness to Wei Jun, he remained steadfast in his decision and did not do anything inhumane any further.


    However, he wasn''t the only one who was perturbed. The old man on the other side was taken aback greatly as well. His 30-step defense formation was his greatest defense technique, yet he had been forced to use that technique against an opponent who he could tell was at the very least five times younger than him if not more.


    ''Where did he come from?'' He had heard of the rumored biker who eluded the CSF, but even then, he wasn''t as strong of an opponent as he was assumed to be. He used petty tricks to survive against the CSF and the military. He held no power, and it was a short six months ago. Even evil cultivators weren''t supposed to rise in power so fast, so even if the biker before him was an evil cultivator, it didn''t make any sense for him to be so strong.


    "I am giving you a chance. Surrender and die with honor. That''s the least amount of mercy I can grant you." The old man said as his golden sword began to shimmer with great intensity.


    Wei Jun, on the other hand, as always, remained silent. If someone asked whether or not he considered the old man to be a tough opponent, his answer would be ''Yes''. However, if asked if the old man was an unbeatable opponent, then the answer was a cold, hard ''No''.


    Compared to the old man, Wei Jun was weak, but not to the point that he would be defeated. However, there was another fact that had been ignored since the beginning...


    "36 plum blossom sword art!" Slashes of pink hue rained down on the old man. The old man moved almost as if on instinct, but as her defended against the attack, he was taken aback by the ferocity contained in those attacks.


    Thud...


    A woman softly landed on the other side of the old man, covering his back. The beauty of the woman, exquisite by any means, but if there was one thing that could be called scary about her, that would be the expression on her face.


    It didn''t diminish her beauty in the least, but the battle-crazed expression on the face of the young woman with black hair and eyes covered in a pink hue told the old man only one thing... S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''She''s a lunatic...''


    But another reality suddenly dawned upon the old man. The strength. The strength contained in the attacks of the young woman was beyond comparison to that of a grandmaster. Her cultivation realm was still a grandmaster, but perhaps it was not her cultivation.


    It was her sword technique.


    The sword technique, unlike all the other sword techniques he had ever experienced before, was something different from the usual sword arts, but the old man couldn''t put his finger on it. All he could tell was that the woman was a ferocious foe he would have a hard time against.


    A hard time against her if she were on her own.


    And that was the main point. Wei Jun didn''t gain anything from killing the old man except for the Death Qi that would be gained after devouring his life. No level, no miasma core, no crystal of any kind, no specific system reward, no nothing.


    There was nothing to be gained, so why would Wei Jun face useless headaches and face him alone? He was simply going to fight him with the help of Xing Xiaomei and kill him, defeat him, and be done with it. There was no need to overcomplicate things.


    Besides, there was also that...


    Wei Jun pulled out his phone calmly and dialed a number. The old man saw the opportunity and jumped Wei Jun, but...


    Clang!!!


    "Are you ignoring me? It hurts..." Xing Xiaomei said with a pitiful expression.


    "You''re crazy!" The old man pushed forward, which only made Xing Xiaomei grin as she replied, "Well, can''t argue with you there."


    On the other hand, ignoring that small exchange, Wei Jun''s call connected with Yan Rong, and Wei Jun simply said...


    "Shoot."


    "Kugh!!!"


    And there was blood everywhere.

 Chapter 417 - 417: Imitation

    "Tch! Stubborn old man." Xing Xiaomei couldn''t help but click her tongue and curse the old sect master as he managed to avoid a fatal strike in an instant. His instincts and battle senses were tuned to the highest stage, and they were terrifying even from the point of view of Wei Jun.


    ''He''s just like the military generals.'' Wei Jun thought. Even as he was now, almost at the peak of the grandmaster realm, he still wasn''t confident taking on General Shao and General Ming separately, let alone both of them at once.


    The old man was the same. Even catching him off guard didn''t work as he somehow managed to activate his defense at the last second and avoid a fatal strike.


    ''Well, it wasn''t totally useless.'' Wei Jun thought as he looked at the bleeding arm of the old man. To a swordsman, even if it wasn''t their prominent arm that was damaged, the imbalance caused by an injury to the other arm can be a great disadvantage for such a person as well.


    The old man raised his head to look in the direction from which that last attack had come. There, far, far away on a hill, he could spot another woman who had a freezing look in her deep blue eyes as her Qi calmed down to a great extent. Her Qi that enshrouded her caused her surroundings to fluctuate.


    However, no matter how cold and ravaging her Qi was, from that distance, it was impossible for the old man to sense the Qi, hence the presence of the blue eyed woman, when there were two more strong Qi presences in his immediate vicinity. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Kugh!" The old man was well aware of the disadvantage he was put in. Even the blue-eyed woman would be a formidable opponent, making their number a whopping three. This wasn''t a battle he would be able to win. Running away was the only option.


    "I thought of that, too." Wei Jun spoke in his usual cold tone as if he could read what was going through the old man''s mind.


    Wei Jun raised his hand and waved it. In the distance, on both ends, a man and a woman raised their hands and began to chant. At a single glance, the woman held more power as her green eyes shimmered with the gentle blue ethereal power she wielded. The same could be said for the man, but on a lower level. However, their level didn''t mean anything as long as there were two of them and an appropriate supply of a mana source, which was provided in the form of mana crystals.


    As soon as they finished their chanting, the old man had an ominous premonition and immediately ran. Xing Xiaomei ran after him, but Wei Jun waved his hand, signaling her to stop.


    Xing Xiaomei stopped while the old sect master kept running. The old sect master kept running until he reached the edge of the circle but before he could, the circle began to rise until a blue colored shield appeared around the circle and began to rise up in the sky before a dome covered the surroundings, trapping the old man along with Wei Jun and Xing Xiaomei inside.


    Wei Jun knew that would put him at a disadvantage since if nothing could go out the dome, nothing could enter as well so the support from Yan Rong, Natasha, and Mark Wilson was cut off.


    Still, the old man was injured, so that was a plus point, and Wei Jun was confident he would be able to face the old man by himself, win even, and with the added factor of Xing Xiaomei who was growing stronger by each passing day, he was sure there would be only one outcome of this battle.


    Not wanting to prolong this useless farce any longer, Wei Jun took the first step forward and collided with the old man, who stopped at the edge of the shield. The old man successfully, and without much effort, managed to stop Wei Jun''s attack.


    Wei Jun pushed forward, but the old man didn''t seem to be budging.


    [Qi empowerment]


    [Qi armament]


    Wei Jun pushed even further, and finally, the old man began to show signs of strain on his face. Wei Jun''s power suddenly increased and overtook the old man by surprise. However, even if the old man was surprised, he was not overwhelmed much.


    "Don''t forget about me!"


    Clang!!!


    A shockwave shook the area, pushing all three parties away from the source of the collision. The old man had used a movement technique and a sword movement to counter the violent attack of Xing Xiaomei, who felt really hurt about being left out.


    Wei Jun was even more surprised as he couldn''t help but marvel at the attack power of the sword movements, both of Xing Xiaomei and the old man''s. Still, Wei Jun couldn''t make sense of those flashing movements.


    To him, the best attack was a silent one. A pair of daggers appeared in his hands, and Wei Jun disappeared from his spot once again, his footsteps bearing no sound and his presence undetectable. Still, "Will of the roaring dragon!"


    Boom!!!


    Just as Wei Jun arrived behind the old man, he was violently pushed back. Not only that...


    "Kugh!"


    [HP -156]


    Wei Jun received significant physical damage from that shockwave. Wei Jun couldn''t help but be taken aback. For the first time, he felt like he was fighting a proper martial artist who had many techniques at his disposal.


    Wei Jun didn''t have the time to worry about it because the old man wasn''t one to miss that chance. He arrived before Wei Jun in an instant, his sword brandished to deal a critical strike to Wei Jun as the edges of the sword shimmered in a golden light.


    "Violent plum storm!"


    The edges of the golden sword, pinpoint attacks that were as soft as petals but violent like a storm, landed on the sword and pushed the sword away while nullifying the strike.


    [Class ''Immortal'']


    [The user has been fully healed]


    Wei Jun immediately struck back with his twin daggers as soon as the death Qi and his immortal class healed him. But the old man wasn''t going down without a fight. As the death Qi-laced daggers arrived close to the old man, the old man suddenly changed his movements mid-air using Qi, and turned around to parry the strikes with his sword.


    However, it was more than just a parry. As the sword collided with the lower-level daggers, one of the daggers shattered upon contact while the other one sustained cracks from the middle, on the verge of breaking as well.


    The old man quickly reached out with his injured arm and grabbed the floating dagger''s remains in the air, applied Qi to them, and shot them at the woman in the distance while he swung his sword at Wei Jun again.


    Wei Jun applied death Qi to both of his fists, knowing his dagger was out of the league of this battle, but still used it to meet the old man''s sword to lessen the attack intensity.


    Xing Xiaomei, on the other hand, deployed a defensive sword technique and danced like a ballerina, deflecting all shrapnels, avoiding the attack, but it bought enough time for the old man to exchange tens of attacks with Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun managed to stop the sword strikes by evading and deflection. The strange thing about the old man''s attacks was that they could ignore Wei Jun''s Qi defenses and damage Wei Jun from the inside. However, Wei Jun was not like other cultivators. While other cultivators raised their power and physical strength using Qi, Wei Jun didn''t gain much of an advantage through empowerment.


    However, physically, from the inside and the outside, Wei Jun was as strong as the other cultivators, giving him a permanent advantage that the other cultivators didn''t have.


    While he did receive damage, it wasn''t to the point of killing him, and the death Qi and his class were doing a good job together to keep him stable.


    But one thing that bummed Wei Jun more than anything was the fact that although the old man and Wei Jun were almost equal in strength, Wei Jun was kind of on the losing side. His earlier confidence of winning was slowly waning as the old man began to show technique after technique that did unexpected damage.


    But...


    ''It''s fu*king exciting.'' Wei Jun said as he stepped to the side and then moved to the other side, hitting the old man, and finally landing an attack on the old man.


    The old man, beyond shocked, couldn''t help but look at Wei Jun in utter shock. However, what Wei Jun had done was beyond shocking. It was utterly impossible.


    "You... How did you?" The old man couldn''t help but ask.


    "Next time, why don''t you do it a little slower?" Wei Jun asked with a smirk before he dived in and...


    "Will of the roaring dragon!"

 Chapter 418 - 418: Show your worth

    "Will of the dragon."


    Clap! Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Boom!


    Wei Jun calmly said and clapped his hands. The old man hadn''t clapped his hands, but Wei Jun felt the necessity to do so. The essence of the technique was the same, the idea was the same; however, the effect was different.


    Where the old man only emitted one shockwave, Wei Jun emitted multiple of them with the echo of his clap, each one striking the old man in lesser intensities but in quick succession.


    The old man couldn''t help but be shocked, and apparently, from his question, he was more shocked than hurt. Wei Jun ignored the old man''s question and shortened the distance between them again. Bearing the pain coming from his wounds, the old man swung his sword in a pattern that was hard to read.


    Wei Jun also moved his hand the same way, his hand coated in a thin, sharp layer of Qi. As both of the strikes collided, the shockwave from their collision shook the area once again.


    Once again, the shock on the old man''s face was immense. The shock of his hard work being copied like that and being used on him enraged him, if anything else.


    However, Wei Jun was merciless. He purchased another pair of daggers from the shop that were of A rank in ranking. Wei Jun coated them in the same thin and sharp layer of Qi that the old man had done so with his sword and brought the relentless attacks down on the old man.


    "Kugh!" The old man managed to block a few of the attacks, but the attacks were too many for the old man to block. He was slashed in different places, and the death Qi managed to use those openings to make cracks in the old man''s Qi.


    "Will of the roaring dragon."


    As the death Qi created openings in the defense, the sonic booms shook the old man''s internals. The old man knew that that was the end, so he had only one option.


    [Host, he''s overexerting his core]


    Wei Jun moved forward to deliver a killing strike, but a shield appeared in front of the old man and managed to block the attacks of Wei Jun.


    "Sh*t!" Wei Jun panicked but...


    "Plum blossom pierce!" The old man had forgotten about one crucial thing. His opponent wasn''t the only one who could imitate his attacks. There was a crazily violent woman as well. And her target was none other than the old man''s abdomen, or more accurately, his Qi core.


    "Kugh!"


    Wei Jun didn''t miss the chance, and while the old man was distracted by the attack on his Qi core and his Qi slowly spreading through his body, Wei Jun stabbed the old man in his heart with his pointed palm, ripping it out of his chest.


    Thud...


    Thud...


    The old man fell on his knees, his eyes wide in disbelief, and then finally fell on the ground, his eyes lifeless like a mannequin''s.


    "Haa... Haa..." Xing Xiaomei sighed and stood straight with her sword still stabbed in the old man''s body. "That was close."


    Wei Jun nodded. He couldn''t help but admit that it was indeed a close call. The old man had resorted to the explosion of his Qi core, which could have been a fatal strike for both of them, and perhaps even those beyond the barrier of mana.


    Wei Jun could tell that a Qi explosion from a grandmaster wouldn''t be just a scratch. Wei Jun might have survived with the class and Death Qi at his disposal but the same couldn''t be said to be about Xing Xiaomei.


    [Death Qi +9017]


    [Death Qi: 500,991]


    After killing relentlessly for almost nine months, and having taken everything he could from the protagonist, Wei Jun''s death Qi had risen to the point that it would be massive. Wei Jun couldn''t help but think where he would have been had he not given up on his yang Qi core.


    Wei Jun sighed and looked at Natasha, telling her to dissolve the barrier. Natasha did so, and the blue colored barrier made of mana disappeared from view. Yan Rong, Natasha, and Mark Wilson made their way to Wei Jun and Xing Xiaomei.


    Wei Jun knelt to take the ring of the old man and inspected it from the inside. However, he was distraught to find only one item inside. Other than the sword in the old man''s hand that was in particularly good condition, killing the old man had only brought forth one more item.


    As Wei Jun pulled it out, a chill of frost spread throughout the area. As soon as the frost spread, everyone felt their power waning and instantly put up their respective guards to protect themselves from the chill.


    Wei Jun immediately put it back in the ring.


    "..." As silence stretched across the space, Wei Jun was about to check the description of the item when Mark Wilson spoke, "Pure Yin stalactite."


    "A what now?" Wei Jun asked as he once again checked the crystal of ice inside the ring.


    [Pure Yin stalactite]


    [Just like stalactites in a cave]


    [That is a treasure after the accumulation of almost ten thousand years of Qi, or even more]


    [One stalactite can bring the Qi of a person from the beginning of the martial realm all the way to the peak of the grandmaster realm]


    [And if someone already at the peak were to take it]


    [Then I''d leave it up to you to imagine]


    [I suggest you give it to Yan Rong, whose cultivation might even lead to a breakthrough]


    Wei Jun couldn''t help but agree. If it really was such a miraculous item, it could grant Yan Rong the opportunity to advance to the next realm, which could be really helpful to Wei Jun in his upcoming fight with the protagonist, Li Fan Sho.


    But before Wei Jun could come to a decision...


    "My lord!"


    Mark Wilson suddenly fell to his knees, addressing Wei Jun in a loud but desperate manner.


    "What?" Wei Jun was taken aback by the sudden call, but he managed to keep the prestige of a calm man and asked what it was about.


    "Please, grant that item to me." Mark Wilson said, his head low, and so was his voice. He knew he was asking for too much, and since Wei Jun already had many more people, he could grant the items to such as both of his lovers who practiced Yin Qi.


    There were no words he could say, nothing he could offer in return for the precious treasure that was worth more than anything in the world. There were only a handful of such items, and Wei Jun had every reason to give them to his lovers rather than to him.


    However, he needed it. He knew he needed it more than anyone, and the desperation in his voice was evident to everyone present. The girls left the decision to Wei Jun. After all, Xing Xiaomei and Natasha had no use for the stalactite; only Yan Rong did, and even if she was silent, then it was all the more reason for both of them to remain silent.


    Wei Jun grabbed the ring in his fist and threw it at Mark Wilson. Mark Wilson was caught off guard but still managed to grab the ring, although he almost dropped it. Wei Jun simply said, "Knock yourself out."


    Due to the party system, Wei Jun could feel the desperation coming off of Mark Wilson. He could tell it was his most desperate wish. As if that item could solve all of his problems. He could also tell. If he were to refuse, he might lose Mark Wilson as well.


    There were many alternatives present for Liu Yu and Yan Rong. For Mark Wilson, however, there was probably no other alternative. Wei Jun didn''t take too long to come to a reason.


    "Thank you, my lord!" Mark Wilson bowed completely, kowtowing to Wei Jun with all his might. Wei Jun simply ignored that show of gratitude and turned to Yan Rong and Natasha, "Take everything. Leave nothing behind."


    They both nodded and left which made him turn to Natasha who was still a little tired from the looks of it. He gave her a stamina pill and said, "Rest."


    "Hah! That''s all you have to give me?" Xing Xiaomei complained but didn''t really mean it. She had gotten more than she could ever have from Wei Jun. The steady and strong rise in her power was only because she stuck to Wei Jun so tightly.


    "You''ll have more soon." Wei Jun said as he checked the plethora of items in his inventory. He was confident that no one in the world would have more treasures than him. After all, that pile was an accumulation of plunder from all nine sects in the top ten.


    He then turned to Mark Wilson, who was in the same position, and said, "I hope you won''t make me regret this decision."


    Mark Wilson had no answer. There was no answer. There was only one way to show his answer. And that was by showing him.


    ''I''ll be sure to show you, my lord.'' Mark Wilson decided inwardly with determination.

 Chapter 419 - 419: Pawn and betrayal

    Wei Jun was in his office, busy as usual, focused on the work he had to take care of. His days had been filled with work and nothing but work. The business expansion in many cities at once, the political implications of such a rapid expansion, and the pushback from several other corporations around the empire.


    Now that the connection between the biker and the Ruan enterprises was clear, since the biker would only target the cities the Ruan enterprises would be expanding into, many were keeping their eyes on Wei Jun to connect the biker to the Ruan enterprises somehow.


    Even if the military and the CSF were remaining silent, if definite proof was given, they would have no choice but to intervene. They were silent thus far because it was nothing more than a speculation at this point.


    With all of that going on, one would think Wei Jun would have no time to think of the future, but Wei Jun was coping quite well. Not only was he making a killer amount of money, but he was also doing really well in terms of influence and manpower.


    At the moment, without a doubt, Wei Jun had the biggest cultivator force in the entire empire after the military and the empire''s forces. Even the sect didn''t have that many personnel. Of course, Wei Jun''s manpower was more on the side of quantity than quality.


    He only had four grandmasters, one fifth circle mage, and one sixth circle mage, who was Natasha. Melissa was a talent, but Wei Jun didn''t particularly want her. Not only were the girls against that, Wei Jun had a feeling it would be very difficult bringing her to his side, given her loyalty to her current organization.


    Natasha was different in that sense, so he was more focused on her, even if she was lower in terms of talent. Wei Jun sighed and closed all the files once he was done for the day. There was only so much he could do. All he could do now was to wait for the protagonist to show up.


    In the novel, Li Fan Sho completed his breakthrough in three years, and one year had already passed. But Wei Jun had a feeling it wouldn''t go the same as it did in the novel. He had a strong feeling that the protagonist would be showing up much sooner than before.


    When, though, was the question?


    Wei Jun leaned back in his chair and turned around to look outside the window. As he gazed at the setting sun, his mind rolled on to the events to come and the events that had already passed. How he should have done some things differently and how his decisions have impacted his current situation.


    Just as he was pondering those decisions, the door to his office abruptly opened, and a green-eyed blonde beauty entered the office in a hurry.


    But she abruptly came to a stop as she entered the office, coming to a stop, she took a few deep breaths while her gaze remained fixed on Wei Jun.


    Wei Jun didn''t need to be told what was happening. He smiled and asked, "Have they made a move?"


    "..." Natasha remained silent, but Wei Jun simply smiled as that was all the answer he needed. He looked at her, his expression gentle, and asked, "What now?"


    "..." Natasha once again remained silent. Wei Jun kept looking at her for a while before she broke her gaze and said, "You remember your promise, don''t you?"


    Wei Jun nodded, but instead of an answer, he asked, "Have I done anything otherwise?"


    "No, you haven''t," Natasha replied. Although there was a lot of killing done by Wei Jun, wherever and whenever he could spare someone, he did so, honoring his promise to Natasha. But now, it was Natasha''s turn. It was her turn to show where her true loyalty lay.


    "What do I need to do?" But, contrary to what Wei Jun expected, there was no hesitation in Natasha''s voice. Looking at her, Wei Jun''s face broke into a beautiful and natural bright smile as he could only look at her determined face for a while before he said, "Simple..."


    He looked at her as he sucked in a deep breath, "Betray me."


    ~~


    "What is the report, Student Melissa?" A voice asked through a crystal ball that Natasha held in her hands. She gave a deep bow before she replied, "As you predicted, the Ruan family''s influence has reached the peak. To the point that even the imperial family is wary of them."


    "Is an invasion possible?" The voice asked.


    "Negative. The chances of an invasion failing are too high. As you suspected, master, there is someone in the empire, someone hidden. I haven''t been able to find out who it is, but Wei Jun Ruan is in contact with that person." Melissa replied.


    The voice from the other side hummed for a while before it asked again, "And you haven''t been able to find out who it is? Does the same stand for student Natasha?"


    "..." Melissa remained silent for a while. Natasha was her best friend, so she didn''t want to betray her, however, there had been implications of Natasha''s behavior. Implications that weren''t good in terms of her loyalty. Her loyalty was to be questioned, and in her organization, questions weren''t too hard to answer. A simple spell, and Natasha would spill everything she knew.


    The biggest contribution to Melissa''s doubt was Natasha''s rapid rise in power. Natasha was now a sixth circle mage, despite her lower talent.


    A sixth circle mage was a junior professor at her academy, so it wasn''t a position to think lowly of. That rapid rise only occurred when Natasha came to the Ruan''s side, so it was highly possible that it was due to the Ruan''s resources. If someone could give her enough resources despite her lower talent, something her own academy hadn''t done for her, it was possible Natasha''s loyalty might waver to the side that favored her more.


    "I... cannot say, master." In the end, Melissa chose to believe in Natasha. She could only hope that her faith wouldn''t be betrayed by her best friend. The voice on the other end was well aware of that as well, so it said, "Summon Student Natasha."


    "Yes, master," Melissa replied, but before she could get up to leave, the door to her room knocked.


    "Who is it?" Natasha had locked the room since her conversation was to be kept a secret. If found, Wei Jun had every reason to slit her throat and as she was now, she didn''t have much confidence in doing so.


    "It''s me. Why is your door locked?" Natasha''s usual jubilant voice came from the other side. Melissa sighed and stood up to open the door. As Natasha came in her view, Melissa grabbed her and pulled her in before anyone could see.


    "Hey!" Natasha called out, but Melissa didn''t stop. She dragged her to the crystal ball and pointed at it.


    Natasha immediately understood what it meant and immediately bowed a little to show respect to the voice on the other side as she said, "Student Natasha greets master."


    "How are you, child?" The voice on the end changed, and it was a woman''s voice this time. Natasha''s finger dug into her palm as she heard that voice. A voice she didn''t want to hear. The voice of the person who had abandoned her due to her talent.


    Natasha remained silent and frozen in place. Melissa could tell the conflict Natasha was in, but she still nudged her to pull her out of her trance and flicked her head at the crystal ball. No matter the past, it wasn''t a wise choice not to answer a senior professor of the academy, an existence even above her master.


    "I am in good health, Head Professor Miller," Natasha replied in a monotonous voice. Her usual jubilant voice was nowhere to be heard.


    "I heard you recently advanced to the sixth circle." The woman''s voice came from the other side, as if everything was normal. Even Melissa couldn''t help but think that was a little cruel, but it wasn''t like she was in any position to speak.


    "Yes, Head Professor Miller," Natasha replied in the same monotonous tone.


    "Good. Good. You are showing signs of usefulness after all. Nothing like your father." The woman''s voice from the crystal ball said. Natasha''s fingers completely dug into the flesh of her palm, making her bleed. At the mention of her father, she couldn''t help but remember the days when she was only loved, nothing else.


    "I understand you have a request. Do this properly, and your request will be granted." The woman''s voice came, delivering an order she expected to be fulfilled. She didn''t care for anything else, or how it was done; however, she was sure of one thing.


    A pawn would always remain a pawn.


    But, even pawns were people, weren''t they?


    "Why?" Natasha asked in a low voice.


    "Pardon?" The woman asked.


    "Why do I have to do what you ask of me?" Natasha asked. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Natasha!" Melissa said, but Natasha looked at her with unbridled anger in her eyes. Melissa couldn''t see it before since her head was lowered, but now that she could, Melissa had to take a step back in fear.


    "So the pawn rebels, huh?" The woman at the other end was amused as she said so.

 Chapter 420 - 420: Blood bond

    Wei Jun felt the flux in Natasha''s emotions from his room, but he didn''t move. He knew he had to rely on her, and she had to get through whatever it was by herself.


    "It''s my mother." He remembered Natasha saying those words, informing him of the people who were really behind this takeover. Wei Jun knew he would have to face a strong opponent, but there was a strong chance he would be able to win.


    After all...


    Wei Jun turned to look at the red-haired man in the corner of the room, who had his eyes closed. It had been about three months since he had been like that, so there was a chance he would wake up soon. Wei Jun touched his heart, sensing the absence of the green dragon''s power.


    "Let me absorb it," Morial said. Wei Jun thought he was just joking at first, but even the system agreed with Morial.


    [Better than let it rot in your heart]


    [It''s useless to you anyway now]


    Wei Jun nodded and let Morial have the power of the green dragon. Contrary to what he expected, the simple power that only healed him while residing in his heart was more than just a healing power.


    It held more potential than he had ever expected.


    Morial was a grandmaster realm equivalent, being a sixth circle mage. However, his rank had jumped up to the seventh circle in three short months, and it was still rising greatly.


    [He''s turning into a drake]


    ''A drake?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Yes]


    [A drake]


    [A higher and more violent form of a being, lesser than a dragon]


    [Almost a dragon but not quite one]


    [I doubt he would be able to reach the state of a true dragon, but that far is more than enough]


    [I do recommend feeding him your blood, though]


    ''Why?'' Wei Jun asked.


    [Would a weaker creature agree to be bound to you?]


    [Even if he is your familiar and promised loyalty to you in exchange for the green dragon''s essence]


    [Are you really the type to believe such promises?]


    ''...''


    ''What do I need to do?'' Wei Jun remained silent for a while before he asked what he needed to do.


    [Make him your party member]


    ''Would he agree?'' Since a party member needed to agree, there was a strong chance that Morial wouldn''t do so.


    [He doesn''t need to]


    [A blood bond doesn''t require the other party''s permission]


    ''A blood bond?'' Wei Jun asked, but he wasn''t looking for an answer. He simply stepped forward and cut his hand with his Death Qi and trickled it down on Morial''s closed lips.


    Wei Jun slightly opened his lips, and the blood entered his mouth. Since he was in the process of transforming, there was no need to worry about Morial''s reaction. And so, a set of notifications appeared in Wei Jun''s vision.


    [Intent to form a blood bond has been detected]


    [Would you like to forcefully make the blood wyvern, Morial, your party member?]


    [Be cautioned]


    [A blood member is still a party member]


    [A slot would be taken]


    [Party members: 8\\10]


    [A blood member is different from a party member formed by consent]


    [They are a bond of hatred]


    [Strength fuels hatred]


    [Forming a blood bond with a stronger candidate than the user is not advised]


    [Would you like to proceed?]


    [Yes\\No]


    [...]


    ''What is this?'' Wei Jun couldn''t help but ask. The overseer hadn''t given a long explanation, but there must be a reason it decided to advise him to do so. However, according to the system, it was a little different. There were many repercussions and cautions involved that made Wei Jun a little hesitant.


    [Usually, the system''s warnings would be valid]


    [But right now, Morial is going through a transformation]


    [Your blood wouldn''t just merge with his]


    [It would infuse with his very blood]


    [Making your and his blood one]


    [How will he be able to separate blood even if his power is strong?]


    Wei Jun still had no idea about how to proceed, but in the end, he decided to trust the overseer as he had always done and pressed ''Yes''.


    [Command Acknowledged]


    [Commencing the formation of the blood bond]


    [Blood bond has been initiated]


    [By the power of the vice administrator]


    [The blood bond has been improved]


    [The formation of the blood bond is complete]


    [Party members 9\\10]


    Wei Jun felt as if his heart was churning, but it was only for a moment; his heart soon settled down, and Wei Jun felt just like before. There was no change in Morial''s presence as well, as if everything was the same.


    There was a question on his mind.


    However, he had a strong hunch he already knew the answer. Not only that, there was also the fact that he had no time to ask his question. The emotion of anger boiling up inside of him was distracting him from his thoughts. From any other thought.


    Wei Jun had to take deep, deep breaths while also biting his lower lip and pinching his thigh strongly to hold himself back from storming over to Natasha, the origin of the anger he felt.


    Wei Jun had no choice but to endure. Natasha might be angry or hurt, sure, but he understood the mission, and so did she. Besides, her wishes would soon be fulfilled; whatever she wished for would become true.


    Wei Jun had no choice but to hold back now and have his way later. To hold back, even if he had to injure himself, he did so without a second thought. But it wasn''t himself he was worried about. He had a strong confidence that he would be able to hold himself. The person he was worried about was Natasha. He wasn''t sure she would be able to hold herself back or not, but he had no other choice but to trust her.


    ''Please...'' was all he could say.


    ~~


    "Natasha!" Melissa called out to her friend. No matter the reason or relationship, talking back to a head professor wasn''t a wise thing to do. Even though Melissa knew why Natasha was angry and her anger made sense, however, she still had to hold her back because her life depended on it.


    "Watch your tone, Student Natasha." A male voice from the crystal ball chided Natasha. Natasha could only bite her lips as she swallowed the words in her throat.


    "Oh, Professor McCalligan, please do not mind the manner of my daughter. It''s not her fault she was born to her father." The woman from earlier, supposedly Natasha''s mother, said that she was trying to be understanding of Natasha''s behavior, but her words only infuriated Natasha even more.


    Yet, even in all her anger, she remembered just one thing, one sentence, the words Wei Jun had said to him when she left his room, "Natasha."


    She remembered him calling her in a soft voice, his voice full of care and affection. She turned to look at him, and he simply said, "I''m always on your side."


    Those very words were what were holding her back. She bit her lips, dug her nails into her palm, and did anything she could to keep herself from speaking back to her mother.


    For the first time in her life, someone had said those words to her, and they meant it. A person who wasn''t her family let her feel what family really was. Just like her father, who would have done anything for her, she knew Wei Jun would do anything for her as well.


    All she had to do was hold back.


    "Wei Jun Ruan is planning to attack the academy," Natasha muttered in a low voice.


    "..." The other side and even Melissa remained silent. No one said a thing until the man asked, "How certain are you"?


    "He is colluding with a man who controls the military of the empire, a Qi saint realm cultivator. He intends to attack the academy and use it as a shell to expand into the Bitania kingdom." Natasha gave a plausible explanation.


    "..." Everyone remained silent for a while. It really was a good reason after all that everyone couldn''t help but believe in it. The woman, Natasha''s mother, finally asked, "And how sure are you of this news?"


    "He intends to attack our York town branch this Friday. He has also managed to hire a mercenary to do that." Natasha replied.


    "Hmmm?" The woman mused for a while before she said, "So if he fails, he could forfeit all claims of doing such a thing, and if he didn''t, he could deal us significant damage." The woman mused for a while before she nodded and relayed her instructions, "Empty out the York Town branch. Leave nothing of significance behind. Also, plant some mercenaries dressed as our disciples."


    "What about the branch?" McCalligan couldn''t help but ask.


    "What about it?" The woman asked as if it was obvious, "We simply need to make sure the report is true. Once we''re certain, we will move forward with the other part of the plan."


    "Yes, ma''am." Everyone replied, and the call ended, making Natasha sigh in relief.


    ''Wei Jun...'' She couldn''t help but say his name inwardly as it strangely calmed her down. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 421 - 421: Salvation

    Wei Jun wasn''t sure how the conversation would have gone. He couldn''t be seen with Natasha alone at that, after their secret meeting. He knew he risked Natasha''s exposure if that happened, so he needed to make sure any attempts at making a conversation were prohibited. Even if she had an important warning to give Wei Jun regarding their plan, he knew he would just have to bite the bullet and get it over with.


    "Still, there''s no harm in being careful." Wei Jun thought as he looked at the bracelets in his hands. He then turned to look at the man who was dressed as a biker and said, "Stick to the plan."


    "You''ll do as you said, right?" The man dressed as the biker asked.


    "Of course. If you obey me well, I''ll make all your atrocities go away." Wei Jun replied before the outfit of a biker, along with the black helmet, appeared on him as well. He threw one of the bracelets to the man who was dressed the same as him and wore the other one.


    What was the plan? The man was to simply stay guard there and warn Wei Jun if anyone were to come. Why was he dressed as a biker, one could ask, but there was no answer. It was a simple condition his employer had put up, there wasn''t even an explanation why that condition was necessary for this mission.


    Other than that, there was another condition. He was to drink a green liquid which he wasn''t too sure about but had to other choice but to do so because the pay for such a simple task was too much to refuse. And he couldn''t just ignore the other incentive he would be getting.


    Wei Jun made his way to the building that could be seen in the distance. A man like Wei Jun could easily tell it was all a trap. As he entered the building gates, there were no guards, even when the lights were fully on. The York town branch was a simple trade hub of the Azure Lightning Academy of Sword and Magic.


    ALA for short. Wei Jun didn''t know what the main purpose of the branch was as it was all too ambiguous even to Natasha. All she knew that it was where the monster remains after processing were sent to sell and do other things that were needed to be done such as sent to the other branches that used those remains to craft weapons and and other equipment.


    The point was that it was a very important branch to the ALA, and the fact that they were choosing to sacrifice it like this meant they were willing to lose this much to get him.


    Wei Jun could only hope it would be the only move they would be pulling up. The branch was empty, that much was for sure, so Wei Jun''s next move was to fall into the trap. Whatever it may be, he already had a move prepared. He could only hope it would work.


    Wei Jun arrived at the front door of the building. He pushed it and entered the building, only to see a man sitting in the middle of the lobby. It was none other than an acquaintance he had seen before, and not only that, he had fought with him before.


    "Evening, mister Ruan." McCalligan said as he calmly sat in the middle of the lobby on a chair.


    "..." Wei Jun, of course, chose to remain silent. He couldn''t give anything away even if the other party was aware of his identity. The silence, however, could be considered enough of an answer in the presence of an experienced man like McCalligan.


    "Opting to remain silent, I see? Do you think it would help, Mister Ruan?" McCalligan asked. Once again, Wei Jun''s response was only silence, nothing else. That made McCalligan chuckle as he asked, "Would you like to hear a joke, mister Ruan?"


    "No." For the first time, Wei Jun spoke. He didn''t want to waste time on useless chatter, so he decided to speak up rather than remaining silent.


    "Too bad. It was quite a humorous one." McCalligan said as if it was a big loss before he asked, "So tell me, how do you plan on getting out of here?"


    "How do you plan on capturing me?" Wei Jun asked.


    "You think I can''t?" McCalligan asked.


    "You think you can?" Wei Jun asked.


    "Haha. Just because you managed to win against some grandmasters, you think they''re equivalent to a mage like me?" McCalligan asked.


    "No." Wei Jun simply replied. Although in a sense, grandmasters and the sixth circle mages were the same, they actually weren''t. Mana held an advantage over Qi so if one wanted to face a sixth grade mage, they would need a seventh grade cultivator which would be a Qi commander realm martial artist. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, there was a reason why cultivators had managed to keep their position strong for such a long time, because there were many ways to deal with mana. A cultivator could win against a mage of the same rank if they had a great sense of Qi and had great control over it.


    Just like how a commander of the CSF had managed to overwhelm Morial, even though they were ranked the same in their respective fields.


    Wei Jun would be foolish enough to think that he would be able to win against McCalligan on terms of pure power and talent. If it came down to a fight, he would have to use trickery and get into his blind spots.


    But he wasn''t there to fight in the first place.


    "By the way, what''s wrong with your voice? It sounds different. Is it because of the helmet?" McCalligan asked.


    "Think what you want." Wei Jun simply replied before he turned to look to his left where there were several hidden aura masters waiting and then to his right where there were many hidden knights as well.


    "You sure have keen eyes," McCalligan said.


    "I know." Wei Jun replied before he looked up and asked, "You didn''t cover the sky."


    "That''s because I''m here. As long as I''m here, you can''t get out of here." McCalligan replied.


    "I see." Wei Jun replied before he accumulated Qi in his feet crazily. Since McCalligan knew it would be impossible to run away, he remained still to let Wei Jun try. Wei Jun, however, at the last minute, changed his direction and jumped in the direction of the knights.


    "Hah! Like I didn''t expect that," McCalligan said as he calmly remained in his spot. Wei Jun turned the corner and looked at the knights who had now revealed themselves.


    They were all enchanted and they were strong anyway so Wei Jun was sure of one thing, he wouldn''t be able to win. But there was no need to win. As he said before, there wasn''t going to be any fight.


    Wei Jun turned back and in the middle of the turn, where he was obscured from everyone''s vision, just for a second, he activated the bracelet.


    As soon as he did, it shone for a second, and the space around Wei Jun trembled before it returned to normal. Wei Jun stopped in his place. He looked behind him, as if confused over what was happening, when a hand grabbed him by his neck from the front and turned him around.


    "Wh-What the!!! What the hell''s going on?!!!" Wei Jun yelled, but the man who had grabbed him by his neck didn''t say anything, but hit him in the stomach.


    "Kuarggh!!!"


    The biker''s stomach ripped apart, and his life felt like it was near its end. The knight shook his head as if mocking the weakness of the biker and took him to the McCalligan, who was calmly sipping his tea that had appeared out of nowhere.


    McCalligan was a little surprised by the brief fight and couldn''t help but be curious. "Bring him to me." McCalligan said before he extended his hands to take Wei Jun''s helmet off only to be surprised by who he found underneath.


    Just as he was about to make sense of what had happened, the biker who was in the kngiht''s hand, began to glow red before...


    "Oh, shi--"


    Tak...


    Boom!!!!


    Far away, in the building, Wei Jun couldn''t help but say, "Death can be considered just another form of salvation. Now you''re free from all your sins."


    The deal was simple. Wei Jun would help the man clear his name if he helped. Now, no one would persecute him for being a sinner in death.


    Wei Jun sighed and turned to leave, but just before he could, a set of notifications appeared in his view, alarming notifications that he couldn''t help but be horrified by...


    [Your party member Xia Lu is in danger]


    [An emergency quest has arrived]


    [Family]


    [Tier: SSS]


    [Description: A member of your family has been taken hostage


    Such an atrocity cannot be forgiven]


    [Task: Save Xia Lu and kill all those involved]


    [Punishment: Death]


    [Punishment: Xia Lu''s death]


    [Reward: Level +100]


    [Time limit: 30 days]


    ''...''

 Chapter 422 - 422: A risk

    Wei Jun remained silent as he looked at the razed building before him. Teleporting to Xia Lu was not possible, so he had to teleport to Mark Wilson, who was the nearest. As he appeared before the building that Xia Lu often visited to stay at, he was only able to see a razed building with the signs of battle.


    The coldness in his eyes was something beyond what had ever been. He remained calm, as calm as he could, and his body remained fixed in a place without moving much.


    However...


    "Wei Jun." Yan Rong called him out. As Wei Jun turned to look at her, even she had to take a step back, so it was understandable why the rest were cowering in fear in Wei Jun''s presence.


    Wei Jun turned back to the quest info in his vision but remained silent. He waved his hand, and all sorts of miasma cores and mana crystals, along with many expensive herbs and equipment.


    "You have three weeks. Increase your power as much as you can." Wei Jun simply replied before he turned to leave.


    "What will you be doing?" Although a little unsettled, Yan Rong was worried about Wei Jun. Wei Jun knew that as well, so despite being beyond angry, he calmly replied...


    "To kill."


    ~~


    Wei Jun sat in a cafe the next day, looking out the window with a calm look in his eyes. In front of him, on an empty chair, there was an elegant white purse. Wei Jun turned to look outside once again before he turned back, only to find a beautiful woman with green eyes sitting in the chair instead of the purse.


    "Hello, Mister Ruan." She said in English.


    "..." Wei Ju remained silent as he simply looked at her.


    "Oh? Are you silent because you''re not talkative, or because you''re missing a girl?" The green-eyed woman asked with a sweet smile.


    "..." Wei Jun once again remained silent.


    "If you don''t speak, then how will we negotiate?" The woman once again asked, a little annoyed by Wei Jun''s actions.


    "..." Wei Jun remained silent and kept looking into the green-eyed woman''s eyes.


    "Haa..." The woman sighed, "You''re making it really hard for us to deal with you? Would you be more talkative if you received the head of your lover?"


    "..." Once again, the response that came was only silence. There was nothing else.


    "Well, it''s not like you have another choice." Finally fed up with Wei Jun''s silence, the woman couldn''t wait for it any longer. "Since we have your lover, our demands are pretty simple. Affiliate yourself with us. Pledge your undying loyalty to the Azure Ligh---"


    "I''ll kill you." Wei Jun finally spoke, interrupting the woman, "I''ll rip you apart. Piece by piece."


    "..." The green-eyed woman remained silent for a few seconds before she said, "Mister Ruan, I don''t think you understand the situation you''re in."


    "Same for you. You have no idea who you messed with." Wei Jun replied before he stood up and turned to leave, "I''ll visit you soon. Wait for my arrival."


    "..." The green-eyed woman could only watch as Wei Jun left the cafe. She sighed and opened her eyes, no longer in the cafe but in a dark room with a crystal orb in front of her.


    "He doesn''t seem to know his place." The green-eyed woman who was a spitting image of Natasha said, or would it be more accurate to say that Natasha was a duplicate of her, a younger version, one could say.


    "How far can a man soar alone? Don''t worry, it''ll soon be dealt with. We have people around him." The man next to Natasha said.


    "Mm. You do that. But just in case..." The woman said.


    ~~


    "Shouldn''t you be stopping him?" Xia Lu asked while she was chained to the wall. Her hands and feet were bound by chains, and her power was restricted using the Qi restraints.


    Natasha, who was in the same dungeon but obviously not imprisoned, smiled and said, "You think I can?"


    "He''ll kill your mother if you don''t." Xia Lu replied.


    "..." Natasha would be lying if she said she wasn''t conflicted. Both of them were granting him the same thing, but only one of them cared for her. But the problem was that the person who didn''t care for her was her mother. She couldn''t just let her mother die.


    Or at least that was what one would think. However, "Then it would be the crime of her sins." Natasha replied.


    "No matter the sins. In the end, isn''t she your mother?" Xia Lu asked.


    "She has never been my mother. Not even once." Natasha replied before she sighed and said, "Besides, I don''t think he''d listen to me this time. He''ll kill her no matter what I say."


    "..." Xia Lu couldn''t help but remain silent. Natasha''s life was complicated, but whose wasn''t? Even now, she was in chains, practically powerless, and could only wait for her knight in shining armor to come and rescue her.


    Only her knight would be shrouded in darkness, and his steps would be laced with the deaths of millions, if not billions.


    Xia Lu knew a calamity would occur due to this incident. She was sure of that. She was unsure of how many people would be killed to satiate the anger of Wei Jun Ruan, the deathbringer.


    "Why?" Natasha asked.


    "Why what?" Xia Lu asked.


    "Why would you care for the lives of the people who tried to kill you?" Natasha asked.


    "I don''t care about them, not one bit. I just care about Wei Jun. You remember that day, don''t you? You felt it too, don''t you?" Xia Lu asked.


    "..." Natasha remained silent. She would be lying if she denied those words. She was well aware of what Wei Jun had done that night when he dealt with those politicians. She could sense his enjoyment.


    She didn''t want it either. But there was no other choice. If he were to rescue Xia Lu, then there could only be one thing that could be done. Complete eradication of everyone involved. At this point, Natasha had even forgotten about her promise she had made to Wei Jun about senseless killing.


    "He enjoyed it." Xia Lu said.


    "I know. I was close to him." Natasha replied.


    "Then you still ask why I want to stop him." Xia Lu said.


    "Don''t worry. I have a feeling he wouldn''t enjoy it this time." Natasha replied before she made her way to the door of the cell and left without another word.


    "I have a feeling, too." Xia Lu said once she was alone, "Wei Jun. Don''t come."


    She could only hope.


    ~~


    Two weeks later, in the snowy mountains, Wei Jun looked at the cave that was deep and endless. The darkness inside the cave felt like it would swallow anyone who entered it.


    [Are you sure about this?]


    ''It''s the only choice.'' Wei Jun replied.


    [Then, I can only bid you good luck]


    ''Thanks. I''m gonna need it.''


    Wei Jun had come to the one place that he shouldn''t have. He wasn''t fully prepared, but he had to come now. There was nothing more he could do, and perhaps that was the only way to move forward.


    It was a risk, granted, since an unstable cultivation had more of a chance of going erratic.


    Erratic in this case meant an overload, which would cause destruction of a core that belonged to a person who was about to enter the Qi commander realm.


    Just the destruction was unimaginable.


    [Gauntlets of Yansha]


    [Effect: All attacks deliver 20% damage]


    [The gauntlets have a 10% chance of ignoring the enemy''s defense]


    [Armor of Brisova]


    [Effect: Defense +1000]


    [The armor will only last for an hour after the first hit]


    [After an hour, the armor would crumble to dust]


    [Boots of Zephyr]


    [Effect: Agility +500]


    [The effect can only be used two times before the item loses its effect]


    [Sword of the Mountain King]


    [Effect(s):


    #1: Return damage +10%


    #2 Damage reduction +10%


    #3: Armor penetration +20%


    #4: Lifesteal +10%


    #5: Base User attack +20%]


    [Diamond Will]


    [Effect(s):


    #1: All Qi-based attacks are enhanced by 10%


    #2: Each strike after ten hits would deal ten times the damage S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    #3: Every fifteenth attack of the enemy would be nullified


    #4: The user''s base attack and defense +10%]


    [Ring of insanity]


    [Effect: The user would enter the effect ''Frenzy'']


    [All stats +100% for five seconds]


    [The ring can only be used three times]


    [Number of uses 0\\3]


    [After each effect, the user''s focus would be greatly affected]


    Wei Jun was unsure, but he had equipped everything he could. Along with a variety of skills at his disposal and the sword he obtained from killing the old sect master, Wei Jun was all prepped for this battle.


    Who was the battle against, one could ask.


    Well, the answer was simple as Wei Jun opened his eyes and looked at the man sitting in the darkness, his eyes closed.


    Wei Jun simply raised the sword in his hand and brought it down on the cross-legged man and...


    Puunngg!!!

 Chapter 423 - 423: Presence of the strong

    [Are you sure about this, Sir?]


    A voice filled with life, yet not alive, asked. The man who was asked the simple question remained silent as he looked out the window of his office, his office enshrouded in darkness, yet outside the window, sparkling lights could be seen from other buildings.


    He kept his silence for a while before he finally asked, "About what?"


    [About the first prince''s movements?]


    [They''re quite dangerous in my opinion]


    "Haha." The man chuckled softly, his gaze still out the window as he kept his eyes on the twinkling lights and the bustling life of the city underneath. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Young blood, Andersen. Young blood."


    That was all his reply.


    [Are you certain, Sir?]


    [Would the others remain silent about this?]


    "Why wouldn''t they?" The man asked but there was no answer to that question. The man smiled and said, "My son has the most tenacity I''ve ever seen. He''ll pull through."


    [Yes, I admire the first prince''s traits as well]


    [But playing with fire on that level can still end up burning him]


    "No. No. No. Not him. My younger son. His tenacity is unmatched. We just have to wait and see what he does." The man said.


    [And what if the same incident happened again?]


    "Then let it happen." The man simply replied before he added, "It is in the blood of the conqueror to conquer. Nothing else matters."


    [...]


    "Haha. Don''t worry. Don''t worry. As a father, it only makes sense that I have the back of my children." The man replied before he turned to look back, in the middle of darkness, at almost nothing but just because there was nothing, didn''t mean there was nothing.


    "Right?" The man asked with a smile that was as terrifying as the stare of death. In fact, it was the literal stare of death.


    Shoo...


    A gust of wind in the closed office rose, but in a few seconds it calmed down. The man turned to look out the window once again, silence stretched across the space. He finally said, "What a beautiful night."


    "What a beautiful night for chaos."


    ~~


    "My younger brother sure is hot headed." He couldn''t help but admit as he placed a plethora of files on a desk where a woman with exquisite features sat. The frown marred on the woman''s face did nothing to lessen her beauty or perhaps even enhanced it.


    "You''re dumping your work on me again." The woman said with obvious annoyance in her voice.


    "Oh, come on. You know you''re better at it than I." He made an excuse and sat down on the opposite side and sighed. The woman knew he was genuinely worried about something so she couldn''t help but ask but just as she was about to ask, something clicked in her mind and she immediately gritted her teeth as she said in anger, "You can forget about getting any tonight."


    "What?! What did I do?!" The man stood up as if the greatest injustice had happened to him. The woman just looked at him with a glare that was enough to shut him up and make him sit back down.


    "I should have learned from dad and not married." He couldn''t help but mutter under his breath before his eyes widened and he looked at the woman across who was also his wife, "Did you look into my future again?"


    "Yes." The woman straightforwardly replied.


    "Haa... No wonder." He replied with a sigh.


    He knew coming up with excuses wouldn''t work as his wife could look into the future of even his father, although very slightly, so if it was him, his entire life was bare in front of her. Even if he were to try his hardest, he would never be able to hide anything from her.


    "So? Are you not going to help him?" But his wife couldn''t remain angry at him for long. Not to mention she was worried about her brother in law as well who was born before her very eyes and she practically had a huge hand in raising him. He was her son in a way so of course she would be worried about her.


    "No. It was my stupidity that put him in that position in the first place. Had I not shown weakness due to my soft heart and let dad raise him in his own way, he wouldn''t have been in that situation." He explained the best he could but even he knew that he was making excuses so his wife knew more than well.


    "Sometimes, it is better to let them grow on their own." He replied as he looked behind his wife, out the window at the twinkling lights of the buildings in the night.


    His wife knew what she was looking at and couldn''t help but see her father-in-law and her husband as one. Although her husband vehemently denied he was like this father, they were similar in many ways. Their tastes, their habits, and even their hobbies. They were too similar, no matter what they said.


    And right now, she could tell what her husband was thinking.


    He was worried.


    He was worried about his younger brother, the little brother whom he had raised with care and love. Although he was acting tough now, he was very concerned at the moment as well. That softness was what made her husband who he was and she couldn''t help but fall in love with him even more.


    "I guess you''re getting some tonight." She muttered under her breath which was enough for her husband to hear. A beaming bright smile appeared on his face as he heard her words. He couldn''t help but smile and took a few files from the pile and began to work on them.


    "I''m telling you, you still play too hard to get."


    "You''re one to talk."


    "Haha..."


    "Haha..."


    Amidst the indistinct chatter of the couple, he noticed the gust of wind above his head but he dismissed it. He was focused on enjoying that moment with his wife more than anything else.


    ''I''m sure he''ll pull through.'' And although he was worried about his brother, he had full faith in him.


    ~~


    "Kugh!!!"


    Wei Jun slid back and forced his feet into the ground to stop. His feet ached as he looked up. At the monster of a man who had crossed the realm of the grandmaster and was about to enter the commander realm of a cultivator.


    There were only a few hundred of them in the entire world, and barely a hundred in the entire empire. Wei Jun was about to witness the birth of one. Well, almost the birth of one since he had interrupted his breakthrough before it could be completed.


    He could have done so earlier, but he didn''t want to take the risk. Fighting a martial master with an unstable core that was going through a breakthrough was too dangerous. The chances of a core going berserk were too high, and the destruction from that would be enough to wipe out an entire city.


    Even though Wei Jun was miles away from any living being, he himself would be in danger. There would be no way he would be able to make it out in such conditions. Even the party member''s teleport wouldn''t work due to the berserk and unstable Qi in the air, making it difficult for a connection to be built.


    He had tried to make a surprise move to finish the fight as quietly as he could even that was useless.


    Li Fan Sho was too strong to come down just like that.


    Thap!!!


    One step out in the open, and Wei Jun could feel the strong fluctuations of Qi around him. To say it was strong was an understatement. It was monstrous to be more precise. And most of all, Wei Jun felt it. The different feeling he had felt before in his life.


    The feeling when his brother cornered him in that boxing ring, his presence was simply enough to make his body freeze. It was undeniable that Li Fan Sho currently held the same presence. All things considered, the man before him was the child of destiny, the most talented and luckiest person to be ever born. His presence was enough to make Wei Jun reminisce about the presence he felt back then.


    The presence of the strong.


    Thap!!


    Another footsteps and Wei Jun planted his feet firmly into the ground to not be pushed back. Sure, Li Fan Sho was strong and it made sense that Wei Jun felt fear right now. It was normal for the weak to fear the strong.


    ''But, it''s in our bloodline to not remain weak.'' He recited the words his brother had said to him that day. If he feared the strong, then all he had to do was become stronger.


    Planting his feet firmly into the ground, both his swords ready, an aura of death around him, he was ready.


    Looking at the black haired man before him who exuded nothing but strength, along with fear, Wei Jun felt the excitement as well.


    The moment to decide everything. The final moment.


    "The moment of Death." And with those words, Wei Jun jumped at the black haired man who had a cold look in his eyes, both fearlessly and with great fear in his heart.


    Pang!!!!