Chapter 81: I Will Wait for You

Nangong Haoran’s eyes were narrow and long, and the coldness in his gaze made my skin crawl. This guy felt even more formidable than Qu Yuanshan—at least, his psychological pressure was stronger.

“Identification,” Nangong Haoran demanded, extending his hand.

“I don’t have it on me,” I replied.

“Phone,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

I fished my phone out of a specially made beast-leather pouch. Thankfully, it wasn’t broken.

Nangong Haoran slid his finger across the screen and immediately saw the Ninth Bureau’s app. His expression eased considerably—the app was inaccessible to outsiders, and would be automatically deleted in the event of a disappearance or death.

Without opening it, he tossed the phone back to me.

“What happened?” he asked.

I gave a wry smile. “I’m just as confused. Out of nowhere, three people started hunting me down. I barely escaped with my life, and then another group appears.”

“First you killed two innocent villagers, then my brother Qu Xiangtian pursued you, and you crippled him. Today, you must die,” Qu Yuanshan said angrily.

“What a joke! I killed innocent villagers? Who saw it? And this nonsense about a Blood Fiend Doctor, heart-gouging and bloodsucking—where’s the proof? You people keep blaming everything on our Ninth Bureau. Do you think we’re pushovers?” I retorted loudly, aligning myself with the Ninth Bureau.

“There’s plenty of evidence. But first, you’ll pay with your life for crippling my brother. Then I’ll take your soul and have it face judgment,” Qu Yuanshan snarled, ready to strike.

But Nangong Haoran stepped in front of him, his voice cold. “This is an internal matter of the Ninth Bureau. We’ll investigate ourselves—outsiders have no right to interfere.”

“He hurt my brother!” Qu Yuanshan roared.

“So what?” Nangong Haoran flicked his half-black, half-white hair with arrogance.

Impressive! I couldn’t help but admire him.

Qu Yuanshan’s face was as dark as water, his stare fixed on Nangong Haoran. “Are you going to move or not?”

“What, want a fight? My hands have been itching for action. Let’s have a go,” Nangong Haoran replied coolly.

“Two years ago, you only managed a draw by luck. Let’s see what you’ve learned since then!” Qu Yuanshan shouted, his spear flashing like a dragon as he thrust for Nangong Haoran’s face.

A metallic clang rang out.

Nangong Haoran’s hands glowed with black and white light, and he caught the spear barehanded.

A chill ran down my spine. Was this Iron Shirt or Golden Bell Shield? Could a human body really be trained to such a degree?

“The captain’s hands are made from Yin-Yang Bone, harder than the toughest alloy, and they can channel up to eighty percent of his magical power,” a ponytailed, elegant young woman whispered in my ear.

Eighty percent activation rate? That was a new concept to me, but I got the gist. Take my Blood Fiend Blade: when I channel power into it, only about half comes back out as force. If my weapon could release eighty percent, each attack would be thirty percent stronger—terrifying.

The two, evenly matched, exchanged dozens of blows in a flash, too fast to see. The pressure in the air kept intensifying, making it hard to breathe.

With a thunderous boom, the pair suddenly broke apart. Nangong Haoran staggered back a dozen steps, while Qu Yuanshan stood motionless.

At first glance, Qu Yuanshan seemed to have the upper hand. But then his sleeve fell away, revealing a thin, bleeding cut.

Qu Yuanshan’s expression flickered. Two years ago, he’d been stronger than Nangong Haoran—now, unexpectedly, he’d lost the advantage.

At that moment, a convoy of a dozen sandy off-road vehicles roared up, each bearing the insignia of a martial academy.

Nangong Haoran frowned—he sensed a threatening aura.

A crowd of martial artists got out, thirty or forty in all. Most were junior Yin-Yang Masters, with a few intermediates. Such a large group exuded overwhelming presence.

From the central vehicle stepped a striking woman, clad in tight camouflage and combat boots, her hair cut short—a picture of cool confidence.

Following her was another woman, about thirty, dressed in black with her hair coiled up, a snowy-white neck exposed, and a moon-fox tattoo clearly visible.

Qu Yuanshan’s face showed delight. He hurried forward and greeted her, “Aunt Luo.”

She glanced at him, then smiled slightly. “So, you’re Mad Taoist’s disciple. Eight years gone, and your strength has grown so much. Mad Taoist’s judgment is impeccable.”

“Aunt Luo, my brother Qu Xiangtian was badly injured, yet the Ninth Bureau is harboring the culprit. I’m not strong enough myself—I beg you to uphold justice,” Qu Yuanshan pleaded.

Her beautiful eyes flashed like lightning, sweeping over Nangong Haoran’s group.

Nangong Haoran’s face was impassive. “I’ve heard much of Princess Luo Shuiyang of the Yue Clan. However, the business of the Ninth Bureau must be settled within; outsiders have no say.”

“Oh? And if I insist on interfering?” Luo Shuiyang’s voice was cold as a tidal wave of pressure washed over us.

“Then you’ll have to step over our corpses,” Nangong Haoran replied calmly, his aura surging. The rest of the Ninth Bureau lined up shoulder to shoulder, meeting Luo Shuiyang’s force head-on.

Suddenly, Gu Lijinsha exclaimed in surprise and rushed over.

Luo Shuiyang paused, withdrawing her pressure.

“Qin Feng!” Gu Lijinsha ran up, circling me twice and tugging at my now long beard.

“Well? Old Gu, are you going to give me a hug or what? My arm’s getting tired,” I said, raising my outstretched arm.

Gu Lijinsha laughed heartily, not bothering to correct my nickname for her. She strode forward and gave me a bear hug, thumping my back with brotherly camaraderie.

“How long has it been? You’ve become so rugged! That beard is so long I almost didn’t recognize you,” she said, stepping back to examine me, a flicker of hidden pain in her eyes.

I coughed—her slap had made my blood surge, and I spat a bit of blood, still injured from Qu Yuanshan’s earlier spear.

“You’re hurt? Who did this?” Gu Lijinsha’s gaze turned icy, exuding killing intent.

“That guy—his brother nearly killed me, and then he came after my life,” I said, pointing at Qu Yuanshan.

Qu Yuanshan’s face was already livid. He hadn’t expected that I would be on such close terms with Princess Gu Lijinsha of the Yue Clan, or that Luo Shuiyang, whom he’d hoped to rely on, would listen to her.

Gu Lijinsha stared daggers at Qu Yuanshan. Meanwhile, the clan leader of the Yue Clan’s subtribe and Redleaf Jasmine approached respectfully, kneeling before us.

Redleaf and Jasmine stole glances at me. When they’d seen Gu Lijinsha hugging me just now, their eyes had nearly popped out.

“Aunt Luo, he hurt my friend,” Gu Lijinsha said to Luo Shuiyang.

Luo Shuiyang hesitated, then replied, “Princess, let the Ninth Bureau handle their own affairs.”

Gu Lijinsha’s eyes sparkled with cunning. “Did that man harm any of our Yue Clan? Did he destroy any of our property?”

“Reporting to the princess—he injured two of our clansmen, their internal organs are damaged, and he destroyed our main gate,” the subtribe leader answered.

Gu Lijinsha’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Aunt Luo, you heard that! This man injured our people for no reason and damaged our property. According to clan law, he should be flogged and pay tenfold compensation.”

Luo Shuiyang’s gaze sharpened, realizing the princess was determined to protect her friend. She turned to Qu Yuanshan. “Tell your master I owe him a drink.”

Without another word, Luo Shuiyang raised her hand, energy coalescing into a whip that cracked twice across Qu Yuanshan’s back.

He grunted and staggered backward, two deep bloody welts appearing.

Qu Yuanshan bit his lip, his eyes burning with hatred as he glanced at me. Then he turned and sped away into the distance.

“Thanks,” I said to Gu Lijinsha.

“We’ve been through life and death together—no need for thanks,” she replied with a smile.

Nangong Haoran and his group looked at me, a few giving me a thumbs-up.

“Qin Feng, right? Our Seventh Division still has a mission, so we’ll be off. As for your case, we’ll send someone to investigate. If you’re innocent, no one can frame you,” Nangong Haoran said, clapping my shoulder before leading his team away.

“What happened?” Gu Lijinsha finally asked.

I recounted the events. “I’m still not sure of the details, but it probably started with the case in Xiaoyuan Village.”

Gu Lijinsha beckoned a martial artist over. “Go find out immediately—who ordered Qu Xiangtian to pursue my friend? Dig deep into every detail. I want to see who dares frame him.”

After giving instructions, Gu Lijinsha and I walked to a nearby dune and sat side by side, gazing at the endless stretch of yellow sand reaching the horizon.

“You’ve joined the Ninth Bureau?” Gu Lijinsha asked.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Got a cigarette?” she asked.

“Just two left—one each. We’re out after this,” I said, handing her one.

Gu Lijinsha took a drag and coughed a little.

We exchanged a smile, recalling the case we’d worked together in Zhangjia Village. We’d survived life and death—though it had been a while, there was still an unspoken understanding between us.

“You’ve reached Level Four, and I’m almost there. Next month is our Yue Clan’s tribal gathering—will you come?” Gu Lijinsha asked suddenly, her eyes shining.

“No problem,” I replied with a smile, though inwardly I was pondering how to abolish the Yue Clan’s breeding system.

Gu Lijinsha grinned, stood, and walked toward Luo Shuiyang in the distance. Suddenly, she turned and waved back at me, calling out, “Don’t forget—at the third stone in Moonlight Forest, I’ll be waiting for you.”