328: Chapter 328 Cleaning Up

In the inner room of the shop, Qian Gui, who was meditating and regulating his breathing on a prayer mat, snapped his eyes open almost the instant Ding Wu's toes touched the ground!

He hadn't lit any lamps; in the darkness, his eyes were as sharp as a falcon's, staring fixedly in the direction of the uninvited intruder.

His muscles tensed instantly, his magic power concealed but ready.

Yet the sudden surge of vigilance and hostility was clearly palpable in the small space.

“Ding Wu?”

Qian Gui's voice was kept extremely low, carrying unconcealed shock and coldness.

“What are you doing here?!”

His tone was stiff, filled with resistance and detachment.

It was as if he were facing an irreconcilable enemy rather than a former companion.

Standing in the darkness, Ding Wu didn't seem surprised by Qian Gui's hostile attitude, nor did he get angry.

He got straight to the point, his voice equally low and raspy as he cut to the chase:

“Has... Lu Chen come looking for you?”

Qian Gui's pupils constricted slightly in the dark, and then a sneer—a mixture of absurdity, anger, and deep-seated hatred—appeared on his face, looking particularly hideous in the gloom:

“Within a hundred-zhang radius of my shop, your people are watching in shifts day and night! Whether every person entering or leaving my shop is male or female, old or young—wouldn't you, Great Deacon Ding Wu, know best?! Why bother asking me!”

He deliberately emphasized the title 'Great Deacon Ding Wu,' the sarcasm and killing intent in his voice almost solidifying into icicles.

Clearly, he was fully aware of Ding Wu's surveillance and loathed it deeply.

Ding Wu showed no emotional reaction to this explosive sarcasm, as if he were long accustomed to it.

Or rather, he simply didn't care.

He fell silent for a moment, his voice remaining flat, yet it conveyed an unusual gravity:

“Recently... something big is going to happen. You'd better leave Ruins Abyss City as soon as possible, the further the better.”

Without waiting for Qian Gui to process this information, Ding Wu quickly pulled a palm-sized, dark-colored Jade Slip from his robes and tossed it directly toward Qian Gui without even looking.

The Jade Slip traced a blurry arc through the darkness.

“Keep this safe.”

Ding Wu's voice rang out alongside the sound of the Jade Slip cutting through the air.

“If... if you encounter Lu Chen, find an opportunity to give this to him.”

Qian Gui's face was full of suspicion and wariness; he didn't reach out to catch it.

Instead, he immediately circulated his spiritual power, and a gentle yet resilient force caught the flying Jade Slip mid-air.

He let it hover a foot in front of him, scrutinizing it as if it were a poisonous mine that could explode at any moment.

His gaze darted between the Jade Slip and Ding Wu's silhouette in the darkness, filled with distrust.

Ding Wu offered no further explanation and did not linger.

He took one last deep, complex look at Qian Gui's blurry outline in the dark and the hovering Jade Slip, squeezing out a single low sentence from his throat:

“Take care of yourself.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flickered, and just as abruptly as he had arrived, he vanished into the shadows of the shop's backyard.

With a few leaps, he disappeared into the night outside.

He came and went so quickly it was as if he were merely a fleeting illusion in the night.

The inner room of the shop fell back into a deathly silence.

Only the Jade Slip, held up by spiritual power and hovering quietly in the darkness, remained.

It emitted a faint, cold glimmer that was barely perceptible.

It was like a stone thrown into a pool of stagnant water; though silent...

...it had already stirred ripples in the hearts of both Qian Gui and Lu Chen, who was quietly watching everything from the shadows above.

Ripples that spread in layers and were difficult to calm.

In the air, there lingered the scent Ding Wu had brought—a mixture of bloody Evil Qi and an indescribable sense of restlessness.

Along with Qian Gui's lingering, palpable hatred and suspicion.

The silence was long and oppressive, as if it could swallow all sound.

Just as Qian Gui was filled with uncertainty, repeatedly mulling over Ding Wu's warning of an impending great change...

...and quickly weighing whether he should pack his belongings and flee Ruins Abyss City—now a den of tigers and wolves—under the cover of night—

A sudden change occurred!

The Jade Slip, which he had been cautiously supporting with spiritual power as it hovered before him, emitting a faint light and a cold touch...

...vanished into thin air right before his eyes without any warning!

It didn't shatter or fall; it was more like it had been snatched and erased by an invisible hand in an instant.

The spiritual power barrier surrounding the Jade Slip didn't even fluctuate, as if it had never existed at all.

The hair on Qian Gui's body stood on end, and his heart nearly stopped!

He sprang up instantly, instinctively flooding his body with magic power as a ring-shaped defensive Magical Artifact appeared in his hand, its light flickering.

His horrified gaze swept through every corner of the dark shop room like lightning, and his Divine Sense spread out in full force, trying to catch any trace of residual spiritual power or a hidden figure.

Who was it?!

Who could bypass his perception at such close range and take the Jade Slip so silently?

Had Ding Wu returned?

Or had the Blood Gate discovered something and sent an even more terrifying expert?

In the moment of his extreme horror and total alertness, a calm and familiar voice rang out clearly, as if speaking directly into the depths of his ear:

“Listen to Ding Wu and leave this city as soon as possible. Wait for me at the Old Mine Pit ruins.”

The voice was flat, devoid of excess emotion, yet it carried an unquestionable certainty.

Qian Gui was struck as if by lightning, freezing in place as the light from the ring artifact in his hand faltered for a moment.

This voice... it was Lu Chen!

It was Inspector Lu!

He had actually returned!

Moreover, he had been right here in the shop just now, possibly even witnessing the entire process of Ding Wu's visit!

After the massive shock, an indescribable wave of excitement and relief crashed through Qian Gui's tensed defenses.

He instinctively opened his mouth but found he couldn't make a sound.

Not because of any Restriction, but because his emotions were too turbulent.

He immediately gritted his teeth, swallowing the exclamation that had almost escaped him.

Since Lu Chen chose this way to meet and explicitly told him to leave, there must be a profound reason.

At this moment, any unnecessary reaction could bring about needless risk.

Qian Gui nodded vigorously; the movement was small, but exceptionally firm.

He no longer hesitated, nor did he even think about what had happened to Ding Wu's vanished Jade Slip.

If Lu Chen had taken it, there must be a reason.

He began to act immediately.

With the utmost speed, yet making as little noise as possible, he began to pack the most important items in the shop.

Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, a few life-saving or portable Magical Artifacts, and Jade Slips containing vital information.

He didn't even glance at other bulky or low-value items, decisively abandoning them.

The entire process was clean and efficient, showing the decisiveness of an experienced veteran in a moment of crisis.