83: Chapter 83 Fragments of Laws

After the two reached a cooperative agreement, Su Qingxue drove Lin Fan home in her sports car.

Su Qingxue's sports car stopped in front of the garage of the Imperial Dragon Residence.

A brief silence fell inside the car.

A faint, delicate fragrance, mingled with the scent of Su Qingxue herself, filled the car.

Lin Fan, in the driver's seat, unbuckled his seatbelt, his hand just reaching for the door handle to get out.

But Su Qingxue was one step ahead, pushing her door open and getting out.

Her high heels tapped crisply on the asphalt.

She walked around the front of the car and personally pulled open the passenger door, saying with a playful grin:

"Young Master Lin, you're home."

Lin Fan opened his eyes.

What met his gaze was Su Qingxue's profile, glowing pale under the streetlight, and a fleeting glimpse of snowy skin at her collar as she bent slightly forward.

This... this... using this to test a comrade?

"President Su is too kind. This service is a bit over the top," Lin Fan replied, instantly playing along with her deliberate mischief, his tone carrying a hint of sly amusement.

Lin Fan unbuckled his seatbelt and got out, his body brushing past Su Qingxue in the narrow space. "Ordinary partners don't get the treatment of the Su Family's young lady personally opening the door."

"You're not an ordinary partner."

Su Qingxue didn't back away.

They were extremely close, close enough to see the flutter of each other's eyelashes.

"You're my contractual boyfriend now."

She reached out, very naturally straightening Lin Fan's slightly disheveled collar, her fingertips grazing his collarbone. "I'm just abiding by the contract terms."

"Don't worry, my dear President Su."

Lin Fan caught her hand as it fussed with his collar and gently moved it away. "I'm a man of my word. After all, you can't ruin your own reputation in business."

Su Qingxue's fingers curled slightly.

At that moment.

The ornate iron gate of the villa creaked open.

"Brother?"

A soft, sweet voice shattered the thick atmosphere between them.

The Shrewd Merchant aura surrounding Lin Fan vanished the instant he heard that word.

He turned sharply.

At the doorway.

Lin Xiaoya stood wearing a cotton pajama set printed with pink rabbits, mismatched slippers on her feet.

She was also holding a stainless steel spatula.

Clearly, she had rushed out upon hearing the car.

"Xiaoya."

Lin Fan walked quickly towards her.

Seeing her brother unharmed, Lin Xiaoya's tense little face instantly crumpled, her eyes rimmed red like two peaches.

She bit her lip hard, not letting a sob escape.

But the hand holding the spatula trembled violently, as if about to fling the utensil away.

"Are you hungry?"

After holding it in for a long moment, the little girl finally choked out those three words, her voice thick with unshed tears.

"Starving."

Lin Fan ruffled her hair, turning her smooth long locks into a bird's nest. "Do you have tomato and eggs? The kind with extra sugar."

"Yes... it's reheating."

Lin Xiaoya sniffled, finally noticing Su Qingxue standing by the car.

The tears that had been welling in her eyes instantly retreated.

"Oh, oh, Sister Su, you're here too! Don't mind me, I didn't see anything!"

With that, she was about to hurry back inside to finish cooking.

"Hello, Xiaoya. I was just discussing some serious business with your brother," Su Qingxue said, the corners of her lips curving upwards into her first genuine smile of the evening.

"Aren't you going to invite me in for a while?" she then added, looking at Lin Fan with a hint of expectation in her eyes.

"It's too late."

Lin Fan blocked the doorway, a polite, insincere smile on his face. "A man and a woman alone... wouldn't be good for President Su's reputation if word got out. Another day. I'll treat President Su to tea another day."

Lin Fan refused cleanly and decisively. Playing along was one thing, but taking it seriously? No way.

The light in Su Qingxue's eyes dimmed for a moment.

But she quickly regained her usual icy beauty persona.

"Alright then. Another day it is."

She gave Lin Fan a deep look, turned, and got back into the car.

The sports car started and disappeared into the night.

Lin Fan stood in place, only turning to close the iron gate after the taillights had completely vanished.

"Brother, she likes you."

Lin Xiaoya declared with certainty, still holding the spatula.

"What does a kid know?"

Lin Fan nudged his sister towards the house. "She's just after my blind boxes. Hurry up, the tomato and eggs are going to burn."

On the dining table.

A plate of not-so-pretty tomato and eggs, and a bowl of steaming white rice.

This was Lin Fan's victory banquet.

No exotic delicacies, yet it made him feel more at ease than that hypocritical award ceremony.

Lin Fan shoveled rice into his mouth with gusto, no regard for manners.

Lin Xiaoya sat opposite, propping her chin in her hands, her gaze falling on a torn hole in the sleeve of Lin Fan's school uniform.

It had gotten torn during the previous beast tide.

"Torn again."

Lin Xiaoya reached out and poked the hole, her voice filled with concern. "This is already the third school uniform this month. Brother, can't you be more careful? Mending is a hassle."

"I'll be more careful next time, I promise," Lin Fan mumbled through a mouthful of eggs.

"You said that last time too."

Lin Xiaoya sighed and got up to fetch her sewing kit. "Take it off. I'll mend it before we sleep."

Under the light.

The young girl bent her head, mending the slightly torn school uniform stitch by stitch.

Lin Fan watched quietly.

The outside world was dangerous, with myriad races watching covetously and undercurrents surging in the capital.

But as long as this lamp was still lit.

He feared nothing.

...

Late at night, 2 a.m.

Confirming Lin Xiaoya was sound asleep.

Lin Fan quietly made his way to the villa's basement.

The [Thunder Dragon Crystal] dug from the heart of the Amethyst Winged Dragon King appeared in his palm.

Crackle! Zap!

Purple arcs of electricity instantly erupted, like frenzied little snakes, crawling wildly up Lin Fan's arm.

The entire chamber was bathed in an eerie purple glow.

Terrifying energy fluctuations caused the air to distort.

"System."

Lin Fan commanded silently in his mind.

[High-concentration law aggregate detected]

[Item Name: Thunder Dragon Crystal (S-Rank/Incomplete)]

[Source: Lord-level Mutant Creature · Amethyst Winged Dragon King]

[Contains Law: Thunder (Destruction Branch)]

System windows popped up frantically, red warning text flashing incessantly.

[Warning: Material energy level too high. Host's current cultivation level insufficient for complete control.]

[Warning: Forced crafting carries risk of mental energy depletion, significantly extending recovery period.]

Lin Fan ignored the warnings.

Fortune favors the bold.

He stared fixedly at the dragon crystal, a flicker of madness in his eyes.

"What about absorbing it directly instead of making it into a blind box?"

[Simulating...]

[Direct absorption success rate: 0.01%. Mortality rate: 99.99%.]

[System Suggestion: Activate Special Crafting Mode.]

As expected.

Lin Fan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

He had almost let greed cloud his judgment.

"What is Special Crafting Mode?"

The system interface blurred momentarily, then displayed a line of golden text he had never seen before.

[Congratulations, Host. Contact with law-tier material has triggered a hidden advancement quest!]

[Unlocking prerequisite for Supreme blind box crafting (1/3)]

[Supreme blind box: The ultimate blind box, surpassing S-Rank. Can ignore cultivation restrictions. Can yield corresponding law power based on material attributes.]

Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat.

Law-based abilities.

That was the domain of gods, exceeding the currently known SSS-Rank Talents. Or rather, talents were manifestations of law power.

If he could make such a blind box...

Then even those so-called aristocratic families and Martial Saints in the capital weren't necessarily unbeatable.

[Prerequisite Quest One: Collect three S-Rank Law Fragments of different attributes (Current Progress: 1/3, Thunder)]

[Prerequisite Quest Two: Host's mental energy breaks through to the Martial Sovereign realm (Current: Martial Master)]

[Prerequisite Quest Three: Own a nationwide blind box chain store (Current: One store in Jianghai City)]

Lin Fan looked at the quest list.

Difficult.

Difficult as scaling the heavens.

S-Rank Law Fragments were treasures one could only hope to encounter by chance. Coming across the Amethyst Winged Dragon King this time was pure, explosive luck.

Breaking through to Martial Sovereign in mental energy was a lifetime barrier for countless martial artists. Reaching Grandmaster alone made one a powerhouse who could dominate a region, let alone the even higher Martial Sovereign realm.

As for a nationwide chain...

That was actually the simplest.

With enough profit, the state machinery was the best bulldozer.

"Since I can't make a Supreme blind box for now..."

Lin Fan looked at the dragon crystal in his hand. "...I'll make a simplified version first."

"System, initiate A-Rank blind box crafting procedure."

"Add auxiliary materials: Amethyst Dragon Blood, Dragon Bone Powder."

"Target: [Lord of Thunder · Imitation · Trial Version blind box]."

Even though it was an imitation.

It would be enough to drive the entire Jianghai City, and even that important figure from the capital, wild with desire.

Lin Fan's fingers danced swiftly in the air, golden spiritual energy threads wrapping layer upon layer around the dragon crystal.

The purple light receded.

A pitch-black box, its surface imprinted with purple lightning patterns, slowly took shape.

Faint rumbles of thunder seemed to emanate from the box's surface.

Lin Fan picked up the box, sensing the terrifying power contained within.

"Important person from the capital, I hope this gift gives an old comrade like you a bit of a surprise."