78: Chapter 79 The Pei Family's Move

Those two words struck his eyes, but Lu Jin was in no rush to pursue them; instead, he withdrew his hand first.

With his fingertips, he pinched that half a fire stone leaf, folded it gently, and instead of tucking it into his own sleeve, he handed it to Ning Yanqiu, his voice cold, deep, and decisive: "You take it."

Ning Yanqiu raised her eyes and swept a glance at him for a moment. Without asking a single extra word, she flipped her wrist and clasped the cold mirror fragment disk inward.

The cold white mirror patterns retracted halfway along the edge of the disk, just enough to sandwich the half fire stone leaf between the cold mirror fragment disk and her inner sleeve—not touching sweat, not touching dust, perfectly secured.

"Is the weather changing outside?" she asked, her tone devoid of any ripples.

Lu Jin stood up, his gaze sweeping from the half-collapsed stone niche to the old fire paths rapidly lighting up along the outer edge of the Main Stele Area. A phrase rolled from his throat: "It has already changed."

Once the gate opened, the Main Stele Area transformed from "who can enter" to "who gets to set the rules"—and this step was often more dangerous and troublesome than fighting for the gate.

"Let's get out first," Lu Jin urged, his tone brooking no argument. "If we stay in this place for another half an incense stick of time, it won't be strong teams coming to snatch food, but specialists coming to take over."

Ning Yanqiu nodded in agreement, neither asking about the "seal supervisor" nor the "upper collection."

She raised her hand to nail down the stray wind at the entrance of the left corridor, then, with two Night Wings, she slowly retreated along the edge of the corridor; Lu Jin reached out to press the opened grey board outside the stone niche back halfway, not bothering to disguise it as it was before, leaving only the trace that "someone had moved it, but hadn't searched it thoroughly."

If someone really came, they had to let the other party be the anxious one.

When the two of them retreated one after the other to the outer edge of the Fire Well, the area in front of the bridge was no longer the chaotic mess it had been when the gate first opened.

The chaos remained, but there were now teams and lines drawn, everyone secretly plotting.

That frontline main force team from Beiyue Academy didn't crash head-on into the center of the Main Stele, but instead occupied two high vantage points along the old fire path on the left, standing guard from above; that veteran Heavy Hammer Team was even more direct, simply blocking the most central path in front of the gate. They didn't rush into the depths, just guarding this key node at the entrance, clearly intending to get a share of the spoils; the fast team with the double ropes from before had also reined in some of their impatience, turning instead to seize the upper-level view to watch the changes unfold.

No one was stupid.

Since the gate was already open, rather than exhausting all efforts to snatch the very first bite, it was better to wait for the rules to settle—lest they end up with nothing for their trouble.

Just then, a very light cough came from the side path under the bridge, sounding inappropriately soft.

It wasn't the low growl of a Night Beast, nor the heavy panting of the forward station soldiers, and certainly not the hoarse, ash-filled voices of the strong teams—it sounded more like someone who found the dust in such a grey, dingy place choking.

Lu Jin turned his head and saw Young Master Su Jiuheng, dressed in a grey-toned short robe, winding out from behind a broken beam. He didn't wear the conspicuous Merchant Alliance accessories, and even his cuffs were tightly wrapped with grey cloth, clearly afraid of being too eye-catching. Yet even with such a low profile, that shrewdness—the kind honed from doing business and weighing people's worth upon meeting them—could not be hidden in the slightest.

"You came fast enough," Lu Jin said, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

Young Master Su Jiuheng raised his hand to brush the dust off his shoulders, caught his breath, and then looked up at him, his tone urgent: "I could have come later, but if I had waited for them to seal the first layer before coming, it wouldn't just be a matter of you earning less; you wouldn't even have the qualification to stand here."

He didn't beat around the bush. After speaking, he raised his hand and handed over a roll of extremely thin grey paper—it wasn't a bill, nor was it market information, but a very short sequence of landing points. Only three lines were written on it, each followed by a very short time marker:

[One, Main Stele West Lower Corridor.]

[Two, Rift Gate Fire Bridge Front Platform.]

[Three, Forward Station Internal Affairs Stone Pavilion.]

After scanning it, Lu Jin's eyes sank slightly.

The first landing point was neither the fire gate nor the most valuable platform in front of the bridge, but rather the Main Stele West Lower Corridor—the very side where they had just unearthed the half-page battle report.

"Who gave this to you?" Ning Yanqiu spoke first, her gaze fixed on Young Master Su Jiuheng's face, not softening in the slightest.

Young Master Su Jiuheng glanced at her, not dodging the question, his tone vague yet certain: "If you must ask, the Merchant Alliance isn't dead yet. The No. 7 Rift Zone isn't just a path now; it's the hottest piece of fat on the entire board. Once the Pei Family External Affairs Chamber makes a move, with forward station material passage, sealing, and collaborative inspection countersignatures, there will always be those who smell the scent first."

He paused, deliberately lowering his voice, his tone also deepening: "The person leading the team is named Pei Chengxu, Apprentice Perfection, and he is the main force of the Pei Family External Affairs Chamber's sealing execution layer—not those peripheral small-fry who come to test you with prices, empty words, or name cards from collateral branches."

Lu Jin didn't speak, just read the grey paper again, an indiscernible light churning in the depths of his eyes.

What Young Master Su Jiuheng came to deliver was never nonsense like "The Pei family is coming," but precise information on where they would seal first, where they would press later, and what line they would land on at what time. Once something like this flowed from his hands, it was not as simple as just handing over a market list—the Merchant Alliance's gambling tables, the forward station's material passage, and the Pei Family External Affairs Chamber would all firmly remember this debt of his. Succeed, and they would all win together; fail, and he would be doomed beyond redemption.

"What are you after this time?" Lu Jin raised his eyes and asked directly.

Young Master Su Jiuheng twitched the corner of his mouth, revealing a self-deprecating smile: "I'm after you not being kicked out the door by a single word of 'collaborative inspection,' and I'm also after not standing on the wrong side myself."

He looked at Lu Jin, rarely bothering to make his words sound pretty, every word being very realistic: "This isn't currying favor, it's placing a bet. If you can't hold on, this investment of mine will be wasted; if you do hold on, then for this No. 7 Rift Zone market later, I won't be forced to just stand on the sidelines and watch others divide the meat."

Lu Jin folded the grey paper and clenched it in his palm, his tone decisive: "I've noted this debt."

Upon hearing this, Young Master Su Jiuheng seemed to finally heave a sigh of relief, then immediately added another sentence, his tone even more urgent: "Also, they are using official seals and the name of collaborative inspection this time. They are targeting not just the Fire Gate access rights, but also old archives, abnormal troop lines, and everyone who 'shouldn't have been the first to encounter this place'."

Having said that, his gaze swept very lightly over Ning Yanqiu's sleeves before quickly retracting—he didn't ask, nor did he point it out, but the meaning was already crystal clear.

The Pei family's trip this time wasn't simply because they smelled the value of the Fire Gate; it was more like they had known there was something here all along, and they had come both accurately and ruthlessly.

"You leave first," Lu Jin said, his tone carrying an undeniable decisiveness.

Young Master Su Jiuheng raised an eyebrow, feigning dissatisfaction: "Kicking me out as soon as you're done using me?"

"If you don't leave now, when someone sees you standing on my side later, it won't be a debt recorded, but a grudge held." Lu Jin's tone was flat, yet he hit on the key point.

Young Master Su Jiuheng looked at him and suddenly laughed: "Fine, you really are quite unlikeable sometimes."

Having said that, he no longer dawdled, turned around, and retreated along the side path under the bridge—retreating quickly and cleanly, leaving not a single trace behind.

But Lu Jin knew clearly that from the moment Young Master Su Jiuheng handed over that grey paper, he had already stood on his side, with no way back.

Sure enough, in less than half a cup of tea's time, the area along the outer edge of the Fire Well, which had originally just been a chaotic scene of "strong teams each occupying their own positions," was forcibly cut open by an entirely different force.

It wasn't people who arrived first, but flags.

Three dark gold short flags pressed with fine Sun Gold patterns descended one after another from that most stable stone path on the north side in front of the bridge. The flag surfaces were not large, yet they were much heavier than those carried by the previous Pei family peripheral main force teams, their edges all pressed with fire-prevention ash. Once they landed, even the few teams in front of the bridge that had been shouting and arguing for position instantly fell silent for a beat.

Behind the flags came the uniform figures.

Four grey-gold light-armored sealing personnel stood on both sides, not holding long weapons, but each clutching a short ruler pressed with dark gold patterns, their postures as straight as pines; further back were two attendants carrying ledgers, one holding a volume, the other carrying a box, their steps perfectly synchronized, exuding an aura of rigorous rigidity.

The person in the very center walked slowly; he was not old, his appearance was refined, and he couldn't even be considered fierce. Yet the dark gold pressed line on his cuffs, collar, and bracers was extremely neat and regular, without a single superfluous pattern—this was not showing off; it was the kind of low profile only someone who could hide all their sharpness in their bones dared to have.

Pei Chengxu.

Without needing anyone to introduce him, Lu Jin knew that this was the leader of that main force sealing execution layer from the Pei family.

Because he was completely different from those who had come before to press for prices, scout the path, or issue threats. As soon as he entered the scene, that wild energy of "whoever is strong gets to be on top" in front of the bridge was forcibly cut open by a layer—it was as if the rules had truly entered along with him.

"Pei Family External Affairs Chamber."

Pei Chengxu stopped outside the old fire pattern in the very center of the Fire Well front platform. He first raised his eyes to scan the fully opened ancient fire gate, then looked at the old fire paths in the Main Stele Area that had just lit up not long ago, before speaking flatly. His voice was not loud, but carried unquestionable authority: "Collaborative inspection of the Main Stele Area opening anomaly, verification and sealing of peripheral order, and registration of old-system fire gates."

Everyone in front of the bridge heard it clearly.

The ledger-carrying attendant immediately took half a step forward and "whooshed" open the long volume in his hand—it wasn't a ranking list, but a list of seal records and collaborative inspection items. As the line of text at the very top lit up, even the people from Beiyue Academy couldn't help but click their tongues softly.

Official seal.

It wasn't just verbal suppression; they had truly come with solid, tangible evidence.

"From this moment on, the Rift Gate Fire Bridge front desk, the Main Stele outer western corridor, and the front station Fire Well registration point are hereby designated as investigation zones," Pei Chengxu continued, his tone calm but filled with pressure. "All unregistered gate-opening teams, holders of abnormal weapon lines, and those who have privately accessed old files are to remain on site for verification."

At this point, his gaze finally landed on Lu Jin for the first time—no dismissive "newcomer, step back," no arrogant "who do you think you are." Instead, it was as precise as looking at an opponent who had already reached the table, as he called out his name directly: "Lu Jin, you stay."

Countless gazes in front of the bridge instantly converged upon him, filled with curiosity, amusement, and schadenfreude.

This was what it meant for the stakes to change.

Before, no matter how well Lu Jin could fight or how much he could break through, he was merely someone being watched, observed, and valued. But now, with the arrival of the Pei family's main field-sealing executive team, he was the first person they named—simply because this gate, this Fire Well, and this Post Station were all things he had secured first; he had personally opened this game.

Lu Jin stood still, lifting his eyes to meet Pei Chengxu's gaze, his tone calm but edged with sharpness: "I'll stay. And then what?"

Pei Chengxu looked at him, his tone still seemingly peaceful, yet every word was about control: "Hand over the gate-opening records, node accounts, and weapon line samples. The peripheral order behind the Fire Gate will first fall under investigation."

"Under whose investigation?" Lu Jin pressed, enunciating each word clearly, without yielding an inch.

"To those who can keep it from losing control," Pei Chengxu replied indifferently, the arrogance in his tone impossible to hide.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in front of the bridge fell silent.

It wasn't because he was right, but because this was the most troublesome aspect of the great families' executive layers—they wouldn't argue with you about "whether you were the one who conquered it first," but only about "whether you should continue to hold it." As long as they could frame the latter as the logical standard, no matter how much blood you shed or how much suffering you endured, they could lightly dismiss it as "pioneering the path," leaving you with no credit at all.

Lu Jin suddenly laughed, a laugh neither warm nor polite, carrying a hint of mockery: "Then before you arrived, who was guarding the Post Station? Who was sustaining the Fire Well? Who was opening the Fire Gate?"

He took a step forward, stepping right into the old markings on the Fire Gate front desk illuminated by the gate's fire, his aura instantly turning cold: "Last night, the Pei family sealed my pillar and blocked my well. Today, you bring an investigation order to take over the accounts—and you tell me this is to prevent it from losing control?"

The area in front of the bridge fell silent, the air itself seeming to freeze.

Even some members of the usually composed Heavy Hammer Team couldn't help but turn their heads, stifling their laughter—this retort was too sharp, and too truthful.

The youth from Beiyue Academy wearing a grey-brown short cape even stood directly at the high point of the left slope with his arms crossed, raising an eyebrow as he watched from below, his expression of "I want to see how you'll justify this" undisguised.

Yet, on Pei Chengxu's face, there wasn't a hint of anger; he remained terrifyingly composed. He simply raised his hand, and a field-sealing operative behind him immediately tapped the short dark gold ruler against the ground.

There was no loud noise, nor any dazzling light, but those scattered old fire markings on the Fire Gate front desk automatically separated into inner and outer layers with that single tap—the outermost layer of fire instantly dimmed, while the innermost layer became increasingly steady, as if someone had drawn the boundaries of "where you should stand" for everyone in front of the bridge in a single breath.

This wasn't a fight; it was a judgment.

This was also the most detestable thing about the Sun Gold path—they wouldn't kill you first; they would first turn you into someone who "shouldn't be standing here," and then drive you out with justification.

Pei Chengxu spoke again, his tone still calm but with added pressure: "How you fought last night is a matter of last night; how things should be recorded today is today's account. Lu Jin, since you opened the gate, you should know that behind the gate is no longer just a training ground for your team."

"What a coincidence." Lu Jin cut him off, the mockery in his tone intensifying, "I was just about to say the same thing."

He didn't retreat; instead, he raised his hand and pointed backward, his voice clear and resonant, carrying across the entire front of the bridge: "The gate was opened by us, the Fire Well was sustained by us. The Grey Stele Post, the Outer Fire Well, and the Rift Gate Fire Bridge—these three major peripheral nodes—there isn't one that I didn't secure first."

With every sentence he spoke, someone in front of the bridge subconsciously glanced in those three directions—the Post Station, the Fire Well, the Fire Gate. Separately, each was valuable, but once connected, they formed the backbone of the entire peripheral controlled zone.

This was also why the Pei family didn't send their main peripheral team to seize the points today, but instead sent their main field-sealing executive team from the External Affairs Chamber to suppress—they didn't want to seize points; they wanted to take over, to claim everything Lu Jin had worked so hard to secure as their own.

"You want an investigation, fine." Lu Jin withdrew his hand, his gaze locked onto Pei Chengxu, his tone yielding not an inch, "First, record last night's Sun Gold sealing pattern and today's two Sun Gold markers used to block the well into the register as well."

The area in front of the bridge fell silent again; even the attendant holding the register was stunned for a moment, subconsciously looking at Pei Chengxu.

Pei Chengxu finally darkened his eyes for the first time—not because of how harsh the words were, but because Lu Jin hadn't been suppressed by his "investigation," but had instead exposed the Pei family's sneakily placed hand from last night to the public, letting everyone see clearly whether the Pei family had come to "investigate" or to "steal credit."

"Do you have proof?" Pei Chengxu asked in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of coldness.

"Do you?" Lu Jin retorted even faster, his tone full of rhetorical questions, "You say I have abnormal weapon lines and privately accessed old files—do you have proof?"

With these two sentences, the momentum in front of the bridge, which had almost tipped toward the Pei family, was pulled back by Lu Jin, resulting in a stalemate.

Just then, the youth from Beiyue Academy in the grey-brown short cape suddenly spoke indifferently from the left slope. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "I have no interest in testifying for anyone about who blocked the well or who sealed the pillar last night, but everyone in front of the bridge saw who opened the gate first."

After speaking, he closed his mouth and said no more—not taking sides, not helping, but effectively throwing the key question of "When recording the Fire Gate, should the person who opened it be recorded first?" back to everyone in front of the bridge, disrupting Pei Chengxu's rhythm.

Pei Chengxu was silent for two breaths, his gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd in front of the bridge, finally landing on Ning Yanqiu behind Lu Jin.

Ning Yanqiu didn't step forward, nor did she step back. The cold mirror fragment disk was firmly gripped in her sleeve, her gaze cold and sharp, her stance steady—as long as the Pei family dared to forcibly push Lu Jin off the line, her wind would strike first, fighting to the bitter end.

Pei Chengxu withdrew his gaze, his tone finally more direct than before, abandoning his previous pretense: "Fine. Then let's not talk about the handover first; let's talk about the accounts."

He raised his hand, and two attendants holding the registers immediately opened the long books side by side, pressing them against the ancient war map that had just lit up not long ago in front of the bridge—it was no longer just a simple investigation order, but the node vacancy list, battle damage column, gate-opening records, and control line ownership for the peripheral Rift Zone, all clear at a glance.

"Who guarded the Post Station, who sustained the Fire Well, who opened the Fire Gate—it's not decided by your word, nor by mine." Pei Chengxu looked at Lu Jin, finally laying all his cards on the table, "The recognition fire at the Military Court front station hasn't lit up yet."

"Wait for it to light up." He paused, enunciating each word, "Once it's lit, then we'll discuss who should be standing in front of this gate."

No one else in front of the bridge made a sound.

Everyone understood—Pei Chengxu hadn't retreated; he had simply elevated the hard battle of seizing the gate and the path to the level of "rule recognition," and on this level, it was never about who had the loudest voice or who could fight better.

Just at this moment of stalemate, a deep chime of an old fire bell suddenly came from the direction of the front station, heavy and distant, vibrating against people's eardrums.

It wasn't the Pei family's bell, nor the bell in the Main Stele Area; it was the recognition stele at the Military Court front station, the one that had never fully lit up, which had finally been awakened.

After the first chime, the three grey-red fire pillars on the outer edge in front of the bridge, which had only been used for lighting, lit up simultaneously, their flames shooting into the sky;

After the second chime, two new fire frames suddenly emerged on the edges of the ancient war map in front of the Rift Gate Fire Bridge, one horizontal and one vertical, as if two larger lists were about to be flipped out from the ashes;

The attendants holding the registers changed expressions abruptly, the people from Beiyue Academy subconsciously straightened their bodies, and even Pei Chengxu suddenly looked up toward the direction of the Military Court front station—clearly, he hadn't expected the Military Court to push the recognition fire directly in front of the bridge at this critical moment.

The third bell chime fell with a boom.

Those two fire frames finally lit up completely, the firelight illuminating the entire area in front of the bridge red.

The top page was inscribed with battle merits; the bottom page, with controlled zones.

The points leaderboard and the controlled zone leaderboard for the periphery of the No. 7 Rift Zone were simultaneously displayed by the Military Court in front of everyone—the outcome seemed to be decided at this very moment.