196: Chapter 196: A Startling Statement

After resting for a day, to celebrate their victory on the first day, Heavenly King Lin waved his hand generously and decided to treat everyone.

The venue was set at one of the most luxurious restaurants in the Imperial Capital.

Tianque Tower.

This restaurant was built on the highest floating tower in the Imperial Capital's commercial district. The entire building was suspended in mid-air, with its outer walls crafted from transparent Source Crystals. Sitting inside for dinner at night allowed one to overlook the entire Imperial Capital.

Source energy tracks shuttled beneath their feet.

High-rise buildings spread out like a sea of stars.

In the distance, the Arena's light screen was still broadcasting highlights of yesterday's matches.

Of course, most of the highlights featured Lu Cheng taking down opponents with a single punch.

Seeing this made members of several teams want to file a complaint, yet they couldn't find any grounds to do so.

In the evening.

Just as the members of the Dragon Nation representative team arrived at the entrance of Tianque Tower, the restaurant's general manager personally came out to greet them.

He was a middle-aged man dressed in a black formal suit, with a pale gold restaurant badge pinned to his chest. His professional smile looked as if it were carved onto his face.

"Young Master Lin, Young Master Jiang, and distinguished guests, welcome."

He first nodded to Heavenly King Lin and Jiang Xuance, then quickly shifted his gaze to Lu Cheng.

In that instant, the smile on his face became visibly warmer and more enthusiastic.

"Mr. Lu, I have long heard of your great name."

Lu Cheng was taken aback for a moment.

"You know me?"

The general manager's smile remained unchanged.

"After yesterday, there are probably very few people in the world who don't know you."

Heavenly King Lin patted Lu Cheng on the shoulder.

"Let's go, you're a public figure now."

The general manager personally led the way, ushering them into the highest-grade first-class private room of Tianque Tower.

The private room was ridiculously large.

One side featured a floor-to-ceiling window made entirely of transparent Source Crystals. Looking out, one could take in the entire night view of the Imperial Capital.

The other side was a private dining area. The tabletop was polished from warm jade and featured automatic temperature control. As soon as the dishes were served, a Source Array would maintain them at the most suitable temperature for eating.

Pale gold lamps hung from the ceiling, their light resembling a flowing river of stars.

Even the air carried a faint fragrance of spiritual fruits.

Aside from the two young masters of prominent families, Heavenly King Lin and Jiang Xuance, who remained relatively calm, the others were somewhat silent.

Gu Changqing glanced at the jade chopsticks on the table.

"These chopsticks... are they also Source Tools?"

Jiang Xuance smiled and waved his hand.

"They aren't Source Tools. They just detect poison, maintain temperature, eliminate odors, and prevent corrosion."

Gu Changqing: "..."

And that's not considered a Source Tool?

Ye Beihan sat down, picked up a cup, and took a sip of water.

Then, he gave a serious evaluation.

"The water is very good."

Xu Xinglan looked down at the prices on the menu next to her cup and silently closed it.

She suddenly felt that she had swallowed her water too quickly just now.

Lu Cheng sat down holding the Little Spirit Fox.

As soon as the little fox lay down by the edge of the table, a waiter respectfully served it a small plate dedicated to spiritual pets.

Inside was finely sliced Frost Spirit Fish meat.

The Little Spirit Fox leaned down to sniff it, and its eyes immediately lit up.

"Ying!"

Lu Cheng glanced at it.

"You greedy little fox... you're already eating before anyone else has even started."

The little fox pretended not to hear and buried its head in its food.

The food and drinks were soon served.

Heavenly King Lin raised his cup.

The cup did not contain wine, but a spiritual fruit brew specially prepared for Martial Artists. It tasted sweet and could slightly restore Qi and blood.

"Come."

Heavenly King Lin looked at everyone, his voice steady.

"To the Dragon Nation's victory on the first day."

Everyone raised their glasses.

"To victory."

The cups clinked together gently.

The crisp sound echoed throughout the private room.

Heavenly King Lin held his cup and looked at Lu Cheng.

His shoulder injury had healed a lot, but his face was still slightly pale.

"Brother Lu."

"If it weren't for you yesterday, we would have been in a lot of trouble later on."

Gu Changqing also nodded.

"Thank you."

Ye Beihan was a man of few words, only raising his cup slightly.

"Thanks."

Tang Zhiwei said with a smile,

"Brother Lu literally turned the match into a roll call of public criticism by himself. Just thinking about the expressions on those people's faces when their names were called makes me want to eat an extra bowl of rice."

Lu Cheng waved his hand.

"Don't say that, I only did what was within my power."

Heavenly King Lin raised his wine cup and spoke.

"To Lu Cheng."

The others raised their cups in unison: "To Lu Cheng!"

The atmosphere among everyone completely relaxed.

The meal was very lively.

Outside in the high sky, the night view of the Imperial Capital was brilliant and dazzling.

In the private room, the members of the Dragon Nation finally felt a sense of true relaxation.

Meanwhile, in another elegant booth not far away next door, Jinguji Ayane was sitting quietly.

Today, she had changed into a simple long white dress, her long hair cascading down her back, with the ends still tied with a thin red string. She looked less like the cold, distant shrine maiden on the Arena, and more like a soft, gentle young girl.

She had originally just come to eat.

But as soon as she looked up, she saw Lu Cheng being led into the adjacent private room by the general manager.

The chopsticks in Jinguji Ayane's hand paused.

She looked at Lu Cheng's retreating figure, her gaze gradually turning subtle.

Although the person who had taken her to drink mung bean milk yesterday was disguised, his build, tone, and that smugly relaxed way of walking...

This guy felt exactly the same...

Her sixth sense as a shrine maiden was very strong; there was no way she was mistaken!

She took a deep breath and set down her chopsticks.

Very well.

She was going to ask him clearly.

...

After the celebration banquet ended, everyone left one after another.

Heavenly King Lin and Jiang Xuance were still discussing the possible rules of the third stage, the simulated ruins.

Gu Changqing and Ye Beihan walked in front, one silent as a sword, the other silent as ice.

Tang Zhiwei originally wanted to catch up with Lu Cheng, but she was pinned by a vigilant glare from the Little Spirit Fox.

She smiled.

"Alright, I won't steal your master."

Little Spirit Fox: "Ying."

Just as Lu Cheng was about to return to the hotel, he suddenly noticed someone following him.

He turned around.

Jinguji Ayane was standing at the end of the corridor.

She looked at Lu Cheng, her eyes extremely serious.

"Lu Cheng."

She spoke in her not-yet-fluent Chinese.

"I have something to ask you."

Lu Cheng blinked.

"Ask me?"

Jinguji Ayane walked over step by step, her dark eyes staring straight at him.

"Are you the person who took me to drink mung bean milk yesterday?"

Lu Cheng's expression didn't change at all.

"Don't talk nonsense."

"I don't know."

"I have no idea."

Jinguji Ayane stared at him.

"You tricked me into drinking two bowls!"

Lu Cheng frowned.

"Nonsense."

"It was clearly only one bowl."

"And you drank it voluntarily."

Jinguji Ayane's eyes widened bit by bit.

Then, a "hehe" expression suddenly appeared on her face.

"I knew it was you."

Lu Cheng: "..."

Crap.

I was tricked.

Jinguji Ayane pointed at him, her tone carrying a hint of accusation.

"You even lied to me, saying that the Dragon Nation doesn't allow wasting food, so I had to finish it all!"

Lu Cheng fell silent for a second.

Then, he nodded very candidly.

"Fine."

"It was me."

"So, what do you plan to do about it?"

When he said this, his tone was still a bit smug.

He might as well have written "Can you even beat me?" on his face.

Jinguji Ayane looked at him, originally wanting to maintain her Aura.

But thinking of the scenes of Lu Cheng taking down opponents with a single punch yesterday, her Aura instantly deflated by half.

She blinked, suddenly putting on a pitiful expression.

"What can I do..."

"Brother Lu takes down opponents with a single punch on the Arena."

"What can a weak woman like me do?"

The corner of Lu Cheng's mouth twitched slightly.

"Have you been reading too many romance novels?"

Jinguji Ayane thought about it seriously.

"Recently, I have been reading some."

Lu Cheng: "..."

No wonder her speech sounds so weird.

He rubbed the space between his eyebrows.

"Speak up."

"What do you actually want?"

The expression on Jinguji Ayane's face became slightly more serious.

"Actually, it's nothing major."

"I want to talk to you about a collaboration, which can also be considered a way to repay you for taking me around to play for so long."

Lu Cheng raised his eyebrows.

"Collaboration?"

Jinguji Ayane nodded.

"Yes."

"You've already played with me for a whole day..."

Lu Cheng immediately raised his hand.

"Stop, stop, stop."

"What do you mean 'I played with you for a whole day'?"

"How can I face anyone if word of this gets out?"

Jinguji Ayane was stunned for a moment.

Then, the tips of her ears turned slightly red.

"Ah..."

"No."

"My Dragon Nation language is not very good."

"I meant you've taken me around to play for a whole day."

Lu Cheng looked at her.

"You'd better make yourself clear."

Jinguji Ayane coughed lightly and took out a palm-sized fragment from her sleeve.

The fragment was dark gold with irregular edges, engraved with some extremely ancient patterns.

The moment it appeared, the Yueyao Pulse inside Lu Cheng's body stirred slightly.

There was a Source Power reaction.

And it wasn't weak.

Jinguji Ayane held the fragment in her palm.

"This simulated ruins is built on the foundation of an abandoned ruin."

"However, that abandoned ruin is not completely dead."

"There are still some things inside."

"This fragment is the key to opening a certain place."

Looking at the fragment, Lu Cheng's gaze finally became a bit serious.

"You're just telling me this?"

"Aren't you afraid I'll go to the referee panel?"

"Or..."

He pointed his finger at the fragment.

"I just rob you of your key?"

Jinguji Ayane shook her head.

"First."

"I can tell you're not that kind of person."

Lu Cheng: "You're a good judge of character."

Jinguji Ayane paused.

"But you would trick someone into drinking mung bean milk."

Lu Cheng: "..."

She continued:

"Second, the referee panel, or rather, the high-level organizers of this competition, all know about this."

"They allow the teams to explore that place."

"They just won't say it publicly."

"Third."

Jinguji Ayane gripped the fragment.

"Even with this item, without me, that place cannot be opened."

Lu Cheng fell into deep thought...

This was Jinguji Ayane's true purpose in coming to the Dragon Nation.

In recent years, the number of powerhouses in Sakura Island couldn't compare to major factions like the Dragon Nation, Northern Europe, or the Eagle Country.

If it weren't for the newly emerged high seas ruins and the fact that the simulated ruins used for the competition hid something related to their system, Sakura Island might not have even sent anyone to participate.

The only one of their new generation who could hold their own was almost exclusively Jinguji Ayane.

That was why they had adopted almost self-destructive tactics on the first day of the challenge matches.

Using death warriors to self-detonate in exchange for points.

Because in a direct confrontation, they had no advantage in terms of numbers or overall strength.

Lu Cheng looked at Jinguji Ayane.

"So, what do you want with me?"

Jinguji Ayane said seriously,

"Collaboration."

"By myself, it is difficult to deal with so many people."

"When the time comes, the items in the ruins will be distributed together."

Lu Cheng didn't answer immediately.

He looked at the fragment in Jinguji Ayane's hand, then looked at her.

After a moment, he shook his head.

"I'll pass."

Jinguji Ayane was taken aback.

"Why?"

Lu Cheng counted on his fingers, one by one.

"First, you know this ruin so well, who knows if you'll set me up?"

"Second, the Dragon Nation team has enough points now."

"Unless the Tianlan Ancient Kingdom gets a perfect score in the third stage while we get zero, our first-place position is still very secure."

"Third..."

He looked at Jinguji Ayane, his tone extremely sincere.

"I'm afraid you'll say I played with you again."

Jinguji Ayane: "..."

She fell silent for two seconds.

"I will show my sincerity."

Lu Cheng spread his hands.

"Then we'll talk about it when the time comes."

Jinguji Ayane looked at him.

Her dark eyes stared straight at him, as if trying to detect a hint of wavering from his expression.

Unfortunately, a person like Lu Cheng had skin thicker than the walls of the Imperial Capital.

He even looked down and patted the Little Spirit Fox.

The Little Spirit Fox also looked up at Jinguji Ayane.

The expressions of the person and the fox were surprisingly identical.

Both wrote: "Keep talking, I'm listening, but I don't necessarily believe you."

In the end, Jinguji Ayane sighed softly.

"Fine."

"When the time comes, I will show you."

She put away the fragment and turned to leave.

After taking a few steps, she turned back to glance at Lu Cheng.

"And also."

"The mung bean milk."

"I will remember it."

Lu Cheng nodded solemnly.

"You're welcome."

After she left, Lu Cheng stood in place and gave a soft tsk.

Then, he suddenly spoke up:

"Come on out, all of you."

"Stop watching."

Behind the corner of the corridor, it instantly fell silent.

In the next second.

Heavenly King Lin walked out from behind the wall.

He looked up at the night sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window, his expression completely natural.

"Hahaha."

"The weather is really nice."

Jiang Xuance followed him out, also looking up at the sky.

"Indeed."

"The moon of the Imperial Capital is really round."

Gu Changqing fell silent for a moment.

"Today is an overcast day."

Jiang Xuance: "..."

Xu Xinglan walked out from the other side, putting away her device with an expressionless face.

"I was just passing by."

Tang Zhiwei poked her head out from behind with a smile.

"Me too."

Ye Beihan was the last to walk out.

He thought about it and said seriously:

"I wasn't."

Everyone looked at him.

Ye Beihan added:

"I just came to watch the show."

Lu Cheng: "..."

Well, aren't you honest.

Heavenly King Lin cleared his throat, finally stopping his gaze from the night sky.

He looked at Lu Cheng, a very subtle smile appearing on his face.

"So..."

"What's the situation here?"

Jiang Xuance immediately chimed in.

"'Played with her for a whole day'?"

Gu Changqing was silent for a moment and evaluated:

"A complicated relationship."

Tang Zhiwei blinked.

"Brother Lu, a 'weak woman' indeed~"

"I'm also a weak woman. Can you take me around to play for a day tomorrow?

If that's not possible... if you want to... 'play' with me for a day is also fine!"

The others looked at Tang Zhiwei in astonishment, all shocked by her openness.

The moment Lu Cheng sensed their presence, he knew there would be trouble.

Seeing the smug expressions on their faces now truly gave him a massive headache.

"What is going on in all your heads?"

"It goes like this..."