34: Wait, I'm one of you.

“Want to bet?”

Lu Ming smiled noncommittally. This kid certainly had sharp eyes.

Chen Ziliang gripped the steering wheel, his palms sweating. He glanced at Lu Ming in the rearview mirror and continued, “Yes! I bet you’re no ordinary person. Everyone in the Night Watch Division knows what kind of person Director Zhao is—she’s incredibly proud. Even Xie Jinyu didn’t get this kind of treatment back then.”

He paused, his tone becoming more earnest.

“Also, I have a younger sister at home waiting for me to earn money for her medical treatment. Working as an Assistant in the Logistics Department, my monthly salary is barely enough to cover basic living expenses; I can’t save up for medical bills at all. The contribution points from this mission would be enough for my sister to have a major surgery.”

As he spoke, Chen Ziliang’s voice dropped, and his eyes dimmed slightly.

“I know this might sound a bit crude, but for me, this is the only chance. Those old-timers disdain taking on such high-risk missions; they have families and livelihoods and can’t afford to lose. But I’m different; I have nothing to lose, at most, just my life.”

Lu Ming listened quietly, a slight smile playing on his lips: “You’re very good, bold and meticulous.”

Chen Ziliang chuckled a bit awkwardly: “I trust my judgment, and I trust your strength. Even if I fail this time, I’ll accept it; at least I tried.”

The two chatted along the way, and the car unknowingly left the Inner City. Passing by the Outer City black market, Lu Ming even made a special stop.

Only after he exchanged the million in cash for ten Breakthrough Pills did they set off again.

Beyond the city gates lay the rapidly flowing Jiangyin River.

The opposite bank was the outer perimeter of the Youhai Mist Zone.

The vast Jiangyin River divided Jiangcheng and the Youhai Mist Zone into two parts.

The only way to the opposite bank was the huge suspension bridge hanging over the Jiangyin River.

And Jiangcheng benefited from the existence of the Jiangyin River, which protected it from the encroachment of foreign races.

After crossing the bridge, Chen Ziliang steadily parked the SUV at the checkpoint at the end of the bridge and explained, “Brother Lu, the relic is in the northeast direction of Youhai. Further in, we can only proceed on foot.”

The moment Lu Ming pushed open the car door, a cold wind mixed with a putrid smell assaulted him.

He instinctively narrowed his eyes, looking at the desolate wilderness shrouded in thick white mist in the distance.

He didn’t know what those white mists were made of; his spiritual perception was suppressed to almost nothing.

No wonder they all said the Mist Zone was a hell for Transcendent Beings.

“How much longer do we have to walk?”

Chen Ziliang was checking the supplies in his backpack, and his movements paused at the question.

“After passing through the Soul-Severing Cliff ahead, it’ll take about two days of walking!”

“Then there’s still time… Let’s go.”

Chen Ziliang quickly followed, handing a bottle of pills to Lu Ming: “Brother Lu, these are Clear Heart Pills. The deeper into the Mist Zone, the heavier the Yin energy. These Clear Heart Pills can isolate the Yin energy from invading the meridians.”

Lu Ming glanced at them and shook his head, refusing: “No need. A little Yin energy won’t affect me.”

The Nine Yang Divine Body was inherently impervious to all evils; taking these pills would just be a waste.

Chen Ziliang’s fingers, holding the porcelain bottle, stiffened, then he casually tucked it into his embrace.

It’s okay, the Youhai Mist Zone will cure everyone who acts tough.

But soon, he was shocked.

They had been walking for almost half a day, and he had nearly finished a bottle of Clear Heart Pills.

In contrast, Lu Ming hadn’t even frowned, as if he were on a sightseeing trip.

At this moment, they reached the central area of the mist forest, where the Yin energy grew denser, and dangers quietly increased.

From time to time, a few Soul-Devouring Beasts would launch sneak attacks.

Lu Ming didn’t even lift his eyes, just casually waved his hand.

The beast was hit by an invisible immense force, arcing through the air and crashing into a dead tree in the distance, its flesh exploding and splattering everywhere.

It was easy, incredibly easy and leisurely.

Even at night, Lu Ming directly sat down to cultivate.

Chen Ziliang’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he vigilantly scanned his surroundings… Two days later, the two finally arrived at the foot of a mountain.

“Brother Lu, the relic is just ahead.”

Lu Ming looked in the direction Chen Ziliang indicated, and a broken half-stone gate vaguely stood in the dense fog.

The two couldn’t help but quicken their pace.

Just as they were about to reach the stone gate, a faint, ethereal voice came from the mist.

“Two young friends, stop. This relic has been reserved by my young master.”

The coordinates of the relic were leaked?

Chen Ziliang’s expression changed, and he asked, “May I ask who you are? This relic was first discovered by our Night Watch Division!”

“Hahaha!”

The voice in the mist suddenly burst into laughter, filled with disdain and arrogance.

“Kid, it’s precisely because you’re from the Night Watch Division that this old man spares your life. Hurry up and scram; this isn’t something you can meddle with! Take one more step forward, and this old man won’t be polite.”

Chen Ziliang hadn’t expected the other party to be so fearless even after he revealed his Night Watch Division identity, and his face turned red from the retort.

Lu Ming, however, smiled.

These two days, he had been traveling during the day and cultivating with pills at night.

He had finally managed to push his cultivation to the ninth level of Kaiyuan.

He was on the verge of stepping into the Third Realm, but he always felt that his body’s potential hadn’t been fully developed.

The problem remained unresolved, and he was feeling annoyed.

And now, someone was coming to their death?

Lu Ming took a step forward. He looked into the dense fog, his tone flat: “I’ve taken a step forward now. Come on, kill me!”

The old man seemed thoroughly enraged, his voice becoming furious and sharp: “Little brat, you actually want to die? This old man will grant your wish!”

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than Lu Ming suddenly moved.

Lu Ming’s figure transformed into a bloody lightning bolt, almost instantly closing in on the old man the moment his words fell.

The dense fog was torn apart in front of him, creating a straight air current.

Gongsun Yang only felt a blur before his eyes; Lu Ming, who had been several meters away, appeared beside him in the blink of an eye.

His pupils constricted, and then his entire body was firmly pressed down by an immense force.

Lu Ming’s lips curled slightly, like a devil whispering in his ear: “Old man, so you were hiding here!”

Boom.

Crushed stones splattered.

Gongsun Yang, along with his sword, was pressed firmly onto the ground. The hard rock cracked under the immense force, forming an irregular shallow pit.

He only felt as if a mountain was pressing on his chest, a sweet metallic taste surged in his throat, and every breath brought a tearing pain.

“Ah!… Wait a moment! My name is Gongsun Yang, and I’m Xie Jinyu’s Assistant. We’re all on the same side!” Gongsun Yang suddenly shrieked, his eyes filled with terror.

Lu Ming’s hand, pressing on the back of his head, applied even more force, and his right hand was raised, gathering power: “Too late. Daring to obstruct the Night Watch Division in official business, I sentence you to death, immediate execution!”

“Wait!” Gongsun Yang roared with all his might, “There’s no such law in the Night Watch Division!”

“What are you? I’m a Night Watcher, and if I say there is, there is!”

“You… Ah!!!!”

Gongsun Yang let out a tragic cry, his head completely fused with the rock.

Chen Ziliang’s face instantly turned pale.

He had never witnessed such swift and decisive killing.

Gongsun Yang had clearly identified himself, yet in an instant, he turned into a mist of blood.

“Brother… Brother Lu?” His voice trembled, and the hand holding the long saber shook slightly.

“He… he seemed to say he was… Xie Jinyu’s Assistant…”

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