Chapter 126: Coming and Going in a Rush

Under the bright moonlight, the stars twinkled.

Ocean waves, tides, the sea, mountain ranges.

A modernist-style manor villa stood on the cliff, as magnificent as a palace.

Outside the gate, the grass was like a carpet, giant trees spread their branches, and flowers bloomed brilliantly, like a fairyland.

If it were daytime, one couldn't imagine how beautiful it would be; even in the dead of night, it remained brightly lit, solemn and deep.

At the main entrance, the flawless marble surface was as clear as a mirror, easily reflecting a poor guy named Ji Jue.

"Don't be like that, Brother Ji, you don't know me yet? I'm the most low-key, the most low-key person ever! This is all my brother's private property! I've never even been here!"

Seeing Ji Jue backing out, Chen Yubo immediately burst into tears.

He held his cat in one hand and grabbed Ji Jue tightly with the other: "Besides, at this point, what's the difference between mine and yours? Mine is yours, and yours... is still yours! For the sake of our brotherhood, please pull me through this, otherwise why did I come back?"

If he didn't have a reliable helper, what difference would the most magnificent palace or villa make to him compared to a death row prisoner's cage?

It would be better to keep hiding in the sewer under the bridge.

Anyway, death is ugly either way, so it's better to find a cleaner way to die.

At least it would be quick.

Looking at the gold-and-jade-shining palace-level villa, Ji Jue couldn't help but feel his back molars itch with hatred, his heart of hating the rich thumping uncontrollably.

So much money, damn it, so much money.

"If we can really get through this, everything is negotiable!" Chen Yubo had already let go: "Anyway, I can't get my hands on it, buddy, I'll split half with you!"

"Don't, absolutely don't!"

Ji Jue felt his inner self being judged; the conscience that had already stood on the edge of the cliff like the villa had begun to itch, wanting to commit a crime.

"Don't mention money, just do it for yourself. Otherwise, if I make even a slight mistake, you're gone, okay?" Ji Jue advised: "Let's just consider ourselves unlucky, survive these few days, and the days ahead will be vast and open, okay?"

Chen Yubo held his cat, his eyes misty with tears, and said nothing.

Perhaps he was thinking of his brother whose life or death was unknown.

Of course, it could also be that he was thinking of that money he was destined not to keep.

It's better to let a brother have it than a stranger, damn it!

Ji Jue's thoughts began to slide again; he only felt that the Chen Dashao beside him seemed even more tempting than Xiao An. The latter was just good-looking, but the former was truly rich... Money was gradually making him blind.

Especially since as long as he tied him up and squeezed him gently, delicious and juicy Federal Dollars would flow out.

Ji Jue's hand had already reached for his gun several times.

The entire villa was empty; even the original servants had been dismissed. There were only a few of Chen Xingzhou's confidant Heaven-Chosen and a dozen armed bodyguards.

It looked just like a facade on the surface.

If it really didn't work, living in the city would be the same; at least the flies coming for the money shouldn't dare to use bombs or weapons of mass destruction in the city.

If Ji Jue were the one coming for the money, he might have gotten hundreds of pounds of explosives to make a missile, or at worst, a suicide truck, right?

Once thoughts start to slide, the inspiration for crime becomes unstoppable.

Like a gushing spring.

If I were to bribe an inside man here, the fun would be huge.

It's just that most of Chen Xingzhou's confidants, after seeing Chen Yubo, were indifferent. Even if they knew they had to protect the boss's last relative, they didn't seem to care much. Even those who were thumping their chests shouting 'loyalty' couldn't be relied upon.

The boss is lying in the emergency room, and there's a hostage worth at least four billion lying beside him; who wouldn't have some crooked thoughts?

Internal and external troubles.

Ji Jue's heart was about to break.

Damn, why am I working for free? I haven't gained any benefits, but I have a mountain of trouble... Ji Jue felt a surge of anger and wanted to kick this grandson Chen Yubo twice.

There are so many people in the world, why does your brother have to be Chen Xingzhou?

Couldn't you have changed to someone less troublesome?

And what's even more fatal...

Is Ji Jue's course.

He checked the time, past one in the morning. He figured Professor Ye hadn't slept yet, so he made the call and stammered for a long time, "Teacher, I..."

"Asking for leave?" The professor understood instantly.

"Yes."

"That mess with Chen Xingzhou?"

The professor asked again, and Ji Jue was speechless. Then, he heard her voice: "That's fine, since you're involved, I don't have to bother anymore... Let's count this as an official assignment."

Ji Jue's eye twitched uncontrollably.

The master has work, the disciple serves; so by rounding it up, I'm doing the work for Professor Ye? Even if you want to wash your hands of it, you don't have to be that fast, right?

Couldn't you at least give me Brother Qiu?

Unfortunately, the professor didn't mention it at all, only asking: "How long is the leave?"

"About a week?" Ji Jue wasn't sure.

No matter how big the mess, after a week, it should be over.

You guys in the Wild Market aren't going to fight for two or three years, are you? Is everyone not going to live their lives?

Whether the Wild Market fights or not isn't important, but other people's lives are important. If you can't stop, others won't mind helping you stop.

So according to Ji Jue's estimate, since it's already been a week, another week should be about enough.

"Good."

After the professor hung up, Ji Jue's phone kept dinging. On the communication app, several megabytes of PDF scans were dumped over one after another, all of them photocopies of materials from the library.

Many were unique copies, and he didn't know when they had been scanned.

All of them were dumped into Ji Jue's phone.

If converted to text, there would probably be millions of words. It's a pity they aren't brainless filler novels, but professional literature that would grind his brains with every word.

Finally, there was Professor Ye's notification.

【Write a reflection after reading, I'll check it when you return.】

Ji Jue felt his vision go black.

A perfectly good alchemy course, turned into correspondence school, right?

How can you not even let someone catch their breath when asking for leave...

But Professor Ye's assignments were always like this: do it if you can, get out if you can't. There was no possibility of barely giving you a passing grade for doing half, and no room for negotiation.

He could only accept it with tears.

Having to study while being a bodyguard, is this bodyguard job a bit too fulfilling?

He sighed, turned off his phone, and stopped looking.

He looked at the bay outside the window.

Following Ji Jue's suggestion, Chen Yubo gave up the best master bedroom in the villa to Ji Jue and slept in the nanny room himself.

Although he had some thoughts of taking advantage, at least he didn't have to worry about a big ship floating in from the sea and a sniper taking Chen Yubo's head off.

Ji Jue looked at the bay outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the Yizhou City across the bay, brightly lit, with countless neon lights flickering, unable to see the life-and-death struggle and the blood feud.

Between the flickering neon lights, a flash of explosion seemed to rise and quickly disappear, like fireworks.

Darkness equally buried everything, with only the sound of the tide echoing in the silence.

"So lively."

Ji Jue murmured softly, with no one to respond.

On the sofa in the corner, Xiao An slept sweetly with his eyes closed.

But in this long silence, Ji Jue had an inexplicable sense of realization and understanding.

If it were before, he would certainly be extremely confused and unable to understand—why, when everyone already had more money than they could spend in a lifetime, had beauty that came and went at a wave of their hand, and had everything that the poor Ji Jue had dreamed of, were they still unsatisfied?

Even willing to bet their lives, participating in this no-way-out gamble, fighting to the death?

In this vortex stirred up by the Wild Market, some people, like Chen Yubo, never had a choice, thrown into the storm against their will.

But some people actively jumped into the pit, not afraid of sinking deep into the mud.

Just like Ji Jue himself.

Even though he was no longer empty-handed and could live well, he had new ambitions and desires—wanting to become an artisan, wanting to have his own workshop, wanting to make a difference.

Even, wanting to do whatever he wanted.

Just like now, wanting to intervene in troubles that didn't belong to him in the first place.

The same overestimating one's capabilities, the same courting death, is anyone nobler than anyone else?

The underlings want to get ahead, the poor want to strike it rich, the big brothers crave to go further, and even a hegemon will covet the noble power above the group of snakes when looking up... Even those high and mighty like the leaders will fight and struggle for their own purposes.

The chaotic wilderness of Bai Lu exists in everyone's heart. When all the high-sounding excuses and disguises are stripped away, only the most straightforward ambition and desire that needs no cover are revealed.

It is not Bai Lu that caused all this, it is just that the beasts belonging to the wilderness are chasing the traces left by Bai Lu. But as Bai Lu looks down, will it be happy for the slaughter offered to it?

Supreme goodness is ignorant, supreme goodness is unaware.

From beginning to end, supreme goodness witnesses everything.

For a moment, from the reflection of the floor-to-ceiling windows, amidst the blending of neon and lights, he seemed to see the blurred outline again.

The blood-stained Bai Lu in the wilderness, looking back indifferently, cast a glance here.

As if examining the newcomer to this blood feast.

But soon, as if disappointed, it withdrew its gaze and disappeared. And behind Bai Lu, something invisible seemed to rise, but Ji Jue couldn't see it clearly.

Everything dissipated in the blurred scene that gradually rose in his mind before sleep.

Ji Jue fell into a deep sleep.

Only Xiao An on the sofa stood up without a sound, looking back at Ji Jue, whose sleeping posture on the bed was gradually becoming terrible, full of doubt and curiosity.

That fleeting wilderness aura just now...

Is it the Realm of Invocation of Supreme Goodness?

But it is becoming increasingly difficult to understand.

Why did it come in such a rush?

And why did it go in such a rush?

The next day, early morning, Ji Jue didn't wake up until seven o'clock.

If it were according to the workshop's schedule, he would already be in the warehouse, seizing the time to clear a wave of physical strength with the Dissociation Art before breakfast.

But now, he was slowly washing up and brushing his teeth, yawning as he made breakfast for himself and Xiao An, and was casually scrolling through his phone while sitting at the table eating.

Ignoring Chen Yubo's resentful gaze after a night of insomnia, there was a kind of beauty in not caring about the boss's life or death.

Free service is like this; the boss just has to wait for death, but as a bodyguard, Ji Jue had to consider more.

Thank goodness, last night was Christmas Eve.

A werewolf didn't suddenly transform in the villa and swallow Chen Dashao whole.

Most people hadn't had time to receive the news, or hadn't had time to confirm Chen Dashao's location and condition. Amidst watching and calculating, the slaughter and struggle of this night continued like this.

As soon as Ji Jue opened the chat app, he saw the collection of chat records forwarded by Ye Chun. Clicking on it, there was a pile of videos and photos uploaded by local netizens.

On the messy long street, the cleaner was driving a water truck, the water gun washing away the dark red stains on the ground, and the clear water flow was also stained with scarlet.

Like a small river, the dirty water surged, flowing down both sides of the street and disappearing into the darkness of the sewer.

On the fishing boat, the bloated corpse that slid from the school of fish in the net onto the deck, the chaos spreading in the noisy night market, the life-and-death fight under the street neon, and even... the high-rise building sealed by the cordon, cracks appearing on the outer wall, swaying and about to fall.

At the end of the chat record was a photo.

In the South Foothill District, the overpass at the mouth of the North River, that miserable corpse hanging from the railing to the bridge hole, swaying in the wind.

That ferocious face with eyes wide open in death was none other than the boss of the largest building materials company in Yacheng, the Seventh Young Master most favored by Lei Wuye before he lay in the ICU!

Overnight, the situation changed, and the violent storm had swept through. In the sleep of most people, death and blood had already stretched into a river.

In the villa on the first floor, in that restaurant as spacious as a hotel, everyone who sat down had a worried expression and was full of thoughts. But at the same time, there was a sense of relief that the second shoe upstairs had finally hit the floor.

They started fighting, they finally started fighting.

If before this, the collisions between the parties would still hope to decide a winner and gain an advantage in negotiations, then now, when the path to negotiation was cut off by invisible scissors, all that remained was pure survival of the fittest, life and death.

And what was chilling and terrifying was this determination from Lei Yaoxing.

In just one night, after cleaning all the internal traitors and allies who wanted to jump ship into the sewer, he started a full-scale war with all his opponents.

Before this, I still wanted to talk to you as the successor of Lei Wuye, but you didn't take it seriously, so I'm sorry.

Fuck it, I'm not pretending, I'm showing my cards!

I'm going to kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!!!

Traitors were stuffed into meat grinders, opponents were thrown into sewers, and those who dared to resist were hung on the bridge holes one by one, becoming Yacheng's signature sunny dolls.

Jin Ya Bao, who had once overestimated his ability and wanted to wrestle with him, had already died on his mistress's bed this morning, his death too horrible to look at.

It could be said that with only one force, he stunned everyone overnight.

When he cast aside all scruples and made it clear he was going to reenact the old events of Lei Wuye and forcibly integrate the dark side of Yacheng, everyone finally felt this terrifying strength hidden beneath the water.

Now, without their big shots, the small-time nobodies in the South Foothill District had already knelt and kowtowed with lightning speed, changing their allegiance, with only one sun in their hearts: Lei Yaoxing.

The map coloring game had begun.

Who is next? Lihua? North Mountain? Or Longhai?

Or, will that monster lurking in the quagmire turn back and swallow them, this group of ants hiding on the side, first?

Everyone is in danger.

Near noon, Uncle Lin, who had been missing for a long time, finally returned.

Clearly, he hadn't slept all night, his eyes were full of bloodshot veins, and even a Heaven-Chosen couldn't hide his fatigue under such heavy pressure. After asking about Chen Yubo's condition, he took a crystal ball out of the box.

"Alchemical item?"

Ji Jue pinched his chin, looking curiously: "Ether?"

Uncle Lin nodded: "As expected of Master Ye's high disciple, Mr. Ji has a sharp eye."

"Where is that, this kind of thing can be seen clearly at a glance." Ji Jue waved his hand. After reading the structure within with his spiritual quality, he felt his horizons broadened:

"The rules are rigorous, the format is clear, and it's flexible. The maker's understanding of the Ether Path is dozens or hundreds of times better than mine. It's truly powerful."

After inputting enough spiritual quality, he put it into the hands of the still-bewildered Chen Yubo. Suddenly, one light spot after another appeared on the crystal ball.

Uncle Lin and Ji Jue's expressions gradually stiffened.

"What is this?"

He held the ball in confusion, unable to understand, but then became excited: "Is it a qualification test for Heaven-Chosen? There are so many light spots, am I a legendary one-in-a-million genius?"

"Sorry, it's completely unrelated."

Ji Jue couldn't bear to puncture his beautiful fantasy: "This is a counter."

"Counting what?" Chen Yubo was confused.

"Recording the touches and interference from the Ether Path on your body, then displaying the data to judge how many 'radars' of the Ether Path are watching you right now."

Ji Jue reached out, counting the light spots on it: "In other words, um, from last night until now, there are about eleven Ether Heaven-Chosen looking for where Chen Dashao's butt is sitting, who is around him, and where he plans to go next."

"In other words, whether there are bullets or whether they will fire is another matter..."

Ji Jue sighed lightly, revealing the cruel reality: "Right now, you have 'at least' been locked onto by the scopes of eleven guns."

For a moment, Chen Yubo's smile collapsed.

Tears finally flowed out. ===== CHAPTER 127 =====