Chapter 106: 106. Chapter 106: Zhang Lei

106. Chapter 106: Zhang Lei’s Actions

After seeing off Li Yi and Lin Yue, Zhang Lei’s anger could no longer be concealed; he now resembled a mad lion, desperate to find Wei Bin and exterminate every last vagrant in the abandoned district.

“Comrades, our investigator Wang Jian is dead, and Chen Hao, an external operations officer, was also killed here—Li Yi himself was gravely wounded and nearly lost his life. This was no accident; it was a premeditated ambush.”

At that moment, Zhang Lei turned, his gaze blazing with fury as he swept across the others.

Zhang Zhixiong, Daoist Pete, and the other cultivators who had rushed to support him all wore expressions of fury, their emotions perfectly aligned with Zhang Lei’s.

“As the head of the Investigation Bureau’s squad, I often have to consider the bigger picture—but this time, they’ve crossed my line. I don’t care what their motives or reasons are; from today on, Zhang Lei and them are finished. If you’re willing to support me, put aside your duties for now—do only one thing: revenge.”

Zhang Lei’s voice boomed like thunder about to explode; everyone felt the fury within: “Wei Bin must die. Every vagrant in the abandoned district must be killed—none spared. Until we wipe out this gang, the Investigation Bureau will never stand tall. If they dare ambush our investigators today, tomorrow they’ll storm our training base to steal artifacts.”

“Zhang Zhixiong, send a letter to Li Shaoqing of the Cultivator Association. Tell him the Investigation Bureau has a mission for him—he must complete it. If he fails, he can forget being vice-chairman; he’s to leave Tianchang City immediately.”

“Yes, Squad Leader.” Zhang Zhixiong’s heart tightened, and he replied at once.

Zhang Lei then pointed to a corpse: “Also, this corpse of a Spirit Perception cultivator isn’t a vagrant. Does anyone recognize him? Find out his identity in the shortest time possible—I need every detail of his background. This man is directly tied to the ambush on our investigators.”

With years of investigative experience, he instantly sensed something off about Yang Ye’s body.

“Squad Leader, I know this man—he’s Yang Ye, Yang Yi’s uncle.” Suddenly, investigator Fu Bing recognized the corpse and spoke up.

Yang Yi’s uncle?

Zhang Lei’s eyes narrowed slightly, and a memory flashed through his mind.

Li Yi and Yang Yi had clashed before.

He recalled Li Yi saying Yang Yi had forcibly stolen one of his fist techniques through dishonorable means.

But if that were true, Yang Yi was the one who gained the advantage—why would he send Yang Ye to kill Li Yi? It made no sense for the one who benefited to then launch a murder.

Was it resentment from losing the artifact dispute last time?

Or had they learned of Li Yi’s immense cultivation potential and decided to eliminate a future threat early?

All these motives were plausible—most cultivators had twisted minds.

But to Zhang Lei now, the reasons didn’t matter. He only needed to confirm the perpetrators’ identities.

Zhang Lei coldly ordered: “Is the deceased connected to Yang Yi? Then Yang Yi is implicated too. I recall the Yang family operates businesses in Tianchang City—good. We’ll start with them. Seize all Yang family assets. Arrest every suspect linked to Yang Ye. If any connection to the ambush is confirmed, handle them strictly—kill them outright if possible, no formalities.”

“Fu Bing, you handle this.”

“No problem, Squad Leader.” Fu Bing nodded. The task was simple.

After all, they were just arresting suspects—the Yang family wouldn’t dare resist.

“Daoist Pete, please go fetch Gu Mengping. He’s a Spirit Awareness expert. We’re going to capture Yang Yi and bring him back to the Bureau—we need enough manpower.” Zhang Lei continued his orders.

“No problem. I’ve long disliked that Yang. Daring to ambush our investigators? Let me ‘accidentally’ discharge my weapon during the arrest and kill him—save us future trouble.” Daoist Pete, equally fiery, openly wished to execute Yang Yi.

“If he refuses to cooperate, I’ll provoke him into attacking—then I’ll kill him outright. He has a grudge against Li Yi and is suspected of murdering our investigator—he’s a future threat.” Zhang Lei replied coldly, tacitly approving Daoist Pete’s intent.

Without killing one to warn a hundred, how could the Investigation Bureau establish authority? How could they deter the restless cultivators?

Besides, Li Yi saved most of the investigators during his last mission. Now he’s been reduced to this—if the Bureau doesn’t act, morale will collapse.

For both public duty and personal reasons, Zhang Lei would never let this go.

While Zhang Lei was organizing his revenge operation, Li Yi had already been driven back to the training base by Zheng Gong.

The training base was close to the abandoned district and equipped with top-tier medical facilities and skilled doctors—entering it was like entering the city’s best hospital.

As Zheng Gong’s vehicle arrived, doctors and nurses immediately rushed out with stretchers and emergency equipment.

“Take him to surgery—hurry,” the doctor said after a quick glance.

Lin Yue said nothing, following silently.

Only when they reached the operating room entrance was she stopped: “Family members must wait outside. We will ensure Li Yi is safely brought out.”

“I rely on you, Doctor,” Lin Yue said, refusing to leave, staying outside the operating room.

“Is my condition that serious?” Li Yi asked, watching himself being placed on the operating table, uneasy.

The doctor replied: “You have multiple fractures, some compound. Internal organs show signs of rupture and bleeding. I need a full examination to assess your condition. Don’t worry—I won’t let you die on this table.”

“Good,” Li Yi exhaled slightly.

As the doctor continued checking, his frown eased slightly.

The situation was better than expected.

Though his external injuries were horrific—multiple fractures—his internal organs were far less damaged. The special clothing he wore must have absorbed most of the impact. Additionally, traces of Super Water were evident; thanks to its healing properties, several potentially fatal internal injuries had miraculously become minor.

“That bottle of Super Water really saved your life. Without it, you wouldn’t have made it to the training base—you’d have been dead before you reached halfway.” The doctor relaxed, his tone less grim.

For cultivators, most external injuries weren’t serious.

Who among those brought here hadn’t broken bones or torn muscles?

“I owe you thanks for your kindness last time. If you hadn’t slipped me that bottle of Super Water, I’d already be dead.”

Li Yi forced a smile, but his eyelids grew heavier—he realized, too late, that the anesthesiologist had already injected him.

“Don’t talk nonsense. I never gave you Super Water. This is our first meeting—I didn’t know you before. It’s all hallucinations from unconsciousness. Sleep it off.” The doctor lied without blinking.

Too many people were watching—if word got out, rumors would spread.

Li Yi tried to speak again, but the anesthesia had already taken full effect—he lost consciousness.

Though his condition was better than feared, that only meant he wasn’t dying—full recovery required major surgery.

The surgery lasted twelve hours, ending only the next afternoon.

Of course, the procedure itself didn’t take that long.

But the doctor, being cautious, stayed late to monitor him closely, avoiding any sudden deterioration.

Only after confirming Li Yi was out of danger did they wheel him out.

“Doctor, how is Li Yi?”

At the door, Lin Yue still waited. She hadn’t left, nor had she slept since the surgery—luckily, as a cultivator, her stamina held up.

“His condition is stable. He must rest in the hospital for at least half a month—no strenuous activity, no fighting.” The doctor said: “Are you Li Yi’s family? I suggest you stay at the base for the next ten days—easier to care for him.”

“Understood, Doctor.” Lin Yue nodded.

The doctor instructed an assistant: “Take him to Ward One.”

Lin Yue immediately wheeled Li Yi under the assistant’s guidance to the ward.

The room was large, bright, and spacious—with round-the-clock medical staff, a dedicated family caregiver room, and full equipment. Clearly, the medical environment here surpassed any hospital.

Lin Yue carefully transferred Li Yi, wrapped in bandages and reeking of medicine, onto the bed, then picked up her phone to call her family: she wouldn’t be returning home for a while—she was preparing to stay and care for him.

“Lin Jie.”

Li Yi had awakened. He opened his eyes to find himself on the hospital bed, and saw Lin Yue texting nearby.

“Li Yi, you’re awake.”

Lin Yue immediately put down her phone: “The doctor said you’re fine—just need ten to fifteen days of rest. Don’t worry, I’ll be here to care for you. I’m also planning to contact your relatives to help look after your parents.”

Mentioning Li Yi’s parents, Lin Yue’s expression grew uneasy.

She knew Li Yi’s mother was strange, deeply suspicious—but she still dared not speak plainly, nor even hint at it, fearing Li Yi might awaken to something terrifying.

For now, maintaining this balance was safer.

“Send a message to my Aunt Zhang Gui. Tell her I’m on assignment and can’t return home—ask her to check on my parents. We have nutrient fluid at home; just replace it regularly. I can monitor the medical pod’s status in real time via my phone—there’s no risk.” Li Yi said.

“Alright.”

Lin Yue immediately sent the message as instructed.

A reply came quickly.

“No problem—your aunt agreed.” Lin Yue said: “But the doctors here really care for you—they’ve even mixed Super Water into your IV drip. No wonder the doctor said you’d recover in half a month. I think that’s conservative—you’ll be healed in ten days tops.”

Her eyes were sharp—she’d spotted faint glowing specks in the IV bottle.

That was the unmistakable signature of Super Water.

This substance could be ingested or administered intravenously, but IV delivery was far more effective, dramatically accelerating cellular repair and wound healing.