Chapter 176: Surrendering Ferocious Beasts

The two vehicles had barely entered Tianchang City when they encountered a roadblock; someone immediately stopped them, but this wasn't unique to Li Yi and his group—every other vehicle faced the same situation.

"All vehicles coming from the danger zone or the abandoned district must pull over to the side, undergo inspection, and dispose of the corpses of ferocious beasts and supernatural creatures—these cannot be brought into Tianchang City and must be handled on-site," a staff member shouted while directing traffic.

Li Yi glanced out the car window.

He saw many company personnel collecting ferocious beast corpses, others inspecting cultivators, and even vehicles entering or exiting the danger zone being thoroughly checked to ensure no suspicious items were present.

Everyone got out of the car, and two staff members immediately approached.

"Were these ferocious beasts on your vehicle hunted by you? Do you wish to surrender them or sell them?" one staff member asked at once.

Cheng Siping, seemingly the team leader, replied immediately: "We hunted twelve ferocious beasts total—we each surrender one, and sell the extras."

"Good. Give me your names and identification details; I'll send someone to count them right away." The staff member called over a team, and soon several Qi Refining cultivators ran up. The team leader inspected them, confirmed everything was in order, then swiftly unloaded the ferocious beast corpses and loaded them onto another vehicle for immediate transport.

"Cheng Siping: one ferocious beast surrendered successfully."

"Fang Hang: one ferocious beast surrendered successfully."

"Lu Jue: one ferocious beast surrendered successfully."

"Zhao Xiaoxiao"

The staff member was scanning faces with a specialized tablet, registering information and recording each surrendered ferocious beast.

"Huh? You're Li Yi, an external operations officer from the Investigation Bureau?" The information that popped up when the staff member scanned Li Yi startled him; he immediately said: "External operations officers don't need to surrender ferocious beasts. My apologies—this is my mistake. I apologize to you."

"It's fine." Li Yi was puzzled, then glanced beside him.

Lu Jue walked over and whispered: "Li Yi, investigation bureau investigators and external operations officers have suffered heavy losses lately—the higher-ups are giving them special consideration."

"I see." Li Yi nodded, beginning to understand.

After finishing all the registrations, the staff member said: "Five people, five ferocious beasts recovered. Information confirmed. Each beast's value will be assessed by a specialist; payment will be transferred to your bank accounts—remember to check."

With that, the two staff members quickly left and moved on to other vehicles to continue their work.

"Looks pretty good—surrendering ferocious beasts actually gets you paid. That makes hunting them a decent business," Li Yi said.

"Exactly. Strong cultivators now treat hunting ferocious beasts and supernatural creatures as a business. After they hunt, specialized personnel collect the corpses, which are then resold to companies and those who haven't met their hunting quotas."

Zhao Xiaoxiao walked over and said: "I don't have enough money to buy a ferocious beast, so I have to risk entering the danger zone to complete hunting missions."

"How much is one ferocious beast now?" Li Yi asked.

"The official recovery price is around five million, but if you want to buy one, it's expensive—at least ten million, and ferocious beast quotas are extremely tight. Prices have been inflated, and they change daily—even morning and afternoon prices can differ by one or two million," Zhao Xiaoxiao said helplessly.

"But at least cultivators can barely afford the prices of ferocious beasts. Supernatural creatures are different—they start at hundreds of millions. Fortunately, we haven't reached Spiritual Awareness yet; once you open it, you must surrender one supernatural creature to meet your quota," Lu Jue muttered in disbelief.

Li Yi's eyelid twitched: "Spiritual Awareness cultivators must surrender supernatural creatures? That's a bit too hard."

He remembered Yang Yi and Qin Qing teaming up to hunt a supernatural creature—they barely survived. Supernatural creatures are usually far stronger than Spiritual Awareness cultivators.

"Yes, but the stronger the cultivator, the greater the burden—how else can we maintain stability? Greater ability means greater responsibility. Should only we risk our lives while the strong avoid danger? That's unfair. Ferocious beasts are less dangerous; supernatural creatures are far more lethal—so we must prioritize eliminating the latter," Lu Jue said.

Li Yi nodded in deep agreement.

That's right.

The stronger the cultivator, the greater the responsibility they must bear—if powerful cultivators shirk their duties, how can stability be maintained?

As the two talked, several people approached.

"Hello, are you cultivators returning from hunting ferocious beasts in the danger zone? We're from the Ferocious Beast Recovery Company. Are you selling your hunted beasts? We always offer top prices—we won't let you lose out. Here's my card."

"Li Yi, let me handle this—I'm more familiar with this," Zhao Xiaoxiao said.

The other cultivators stayed silent; they knew the extra ferocious beasts were Li Yi's spoils, and they had no right to decide their fate—whether to sell or not depended entirely on Li Yi.

"Alright. Help me negotiate—see how much we can get for the remaining beasts," Li Yi agreed.

He'd been gone over twenty days and didn't understand the current situation, let alone ferocious beast prices. Since Zhao Xiaoxiao volunteered, she must be confident—letting her negotiate might yield a pleasant surprise.

Zhao Xiaoxiao immediately began negotiating with the boss.

"We have seven ferocious beasts, freshly hunted in the danger zone, and they're in excellent condition. How much can you offer per beast? If the price is high, I'll sell you all seven. If it's unsatisfactory, I'll consider other recovery companies."

"This morning, a common ferocious beast went for twelve million. But today, few vehicles entered or exited the danger zone, so few beasts were recovered—prices will rise this afternoon. I'll give you a sincere offer: twelve and a half million—but only if you sell me all seven, otherwise I'll lose money," the boss said through gritted teeth, looking pained.

"Yesterday, the recovery price for common ferocious beasts hit fourteen million. Even if it dipped slightly today, it wouldn't drop to twelve and a half million. Your price is too low—you're not being sincere. I'll go elsewhere," Zhao Xiaoxiao shook her head, naming yesterday's market rate.

The boss realized she'd done her homework and said: "Ferocious beast quota demand has passed its peak and will decline. Prices will only keep falling. This is already a high recovery price, and I need to make a profit too, right?"

"Future market changes don't concern us—we're not traders. The current market rate is fourteen million. If you'll take it, we'll sell. If not, forget it," Zhao Xiaoxiao said.

They haggled back and forth.

Since both knew the market floor price, the negotiation didn't last long.

In the end, Zhao Xiaoxiao held firm at fourteen million. The boss had no choice—he bought all seven ferocious beasts at that price, signed the contract immediately, and transferred payment on the spot.

Zhao Xiaoxiao asked Li Yi for his bank account number. Soon after, Li Yi received a massive sum.

Total: ninety-eight million.

Nearly a hundred million—this was a fortune for Li Yi right now.

"Ferocious beast prices have skyrocketed this much? Seven beasts nearly a hundred million?" Li Yi thought of the Biao he'd hunted before.

A single Biao was worth only a few million—Yang Yi had paid double to win favor, so he sold it for twenty million.

One ferocious beast alone was worth fourteen million—twice the normal price.

"I was so generous—giving each person fourteen million. No wonder they're so grateful. If it were me, I'd bow my head in thanks," Li Yi thought inwardly, even feeling a headache from his own generosity.

Saving someone's life and giving them a ferocious beast? That's no different from being a second parent.

He wasn't making friends—he was adopting sons. But he'd just returned and didn't know the market—this kind of thing was understandable.

"By the way, if you have other business, go ahead—I'm going to check on the old district," Li Yi suddenly said.

"Li Yi, I'll drive you. I've finished my duties here," Lu Jue said immediately.

"Alright, thanks for the trouble," Li Yi nodded, not refusing.

Zhao Xiaoxiao added: "Can you drop me off too? I'm injured and need to go to the hospital—just leave me there when you pass."

"Alright," Lu Jue hesitated, but agreed—after all, they were teammates.

Soon,

Lu Jue's vehicle passed inspection and was allowed through.

He drove into the city, first stopping at a hospital to drop off the injured Zhao Xiaoxiao. Though she looked fine, her condition was poor and required immediate treatment.

After dropping Zhao Xiaoxiao at the hospital, Lu Jue drove Li Yi specifically back to the old district.

Compared to a month ago, the old district was noticeably emptier, radiating a desolate air—no pedestrians, few vehicles, shops all closed, streets silent except for the occasional hurried passerby.

Li Yi's gaze swept the area; he instinctively sensed something unusual.

A faint, uneasy feeling lingered.

"The old district has turned into this? How quickly the world changes," Li Yi sighed, feeling the pace of change was too fast—even he struggled to accept it.

"There's nothing we can do. Until the supernatural incidents here are resolved, residents are terrified. If not handled, the population will keep dwindling. Li Yi, be careful once you enter the old district—don't be careless. Even though it looks safe in daylight, danger could strike suddenly," Lu Jue shook his head, equally helpless.

"I understand," Li Yi raised his guard.

Soon,

The vehicle stopped at the entrance of his old apartment complex.

There were still some people around the complex because this area was relatively safe—the locations of supernatural incidents were far away, so some chose to stay rather than move.

After all, moving costs too much—not everyone could afford it.

"Lu Jue, help me out—there are two medical pods in my home. I've decided to move out completely. Help me carry them," Li Yi suddenly said.

He'd made up his mind—he was leaving.

If he didn't leave now, he feared he'd be dragged into trouble.

"Sure, no problem. It's a small thing," Lu Jue said. Though only a Qi Refining cultivator, moving one medical pod was no issue for him.

The two got out and walked straight into the complex.

But as soon as they entered, Li Yi suddenly stopped.

A strange sensation arose—his pupils sharpened, and he stared directly at a window on a nearby residential building.

The window was pitch black—no light, no abnormality.

"Li Yi, what's wrong?" Lu Jue's heart jumped at Li Yi's unusual reaction, fearing something was lurking.

"Something's watching me from there. Ever since we entered the complex, something felt off. Forget it—I'll move out and leave," Li Yi turned away and walked quickly toward his building.

The dark, narrow staircase felt suffocating.

The air reeked of damp mold, and beneath it, a faint stench of decay lingered—as if someone's cat or dog had died and rotted. The smell was unbearable.

Li Yi had lived in this complex for years—this was the first time he felt it was no longer habitable.

Arriving on the third floor,

A patched, damaged door appeared before him.

He knocked—no one answered. Inside, silence.

"Maybe your relatives aren't home today," Lu Jue said.

Li Yi nodded, pulled out his key, and opened the door.

The interior was clean—someone had clearly maintained it. He headed straight for the room where the medical pods were stored.

Entering the bedroom,

Two old-model medical pods stood before Li Yi—both functioning normally, nutrient fluid replenished on time. Everything had been fine during his absence—no incidents.

"Li Yi, why is there a spear floating in your living room?"

Suddenly, Lu Jue spotted a bronze spear hovering midair in the living room—he found it incredible, almost magical.

"It's a strange weapon I brought from Ghost Street. I placed it at home to ward off evil—but ordinary people can't see it. Only Qi Refining cultivators can. Too bad it's not a supernatural artifact," Li Yi said, glancing back after confirming his parents were safe in the pods.

"A weapon from Ghost Street? That's impressive. I've heard of that street—many cultivators enter and never return. Some claim they've seen shadow soldiers patrolling it, wielding weapons similar to yours," Lu Jue exclaimed.

"Now's not the time to talk about that. Help me move the pods to the car—I'll pack up."

"Good." Lu Jue withdrew his gaze and immediately entered the room, helping Li Yi carefully carry out a medical pod.

Although the medical pod was heavy, it posed no problem for two cultivators.

In no time at all.

The medical pod belonging to Li Yi's father was safely placed on the pickup truck at the door.

The two then carried out the second medical pod.

This was the medical pod belonging to Li Yi's mother.

"Li Yi, your mother—" As they stepped out of the residential building, Lu Jue glanced at the woman inside the pod and suddenly spoke up.

"What about my mother?"

Yet at that moment, Li Yi's expression seemed off—almost manic—his vertical pupils turned black, and a terrifying killing intent surged forth; if Lu Jue dared utter even a word of criticism, he would strike without hesitation and kill him.

"N-nothing."

Lu Jue's hair stood on end—he sensed Li Yi's abnormality and hurriedly said, "I just thought your mother seems much younger than your father. After all these years in the pod, she hasn't aged at all."

"Isn't that normal?"

Li Yi's voice was unnervingly calm, his black vertical pupils exuding an eerie aura; without visible pupils, they filled one with inexplicable dread, as if he had become an entirely different person.

"Normal, perfectly normal—I overthought it." Lu Jue's forehead dripped with cold sweat; he decided he must never mention Li Yi's mother again—it was too dangerous.

"Mm. Keep moving the items."

Only then did Li Yi's calm tone soften slightly, and his black vertical pupils slowly returned to normal.

"Wait in the car. I'll pack up and be right out."

After placing the second medical pod in the vehicle, Li Yi bid farewell and returned home.

Watching Li Yi leave, Lu Jue in the car finally exhaled slightly, wondering if his nerves were frayed from that trip into the danger zone—why did Li Yi suddenly seem to have changed personality, as if he'd become someone else?

Huh?

As he thought this, Lu Jue suddenly caught sight in the rearview mirror of a woman standing beside the car—her face pale, expression blank, her features identical to Li Yi's mother.

Lu Jue startled, quickly leaning out to look behind the vehicle.

But outside, there was nothing.

When he looked back at the rearview mirror, the woman had vanished.

"Hallucination? Or am I just too tense, seeing things?" Lu Jue's heart pounded wildly—he felt something uncanny, yet couldn't put his finger on it.