Chapter 182: Confrontation at the Gate

Zheng Gong told Li Yi about many recent events, big and small, each one significant and tied to shifts in the situation, but from these events it was clear that things were growing increasingly odd: unresolved supernatural incidents in the old district, suspected discovery of mythic creatures deep in the danger zone, and the collapse of the wasteland district's defenses—plus the Investigation Bureau had suffered heavy losses.

If a second Heaven's Collapse event happened now, it would be over completely.

The more Li Yi listened, the quieter and more uneasy he became.

Although the Investigation Bureau had done much work and made great efforts, he could see where the root problem lay.

That problem was the lack of a few top-tier experts to hold the line—just like opening a martial arts school across the Four Seas and Eight Zones without a Qigong-master to stand guard; the situation couldn't be stabilized, no matter what you said or did, no one would believe you.

But this problem wasn't just seen by Li Yi—Zheng Gong saw it too, and so did the Investigation Bureau's high command.

But experts aren't cabbages—you can't just summon them; they require time to cultivate.

"Li Yi, I know my own abilities are insufficient and my strength weak—I can do very little—but I feel we must do something, change something, we can't just watch helplessly as the situation deteriorates further. So I hope we can lend a hand now."

Suddenly, Zheng Gong approached Li Yi with a pleading expression and spoke with serious sincerity.

Li Yi thought for a moment and asked: "Zheng Gong, what do you plan to do?"

"I want us to form a small team—I'll handle logistics and weapons, and you lead. We'll take missions together: chasing criminals, hunting ferocious beasts, or resolving difficult incidents. There's plenty we can do."

"Of course, none of this is free—we can claim bounties for capturing criminals, sell the carcasses of hunted beasts, and the Investigation Bureau will reward us for resolving incidents. Many investigators in the Bureau are already forming teams; it's a trend, and the higher-ups have granted authority and strong support for such teams."

"Li Yi, we can't miss this opportunity."

Zheng Gong spoke rapidly, his emotions bordering on excitement.

"Just the two of us? We can't form a team or accomplish anything," Li Yi shook his head.

Zheng Gong immediately said: "I know my abilities aren't enough to recruit a qualified team—but you're different. Your connections in the cultivation circle are stronger than mine. If you're willing, forming a team won't be hard."

"You want to bring Lin Yue into the team?" Li Yi's expression shifted—he immediately understood Zheng Gong's plan.

"Lin Yue is a Spiritual Sense expert who killed Wei Bin—she's famous now. If we can persuade her to join the Investigation Bureau, that would be ideal," Zheng Gong said. "To be honest, the higher-ups have considered making her an external operative, but they've lacked an opportunity. Now that you're here, I think if you invite her, she's very likely to agree."

"Let me think about it."

Li Yi didn't immediately agree. "Besides, recruiting cultivators to form a team isn't something I can decide alone. I know a few cultivators, but whether they'll join is still unknown. I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

"No problem," Zheng Gong said.

"Then I'll head to the training base to check on Lin Yue's condition," Li Yi said after thinking, standing up to leave. "By the way, this sniper rifle—"

"Take it. I'm in charge of equipment now—I can spare one sniper rifle. How was your ammo consumption on your last mission? Do you need a refill?" Zheng Gong said.

Li Yi replied: "For now, without any missions, it's enough. No need yet—I'll let you know if I run low. I'm off. Call me if anything comes up."

"Alright," Zheng Gong nodded.

After a few more words, Li Yi slung the sniper rifle over his shoulder and prepared to leave the Investigation Bureau, heading to the training base to visit Lin Jie—after all, she had cared for him through multiple injuries; now that she was hurt, he couldn't do nothing.

Also, he should go home first and pick up some Four Seas and Eight Zones medicinal herbs—they help greatly with healing.

With this thought, Li Yi decided to return to his new home at Pinghe Financial Tower.

But as he stepped out of the Investigation Bureau's entrance, a woman walked toward him—tall, with a long braid, strong, slender legs, radiating an indescribable cold and haughty aura.

"Li Yi!"

Suddenly, the woman halted, her face—just moments ago tinged with a faint smile—turning icy cold.

"Ning Wu?"

Li Yi, lost in thought, looked up and saw a familiar face.

"Zheng Gong was right—you criminals really have been released to earn merit and reduce sentences. Ning Wu, how many missions, how much merit will it take to wash away all the lives you've taken?"

Their hatred needed no explanation—they had clashed in the Wasteland District, then again in the Old District, deepening their enmity.

He had assumed Ning Wu would spend her life in prison, but this upheaval gave her a lucky break.

Ning Wu's fury flared, her breath heavy like a beast growling—then she vanished from her spot, closing the distance in the blink of an eye, her long leg snapping out like a taut spring aimed straight at Li Yi's forehead.

Enemies meet, eyes red with rage.

At that moment, Ning Wu unleashed her full power, desperate to kick Li Yi to death.

"Ning Wu, don't act rashly—you're no match for him."

But a man beside Ning Wu turned pale and rushed forward at an unbelievable speed.

Yet Li Yi didn't hold back—he twisted his sinews, bones, and skin into one force, unleashing his full spiritual power, and threw a punch.

Thunder God's Hammer Strike!

The punch's force exploded, shattering the air, a thunderclap echoing in their ears.

"Boom!"

The punch struck toward Ning Wu's leg—if it landed, her newly regrown limb would be shattered.

But the punch missed.

Ning Wu, who had just been right before him, had vanished.

The man now pulled Ning Wu back swiftly, stopping only seven or eight meters away.

The punch's residual force erupted into a shockwave, rolling back and nearly blinding those caught in its gust—even from seven or eight meters away, they felt unsteady on their feet.

"That punch's power… terrifying."

The man's eyes narrowed sharply—he was stunned by Li Yi's punch, his face filled with disbelief.

Ning Wu, feeling the wind from the punch, turned pale—she broke into a cold sweat, shaken with dread.

If that punch had landed on her, she'd be dead—or at least critically wounded.

"Your strength… how long has it been? You've advanced again."

Ning Wu gritted her teeth, fire burning in her eyes. She believed Li Yi's achievements came entirely from that strange artifact—only such a relic could let him constantly transform.

Last time she fought him, she barely won—but this time, she was utterly crushed.

"Keep attacking. What? Afraid?"

Li Yi's expression was cold, his vertical pupils glowing—but he wasn't looking at Ning Wu. He was staring at the man beside her. "Spiritual Sense expert? Your reflexes are fast. You sensed the danger before I even threw the punch. Otherwise, she'd be using a wheelchair from now on."

The man narrowed his eyes, studying Li Yi. "You're Li Yi? I've heard of you—an external operative of the Investigation Bureau, a cultivation genius with a cultivation value of 420 percent. You entered the cultivation circle only months ago and already reached the Spiritual Insight realm, and you've mastered a fist art of astonishing power. Seeing you now, you're even more dangerous than I imagined. Your killing intent is so thick—how many battles have you fought?"

Indeed, reputation doesn't lie. This Li Yi, who had already made a name for himself, was even stronger than expected. That punch had sent chills down his spine—and he'd thrown it merely against Ning Wu, a Spiritual Insight cultivator.

Such a lion attacking a rabbit with full force—no wonder Ning Wu lost so badly.

"Who are you? I've never seen you before," Li Yi frowned, silently unslinging his sniper rifle.

"I'm Yu Chuan, Ning Wu's cousin. I just arrived in Tianchang City recently—you wouldn't know me. I know about your feud with her, but I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm here to assist her with her mission, earn merit to reduce her sentence. Once it's done, I'll take her away."

"Ning Wu is a criminal one day, a criminal forever. She's inherently evil, treating human lives as grass. She'll kill again. Releasing her was a mistake. Stay close to her, and you'll be corrupted too," Li Yi said.

"Inherently evil? Li Yi, watch your words," Ning Wu glared at him.

Li Yi sneered. "Isn't that true? I've never met someone who greets a witness with a kick."

Li Yi sneered, "Isn't that right? I've never met someone who greets me like a witness before."

Ning Wu's chest heaved with rage. If not for Li Yi's strength, she'd have charged him already.

"Give me a chance—I'll keep her in line," Yu Chuan said.

Ning Wu said: "Brother, why be so polite? He's not even an investigator. We're just doing our duty—no one can touch us. Besides, he stole my artifact. Why not finish it today? Take it back."

Ning Wu said, "Cousin, why are you being so polite to him? He's not an investigator—we're just doing our mission, and no one can touch us. Besides, he stole my item. I say, let's just finish it today and take it back."

Because at that moment, Li Yi had already chambered a round in his sniper rifle, aiming it directly at Ning Wu. He spoke coldly: "Yu Chuan? You moved fast just now. I wonder—if I fire now, can you still save Ning Wu in front of me?"

At this moment, Li Yi's sniper rifle had already been chambered, aimed directly at Ning Wu. He spoke coldly, "Yu Chuan, is it? You moved fast saving that person just now. I wonder—if I pull the trigger now, can you still save Ning Wu right in front of me?"

He was a Spiritual Sense expert, yes—but even the fastest reaction had a delay. At this range, with a weapon designed to kill the extraordinary, Ning Wu would die instantly—no time to dodge.

After all, it was a gun built to slay the supernatural.

Ning Wu fell silent, her eyes flickering with panic and fear as she stared at the rifle.

Her Spiritual Sense screamed a warning—she could almost smell death.

If his fist before had aimed to take her leg, this was aimed to kill her.

At this moment, Ning Wu finally realized clearly: the roles had reversed long ago.

It wasn't about her bothering Li Yi anymore—it was about fearing he'd come for revenge.

"Li Yi, calm down. If you kill Ning Wu, you'll endanger others too. You'll become a criminal yourself. Think carefully," Yu Chuan said. "I said it—your grudge ends here. After we complete the mission, we leave. We won't meet again."

Yu Chuan said, "Li Yi, stay calm. If you kill Ning Wu, you'll also endanger others. Then you, as an external combatant, will become a criminal. Think carefully. I told you—your grudge ends here. After we finish this mission, we'll leave and never meet again."

Li Yi's cold gaze swept over Yu Chuan, then slowly lowered his rifle. "If the past is settled, what about just now? Ning Wu attacked me without cause. She owes me an explanation."

"What do you want?" Yu Chuan asked immediately.

"Apologize," Li Yi said.

Yu Chuan nodded. "Fine. Ning Wu, apologize to Li Yi face to face. This ends here. No more conflicts with him. Understood?"

Yu Chuan nodded, "Fine. Ning Wu, apologize to Li Yi face to face. This matter ends now. Don't provoke Li Yi again. Understood?"

Ning Wu felt humiliated. It was Li Yi who stole her artifact. It was Li Yi who sent her to prison. Now she had to apologize?

"Ning Wu," Yu Chuan snapped, glaring at her.

"I… I understand," Ning Wu took a deep breath. She knew she had to bow now—or this wouldn't end.

"I—I understand," Ning Wu said, taking a deep breath. She knew she had to bow today, or this wouldn't be resolved.

Li Yi said: "Louder."

"I'm sorry!" Ning Wu shouted.

"I'm sorry," Ning Wu shouted loudly.

Li Yi's cold gaze softened slightly. "I know you're resentful. I know you want to kill me. Fine. I'll be watching you. If you make a mistake, you'll lose all chance of merit or sentence reduction. As an external operative, I can shoot you dead without consequence. So… Ning Wu, be careful."

Li Yi's icy gaze softened slightly. "I know you're resentful. I know you want to kill me. Doesn't matter—I'll be watching you. If you make a mistake, you'll never get another chance at merit or reduced punishment. As an external combatant, I'm within my rights to shoot you dead right now. So, Ning Wu—watch yourself."

Yu Chuan watched Li Yi leave, finally exhaling slowly. He rebuked again: "Ning Wu, you've finally gotten a chance to earn merit and reduce your sentence—do you really want to die here? You couldn't beat him before. Now he's reached Spiritual Insight—you're even less of a match. If you provoke him again, I can't protect you."

"Brother, why fear him so much? If we teamed up, we could've taken back the artifact just now," Ning Wu bit her lip, voice filled with resentment.

"Cousin, why are you so afraid of him? If we had teamed up, we could've reclaimed the item just now." Ning Wu bit her red lips, speaking with deep resentment.

"How are you going to fight? The moment he raises his spear, you're dead—then you'll just be a corpse. Do you expect me to kill Li Yi right outside the Investigation Bureau? Stupid. And didn't you see that punch Li Yi threw just now? Even from eight or nine meters away, the qi wind slammed into you. Any Qi Perception cultivator who gets hit would die on the spot."

"Even I don't have full confidence I could block that punch head-on."

The last sentence was the real point.

Yu Chuan, a Qi Sensing expert, had no confidence he could take down Li Yi—in fact, he had a gut feeling that if he truly fought Li Yi to the end, he would be the one to die.

"How is that possible? He's only just entered Qi Perception—how can he challenge Qi Sensing?" Ning Wu widened her eyes in disbelief.

Yu Chuan's expression turned grave. "Don't judge everything by appearances. His cultivation base is only Qi Perception, true—but what if he's trained in something else? The world is complicated. Experts, freaks, madmen—they're everywhere. Qi Sensing? It's nothing. You've never seen a Qi Sensing cultivator chased down and killed by someone who's already condensed their soul."

"Ning Wu, if you want to leave Tianchang City alive, do your mission properly, earn merit to reduce your sentence, and forget about revenge or killing. Stop thinking about that lost artifact—it no longer belongs to you, whether it's real or not. Accept this reality. Many opportunities pass you by—and once gone, they're gone. Don't keep dwelling on them. You must look forward."

He spoke with earnest concern, hoping his cousin would resolve her inner turmoil and awaken to the truth.

After all, Ning Wu's cultivation potential was excellent—worth nurturing.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have made the special trip to Tianchang City just to help her with her mission.

"Big brother, I... I understand. This matter with Li Yi should end here. If I keep pursuing it, no one benefits. Even if I killed Li Yi, I'd never get the artifact back—and besides, Li Yi's progress is terrifying. I have to admit now: I'm no longer his equal. I just can't accept it... He was just some ordinary kid plucked from the old district, and now he's stolen the artifact, killed Lao Ya, and risen above me. It's too much to bear."

Ning Wu fell silent for a long while, then took several deep breaths to calm herself.

"I understand how you feel—but this is reality. You must accept this cruel outcome," Yu Chuan said, patting her shoulder in comfort.

"Let's go, big brother. After we finish this mission, let's take another one. Once I earn enough merit to reduce my sentence, I'll leave with you—and never come back to Tianchang City."

"That's the spirit," Yu Chuan said, somewhat relieved.

With that, the two walked straight into the Investigation Bureau.