Chapter 59

After seeing off his aunt, Li Yi looked at his ruined home and couldn’t help but find a few wooden boards to temporarily repair the door, planning to find a new place to move to in a few days when he had time.

But while repairing the door, the investigator Wang Jian called.

“Hey, Li Yi, where are you right now? I’m done here—I need to take you back to the Investigation Bureau.” Wang Jian’s voice came through the phone.

“I just got home,” Li Yi said.

“Good, I’ll be there in about twenty minutes. Wait for me at the gate of the compound. That’s it—I’m hanging up.” Wang Jian was still busy and immediately ended the call.

Li Yi put down his phone and continued fixing the door.

After repairing the door, he readjusted the position of the home security cameras, confirmed everything was fine, took a shower, put on the robe made of Qiu Long skin, drank some nutrient solution, then left the house and went to wait at the compound gate for Wang Jian’s arrival.

“First, join the Investigation Bureau as an external operations officer, then find a new place to move—this place is no longer habitable. Besides, his aunt was right: staying here means worrying about being targeted by someone else later. Moving somewhere else would be safer.” Li Yi looked at the strangers freely coming and going past the compound gate and suddenly felt an urgent need to relocate.

As he waited,

down the street a short distance away, three people kept glancing toward him, seemingly recognizing Li Yi; after making a silent agreement, they immediately walked over.

Li Yi noticed this and frowned, watching the three approaching men with cautious alertness.

Cultivators?

And unfamiliar—he had never seen them before.

“They’re here specifically for me,” Li Yi thought sharply.

A man around thirty suddenly spoke: “You’re Li Yi, the one who killed eight cultivators here a few days ago? Don’t be nervous. I’m Zhao Jingqiao, and these two are my friends—Cai Jianming and Qian Kai. We’re all members of the Cultivator Association.”

Cultivator Association?

Li Yi thought he’d heard of it online before—every city had one, an organization guided by the authorities and formed by civilians.

“I’m Li Yi. What do you want?” Li Yi asked, his wariness unchanged.

Zhao Jingqiao said seriously: “Interested in joining the Cultivator Association? I can recommend you.”

“Not interested for now,” Li Yi replied politely. “If there’s nothing else, could you please not disturb me? I have other matters to attend to soon.”

“Li Yi, let’s be straight—we’ve been staking out near your home for days. Our only purpose is to buy your fist technique. Name your price,” said Qian Kai, growing impatient, lighting a cigarette and speaking bluntly.

“Buy my fist technique?” Li Yi’s expression shifted, his wariness deepening.

He hadn’t expected Wang Jian’s warning to come true so quickly—someone was interested in his fist technique.

“Exactly. We want to buy it. Name your price—if it’s reasonable, we can complete the deal right now,” Zhao Jingqiao no longer hid his intent.

Li Yi was no longer the naive fool he once was. He had learned from Lin Yue the true value of his fist technique and would never sell it for just any price.

“I don’t need money right now. I have no intention of selling my technique. Please leave,” he declined.

Zhao Jingqiao didn’t get angry, only smiled: “Li Yi, you’ve already mastered the technique. Teaching one more person means one more profit—why not? Besides, your cultivation has just begun. You’ll need money for everything. Leaving a mountain of gold unused is wasteful. How about this—I’ll offer you one hundred million to buy your technique.”

He held up one finger, acting very generous.

Li Yi looked at him with the expression of someone staring at an idiot: “Not interested.”

If he ever sold his technique, he’d use Lin Jie as a middleman—it would be safer, not hawking it on the street like this.

“Too low? I’ll add twenty million—twelve million total. That should satisfy you,” Zhao Jingqiao gritted his teeth, as if enduring great loss.

“I said I won’t sell. If you really want to buy it, go find Yang Yilong—he knows this technique too,” Li Yi said, growing annoyed.

Zhao Jingqiao suddenly laughed: “I heard Yang Yilong learned your technique for free—you taught him without charging a cent.”

Li Yi’s expression flickered: “You’ve got your sources, but what’s this got to do with you?”

“Nothing. Just a reminder: you didn’t dare offend Yang Yilong by teaching him for free—do you think we won’t offend you?” Zhao Jingqiao’s smile vanished as he stared at him. “Final offer: one hundred and fifty million. Agree, and I’ll transfer the money now—everyone wins.”

“And if I refuse?” Li Yi asked.

“Your strength is impressive—you alone killed eight Spirit Medium cultivators. Even Ning Wu couldn’t match you,” Zhao Jingqiao said. “But Ning Wu had just broken through; her senses hadn’t yet coalesced into spiritual perception. You barely beat her thanks to your technique. If three fully awakened Spiritual Perception cultivators combined their strength, do you think you’d stand a chance?”

“Also, remember—even as a Spirit Medium cultivator, a bullet to a vital point will kill you.”

Then he glanced aside.

Beside him, the cultivator named Cai Jianming calmly pulled a cold, metallic pistol from his waist.

Cultivators using guns?

It made sense. It was logical.

After all, why be a cultivator if you won’t use a gun?

Li Yi now regretted handing over that sniper rifle—he wished he had it now, to point it straight at these men’s faces.

“So you’re trying to pressure me like Yang Yilong—force me to surrender my technique?” He ignored Cai Jianming, fixing his gaze on Zhao Jingqiao.

“Not at all. I’d prefer to buy your technique,” Zhao Jingqiao smiled.

Not at all?

Thick-skinned indeed—everything was obvious, yet he still denied it.

Li Yi thought bitterly, but his face remained calm, only a chill glinted in his eyes: “You’re not qualified to threaten me. Spiritual Perception? I’ll reach it too, given time. When I do, how confident will you feel then? Brandishing power now—do you think I won’t settle accounts later?”

“If you truly awakened Spiritual Perception, all three of us together wouldn’t be your match. But understand: the path from Spirit Medium to Spiritual Perception is long. Even with resources, it takes five or six years. Even the most gifted need two or three. Many accidents can happen during that time—no one can guarantee their own safety,” Zhao Jingqiao’s smile faded slightly, a dangerous aura radiating from him.

They had come here fully prepared to make Li Yi their enemy.

“Since we’ve said all this, there’s no point continuing.”

Li Yi twisted his neck, stretched his body: “If you want to fight, go ahead. My injuries are nearly healed—I can always go back to the hospital.”

He finished speaking, gave a subtle glance, and clenched his fist.

“So arrogant at just Spirit Medium?” Cai Jianming glared and prepared to draw his gun.

But Zhao Jingqiao immediately stopped him: “Li Yi, don’t worry—we won’t attack you now. But understand this: you’re not the only one they want your technique from. Others will come after you. Even if we walk away today, others won’t. I advise you to sell your technique soon. The more people who know it, the fewer will bother you—and you’ll make a fortune.”

“When you’re ready, come to the Cultivator Association and find me. Remember my name: Zhao Jingqiao.”

He didn’t act in public—he sensed a troublesome person had arrived. He gave a glance to Cai Jianming and Qian Kai.

Both immediately looked toward a car on the opposite side of the road.

It was an Investigation Bureau vehicle—inside sat Investigator Wang Jian; in the back seat, a dangerous sniper rifle was already aimed.

As soon as they moved, the rifle would fire.

“Damn it. Why did they show up?” Cai Jianming cursed.

“Let’s go,” Zhao Jingqiao smiled, waving goodbye to Li Yi.

Li Yi watched them leave with casual arrogance and frowned deeply.

As they departed, Wang Jian walked over from the car: “Li Yi, understand—they didn’t act, so we investigators have no authority to touch them. The world has changed. Most cultivators are uncontrollable. If they kill someone, they just flee to the abandoned zones—it’s nearly impossible to handle.”

“I know. To forge steel, you must be strong yourself. Only when you’re powerful can you avoid trouble,” Li Yi said. “I’m used to it. This world has always been like this—it hasn’t changed.”

“Hah! Don’t get sentimental at your age. Get in the car. I told you—once you join the Investigation Bureau as an external officer, you’ll avoid a lot of trouble,” Wang Jian laughed, slinging an arm around Li Yi and shoving him into the car.

Soon, the car started.

The group sped away quickly.

But Zhao Jingqiao and the others, having just left, suddenly stopped in their tracks upon seeing this.

“This is a problem—Li Yi’s about to join the Investigation Bureau.”

Cai Jianming’s face turned grim: “If this kid rises to become an investigator, he’ll be watching us every day. That’ll be a nightmare.”

“We never counted on this,” Qian Kai’s expression darkened. “The Investigation Bureau has sniper rifles—the Superb M200. Even Yang Yilong would die if hit.”

“We’ve already offended him. Talking now won’t help. We must keep pressuring Li Yi. Once we get the technique, we leave Tianchang City. Go to Tianhai City, start a company, sell the technique, make enough money, then move to another city... There are plenty of options. Why stay in Tianchang waiting for revenge?” Zhao Jingqiao’s eyes flickered, then he turned and walked back.

“Where to?”

“To Li Yi’s home—to meet his parents,” Zhao Jingqiao said casually.

“Attack his parents? That’s against the rules. We have families too—he can find ours,” Cai Jianming said.

Zhao Jingqiao smiled: “Just buy some fruit, pay a visit. That’s all. Li Yi will understand our good intentions.”