Chapter 82

83. Chapter 83: Reputation Destroyed (Ally Bonus: Pure White Baseball Cap)

The joining of the Cultivator Association instantly turned the previously clear situation into something murky and uncertain.

The three factions were now intertwined, all having designs on the odd artifact.

Under these circumstances, even Zhang Lei, as the Investigation Bureau’s Battalion Commander, had to weigh his options carefully—after all, they were already outside their jurisdiction, dangerously close to the Hazard Zone, where his title as an investigator carried little deterrent power; these people would truly kill for the artifact.

But Li Shaoqing’s words directly eased the escalating tension.

That’s right.

We haven’t even confirmed what the artifact is, and we’re already fighting? How stupid.

Whether it’s worth risking blood to seize the artifact depends entirely on how valuable it actually is.

“What he says makes sense. Let’s see the artifact inside the building—it’ll satisfy everyone’s curiosity. Zhang Lei, you alone can’t hold off this many people. For the sake of your investigators’ lives, you might as well agree to Li Shaoqing’s request.”

At this moment, Wei Bin, sensing a shift in the situation, immediately spoke up.

“I can also guarantee that if the artifact has no value, I’ll leave immediately and cause no one trouble.”

“Wei Bin, this isn’t your place to speak,” Zhang Lei snapped harshly. “I haven’t even settled accounts with you for your men injuring one of my investigators.”

“The one who attacked was Wu Li—he’s already been sniped by your people. His corpse is right there. Didn’t you see it?” Wei Bin said. “The attacker is dead. What more do you want? And this incident has nothing to do with me. Don’t smear me. Even as a Battalion Commander, you need evidence. Otherwise, I’ll sue you for defamation.”

He blurted out lies, blaming everything on the dead man already killed by Li Yi.

“Fuck your mother, Wei Bin—you vile bastard, still spouting filth here? I’ll deliver you straight to the afterlife.” Pastor Pete couldn’t take it anymore—he raised his sniper rifle, aimed directly at Wei Bin, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out.

Wei Bin’s face hardened—he’d anticipated this. With his spiritual sense active, he sensed danger instantly and could dodge bullets before they even fired.

He merely shifted his body slightly.

The bullet grazed past him, missing entirely.

But a spiritual medium cultivator behind him wasn’t so lucky—he had no time to react, the bullet piercing his chest instantly, killing him on the spot.

Clearly.

Pastor Pete had intended this—he knew one shot wouldn’t kill Wei Bin, but reducing his side’s numbers was still a win.

Including this man, the Wanderers had already lost three before any real fighting began, one of whom had awakened spiritual sense—this was a devastating blow.

“Pete, don’t push too far. Do you really think being a monk means I won’t kill you?”

Wei Bin glanced at the corpse behind him, his face flushed with shame and rage. He strode forward, clearly intent on killing the man.

“Come on, Wei Bin. Try it.”

Zhang Lei snorted, stepping forward several paces to stand between Pastor Pete and Wei Bin.

He dared not gamble on whether Wei Bin would strike—if the man got within dangerous range, his power could kill Pastor Pete in an instant.

“Zhang Lei, we haven’t settled that debt yet. If you want to die, I won’t mind putting you down.”

At this moment, Wei Bin was truly enraged—his eyes glowed, white light flickering around his body like static sparks.

Under the influence of the Guidance Technique, cosmic energy surged from within him, radiating lethal danger.

“Wei Bin, calm down. The artifact hasn’t been confirmed yet—I won’t allow you to act now.”

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared between them—it was Yang Yi, raising his right arm and pointing coldly at Wei Bin’s head.

“Yang Yi.” Wei Bin’s face froze.

As another cultivator who practiced the Guidance Technique, he understood better than anyone how terrifying Yang Yi was.

His own Guidance Technique could only channel energy to the skin’s surface—but Yang Yi had refined it to an extremely advanced level, gathering his body’s energy into an invisible blade so sharp it could slice through even supernatural beings’ bodies. If he touched it, his fate was obvious.

“Heh, Zhang Lei, if you keep pushing this, once fighting breaks out, things will spiral out of control. So—are you willing to sacrifice your Investigation Bureau’s dozen lives to protect the artifact, or will you sit down and let the four of us talk?” Li Shaoqing now stepped forward as well.

Zhang Lei’s gaze flickered—he realized his side lacked the strength to control the entire situation.

Even if he requested reinforcements, summoning experts would take time.

Remote help couldn’t save an immediate crisis—Zhang Lei understood this, and so did everyone else.

Thus, both the Cultivator Association and the Wanderers were desperate—they wouldn’t give Zhang Lei time to delay.

The artifact’s fate must be decided today—no later than within the next hour.

After serious thought, Zhang Lei took a deep breath and said: “Li Shaoqing, Yang Yi.”

Both men turned their attention to him.

“...And Wei Bin. Come with me.” Zhang Lei finally conceded—he wouldn’t gamble his investigators’ lives.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Lei turned and walked toward the building adorned with skull murals.

“That’s better,” Li Shaoqing said calmly, then ordered: “All Cultivator Association members remain here. No one moves without my permission.”

Yang Yi no longer faced off against Wei Bin—he smiled slightly and walked toward the building.

“Stay here. Don’t move. I’m going inside to see the artifact,” Wei Bin instructed his men. “Daozi, watch them closely. If anyone causes trouble, kill them.”

“Understood,” Daozi replied, his face grim as he nodded.

Just as the four reached the building’s entrance, Zhang Lei suddenly paused and turned back.

Li Yi immediately sensed it.

Clearly, Zhang Lei’s gaze had been fixed on him.

“Li Yi, you know the building’s situation best. Come with me this time,” Zhang Lei said.

“Alright,” Li Yi nodded, accepting without refusal.

Watching Li Yi approach, Yang Yi’s eyes flickered—he immediately recalled recent events, so he remembered Li Yi well. He hadn’t expected that after some time, Li Yi had joined the Investigation Bureau as an external operative, and seemed to be favored by Zhang Lei.

“Li Yi, hello. Long time no see. Did you enjoy your stay at my place last time?” Yang Yi smiled and greeted him.

“You know each other?” Zhang Lei glanced at Li Yi.

Li Yi nodded. “Of course. We just don’t get along. Last time I worked for him, I nearly died in the Hazard Zone. I barely managed to obtain a fist technique there, and he forcibly took it from me. If I hadn’t handed it over, I wouldn’t have left his house alive—I’d have had to return even the wages I earned.”

“...” Yang Yi’s smile froze.

He instinctively wanted to deny it—but the words died on his lips. Li Yi’s account was accurate.

Then why did it sound so painfully sharp when strung together?

“Oh? So that’s how it was,” Zhang Lei studied Yang Yi, his eyes filled with disapproval.

Even Li Shaoqing of the Cultivator Association frowned.

Clearly, Yang Yi had long abused his strength to bully others and seize their possessions.

Such tactics were disgraceful.

If you want something, just pay for it.

Even haggling is better than acting like a thief—it’s beneath someone with status.

“By the way, a woman named Qin Qing also went missing after entering the Hazard Zone and never returned. I wonder if she’s connected to him,” Li Yi added.

Qin Qing?

Li Shaoqing’s gaze darkened—he knew Qin Qing. Now that Li Yi mentioned it, he realized she hadn’t appeared in the Cultivator Association for a long time.

“Li Yi, that’s enough.”

Yang Yi suddenly shouted—he realized Li Yi was smearing his reputation.

“What? You still dare to threaten my investigators?” Zhang Lei snapped back, equally harsh.

Li Yi had just saved over a dozen lives—including Zhang Lei’s. For that alone, no matter what crimes Li Yi committed later, Zhang Lei had to protect him.

If he didn’t, his men would lose faith—and he’d lose his position as Battalion Commander.

Li Shaoqing’s expression turned cold: “Yang Yi, after today, you owe me an explanation for Qin Qing’s disappearance. She’s one of our own. After vanishing so long without word, I, as Vice-Chairman, must investigate.”

“This Li Yi is slandering me—can’t you see that?” Yang Yi’s face darkened.

“When did I slander you? Isn’t what I said the truth? Yang Yi, you evil-born bastard—dare you deny you stole my fist technique?” Li Yi shot back.

Yang Yi paused, then said: “Li Yi, I did learn your fist technique—but you offered it willingly. Didn’t I say I owed you a favor?”

“Willingly?”

Zhang Lei snorted heavily: “Yang Yi, you’re lying to ghosts. Admit it—you stole it. Don’t pretend it was noble. It’s humiliating.”

“Yang Yi, so you learned someone else’s technique without paying a single taels? No wonder people resent you,” Li Shaoqing shook his head, his opinion of Yang Yi plummeting.

Li Yi continued: “I can accept you taking my technique without payment—I’m weaker than you, so I lost. But my friend Lin Yue went to demand an explanation, and you broke her arm. I won’t forgive that.”

“What? You broke someone’s arm just because they came to demand justice?” Li Shaoqing was stunned, staring again at Yang Yi.

At this moment, Yang Yi felt utterly alien to him.

Both were spiritual sense cultivators—why was Yang Yi’s moral bottom so low?

“Hah! Yang Yi, turns out you’re just like me—but you’re not ruthless enough. If it were me, after you stole the technique, you’d have killed Li Yi outright. Then there’d be no proof, no exposure.”

Wei Bin burst into laughter.

“Wei Bin, shut the hell up,” Yang Yi roared, his eyes red with fury—who the fuck is like you?

He felt that after today, his reputation was utterly destroyed.