Chapter 135

"Everything under control?"

Lao Liang couldn't help but still feel a bit worried, and asked an extra question.

As Qin Shi's Number One Master, he naturally knew the inside story.

The Inspection Department's Heng Jian Operation was not launched by coincidence.

"I met with Xiao Chen, discussed and planned, first bait the spot, muddy the waters, wait for the storm to rise, then consider moving the big goods."

The Xiao Chen in the white-haired old man's mouth was none other than Chen Ruofu, the Tai'an Inspection Minister.

With his generation and age, calling him 'Xiao Chen' was no issue.

"A strong dragon doesn't suppress a local snake — that principle, those Imperial Capital Haizhou second-generation scions, they won't remember it unless they suffer a loss.

They've grown used to being arrogant and domineering on their own turf, always thinking that as long as they don't touch the Nine Surnames, everyone else is lowly scum."

The white-haired old man sneered coldly, lowered his head to glance at his withered palm, rubbed it lightly twice, as if feeling sticky fresh blood.

So what if they're Nine Surnames descendants, Marshal descendants?

I've killed no few of them!

"The Ying family's juniors, are they this brainless? I remember Marshal Ying was called the 'Wise Marshal', predicting events like a god, calculating heavenly secrets..."

Lao Liang's tone was hesitant; in his youth he served long in the military, and had always revered the Nine Marshals, worshipping them as gods.

"The Nine Marshals are each and every one pillars of heaven, peerless heroes, but so many years have passed, even stubborn stones have ground to dust, let alone human hearts. Hoping juniors will stand out, be gentle, kind, respectful, frugal — that's just a pipe dream."

The white-haired old man bowed his head; his words held not only indignation, but also a few parts of regret.

"Furthermore, the Ying family is obstructing from the middle, unwilling to see a successor who has mastered the Void Meditation Method set foot in the Galaxy Frontier again... this involves old grievances too numerous to recount, not that they're deliberately stepping on your disciple's head, he just happened to be the one caught in it.

Moreover, for the Ying family's sons, it's like having an ant at hand — let go and it escapes, press down and it's crushed, all depends on mood."

Ant?

Lao Liang didn't like hearing this; a few strands of killing intent surfaced in his eyes.

The Nanhuang Dojo has spread its branches, but his Hong Sheng Yi Mai line is a single inheritance.

If something happened to Xiao Shi, it would mean the root is completely severed, the line cut off.

"Don't be impatient. Before I close my eyes, who in Hengzhou can harm a single hair on your disciple."

The white-haired old man sensed Lao Liang's emotional fluctuation, and hurriedly soothed him.

With his Grandmaster-level vision and perception, he could roughly guess that something was sealed inside this lame-legged man's body.

That thick Netherworld aura was almost comparable to a Great Demon with ninety percent corruption.

"Senior, I believe in your ability."

Lao Liang's eyelids drooped, and he said in a deep voice:

"But if there's any hitch, I'll solve the problem my own way."

The white-haired old man knew very well that soldiers who had served in the military and participated in major battles, once they unleashed their destructiveness without any scruples, would be terrifying beyond measure.

In a certain sense, Lao Liang's threat level was not much lower than his own.

"Rest assured, I'm not some rigid, pedantic rule-follower either. As a teacher, losing one disciple is already a joke; losing another on top of that, I'd have lived this life in vain."

The white-haired old man spoke word by word, decisive and final.

"With Senior's words, I'm at ease."

Lao Liang slowly nodded, expressing recognition; the shadow curled inside his flesh and blood, tightly bound by twelve Fire Punishment Nails, quietly shrank back.

Following the regular training process, Qin Shi, who had finished today's lesson, was sent back to the Talent Apartment by the so-called Eighth Senior Sister Jian Yuzhu.

"Classmate Xiao Shi, see you tomorrow morning!"

Jian Yuzhu had a lively personality and liked giving people nicknames; Classmate Xiao Shi was her affectionate term for Qin Shi.

"Trouble Senior Sister Jian."

Qin Shi politely thanked her; the treatment of being escorted by a current top female star was truly rare.

Through these few days of understanding, he learned Jian Yuzhu came from Yun Zhou, counting as a scion of a famous clan.

By a twist of fate she became a girl idol, signed with the fairly well-known Tian Guang Entertainment; in terms of popularity, she could rank in the top ten top-tier stream.

Supernatural Path professionals debuting as celebrities is actually very common.

After all, the Star Cup tournament's popularity far exceeds any program in history, plus official promotion and permission; those professionals with extremely high Life Force Development naturally receive fanatical pursuit from countless people, just like athletes in various competitive sports.

According to Jian Yuzhu, the current top-tier Martial Artists in Dongxia are Long Danzi and Yu Li, their commercial value extremely high, existences akin to money-printing trees.

"No wonder Teacher Lin was willing to invest in me; turns out she wanted to reserve the agent position."

Qin Shi suddenly realized; if he made a name in the Star Cup later and signed a contract with some big conglomerate.

As his worth multiplied and he climbed upward, he could earn back the previous investment hundreds or thousands of times over.

"So the First Generation Ten Greats count as the original idols."

Imagining the scene of He Lanchan, Qi Wuxiang and the like being cheered by tens of thousands of fans, Qin Shi gave a light laugh and stepped into the elevator.

"Wait..."

He happened to run into Lu Hui who had just finished training; he reached out and blocked the slowly closing elevator door.

But upon stepping inside, he discovered the fellow passenger was Qin Shi.

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.

After Qin Shi's "flaunting of wealth" last time, Lu Hui had to admit the other party indeed surpassed him in every aspect.

But he didn't lose heart; he worked hard and strove to strengthen himself for a period, even proactively asking his family for an "investment" to buy Level 5 Energy Liquid at a high price to stimulate the slow condensation speed of his Life Force.

As a result, by the time Lu Hui regained confidence and returned to the Talent Apartment, before he could even find Qin Shi himself, he was crushed once again by that terrifying score in the Gravity Room.

As if pulling all-nighters every day to climb ranks and finally promote to Diamond, only to discover an opponent he once defeated was already ranked among the Strongest Kings.

The gap in Ranking was so great that it made one unable to even think of catching up.

Lu Hui remained silent until the elevator was nearly at the Sixteenth Floor, unable to help but ask:

"You... have broken through forty points?"

Qin Shi did not ignore him, answering honestly:

"Forty-nine points."

The light in Lu Hui's eyes seemed to extinguish as he silently walked out of the elevator.

This value had already reached the Ti Zhong Shi of Qiguang Heng University's Martial Arts Department.

The moment he stepped out of the elevator, he paused again, turned around, and said:

"The Education Committee will organize our Talent Apartment's top students, including the top ten of the Elite Classes from other strong high schools, to watch the Video Recording of the Special Operation jointly launched by the Patrol Department in a few days."

"I heard that Zheng Yun, the Grade First of your school, will also come; he somehow got five Bottles of Mineral Essence, and his Qi Life Force surged."

Qin Shi nodded calmly and said:

"Oh. It doesn't matter; I'm not participating."

The elevator doors slowly closed.

Only Lu Hui remained, his face full of shock; such an extracurricular activity that broadens one's horizons and increases one's experience was something even the top students of the Taian Metropolitan Area could only hope to encounter but not seek.

Qin Shi actually showed no interest at all?

"Don't want to have a direct conflict with Zheng Yun?"

Lu Hui pondered; judging from Qin Shi's previous action of refusing to have a match with him, this guy probably didn't like fighting people.

"He puts all his energy and time into the Application of Qi Life Force, so his practical combat ability is poor!"

Lu Hui's fragmented and wretched Dao Heart seemed to stitch itself together a bit in an instant, sweeping away his previous dejection.

He might not be able to keep up in the Progress of Life Force Development, but when it came to practical combat, this Hui had never lost to anyone!

(Chapter End)