Chapter 110: Undercurrents Surge (Revised)

Beyond this chaos, at the top of an unremarkable high‑rise in the Fourth District, a plainly dressed old man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing far toward the warehouse area.

On his wrist he wore a metallic bracelet that faintly shimmered with flowing energy, exuding a fully maxed‑out high‑tech vibe.

The old man gently pressed a certain interface on the bracelet and recorded a message in a low, steady voice.

"Target: Qi Hengyu. Recent activity frequency has increased, intersecting with Supervision Bureau personnel, possibly assisting in a mission."

"Emotions stable, no signs of contact with family detected. His martial arts realm... is naturally gifted, yet still far below that of the former Qi Junyi."

After recording, he tapped his fingertip lightly, and the encrypted audio transformed into an invisible Data Stream, silently dispatched toward an unknown receiver.

Below, Qi Hengyu, who was about to board the Supervision Bureau‑arranged transport back to the Academy, paused, looked up with a hint of perception, gazed toward the Fourth District, and furrowed his brows slightly.

"What's wrong?"

Shen Zexi, standing beside him, noticed his oddness, followed his gaze, and saw only a gray‑hazy sky and the outlines of ruined buildings.

Hmm... could it be homesickness?

Indeed, their comings and goings are swift, and he seems never to have seen Qi Hengyu's "family."

"... nothing," Qi Hengyu withdrew his gaze, shook his head, "maybe just an illusion."

Shen Zexi chose not to press further and simply boarded the vehicle quietly.

Seated in the dedicated vehicle returning to Mitra Academy, the atmosphere was somewhat uneasy.

Shen Zexi and Qi Hengyu sat in the back row, trying to minimize their presence, secretly relieved that Su Jingchuan's attention seemed drawn to other matters, leaving no time to question their sneaking out.

And that "other matter" was Ying Duo, who sat in the seat beside Su Jingchuan.

Shortly after the vehicle started, Ying Duo's seemingly standby mode was lifted.

"Teacher Su," Ying Duo spoke, voice low yet unusually clear in the relatively quiet carriage.

"You just mentioned your brother... was he also a teacher at Mitra before? Or with the Supervision Bureau?"

Su Jingchuan didn't even lift his eyelids, merely responded lightly, attempting to end the topic.

"Neither. That's in the past; better not bring it up."

"Oh."

Ying Duo replied with a sound but didn't give up; he turned slightly to face Su Jingchuan and kept asking.

"Was he strong? Stronger than you? Does your brother also excel with guns? Dual‑wield or single? Any special titles or legendary deeds?"

This barrage of questions came like a rapid‑fire volley, full of a youngster's instinctive fascination with "strong ones" and "legendary stories."

But in Ying Duo's view, Su Jingchuan's brother was likely a "quest NPC" laden with extensive backstory and hidden quest lines.

Su Jingchuan's brows twitched faintly, still eyes closed, his tone becoming a bit harsher.

"He is strong, but I cannot elaborate on the specifics."

"Inconvenient?"

Ying Duo blinked, analyzing with clear logic.

"A confidentiality agreement? Or... his identity is particularly special, classified as undisclosed hidden intel?"

In the back row, Shen Zexi listened, his mouth twitching, and quickly lowered his head to pretend to adjust his cuffs, fearing he might laugh out loud.

Qi Hengyu silently turned his head toward the window, watching the scenery rush backward, his shoulders twitching slightly.

Su Jingchuan finally opened his eyes, looking somewhat helplessly at the student beside him whose thought patterns were unusual.

"Ying Duo," Su Jingchuan sighed.

"Some things aren't quests, nor have rewards; they're just... personal memories. Let them pass once they're gone."

He tried to make Ying Duo understand through this sentimental approach.

However, Ying Duo's thinking clearly operated on a different logic.

He nodded thoughtfully, as if having grasped something.

"I get it—need to raise personal affinity first, unlock more trust, then the related backstory becomes available, right?"

No wonder this mission's reward specifically mentioned increasing Teacher Su's affinity; the storyline was waiting for him here.

Su Jingchuan: "......"

He rubbed his temples and decided on the simplest, most direct method—silence is golden.

He closed his eyes again, leaned back against the seat, and treated whatever Ying Duo said thereafter as mere background noise.

Ying Duo, seeing Teacher Su no longer respond, asked two more questions, then noticed the "interactive" icon above his head had turned gray, and reluctantly gave up.

Whatever, he did reap plenty from this mission anyway.

【Player ID: Ying Duo Lv. 18 (45.1%)】

【Title: "Slippery Hand"】

【Faction: Mitra Academy (Dome)】

【Mutation Value: 15/100】

Speaking of which, wasn't there also a mysterious gift for Teacher Su in the reward?

————————————————

Yue Chengzhang could not return to Mitra Academy with them; he needed to stay behind to handle the aftermath.

He went to the medical center under the Supervision Bureau, and through thick one‑way reinforced glass, he watched Sha Yufeng lying in a life‑support pod, his body riddled with tubes and still unconscious.

Sha Yufeng's complexion was pale, his breathing weak, sustained entirely by the life‑support system.

Yue Chengzhang's gaze was deep, as if trying to pierce the glass and look into Sha Yufeng's soul.

Was Sha Yufeng's radicalism self‑initiated, or... another move by Lin Xiao?

And who is that woman in the red cloak?

Was this explosion a silencing act or a warning?

——————————————————

At the same time, deep in the shadows of Tianmian City, within a more concealed Undercurrent base whose entrance was disguised as an abandoned sewer hub.

A slender figure lounged lazily against the rusted iron gate, as if having waited for a long time.

Steady footsteps echoed from deep within the passage.

Soon, a figure appeared under the dim light.

He wore a well‑tailored dark‑gray trench coat, his handsome face bearing a five‑ or six‑percent resemblance to Su Jingchuan, yet his demeanor was more mature and restrained, even tinged with a weather‑worn indifference.

It was Su Jingming, who had long been presumed "sacrificed."

Die Yuzhe saw the newcomer and, as if meeting an old friend, cheerfully greeted him.

"Arrived? Three minutes later than expected—did you run into trouble on the way?"

Su Jingming stepped before him, a faint, emotionless smile on his face.

"No trouble, but I recall at the underground auction in Zone Ten, a fellow who claimed to control everything was knocked clean off by a reckless kid, sustaining serious internal injuries, yet his posture was… elegant."

Die Yuzhe's smile froze instantly, then twitched, and he snorted irritably.

"Can you stop bringing up that old thing? I already said it was just an accident!"

"I've long advised you," Su Jingming said evenly, with a hint of teasing, "relying solely on Aberrant Arts isn't enough; learn some body technique, and you'll avoid some blunders at critical moments."

"Enough!" Die Yuzhe waved dismissively, as if hearing some nonsense.

"Mages who study body technique are all heretical! Using one's own Aberrant Arts to manipulate others' thoughts—that's the true romance of a Special Ability Practitioner! Close‑quarters combat? That's work for savages!"

Su Jingming smiled and ceased arguing with him over the years‑long "Orthodox dispute."

He steered the conversation back on track, his tone slightly more serious.

"Sha Yufeng also came to Tianmian City? And caused such a stir."

Mentioning Sha Yufeng, Die Yuzhe's slight displeasure turned into unabashed contempt; he shrugged, his tone as casual as discussing the weather.

"Hmm, arrived, but by now… the person should already be in the hands of the Supervision Bureau, truly a fellow who accomplishes little and ruins much."

Su Jingming raised an eyebrow and repeated, meaningfully.

"Supervision Bureau…"

Die Yuzhe shrugged again, adding a sentence, his tone bearing absolute obedience to a higher will.

"It's the Regiment Leader's order."

He deliberately emphasized the words "Regiment Leader."

Su Jingming nodded, indicating understanding, his tone calmly echoing.

"Regiment Leader's order."

The two ceased speaking, one after the other, and silently walked deeper into the base's ever‑denser darkness.