Chapter 115 - 114: Birthday Celebration, Suspected Trace

Xu Jiayi, as the daughter of a businessman, is very honest.

Money, must be earned.

But what should be given, will never be shortchanged.

Ten minutes later, Li Jing got 1,500 Spirit Crystals from her, plus a decently pure Yin Qi Crystal.

The reason it was a Yin Qi Crystal had to do with the information Li Jing had provided last time.

After confirming the presence of a large number of Parasite Insects in the Secret Realm, Xu Jiayi used her family’s resources to try and glean information from various sources.

Information related to the Parasite Insects was tightly sealed off by the Management Bureau, and no one dared speak of it.

However, one thing was certain.

There were countless strange creatures in the Secret Realm.

With such a large number of strange creatures, Yin Qi Crystals would naturally be produced in bulk.

Although Yin Qi Crystals are different from Soul Devouring Crystals and have a lower drop rate.

But with countless strange creatures, there will always be a drop.

As a result, not only all kinds of products related to Parasite Insects, Xu Jiayi’s shop has also started processing the stock of Yin Qi Crystals in advance.

At ordinary times, a lower quality Yin Qi Crystal would cost at least 30 million and might not even be available for purchase.

A high-quality one would cost at least 50 million.

At this stage, Yin Qi Crystal is undoubtedly the most cost-effective among the spiritual materials that can be used to feed Spirit Weapons.

Xu Jiayi’s actions were very genuine.

She provided considerable discounts to Li Jing from a cost-effective standpoint.

Li Jing is not as sensitive to money as before, but of course, he understands what he should understand.

Seeing the Yin Qi Crystal, he immediately realized that Xu Jiayi had uncovered information about the Secret Realm.

The Management Bureau staff had only just been withdrawn from the Secret Realm, and it would take some time for the items to enter the market. Xu Jiayi giving him a high-quality Yin Qi Crystal was superbly timed and considerate.

After thanking Xu Jiayi, Li Jing left the Spirit Item Trading Market.

He flew high in the sky with his sword, "feeding" the Yin Qi Crystal to the Linglong Tower for it to digest on its own, and then embarked on the return journey with his sword.

...

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

These three days were very peaceful.

Li Jing and Chen Yuran always went out and returned together, gradually adapting to their field positions in the Security Department.

There were no serious crimes in their jurisdiction, making patrolling a relatively relaxed task for the Security Department.

Overall, it was even more comfortable than the Auxiliary Investigation Patrol Group within the Assistant Inspector Department.

In their spare time, they could slack off a little.

Unlike the Auxiliary Investigation Patrol Group, where they had to inspect their assigned areas every hour during their shifts.

Of course.

Whether they can slack off depends on whether Chen Yuran is with them or not.

In this regard, Li Jing tried to avoid as much as possible.

Chen Yuran chose to turn a blind eye to this, knowing why Li Jing was avoiding her during work hours. She didn’t insist on him being with her all the time and let him wander around on his own.

Luo Zhize was another matter.

Unless they received a task to report, Chen Yuran and Li Jing could only communicate with him through the communication device and there was no chance to meet him in person.

As evening approached, Li Jing successfully completed his fourth day at his new post.

When it was time to get off work, he flew his sword above the North City Patrol Branch to clock out, dropped down to change clothes in the Security Department’s locker room, and then headed straight towards the Agricultural Market.

Today was Liu Sisi’s birthday. Li Jing had told Chen Yuran in the morning to find her own dinner at home.

He landed near the Agricultural Market and walked into a cake shop on the street.

He had ordered a cake in advance.

After picking up the cake from the store clerk, Li Jing rushed to the Chicken Shop.

As usual, Liu Sisi was in the store, bored and leaning on the counter.

When she saw Li Jing carrying a cake, she was slightly startled and then smiled.

Today was her birthday, of course, she remembered.

She’s not keen on celebrating her birthday because she’s getting "older".

Although she still looked vibrant, age was ultimately a woman’s Achilles heel.

Keeping your appearance young is one thing, getting another year older is another.

How could she not be happy with Li Jing’s thoughtfulness?

She gave Li Jing a warm look, stood up to clear the counter, and patted it.

"Put it here."

Seeing this, Li Jing didn’t bother to explain further, he simply smiled, stepped forward and placed the cake on the counter, and opened it up.

Sometimes, speaking is stronger than keeping silent.

When Liu Sisi saw the specially ordered cake made by Li Jing, she laughed brilliantly. Then, she pulled out the "2" shaped candle stuck in the cake and threw it into the trash, snorting haughtily.

"Don’t use this number 2 next year, okay?"

"Understood."

Li Jing nodded with a smile.

As conceited as Liu Sisi’s attitude was, she was the guest of honor today. So, he played along.

He flicked an electric arc with his finger, which brushed past the remaining "7" shaped candle on the cake, lighting it. Li Jing then smiled.

"Make a wish?"

"Um."

Liu Sisi gave a sweet smile and closed her eyes to make a wish.

Seeing this, Li Jing conveniently took out two Nurturing Spirit Elixirs and held them in his hand.

When Liu Sisi opened her eyes, he handed over the two Nurturing Spirit Elixirs.

"A gift."

At the sight of the two Nurturing Spirit Elixirs, Liu Sisi’s eyes brightened. She unsparingly accepted them and began playing around with them as though they were marbles. She then inquired,

"What kind of elixir are these?"

"Nurturing Spirit Elixirs, these can greatly improve your Qi refining efficiency when you’re in closed-door cultivation, and the effects can last for three days."

Li Jing explained its function with a poker face.

Upon hearing the explanation, Liu Sisi’s eyebrows wrinkled slightly.

"Are...you trying to get rid of me?"

?

Li Jing slowly typed out a question mark in confusion.

"Why did you not give me jewelry or rings or something like that, but instead gave me these elixirs for closed-door cultivation?"

Liu Sisi complained a little mournfully, pouting her lips.

"Once I start cultivating, I won’t come out for six days."

"..."

Li Jing.

Liu Sisi has always been known for her weird logic.

But this time, she was being completely unreasonable.

Seeing her "you’ve won" expression, Liu Sisi laughed and turned her head to blow out the candles and then beckoned with her fingers.

"Come closer."

?

Confused, Li Jing instinctively leaned forward.

Just as he was about to ask why, Liu Sisi suddenly reached out from behind the counter, grabbed his cheek, and gave it a smack.

???

Li Jing was stunned.

The sneak attack was too sudden.

Moving his hand up to touch his cheek instinctively, Li Jing looked up to see Liu Sisi’s blushing face.

As their eyes met, Liu Sisi’s gaze averted for a moment before she fiercely glared back.

"What? Is it not enough?"

"......"

Speechless, Li Jing thought for a moment and then tilted his head to smile.

"If I said it wasn’t enough, what would you do, Sister Sisi?"

"......."

Liu Sisi glared.

She was caught off guard.

This way of talking was unheard of for Li Jing.

In the past, it was always her coming up with various ways to tease Li Jing, only to be met with his cold responses.

But today, he had actually started to fight back.

Could it be that someone had possessed him?

Staring at him to make sure he was the Li Jing she knew, Liu Sisi bit her lip lightly, shooting him a glance.

"You’re getting bad."

Not responding to her comment, Li Jing chuckled and cut the cake into two slices. Handing one slice to her, he said,

"Happy Birthday."

"Thank you."

Liu Sisi said with a light smile, taking the cake and sitting down.

Li Jing also took the opportunity to pull over a stool and sit in front of the counter.

Just as he was about to take a bite of his cake, Liu Sisi looked over at him.

"I’ve been wanting to ask you since you made the news last time, did you join the Patrol Branch with Inspector Chen, who dealt with the Chicken Demon incident at the market the last time?"

"Yeah, Yuran and I are in the same department."

Li Jing replied.

"Yuran?"

Liu Sisi blinked in slight confusion, narrowing her eyes.

"So, you two are more than just colleagues?"

"Er, well..."

Li Jing coughed, then honestly explained.

I’m currently living in Yuran’s villa on a shared rental basis. She doesn’t charge me rent, I just have to take care of meals."

"Shared rental? Taking care of the meals?"

Liu Sisi blinked, processed the information a bit, then lost interest.

If it were someone else, she might have imagined a cohabiting scenario.

As for Li Jing...

Forget it...

It’s already pretty good that this lad is capable of thinking straight. She can’t expect anything else from him.

Shaking her head in disappointment, Liu Sisi said.

"By the way, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m planning on hiring help to manage the shop. I might not be at the shop every day."

"Okay."

Li Jing nodded.

They had already discussed this after Liu Sisi’s breakthrough.

Even if she hates to give up this source of income, Liu Sisi, who has now broken into the Second Realm, has no reason to focus her energy on the shop. She should be prioritizing cultivation and learning.

After taking a few bites of his cake, Li Jing asked.

"So, Sisi, what are your plans...?"

"I have no specific plans."

Liu Sisi shrugged, saying.

"The weather is getting colder and my Cold Heart Physique can train more effectively in lower temperatures. The strange objects I bought from the Spirit Item Market last time are all at home and they’re doing a pretty good job gathering spirits. I’m planning to work hard to increase my cultivation level."

As she spoke, she smiled brightly.

"It just so happens that you gave me two Nurturing Spirit Elixirs. Once I find help, I’ll first seclude myself at home for a while to see if I can reach the mid-stage of the Second Realm. I may have been stuck in the One Realm for so many years, but that doesn’t mean I’ve completely wasted my time. I do have a better foundation than most people, but I have to work hard to bring it out."

After her lengthy explanation, she winked at him.

"If you miss me while I’m gone, you can come to my house and find me."

"Understood."

Li Jing responded agreeably, then he asked.

"As for the shop...?"

"You don’t need to come to the shop anymore. We don’t need someone to butcher chickens when there’s help."

Liu Sisi spoke up.

"You now have a stable high-income job, there’s not much point coming to the shop. Instead of wasting time here, you should focus on your cultivation. Otherwise, I’ll catch up with your cultivation level one day. I might be disappointed in you."

"Okay, I see."

Li Jing responded, feeling somewhat regretful inside.

It seemed like he wouldn’t be able to rely on the experience points from the Spirit Chickens anymore.

Once he stops coming to the shop, he can’t expect to get the Spirit Chicken meals either.

If he wants to eat it, he’ll have to buy it himself.

...

As night fell...

Li Jing stayed in the shop until after ten at night, helping Liu Sisi close the shop and accompanying her home.

Just as he was about to return to the villa, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Noticing the vibration, Li Jing took out his phone.

He lit up the screen, and found that Chen Jing had sent him an Immortal Message.

Why would Chen Jing message him so late?

Confused, he opened the message.

"Come to my office, there’s something I need to talk to you about."

Seeing the content of the message, Li Jing frowned and rose on his sword.

...

A moment later, he arrived at the patrol station on his sword.

With familiarity, he found the director’s office and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Chen Jing’s response came quickly.

Pushing open the door, Li Jing looked up to see Chen Jing with a serious expression, holding a tablet and sitting on the couch.

Seeing this scene, Li Jing was confused.

"Uncle, you called me in so late for... "

Before he could finish his sentence, Chen Jing pointed at the seat by his side.

"Sit and talk."

"Alright."

Li Jing went forward.

As soon as he sat down, Chen Jing handed him the tablet.

Li Jing looked down instinctively, only to see a paused surveillance footage on the tablet.

The footage was of an automatic door entrance, and a familiar figure in the paused footage was looking up at the surveillance camera.

Seeing the figure in the footage, Li Jing was shocked.

The person in the surveillance was none other than the still missing Jiang Guanwen!

He’s not dead?

Looking at Chen Jing with surprise, Li Jing asked.

"Uncle, is this surveillance footage from...?"

"An hour ago, at the entrance of a laboratory in the Jianghai Science and Research Institute."

Chen Jing spoke in a low voice, rubbing his brow."

"The Research Institute was a little late in realizing it, Jiang Guanwen snuck into the lab late at night and stole some core information from a secret project, and then disappeared again."

"..."

Li Jing.

Chen Jing didn’t elaborate on the secret project, but it must be something very important that can’t be leaked.

After a moment of silence, Li Jing spoke softly.

"Uncle, does Jiang Guanwen’s reappearance after such a long time mean that he..."

"Yes."

Chen Jing nodded, saying,

"If he was parasitized by the Parasite Insect, after so long it would have already eaten everything it could. His survival and continued hiding in Jianghai suggest that he was not parasitized, but made a deal with the unknown Wisdom Civilization, just like Liu Yushan."

Saying this, he went on.

"I have already issued a formal public arrest warrant, but the chance of getting results is low. Jiang Guanwen was already wanted, and any trace of him should have been discovered by now. The theft of important research materials from the Research Institute means that they must be recovered."

"The Secret Realm Passage has disappeared. Jiang Guanwen stealing the data is not to trade with the Wisdom Civilization in the Secret Realm, but to flee abroad and develop overseas because he can’t stand the situation domestically with the stolen data."

After speaking these words, Chen Jing looked straight at Li Jing.

"I have notified the Six Major Crimes Group about this matter, and Dai Hong will be responsible for it. I hope you can participate as well. I will speak to Security Department for you, so you don’t need to go there first. I hope to see results within 24 hours."

"Well, this..."

Li Jing was at a loss.

He didn’t mind participating.

But this needle-in-a-haystack mission, to be completed within 24 hours, was just a little too demanding.

The previous cases he participated in were easily solved, all of them were influenced by various factors. Among them, his ability to see the health bar brought great convenience.

This is a different situation.

Jiang Guanwen is still alive, and like Liu Yushan, has likely benefited from the unknown Wisdom Civilization.

Once he sees Jiang Guanwen in person, Li Jing may be able to perceive his health bar.

But now he didn’t even know where Jiang Guanwen was, let alone what he could do.

After a moment’s hesitation, Li Jing nodded.

"I’ll do my best."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jing showed a satisfied smile.

"In any case, join and do your best. I won’t penalize you if the case isn’t solved. However, after these 24 hours, finding any clues will become extremely difficult. If Jiang Guanwen succeeds in escaping abroad, it would be problematic."

After saying that, he gave his instructions.

"You go to the Jianghai Science and Research Institute and find Dai Hong now. The Six Major Crimes Group has already sent people there, trying to detect any traces left at the scene. Report to me if anything is found."

"Understood."

Li Jing got up.