Chapter 323 - 322: Capital City’s Political Situation, Research Headquarters

Li Jing initially planned to not bother Liu Sisi, thinking that bothering Jiu Li wouldn’t be much of a problem.

Upon receiving such a resentful response, he immediately felt a bit guilty.

He had not anticipated that Yulian would follow Liu Sisi and Jiu Li to the capital.

You must understand.

Yulian is not merely an editorial assistant pushing for drafts, but a big boss.

Leaving behind a huge company to chase to the capital for drafts, she really seems a bit like a persistent ghost.

Seeing this, Jiu Li’s fate seems particularly tragic.

With a sly grin, Li Jing tilted his head and pondered for a while before replying.

"Keep going, once you’ve finished the agreed drafts, you’ll be completely free."

On receiving this half-hearted consolation from Li Jing, Jiu Li quickly responded.

"Easy for you to say! Ever since our trip to Chongyuan Holy Realm, the comic script has grown to over a thousand episodes! That’s enough material for at least three hundred episodes of TV drama! I worked hard for a month to draw a hundred comic episodes, when will it end?"

Receiving this reply, Li Jing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

A comic script of over a thousand episodes, it was unexpected for him.

But to be honest, Jiu Li brought this on herself.

She was the one who wanted to draw a story for everything she saw in Chongyuan Holy Realm, causing the comic script to be so ridiculous.

From the very start, it was her who, out of greed, suddenly wanted to cooperate with Yulian to draw ’Magical Girls vs. Cultivators.’

People huh!

They are just so cheap!

Just as he was wondering if he should give Jiu Li some advice, she suddenly sent a sighing cat emoticon followed by a message.

"Sigh, I just keep drawing, after all, I did promise Yulian. I’ll keep my word, I do have principles. Yulian has been pressing me lately; it’s mainly because the first season of the TV drama has already been completed and aired. The response on the internet is great. Nowadays, netizens are eagerly waiting for a feature film, and the merchandise is selling like hotcakes. In this regard, I’ve also gained a fair bit."

Upon receiving this message, Li Jing was slightly stunned.

The first season of the TV drama has already been completed and aired?

They even have merchandise already?

Stunned for a while, Li Jing suddenly understood.

The filming for the TV drama had started while they were on their way to Chongyuan Holy Realm, not after they came back. So, producing more than ten episodes within two months wasn’t an issue.

Yulian’s company is, after all, a big corporation, it wasn’t like things would fall apart in her absence.

Once the drama became popular, the merchandise was, naturally, promptly arranged.

Just as he understood this, Jiu Li sent another message.

"Why did you suddenly message me late at night? Are you in the capital?"

"Yes, the issue has been resolved, I’ve just landed at Capital International Airport."

Li Jing replied, then composed another message.

"Sisi must be resting now, please let her know when she wakes up. I still have something to deal with. Where are you guys staying? Once I’ve sorted out my matters, I’ll come over to see you."

"We didn’t stay at a hotel, we’re staying at the Liu family’s house."

Jiu Li replied, then sent another message.

"Things are not very calm in the Capital now, the impact of the previous Demon Beast Union incident has not subsided, instead, it has escalated."

"Among the Seven Great Families, the Wang and Lu families have become punching bags, bleeding out over the months to the point where they can’t survive. In a short while, they’re bound to exit. When that time comes, two spots in the Seven Great Families will be vacant, and many medium and small families are seizing this opportunity to rise, fighting for the spots and making the city smoggy. They’re attempting to curry favor with the remaining five major powers excluding Wang and Lu families."

"We were originally going to stay at a hotel, but your mother-in-law said we might meet with trouble, so she simply let us stay in the Liu family’s house. It’s not bad here, it’s even more comfortable than a hotel. But your wife is now the hot topic in the Liu family, everyone from top to bottom is currying favor with her. Including the Jiang family, the four families that were not affected by the incident came one after another to meet her yesterday, addressing this kept Sisi rather busy."

These three consecutive news left Li Jing somewhat confused.

That the Capital was not peaceful, was not really surprising.

The Wang and Lu families crossed the line, they were bound to be put down by the official authorities of Longyu.

The reason the two families had managed to hang on till now was entirely because wiping them out completely would have too great an impact, possibly causing turbulence in the economy of the Capital.

Several months had passed, it was about time for these two families to be taken down.

The remaining news left Li Jing somewhat puzzled.

The Seven Great Families of the Capital were nothing but a title, representing that the Capital had seven relatively famous families.

There were no quotas or special privileges.

Aside from the Jiang family, which had a special status, children from the other families did not even have the chance to serve in public office.

Business people could not join the Z.

This was Longyu’s iron rule, established even before the founding of the country.

The empty title of the Seven Great Families was entirely meaningless, what was the point in fighting for it?

Just for their own family to be called a wealthy family of the Capital?

And then there was more.

The majority of the Liu family sucking up to Liu Sisi was somewhat understandable.

In the past, Liu Sisi didn’t receive much attention because she was trapped in the One Realm.

Now that she’s in the late Four Realm, aside from exceptionnal characters like Jiang Yini amongst the Seven Great Families, the rest were basically blown away by her.

It’s only natural for the Liu family, who are still relying on Liu Shi to take on everything, to cradle such a rising star in their hands, afraid they might drop it, and holding it in their mouth, afraid it might melt away, right?

Back to the point.

Liu Teng was crippled by Liu Shi, and the current head of the Liu family was personally selected by her.

Someone like Liu Shi wouldn’t nurture herown team.

But the person she pushed to become the head of the family wouldn’t be an ungrateful jerk.

Being propped up by Liu Shi, how could he not value Liu Sisi?

So the question arose.

The Jiang family is fine, but why are the other three families joining the hubbub?

It can’t be because of me, can it?

Li Jing was wondering, he had only been to the Capital once and only targeted the Liu family without causing much trouble. Why would they...

While he was pondering this, Jiu Li seemed to know what he was thinking and sent a voice message over.

"Don’t underestimate the influence you have now, the matter of the Chongyuan Holy Realm does have a certain degree of confidentiality, but all gains from beginning to end are public. Even the stuff you robbed and brought back, was publicly auctioned. The energy of the Seven Great Families is by no means insignificant, if they’re willing they can always find out some news, right now they’re very interested in you."

"Only the Jiang family, within the system, is a bit bland, merely showing up to pay their respects and essentially its giving you face privately. The other families, however, are making a big deal, giving gifts and whatnot, even seeing me and Yulian inseparable from Liu Sisi, they want to introduce boyfriends to both of us, we’re both absolutely innocent."

After sending two voice messages, Jiu Li sent another message.

"Alright, I have to get back to my writing now. Yulian is preparing some food for me now. If she sees me fooling around chatting with you, her nagging is inevitable. Once Sisi wakes up I will tell her you’re already in the Capital, we’ll talk about the rest when you finish your business and come to the Liu family and we meet."

"Okay, we’ll talk when we meet."

Li Jing replied to the message, feeling somewhat annoyed as he put away his phone.

Coming to the Capital this time was merely because Liu Sisi said it was her mother’s birthday, and as her son-in-law, he decided to accompany her to celebrate. He didn’t think much about anything else.

Celebrating his mother-in-law’s birthday, what did he need to think about?

The very most would be thinking about what gift to give, right?

However, having heard Jiu Li’s message, Li Jing knew that he was bound to encounter some problems this time.

There was nothing wrong with the Jiang family.

Their head is the Director of Management Bureau, and there’s no such thing as inside secrets in front of him.

What should be known, everyone knows.

He would not go to any extremes because of this, nor would he get close to the Liu family for this reason.

The reason for this good gesture probably had nothing to do with his material gains in Chongyuan Holy Realm, but rather, it was because of the one-time entry right to the secret realm of the God Kingdom, a fact that not many people outside would know about.

This is truly beneficial to the whole nation of Longyu, and the institution in charge of this matter will also be the Management Bureau.

It is only natural for the Jiang family to set an example.

The Management Bureau is not run by the Jiang family, but the Jiang family has been serving the Management Bureau for generations. From the founding of Longyu to this day, they prosper or suffer together, and the future generations of Jiang family are always at the forefront of various dangers confronted by the Management Bureau.

Because Li Jing has obtained a privilege to enter the secret realm of the Northern God Country for the Management Bureau, this matter is no small feat.

The matter needs to be kept confidential, so it can’t be publicly rewarded. Naturally, they have to give him some extra face privately.

Putting aside the Jiang family as well as the Wang family and the Lu family that are about to end.

The Sima family, the Zhao family, and the Zhuge family, which are also known as the Seven Great Families, seem to have been spellbound...

Just because Yulian and Jiu Li are close to Liu Sisi, they want to introduce boyfriends to them?

This boyfriend, perhaps, is one of the more outstanding descendants of the three families!

Li Jing was stunned.

Do they know that Yulian and Jiu Li are a pair of fox demons?

Obviously, they didn’t know.

Without even knowing the details of the two women, they’re planning to give their distinguished sons and heirs to them.

If they knew that he had the right to lead a team from Longyu into the secret realm of the God Kingdom once, what would happen?

This round, I’m afraid, he can’t avoid some toasting.

After a sigh of regret, Li Jing refocused his thoughts and took out a Spirit Soldier for Sky Control. He went straight to the Research Institute, located in the "water meter circle" in the capital.

The New God’s bones had been taken, but the blood and internal organs remained.

Blood with divinity, as many as twenty-four barrels.

He is now in the capital, and he’s not sure when he would be able to return.

Sending things to the Jianghai Science and Research Institute didn’t seem right. They also have a lot of research topics to work on now. So arranging them at the Research Institute seems more reliable.

...

Not long after, Li Jing arrived near the "water meter circle" in the capital.

Because the whole area of the "water meter circle" was no-fly zone, Li Jing had to walk into the street. It took him a while to get to the Research Institute located within the "water meter circle".

At the gatehouse window, Li Jing smiled and spoke.

"Hello, I’ve collected a rather peculiar organism while on an assignment, I was wondering if I could arrange to meet a biologist fellow?"

As he said this, he casually took out his Management Bureau ID and opened it.

In the gatehouse window at this moment, a handsome young man was on duty.

Upon hearing Li Jing’s words, he looked up with a frown.

A peculiar organism has been collected, and a biology fellow is needed?

This request, he had never heard before.

That’s a joke. The fellows were very busy!

When encountering unseen organisms, the logic follows that it should be first sent to the Spirit Item Trading Market for identification. Once it’s confirmed to be an unknown entity in the world, the appraiser would then contact relevant personnel in Longyu to arrange the next steps.

Seeing Li Jing’s identity in his hand, the young man’s face changed.

Just like in Jianghai, the institution responsible for the security of the Research Institute is the Management Bureau.

He didn’t recognize Li Jing.

But his reputation has been spreading wildly in the capital recently.

If you change the location, it might not spread.

The capital is the core of Longyu, full of high-ranking officials and elites.

Concerns about the interests of the whole of Longyu, certain matters simply had to be talked about among the people of the capital during their meals and chats.

In the Management Bureau, the voice of Jianghai City Management Bureau was even more deafening.

Here it needs to be clarified.

The voice of Jianghai City Management Bureau had little to do with Li Jing.

The main reason is that Jiang Yini, taking advantage of the substantial gains from the Chongyuan Holy Realm, has Quan Chang visiting the world currently. She’s jumping up and down on her dad’s face, giving Jiang Liao a headache.

This is an external factor.

Although many things are highly confidential even within the Management Bureau, because Jiang Yini is jumping around happily, the General Bureau of the Management Bureau pays much closer attention to the Jianghai Management Bureau in various aspects than in the past.

Knowing Li Jing’s identity, how could the young man dare to neglect him?

He got up hurriedly and saluted.

"Good morning, sir."

Seeing the young man’s behavior, Li Jing smiled and waved his hand, indicating there was no need to be so cautious.

"I know it’s inappropriate for me to just come like this, but I can confirm that the creature I’ve collected is not a known species in this world. To get it identified may cause some ripples. So you can consider this as helping me out. Contact a biology expert for me."

The young man didn’t dare to neglect Li Jing’s arrival.

But that didn’t mean he would make exceptions for someone.

Seeing that Li Jing spoke in a friendly manner, the young man deliberated for a while, then said.

"I can help you contact them, sir, but it ultimately depends on the Research Institute’s stance. I’m only responsible for the entrance control here at the Research Institute, I have no say in this..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Li Jing offered a friendly smile.

"I understand, just help me contact them. If no one comes from the Research Institute, I’ll figure out another way."

Upon hearing this, the young man nodded, picked up the landline inside the guard post, dialed a number, and then clearly reported Li Jing’s request and the identity on his ID.

Soon, he put down the phone look somewhat relieved.

"Sir, please wait a moment. The Institute said they would arrange a biologist fellow for you. Someone would come to pick you up shortly."

"Great, thank you."

Li Jing smiled and didn’t linger in front of the guard post to obstruct their work. He went to the side to wait.

...

After about ten minutes, an elderly fellow with white hair driving an energy sightseeing car appeared in Li Jing’s sight.

Seeing someone from afar, he waved with a smile.

Li Jing was taken aback when he saw this old man.

The person driving the sightseeing car at this moment was none other than Zhou Ji, the energy field expert who was invited to participate in the Augustus case by Yang Qiuci.

Meeting this old man was indeed beyond his expectations.

But strictly speaking, it was not unexpected.

Zhou Ji himself was a permanent academician at the Institute, who was invited to Jianghai to assist with research.

It was only normal for him to return to the Institute after such a long time.

When Zhou Ji’s car pulled up, Li Jing greeted him respectfully.

"Academician Zhou, we meet again."

"Ah, we really do seem to have some kind of fate."

Zhou Ji laughed heartily, remarking.

"I’ve just arrived from Jianghai late last night with some materials. I was in the midst of planning a research project with others when you showed up at the Institute. What a coincidence that the gatekeeper’s phone call was directed to my laboratory."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing smiled.

This coincidence was indeed a bit much.

But within this coincidence, there was inevitability.

Zhou Ji was an energy study expert, likely working with a biology expert in further research on the giant beast samples brought back.

He and a biology expert were preparing to study the samples brought back from Jianghai. The phone call being directed to his laboratory was definitely due to the young gatekeeper’s intention.

The young man was helping Li Jing find the person most likely to accept his request.

At this point, Zhou Ji patted the seat next to him.

"Get in the car; my colleague is waiting for you. Personally, I can’t help you much, but with my old face here, I can certainly open a path for you."

"That’s kind of you."

Li Jing smiled and waited to sit in the sightseeing car with Zhou Ji.

He really was in Zhou Ji’s debt this time.

The gatekeeper had only explained his intention and identity earlier, and his call was answered; now Zhou Ji had come to pick him up. It seemed that someone had spoken up for him on the spot, otherwise this matter might not have gone so smoothly.

Sitting in Zhou Ji’s sightseeing car and heading into the depths of the Institute, Li Jing spoke.

"What a coincidence that you are here, Academician Zhou. I would like you to do a blood test later to confirm the energy component within."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ji was slightly taken aback and looked at him with surprise.

"The unknown creature you encountered contains an unknown power in this world?"

"Strictly speaking, it’s not like that; its power should be known in this world."

Li Jing responded.

"But the blood properties of it are quite special; it harbors a kind of energy property apart from its power. I don’t know the details either. Let’s go see your colleague first, and then I can explain how I encountered this creature. By then, you two should understand."

Hearing this, Zhou Ji became intrigued.

As a expert of energy studies, he naturally maintained a specific obsession with energy.

However, he did not ask more questions in the car.

He and Li Jing were just acquaintances in passing.

But in Jianghai, Li Jing had managed to detect subtle energy traces that others couldn’t, leaving a deep impression on him.

Zhou Ji was fully aware of Li Jing’s discoveries at the Management Bureau, as a related personnel of the Institute.

The research materials he had on hand, were brought back from Chongyuan Secret Realm under Li Jing’s leadership, and he certainly needed to understand them to a certain extent.

Zhou Ji was very clear, that this seemingly young-looking guy by his side was not ordinary.

...

Shortly after, Zhou Ji drove the car with Li Jing to the entrance of a research center in the heart of the Institute, stopping at a parking space by the door.

"Here we are. Let’s go inside and talk."

Zhou Ji said, and got out of the car.

Li Jing followed suit, stepping out of the car and following Zhou Ji into the research center.

Despite being early morning, the research center was still bustling with activity.

Academicians, research assistants and other related personnel of the Institute were entering and leaving individual labs, keeping themselves extremely busy.

Under Zhou Ji’s guidance, Li Jing quickly followed him into one of the labs.

Before they could even enter, Li Jing saw through the transparent isolation door of the laboratory an old academician, who seemed even older than Zhou Ji, sitting inside.

The laboratory was very spacious.

It was filled with various equipment that Li Jing did not recognize.

On the massive dissection table in the laboratory, were some dismembered "parts". Noticing a pair of oversized wings among the parts, Li Jing confirmed that these parts belonged to a Fifth Boundary winged human.

This was likely one of the winged humans that he had killed when he first encountered the species in space.

The old academician guarding the laboratory stood up to greet them with a smile when Zhouji and Li Ji entered.

Seeing this, Zhou Ji took the initiative to introduce them.

"This old man here is Guang Zhengping. We have cooperated in numerous research projects. He is both my colleague and my good friend. He is quite famous in the field of biology. Whatever you want to ask, just go ahead."

Before he could finish speaking, Guang Zhengping extended his hand.

"Counselor Li, I’ve heard a lot about you."

"Nice to meet you."

Li Jing nodded, shaking his hand.

Just as he was about to speak, Guang Zhengping said.

"Let’s dispense with the small talk. Counselor Li, I assume you have indeed discovered an unknown creature. Please take out what you found so I can take a look."

Li Jing was not a person who liked to beat around the bush.

Upon hearing Guang Zhengping’s words, he smiled in agreement, waving his hand to produce the New God’s body.

The gigantic body of the New God, compared to the dismembered winged human nearby, was merely a child’s.

The New God stood about twenty meters tall.

A Fifth Boundary winged human stood nearly fifty meters tall.

"Thud."

The New God, who had been stripped of its bones, drained of blood and bereft of its head, was simply a piece of decomposed flesh. Its landing sounded like a piece of pork being dropped onto a chopping board, with increased noise due to its larger size.

Upon seeing the body of the New God, Zhou Ji and Guang Zhengping were immediately drawn to it.

Apart from the skull and the tentacles extending from its back, the New God was a humanoid creature highly similar to humans.

At a glance, both men immediately confirmed that the corpse Li Jing produced was an unknown entity.

Guang Zhengping had just said so purely to appease Li Jing.

Seeing is believing, while hearing is uncertain.

He, as a biological expert, of course approached from a scientific perspective, and would not simply take Li Jing’s word for it.

Without seeing the actual object, he would not reach a conclusion.

To put it bluntly.

The unknown he faced was much more than what Li Jing did.

To Li Jing, this was an unknown process, but it was not necessarily a mystery to him.

Seeing the body of the New God in person, Guang Zhengping couldn’t help but become emotional.

Zhou Ji, who was standing next to him, noticed a slight change in his expression as he saw the body of the New God, and immediately frowned with intrigue.

"Li Jing, how did this Alien Species corpse end up in this condition? Its head is missing and that’s one thing, but look at how the flesh has been cut apart and the bones that should’ve been there were removed artificially?"

Li Jing was flattered by the endearing address of "Li Jing" from him.

Seeing Zhou Ji immediately noticing that the bones were removed artificially, Li Jing smiled awkwardly.

"The bones of this Alien Species were taken by my Spirit Weapon. She claimed that consuming the bones would greatly benefit her."

Upon hearing this, both Zhou Ji and Guang Zhengping frowned.

This rare unknown creature, although Li Jing had the intention of bringing it to the Research Institute, he should’ve at least left a sample, right?

Now that the Spirit Weapon had taken it away, it seemed that it held nourishing value for her.

Then came the problem.

Without even a tiny sample left, what could the two of them determine?

As Li Jing watched the two elders staring at him with strange expressions, he blinked twice, pulling out Linglong.

Linglong?

Without the bones, Li Jing was helpless.

He anticipated that the two would be dissatisfied with this.

He could only let Linglong come out to "work" now.

On the other side, Zhou Ji and Guang Zhengping were stunned by the sight of the delicately crafted Linglong.

Linglong was a Spirit Weapon, they could tell.

But at the same time, she was so unique.

With Li Jing summoning Linglong, her physical form was not seen.

How was this possible?

After showing Linglong to the two, Li Jing casually put her back, saying,

"Gentlemen, my Spirit Weapon is quite special, her physical form and spirit have fused and are not separate. Currently, her quality has reached that of an Immortal Item, and this Alien Species skeleton was taken by her after she had confirmed the spiritual materials."

Li Jing was being very straightforward with his explanation.

Hearing this, Zhou Ji and Guang Zhengping looked at each other.

An Immortal Item? This was no trifling matter.

This was a rare occurrence.

Li Jing looked young and his Cultivation level was only at the Six Realm stage, but he had already raised an Immortal Item?

Just how extraordinary was this?

Moreover, the Immortal Item was a fused entity of the Spirit Weapon and its physical form?

Such an occurrence...

Just when the two were stupefied, Li Jing smiled.

"Regarding the matter of the Immortal Item, I hope the two of you can keep it a secret for me."

The two nodded in agreement.

Zhou Ji then spoke.

"Rest assured, we won’t speak loosely about issues concerning personal Cultivation. Your Immortal Item is truly special, it doesn’t produce any corresponding fluctuations. Your willingness to disclose this to us shows your trust, and we won’t betray it."

Before he finished speaking, Guang Zhengping also chimed in.

"An Immortal Item that fuses into the physical body is indeed rare. However, we are not studying this particular area and are not particularly interested. The item belongs to you, Counselor Lee. It wouldn’t be appropriate for others to ask to research it, we will not disclose this to our colleagues."

With that, he sighed regretfully.

"What a shame, an Alien Species skeleton that can attract an Immortal Item is unlikely to be ordinary. If only we had a sample."

"While we don’t have any remnants of the skeleton, I did collect all the internal blood."

At that, Li Jing spoke up, summoning twenty barrels of blood with a wave of his hand.

The instant the items appeared, Zhou Ji and Guang Zhengping were again drawn in.

The blood of the New God looked dirty, but it was extremely pure in nature and exuded a pleasant aroma.

Even though it was stored in barrels, its scent still wafted out.

How could they not be interested?

The two didn’t say a word as they gathered around one of the barrels of blood. After scrutinizing it for a while, Zhou Ji turned around.

"Li Jing, were you referring to these samples when you wanted me to test the blood?"

"Yes."

Li Jing nodded, adding,

"According to my Spirit Weapon, the special energy in this blood is even stronger than that in the skeleton. However, due to its excessively high nature, it can’t be absorbed or refined by the weapon."

Hearing this, Zhou Ji was somewhat eager to proceed. He tried to restrain his impatience, saying,

"You should first tell us where you encountered this Alien Species, and where it came from."

Just before Li Jing could answer, Zhou Ji said,

"We understand the rules. We from the Research Institute are keeping the Alien Species and its blood. After we understand the ins and outs of the matter and carry out some basic analysis, we will contact the head of the institute to finalize the price."

Zhou Ji’s words were as straightforward as they could be.

Upon hearing this, Li Jing did not hesitate to recount how he had encountered the New God, not concealing the facts including the truth about Sanctuary’s faith and that the real strength of this New God had reached the Eighth Realm.

After listening to Li Jing’s story, Zhou Ji and Guang Zhengping immersed themselves in their thoughts, deeply moved by what they had heard.

Never did they imagine that this was how it all started.

They did not question how Li Jing managed to kill a New God with Eighth Realm strength, and neither of them asked.

To them,

The Alien Species was already dead, and after being transported back from Inova to the Longyu Research Institute, that was the important part.

However, while others might not know this, the two of them were well aware that Li Jing had gone toe-to-toe with the powerful Ancient God’s Descendants in the Chongyuan Holy Realm more than once.

Regardless of how he did it, it was over.

It had nothing to do with them, and had no connection to their research.

After exchanging glances, Zhou Ji took out a protective suit and handed it to Li Jing.

"Li Jing, put this on to prevent contamination of the samples when we start the experiments. Though the blood has already been contaminated, it’s still necessary for safety reasons as many tests have to be conducted."

"Alright."

Li Jing nodded.

...