Chapter 432: Take Lu Yu Away

Su Ming didn't speak immediately.

He was waiting.

Three seconds.

The grid stopped.

The coverage area was precisely locked at three meters in front of and behind the stretcher—no more, no less—and it did not engulf the positions of any Federation agents.

Su Ming read that distance.

It wasn't an attack. It was a warning.

The barefoot boy stood in the center of the gray‑ruined grid, a Red Wood Ruler upright before him, his sutured lips showing no sign of opening. His hollow eyes stared straight at Su Ming, empty inside.

No threat, no provocation.

He was merely stating a fact—the person on the stretcher, you may not move.

Su Ming's hand slowly reached toward his lower back.

He produced a strangely shaped pistol, its body entirely gray‑white, the barrel tip wrapped in fine silver engravings that glimmered a cold light amid the blood rain.

A custom‑made sidearm—specifically for dealing with Rules‑type manipulators.

He didn't aim at Xu An. He simply drew the gun, held it, the muzzle pointing downward.

He was using the same script as with Xu An.

It wasn't an attack. It was a response.

You flash a blade, I flash a blade.

Blood rain fell on the gun's body, trickling down the engravings and dripping at Su Ming's feet.

The two faced each other across three rows of Correction Place walls.

The air tightened like a violin string.

Footsteps sounded from the bottom of the pit.

Chen Shao emerged from the pit.

His bearing now differed completely from before. The brutal, crushing fury he displayed when entering the Weird Domain had largely subsided, the Demon Eye's crimson dimmed several shades, his coat was soaked with blood and mud, yet his gait had become light.

Because he was cradling Chen Yao in his arms.

He walked to a relatively intact step at the edge of the Square, crouched, and placed Chen Yao on the step, seating her properly.

Then he did something that rendered all of Su Ming's predictions invalid.

Chen Shao removed his gloves.

The hands, long wrapped in black leather, were exposed, the joints distinct, the pads bearing thin calluses.

He cupped Chen Yao's face with his bare palm.

The movement was so light it seemed uncharacteristic of him.

His thumb brushed the dust off Chen Yao's cheekbone, wiping away a small patch of dried bloodstain. He turned her wrist to inspect, pushed aside her bangs to view her forehead, then felt the back of her head, confirming no swelling.

Not a single word was spoken the whole time.

Chen Yao remained silent. She sat on the step, hands on her knees, quietly allowing Chen Shao to examine her.

Su Ming stood ten meters away, watching the scene.

He suddenly understood something.

The Intelligence revealed the entire logic of Chen Shao's actions—controlling the conglomerate, establishing Eden Garden, manipulating Shen Wanshan to infiltrate Qiu Ce Yuan, wiping out the Zhao Clan entirely—what was the ultimate purpose?

That realization sent a chill down Su Ming's spine.

Because a man who would destroy an entire commercial empire for his sister, and a man who could tear the Weird Domain's Domain Membrane alone for his sister, now crouched before him, using the gentlest gesture in the world to wipe the dust from the girl's face.

The contrast was especially strange.

Inspection complete.

Chen Shao confirmed the sister was unscathed.

He stood up.

He turned.

The gentle brother vanished.

The Demon Eye flared crimson.

There was no warning, no charging motion, not even a glance at the target.

A psychic pulse shot from his left eye, invisible and silent, sweeping past the plasma main cannon wreckage three meters to Su Ming's right.

The 18‑ton armored shell seemed grasped by an unseen hand, emitting the sharp, piercing screech unique to metal under extreme compression, and then—

It shattered.

Steel plates, circuits, cooling pipes, fire‑control modules—all components turned into swirling silvery‑gray dust within a fraction of a second, sprinkling half of Su Ming's shoulder.

Federation agents collectively stepped back two paces.

Su Ming didn't move.

Dust settled on his eyelashes; he blinked.

"Finished venting?"

Chen Shao gave no reply. His Demon Eye scanned Su Ming, as if contemplating whether to grind the person into powder as well.

Su Ming raised his hand and flicked the metallic dust off his shoulder, his tone flat to the extreme: "Chen Shao, I understand your feelings. As a brother, his sister almost got into trouble; you want to tear the whole world apart—human nature."

"But."

He tilted his head, his gaze passing over Chen Shao's shoulder and landing on the unconscious Lu Yu on the stretcher.

"The person on the stretcher, I will take them away."

Chen Shao's brow did not twitch.

"He is called Lu Yu, a formally registered student of Qiu Ce Yuan, and I, a core instructor of the Federal Weird Investigation Bureau, have the authority to conduct emergency custodial transfer of students within the institute," Su Ming said neither fast nor slow, enunciating each word clearly, "More importantly—"

He lifted his chin and pointed at the scorched earth of the square that had been leveled.

"Weird Domain B09 surged from C Ji to a suspected A Ji or above; the Weird Domain's Core was erased at the Rules level. Do you know how many known individuals within the Federation can do such a thing?"

Chen Shao gave no answer.

Su Ming raised two fingers.

"Two. One is you. One is Jiang Yuan."

He paused briefly and withdrew his hand.

"But you just arrived, and Jiang Yuan is four hundred kilometers away. Then who cleared this square?"

"Moreover, the Weird inside your bodies is controlled and will not trigger this disaster without cause."

Blood rain was still falling. The two people's shadows were cast onto the scorched earth by the crimson canopy, one long and one short.

"Lu Yu is a key witness. He could also be a suspect." Su Ming's tone remained flat, "His body may harbor a brand‑new ultra‑high‑tier Weird. If this power is not studied and monitored, you understand the consequences better than I do."

"Therefore, ask Eden Garden to hand the person over."

It fell silent for two seconds.

Then Chen Shao smiled.

It wasn't a social smile. It was a slight upward tug of the mouth after hearing something amusing, while the crimson in his eyes turned cold to the bone.

"Su Ming." He called his name.

"Do you know what that little brat just did?"

"He used his back to shield my sister from that blow."

Chen Shao stepped forward. The psychic field expanded with his stride, and the fine metallic dust on the ground was pressed into the cracks.

"You call him a witness, you call him a suspect. Let me tell you what he is."

"He is the lifesaver of my sister, Chen Yao."

When he said that, his voice did not rise, even could be called soft. Yet every Federation agent within thirty meters held their breath for a beat.

"Whoever touches him today, Eden Garden will take whose life to fill."

Su Ming's hand gripping the custom sidearm did not tremble. He stared at Chen Shao's Demon Eye, mentally tallying both sides' combat power.

Xu An's Correction Place was still there. Gray failed squares covered the area around the stretcher, and the Red Wood Ruler stood on the ground, ready to commence judgment at any moment.

The remaining few of Eden Garden's Weird Controllers were scattered on both flanks, the ghastly green light of the blue‑skinned lanterns flickering erratically.

On the Federation side, the plasma main cannon had just been ground to powder, Number 31's backlash severed half of it, and the action team's combat power was reduced by over sixty percent.

In a fight, the chance of winning was less than twenty percent.

While Su Ming was calculating countermeasures in his mind, an incident occurred.

A very small movement.

So small that if Su Ming hadn't been constantly watching Chen Yao, it would have been missed entirely.

Sitting on the steps, Chen Yao extended her right hand and gently tugged the hem of Chen Shao's coat.

Just that tug.

The force was so light that the fabric's folds barely changed.

Chen Shao's steps halted.

The psychic field's expansion stopped.

Even the sound of blood rain hitting the ground became unusually clear in that instant.

"Brother."

Chen Yao's voice was tiny, carrying the textbook‑like timidity Su Ming had seen in the counseling room. Her throat was still hoarse, the trailing tone dropping as if she had mustered great courage to speak.

"Forget it."

Chen Shao did not look back. But his spine stiffened for an instant.

"They should… not do anything to Lu Yu," Chen Yao lowered her head, her fingers twisting the coat's fabric edge, "Moreover, we must consider Lu Yu's own wishes. He is a student of the Investigation Bureau Academy; if we forcibly take him away, when he wakes up, would he think…"

She did not finish.

But the words were enough.

Su Ming saw a chilling scene—an S Ji wanted criminal, the leader of Eden Garden, a man who could crush armor with his psychic power, and at the moment a thirteen‑year‑old girl tugged his coat hem, all the killing intent dissolved.

Like a boiling pot being carried off the stove.

Chen Shao's Demon Eye gradually dimmed, the deep‑to‑black crimson receding to its ordinary dark red.

He turned his head slightly, glancing at Lu Yu on the stretcher with his peripheral vision.

The unconscious boy's chest still rose weakly. His school uniform was torn into strips, the wounds on his back so dense that no intact skin could be seen. The ten fingernails were split, the nail beds embedded with dirt and clotted blood.

Chen Shao stared for three seconds.

He withdrew his gaze.

He turned and walked toward Chen Yao, bending down to lift her. Chen Yao naturally wrapped her arms around his neck, her head resting in his shoulder hollow.

Xu An collected the Red Wood Ruler.

The gray failed squares of the Correction Place silently faded from around the stretcher, the walls sank back into the ground, vanishing completely as if they had never existed.

The field medic's knees in front of the stretcher were still weakening.

Chen Shao, carrying Chen Yao, walked toward the spatial rift they had torn open, the hem of his coat dragging blood, leaving a dark wet streak on the scorched earth.

When he reached the edge of the breach, he stopped.

He did not look back.

"Su Ming."

"Hmm?"

"If Lu Yu loses even a single hair over there—"

He didn't finish the second half.

But Su Ming understood. The second half didn't need to be spoken.

Chen Shao stepped into the crack. Xu An followed, barefoot and silent over the broken stones. The remaining Eden Garden Weird Guardians gathered their formation and withdrew in turn.

The grim green light of the blue‑skinned lantern finally went out.

Su Ming stood where he was, his hand on the gun slowly loosening its grip.

The specially made sidearm was splattered with blood rain and metal dust; he slipped the gun back into his waist, lowered his head, and glanced at his palm still seeping blood.

"Su Team." The Deputy Officer leaned in, his voice still unsteady, "How should we handle Lu Yu?"

Su Ming walked toward the stretcher.

The boy's unconscious face appeared pale and youthful amid the blood rain; his shallow breathing could only be felt by getting close.

A student who hasn't yet reached adulthood.

At the same time, he was being watched by the Federal Weird Investigation Bureau and Eden Garden.

One side wants him as a witness; the other side appoints him as a benefactor.

Two forces capable of overturning continental plates almost clashed in the Weird Domain ruins over this half‑dead little brat.

Su Ming rubbed his temples.

"First send him to a Medical Pod, full examination, twenty‑four‑hour dedicated supervision. Send the encrypted results straight to me, without any intermediary."

"Understood."

The Military Doctor lifted the stretcher and hurried away.

Su Ming didn't follow.

He stood in the center of the plowed‑flat Square, looked up at the dark‑red sky curtain collapsing.

What replayed in his mind wasn't Chen Shao's telepathy, nor Xu An's Correction Place, nor the tense standoff between the Federation and Eden Garden.

It was the look Chen Yao gave when the Military Doctor lifted Lu Yu out of the pit.

Everyone was watching Chen Shao, watching Xu An, watching Su Ming.

No one noticed Chen Yao.

But Su Ming did.

Before leaving, Chen Yao stepped over Chen Shao's shoulder, turned back and glanced at the unconscious Lu Yu.

That look contained no timidity, no fear, no "proper emotion" she had ever displayed in the counseling room.

Very complicated.

So complex that Su Ming spent three seconds without being able to decipher it.

Within it were scrutiny, calculation, and some thing beginning to take root…

And a tiny—very faint—softness that didn't seem performed.

Blood rain struck Su Ming's face.

He brushed it off, turned, and headed toward the Domain Membrane Exit.

His footsteps on the scorched earth were each muffled.

This kid called Lu Yu.

He was plainly an ordinary student in a C Ji Study Weird Domain, yet could erase Weird Domain cores above A Ji, make Chen Shao withdraw his murderous intent, and cause Chen Yao to show that look.

He was already unusual; now he was even more so.

Su Ming took the last step out of the Domain Membrane crack, fished out his Communicator, and dialed an encrypted channel.

"Wei Gong, this is Su Ming. I have a situation that needs to be reported in person."

He hesitated.

"…perhaps more troublesome than Chen Shao's case today."