“Why are you staring at me like that?”
Sun Yourong’s cheeks felt slightly warm under his gaze.
Lu Chen finally snapped out of it. “I’m really sorry, Sister Sun. I’ve caused you trouble again.”
“Can you say something other than apologizing?” Sun Yourong shook her head, at a loss for words.
Lu Chen chuckled. He sank deep into the plush sofa, a look of utter contentment on his face. “Your car is just so comfortable. I could fall asleep the moment I sit down. These past few days have really worn me out.”
A flicker of emotion stirred in Sun Yourong’s heart, though she kept her cool demeanor. “So, what exactly is wrong with the former Prefect Zheng’s wife? Why do you have to work so hard clearing out all those demonic dungeons?”
“I’ll tell you about it later. It’s a long story. Oh, and I need to ask you for one more favor…”
“Go on.”
“Your car…”
Sun Yourong: “…”
“Forget it. I’ll buy you one myself later, so you don’t have to keep borrowing mine. How about one just like this?”
“Ah? That doesn’t seem right, does it?” Lu Chen sat up straight, surprised.
“It’s just a car.” Sun Yourong’s tone was so nonchalant that it once again gave Lu Chen a glimpse into the sheer wealth of an established clan.
After a pause, she added, “Your father’s right. Your underworld currency business is booming, but going it alone won’t cut it. You need to scale up. Need a hand?”
“I…”
“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to steal your business. I’m already grateful for that deal you helped me with, the one with King Yan of the Underworld. If you need it, the Sun family has a few idle factories we can lease to you. We can work out the rent. If you don’t have time to arrange the equipment, I can help you with that too. But you’ll have to handle the staffing yourself.”
“Sister Sun, you’re going to make me cry!” Lu Chen pretended to squeeze out a few tears.
Sun Yourong let out a soft snort. “Didn’t you say we’re buddies? It’s only natural for buddies to help each other out. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll need your help too.”
Lu Chen pounded his chest. “Through fire and water, Sister Sun!”
Sun Yourong giggled, then pushed open the door and got out.
“Should I drop you off first?”
“No need. Your time is precious. You’d better get back to clearing those dungeons, you big internet star!”
With that teasing remark, Sun Yourong walked away with a breezy smile, not wasting a single moment.
“What a great woman~”
Lu Chen smacked his lips, didn’t dally any longer, and slid into the driver’s seat.
He stepped on the gas and headed straight for the school.
After sweeping up another batch of quests at the school’s mission hall, he began a new round of “demolition work” in Jiangdu City!
Somewhere in the outskirts, on a barren mountain.
The screech of tires against the road suddenly pierced the air.
Before the car had even come to a full stop, Lu Chen had already pushed the door open and leaped out.
The Yanluo Token in his hand blazed with crimson light.
Four streaks of black qi shot up like malevolent dragons piercing the sky.
Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face materialized and fell into step beside him.
—”Wusha Black!!”
Whoosh—
The clear, sunny sky over the barren mountain was instantly swallowed by a shroud of black mist.
A hundred underworld soldiers answered the call, assembling in a vast host behind him.
Soon, the mountain echoed with pitiful, blood-curdling screams…
Time flew by.
There were less than twenty hours left until the seven-day deadline.
On the outskirts of Jiangdu City.
A horrifying scene was unfolding!
“Squish!”
A pair of sharp claws pierced through a chest.
A young man stared in disbelief at the two bloody holes in his torso. His eyes gradually glazed over, and with a heavy thud, he collapsed to the ground.
Beside him lay two companions, a man and a woman, both dead, their bodies equally gruesome.
Of the entire party, only one old man remained, frozen in terror. He sat slumped on the ground, scrambling backwards.
His face was a mask of utter despair. He stared in horror at the black-clad fierce ghost, drool dripping from its mouth, his body completely unresponsive.
“Hehe, just a few lowly first-rank spirit cultivators, and you dare to cause trouble on my turf? Still, it’s been a while since that other nasty ghost showed up. I haven’t had such a delicious meal of fresh blood in ages! Now, only you’re left, old man! Though you’re a bit past your prime…”
Before the words had even faded, the black-clad ghost had already whipped up a gust of sinister wind and lunged!
“But I suppose you’ll do as a snack!”
“AHHH!!!”
The old man was so terrified he lost control of his bowels. Helpless, he watched those deadly claws hurtle toward his chest.
At that very critical moment!
Out of nowhere, half of the ghost’s head was sliced clean off!
“Who?!”
The black-clad ghost was both shocked and enraged. In a flash, it had retreated over ten meters away.
Its crimson eyes scanned its surroundings furiously, but found no trace of anyone.
Not daring to let its guard down, it immediately channeled its yin energy to try and repair its head. But the greenish-yin energy clinging to the wound was like a cancer in the bone—its usual, foolproof healing method was now utterly useless.
Terrified, the ghost realized something was wrong and tried to flee.
The next moment, its body was sliced in two as if by a blade of extreme cold. With a bang, it dissolved into black smoke and vanished.
The old man, having cheated death, stared in disbelief at what had just happened. Then he heard footsteps approaching from behind.
He spun around to see a young man in black closing in instantly. He was tall and lean, and above his head floated an orb wreathed in bloody red and a sickly green miasma.
“It’s you!!”
It seemed the old man recognized Lu Chen at a glance.
“Oh? You know me?”
Lu Chen’s gaze swept across the scene.
He had rushed over as fast as he could, but in the end, he couldn’t save the others.
After all, he wasn’t Cao Cao—he couldn’t be everywhere at once.
Seeing the gruesome mess before him, Lu Chen’s heart sank.
This was, without a doubt, the most brutal dungeon party he had ever encountered.
But a few mere first-rank spirit cultivators, daring to challenge a dungeon of this level—this was practically suicide, wasn’t it?
Just as he thought the old man would thank him for saving his life…
Instead, the old man’s face contorted wildly, and then he suddenly began beating his chest and wailing accusations: “Why! Why! Since you’re so powerful, why couldn’t you have come sooner?! If you’d arrived earlier, my son, my daughter, my son-in-law wouldn’t have died! It’s you! You killed them!”
“What?!”
Beside Lu Chen, Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, who were hidden in spirit form, exchanged glances. They were instantly furious.
Xie Qingyi was about to make a move, but Fan Rusong quickly held her back and nodded in Lu Chen’s direction.
Yet Lu Chen’s expression was unusually calm.
It was as if… he was completely unmoved?
“General?” Xie Qingyi started to speak.
The next instant!
“BANG!!”
Two deep craters were blasted into the ground!
Lu Chen vanished and reappeared before the old man in a flash.
He wound his arm back like a full moon, then threw a punch straight into the old man’s gut!
“BOOM!”
The next second, the old man was sent flying into the woods like a blur, his fate unknown.
Then Lu Chen bellowed, “Damn evil spirit, how dare you possess an innocent old man! Take my punch!!”
Behind him, Fan Rusong: “…”
Xie Qingyi: “…”
Ox-Head and Horse-Face: “…”
Lu Chen snorted coldly, dusted off his hands, and cast a pitying glance at the three bodies on the ground. He let out a compassionate sigh.
“Whoosh!”
Three bolts of Netherworld Divine Lightning struck down, sending the departed souls into the Underworld, completing their deliverance.
“My lord, based on the fluctuations of yin energy, that evil ghost should be nearby.”
Fan Rusong stepped forward to report.
Lu Chen nodded. “I sensed it too, through the Yanluo Token.”
—S-rank Dungeon: [Reincarnation Academy].
—Military Merit: 1800 points.
This was the dungeon Lu Chen had accepted along with the [Prefect’s Quest].
Since he was back in Jiangdu City, he figured he might as well take care of it.
Once this mission was complete, the remaining karmic calamity energy within the Plague Pearl should be cleansed entirely.
And with plenty of time left before the seven-day deadline, rescuing Lady Zheng was all but guaranteed!
“My lord, this evil ghost can roam the suburbs freely, which means it’s definitely not a land-bound spirit. It’s at least a Red-Clad level, capable of manifesting a ghost domain. These kinds of powerful ghosts have developed intelligence; they’ll flee the moment they sense danger. So, it’s best if we don’t reveal ourselves and follow you openly. Once you’ve laid eyes on the ghost, my lord, we can appear and capture it in one fell swoop. How does that sound?”
“Alright. You four, head back and await my command.”
“Yes, my lord!”
“My lord, please be careful. This is a Red-Clad level ghost after all. If anything seems amiss, summon us immediately. No ghost domain can block the activation of the Yanluo Token—unless the enemy is far stronger than Lord Yan himself!” Xie Qingyi warned, her face etched with concern.
After all, Lu Chen was only a second-rank cultivator. The danger of facing a fourth-rank or higher ghost was evident.
“Don’t worry. I know my limits.”
“Understood. Please, my lord, take every precaution!”
The four underworld emissaries returned to the nether realm to stand by.
Lu Chen clasped his hands behind his back and began to stroll forward at a leisurely pace, taking in the scenery along the way.
He truly looked like a tourist out for a country walk.
After about ten minutes or so, as he took another step forward, the road ahead suddenly rippled like black waves.
In the next instant, the world before Lu Chen had completely changed.
The forest path had vanished, replaced by an open clearing.
Not far away, several school buildings with pale, peeling walls came into view.
At the same time, an overwhelming sense of unreality washed over him, trying to seize control of his mind and erode his soul.
But Lu Chen was prepared. He had been secretly channeling the [Weihe River Dragon King] ability: Absolute Clear Water.
In an instant, the illusory sensation was scrubbed clean, and his mind was restored to perfect clarity.
“Kid, class is about to start. What are you standing around for? Hehehe~”
Suddenly, a grating, rasping voice, like the grinding of millstones, sounded from beside him, the words slurred as if chewing on something.
Lu Chen followed the sound and saw it came from a small gatekeeper’s booth.
Above the booth hung four dripping, bloody characters: Reincarnation Academy.
A pale, ghastly gatekeeper was shuffling toward him, clutching a chunk of raw flesh from some unknown creature and gnawing on it.
His bloodshot eyes were fixed intently on Lu Chen, as if sizing up a delicacy unlike any he’d ever tasted.
“Heh~”
Lu Chen’s lips curled slowly upward.
—”Finally… I’m in.”
