“Alright, then it’s settled!”
Yu Feng gave Lu Chen a firm pat on the shoulder, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
“Head back and prepare properly. Get those three thousand Raksha Cult followers settled as soon as possible. Remember, stability is the top priority—don’t let anything stir up trouble.”
“Rest assured, Lord City Lord. I’ll make sure everything is handled properly.”
Lu Chen said this and was about to take his leave.
Just before he turned, Yu Feng added, “You should start thinking ahead—plan out your temple arrangements. Consider what kind of temple you want to build and which deities you’d like to enshrine. Keep in mind that a New Elite temple can host a maximum of sixty deities. That’s a number you’ll want to weigh carefully.”
“Yes, I’ll keep that firmly in mind!”
Lu Chen bowed deeply and took his leave.
Watching his retreating figure push through the door, Yu Feng silently produced a scroll of amnesty documents in his hand. He let out a sigh and shook his head with a wry laugh. “What is this all about… that kid… he’s becoming harder and harder to read.”
On his way back, Lu Chen was still mulling over Yu Feng’s earlier words.
“Solving a case? What kind of case? Has Jiangdu been having trouble lately?”
He pursed his lips and set the question aside for now.
“But Yu Feng did remind me—once I finish one more mission, I’ll officially be promoted to New Elite status and can start building the Lu Family Temple! Which deities will move in first, and how their statues will be crafted—all of that needs to be planned ahead.”
Building the temple itself was relatively simple.
With enough manpower and funding, given today’s construction capabilities, speed wouldn’t be an issue.
But crafting the divine statues was a far more complicated matter.
Just making a statue the size of a water bottle had already caused Lu Chen considerable heartache—let alone towering statues several meters tall!
“I absolutely have to get Chen Tiansheng to custom-make this batch of statues!”
This was money Lu Chen was more than willing to spend—in fact, he couldn’t have been happier to part with it.
“It looks like I’ll need to discuss things with my elder brother, Lord Yan, and the Plague Emperor—see which subordinate deities or fellow cultivators they’d like to arrange for. But with sixty slots, no matter how I allocate them right now, there’ll be more than enough to go around.”
With his mind made up, Lu Chen pressed down on the accelerator.
But before heading back to Nanshan Residences, he made a detour to the Xinghai Watch flagship store.
The flagship watch he’d ordered earlier had arrived some time ago.
They’d even offered to deliver it in person, but no one was home, so they’d called him.
At the time, Lu Chen had been in Qianjiang City on a seven-day demon-extermination mission and didn’t have the time.
So he’d told them he’d pick it up himself once things settled down.
Today happened to be on his way.
——–
Inside the Xinghai Watch flagship store.
“Ding-dong, welcome!”
The sensor doors slid open.
“Mr. Lu, you’re here! Welcome, welcome!”
The sales associate recognized him instantly.
“Hello, I’m here to pick up my pre-ordered watch.”
“Certainly. Please wait just a moment—I’ll get the manager right away.”
A short while later…
“Mr. Lu, those are the basic operations for this Quanshen flagship watch. Would you like me to demonstrate them again?”
“No need. I’ll take my time studying the rest of the details when I get home.”
“Very well. If you encounter any issues while using it, please don’t hesitate to contact me. For the Quanshen flagship series, we offer 24-hour in-home service!”
“Great.”
Lu Chen put on the watch and turned to leave.
“Manager, don’t you think Mr. Lu seems a little… different from last time?” one of the associates murmured, a look of surprise on her face.
“Oh? Different how?”
“I can’t quite put my finger on it… It’s just a feeling. His brow seems deeper, more unfathomable than before.”
The manager chuckled softly. “That’s what they call composure!”
“Really? Then why does he drive a pink luxury business van?” the associate asked, utterly perplexed.
Achoo!
In the car, Lu Chen sneezed.
He rubbed his nose and glanced down at his new watch, which was scanning data.
As the loading bar progressed, a crisp voice echoed through the cabin:
“Current enshrined deities: four in total—Lord Wenchang, Lord Jun of Wealth, King Yanluo, and the Great Plague Emperor Haotian.”
“Lord Wenchang—Divine Service Level: 0.5%.”
“Lord Jun of Wealth—Divine Service Level: 61%.”
“King Yanluo—Divine Service Level: 50%.”
“Great Plague Emperor Haotian—Divine Service Level: 34%.”
“Congratulations, esteemed Quanshen flagship user! Your achievements have surpassed 98% of spirit practitioners nationwide!”
After the electronic female voice finished its announcement, Lu Chen’s heartbeat quickened briefly before gradually settling.
“All the Divine Service Levels have gone up quite a bit! My elder brother was only around 50-something percent before, and now he’s finally broken through the 60% mark. King Yan’s increase is also impressive. The Plague Emperor’s only at 34%, though—as expected of a celestial lord, always keeping his distance.”
Lu Chen was more than satisfied with these results.
The higher Lord Jun’s Divine Service Level, the better his financial fortune would be.
And the other revered deities would also be more inclined to bestow opportunities upon him.
“But with my current standing, I’ve only surpassed 98% of practitioners nationwide? Seems like there’s always a higher mountain and a bigger fish out there.”
Lu Chen couldn’t help but take a deep breath, feeling a twinge of awe.
“The country is vast—there are hidden dragons and crouching tigers everywhere!”
——–
When Lu Chen drove up to Nanshan Residences, he could see from a distance that the entrance was packed with a dense crowd of people.
Not far off, even more curious residents were pointing and gossiping, lingering to watch the spectacle.
Lu Chen parked the car and hurried over.
“Lead—”
“Shh!” Lu Chen immediately raised a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to quiet down. “Keep it low-key.”
“Right, right, right!”
The followers quickly fell silent, not daring to speak further.
“Elder Zeng, where is Elder Wang?”
“He’s waiting for you at your home, I believe.”
“Good. Wait here for now.”
“Yes, Leader!”
Smack! A nearby follower smacked the back of the head of the one who’d just spoken, hissing in a low voice, “Didn’t you hear the Leader say ‘shh’?!”
“Oh, oh—my apologies, I was wrong.”
Lu Chen let out a helpless chuckle, parted the crowd, and made his way inside.
With three thousand followers gathered, the entire residential complex was packed to the brim, with barely room to move.
“Xiao Chen, who… who are all these people? They said they’re here to see you? Are they all here to buy spirit money?”
The neighbors, spotting Lu Chen’s return, immediately swarmed around him, firing off questions from all directions.
“Uncles and aunties, please don’t worry. These are all… friends of mine. Let me just head home first—I’ll have them leave soon. Please bear with me for now.”
“So they’re your friends! Why didn’t those kids say so earlier! Quick, quick—don’t just stand there! Everyone, get home and boil some water, make some tea, and bring out some snacks and fruit to properly host Xiao Chen’s friends!”
“Right, right—let’s go!”
Hearing that they were Lu Chen’s friends, the neighbors’ enthusiasm soared, and they sprang into action.
Feeling the warmth of this simple, heartfelt kindness, Lu Chen was deeply moved. He then made his way toward his own home.
Even the stairwells were packed with followers.
“Leader!”
One by one, they bowed respectfully.
Lu Chen gave a slight nod and pushed open the door.
The moment he stepped inside, he heard his mother’s hearty laughter.
“What’s all the laughter about? Sounds like you’re having a great time.” Lu Chen closed the door behind him.
“Son’s back!” His mother smiled and waved him over. “Come, come—this Miss Zeng is such a delightful talker, and she’s got real skill too. She says I can live to be at least a hundred!”
“A hundred?” Lu Chen chuckled. “Mom, if you want to live to two hundred or even three hundred, your son can make that happen too.”
“Oh, what would I do with that long? Turn into some old witch? A hundred years is plenty! Anyway, you two chat—I’ll go make dinner.”
“Mom, don’t bother. We’re eating out tonight.”
His mother thought about it and realized he was right—with so many people outside, even if she burned through every pot in the house, she wouldn’t be able to cook enough.
“Son… who exactly are these people?” Lu Jianming pulled Lu Chen aside and asked in a low voice, his face marked with worry.
“Dad, Mom—go rest in your room for now. Once I’ve wrapped things up here, I’ll tell you everything from start to finish.”
“Alright, you go ahead and take care of business.” Lu Chen’s parents exchanged a glance. Though still curious, they headed back to their room.
In the living room, Lu Chen settled into the main seat on the sofa.
“Leader!”
Zeng Rou and Wang Zhidong immediately knelt in salute.
“Get up and speak.”
Lu Chen raised a hand in a light gesture of support, and only then did the two rise to their feet.
“The amnesty documents have come through. From now on, all of you can register in Jiangdu and live as upright, legitimate citizens.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it sent a surge of emotion through Zeng Rou and Wang Zhidong that was hard to contain.
So fast?!
It seemed their young leader’s reach was far deeper and more unfathomable than they’d imagined.
Zeng Rou, sharp and perceptive, caught a hint of something beneath the surface and cautiously probed, “Leader, given our sensitive identities, did the government really accept us so easily? Were there… any additional conditions attached?”
Lu Chen cast her a look of approval, then his expression turned serious. “To be honest with you, while the government did approve the amnesty, they also imposed some fairly harsh conditions. In essence, they still intend to confine and keep a close watch on you.”
“Confine?”
At those words, both their faces shifted dramatically.
