Chapter 313 - 31: The Tan Family’s Apology

"The Biotechnology Company’s building was raided last night?"

At the entrance of the Superpower Bureau’s building, Lu Chao stopped in his tracks, slightly surprised to hear the explosive news Chen Xiao had suddenly shared.

"You bet."

Chen Xiao, dressed in a black combat suit, nodded. "I heard it was an unknown Superpower Level individual. They struck at night and caused quite a stir."

"I also heard the Biotechnology Company has been hunting for this person everywhere. No idea if they’re a member of the Rebels."

’Is that so.’ A glint flashed in Lu Chao’s eyes.

No one would attack the Biotechnology Company for no reason. And no one would dare to so easily offend such a behemoth.

Instead, he suddenly thought of the Magic Holy Scripture he had hidden in the Biotechnology Company.

’Could it be that Mage from the God-Worshiping Church?’

As the suspicion arose, he made up his mind to investigate this matter thoroughly when he had the chance.

He then walked into the Superpower Bureau building.

The bright floor tiles reflected the winter sun shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

From time to time, Superpower Squads in combat suits would brush past him. Upon seeing him, every one of them would pause before forcing a smile.

"Leader Lu."

"Brother Lu."

Respectful greetings echoed from all around. Someone even boldly and sycophantically called out, "Leader Lu."

The rumors that had spread after he offended the Tan family had mostly vanished. At least, no one dared to bring it up anymore.

Sun Jiayuan, who was in the crowd, happened to be passing by with his team. Watching this from a distance, he clicked his tongue, his expression a mixture of complexity and awe.

"Superpower Level..."

’We all came from small city circles, and the gap between us wasn’t that big. But now, we’re worlds apart.’

He hadn’t even reached the limit point yet, and breaking through to the Superpower Level seemed a distant dream.

A strange pang of bitterness welled up in his heart at the thought.

Unaware of the thoughts of those around him,

Lu Chao walked straight to the elevator.

With a DING,

several captains from the East Port city circle stepped out. Dressed in Martial Arts uniforms, they seemed to have just finished training and were chatting and laughing.

"Don’t worry about this mission. When the time comes, with Jiang Hua and us, we’ll definitely..."

The unfinished sentence died on his lips as they saw Lu Chao waiting for the elevator.

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere grew strangely awkward and tense. The expressions of Xu Wei and Lin Yuan, who were in the group, flickered, and the other East Port captains’ eyelids twitched.

Instinctively, someone braced themselves, about to offer a greeting.

"Lu..."

TAP, TAP!

With a placid expression, Lu Chao stared straight ahead and walked past them into the elevator with Chen Xiao.

Just like their previous encounter at the third-floor training grounds, not a single word was exchanged between them from start to finish.

DING!

Finally, the elevator doors closed.

The East Port city circle captains’ expressions shifted. Some snorted in displeasure, while others sighed in resignation.

In the cooled atmosphere, Xu Wei lowered her head in embarrassment. Beside her, Lin Yuan turned to watch the floor number on the elevator display ascend, his face filled with regret, knowing he had missed the best opportunity to befriend a Superpower Level expert.

Watching this scene from afar,

Sun Jiayuan, who was leaving with his men, had a glint in his eye. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, suddenly feeling the bitterness in his heart subside, replaced by a strange sense of satisfaction.

’So what if they’re from a big city circle?’

’Becoming a Superpower Level expert ultimately depends on oneself.’

Besides,

He gradually adjusted his mindset, a hint of relief flickering in his eyes.

’It’s a good thing my relationship with Younger Brother Lu... no, with Leader Lu, is still passable.’

...

"Leader."

The elevator went straight to the sixth floor, and Lu Chao walked into Yao Jin’s office alone.

She had been waiting for some time, dressed in an elegant silver-patterned Martial Arts uniform with her hair in a ponytail, sitting behind a hardwood desk.

"You’re here? Have a seat."

Yao Jin gestured toward the sofa area with a gentle smile. Her oval face had delicate features and fair skin, giving her a capable air.

"How was your closed-door training these past two days?"

"Have you decided on a Superpower Level technique? If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me. Especially about the ’Ocean-Toppling Technique’—that’s the Martial Arts technique I cultivate..."

She walked over and brewed a pot of hot tea.

Instead of immediately bringing up the Tan family, Yao Jin asked several concerned questions and also took the opportunity to offer some tips for cultivating at the Limit-Breaking Level.

Although Lu Chao was already familiar with much of this knowledge, he still gained some new insights.

"The Ten Thousand Spirits Martial Arts Skill?"

Upon learning his choice, Yao Jin was slightly surprised.

This Martial Arts technique was widely recognized within the Superpower Bureau as one of the most difficult to cultivate, but its power was extraordinary.

"I didn’t expect you to choose this technique."

She knitted her fine brows, seeming to hesitate.

Lu Chao sensed something was amiss and asked curiously.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"Well..."

Pouring a cup of tea, Yao Jin sat on the sofa by the coffee table and handed it to him. "Quite a few people tried to cultivate the Ten Thousand Spirits Martial Arts Skill in the past, including some who were already proficient in body-hardening Martial Skills."

"But... most of them failed."

"You should already have some understanding of this technique. It’s not just the entry stage; the subsequent levels—’Hundred Refinements,’ ’Thousand Tempers,’ and ’Ten Thousand Forges’—each demand an even greater physique. Only then can the Qi Flame continuously merge and break through to higher limits..."

’I see.’

Lu Chao looked thoughtful, grasping the key point.

After the Qi Flame merges, it gains a stronger oppressive property, which is inherently a burden on one’s physical body and flesh.

"So, to cultivate this technique, you must continue to work hard on body-hardening Martial Skills in the future."

"If you haven’t started cultivating it yet, I can try to apply to have it replaced with a different Martial Arts technique for you."

Yao Jin said earnestly, her tone persuasive. She clearly didn’t think highly of his choice.

Cultivating body-hardening skills was difficult enough; adding the even more time-consuming Ten Thousand Spirits Martial Arts Skill on top of that, one could only imagine the difficulty.

However, to her surprise,

"It’s fine, Leader. I actually think this technique is quite good."

Lu Chao smiled and politely declined.

It might be difficult for an ordinary person to cultivate, but he was blessed with the ’Resilient Body’.

His powerful recovery ability could not only withstand the physical burden of the oppressive property but also amplify his cultivation of both the body-hardening Martial Skills and the Ten Thousand Spirits Martial Arts Skill, speeding up his progress through repeated, all-out attempts.

Seeing his persistence,

Yao Jin looked thoughtful and didn’t press the matter further.

’Every genius has their pride.’

’Just like me—didn’t I only learn my lesson after hitting a wall?’

With this in mind, Yao Jin smoothly changed the subject.

After some small talk, she stood up, walked to her hardwood desk, and took a small, silver briefcase from a drawer.

"This is what the Tan family sent over."

She smiled slightly, placed it on the coffee table, and gestured. "Mr. Ji made a special trip to the City Lord’s Mansion yesterday."

"After that, the Tan family sent someone with this. They offered an apology and this compensation, hoping to be allowed to take Tan Yue back."

’Oh?’

Lu Chao looked over and opened the silver briefcase.

Inside were three glass vials, each as thick as a fist.

The liquid within was a bright yellow, like solidified amber, brimming with vitality.

It was actually three full vials of energy mineral essence.

Beside them lay a black card.

The words "Red Maple Bank" were on it; it was clearly a special, unregistered bank card.

"Three vials of energy mineral essence, plus one million Alliance Coins."

Yao Jin lowered her voice and said softly, "They claim the whole affair was a misunderstanding and hope to bury the hatchet."

Lu Chao narrowed his eyes at her words, a multitude of thoughts flashing through his mind.

This compensation was undoubtedly valuable.

The one million Alliance Coins were secondary, merely a bonus.

The key was the energy mineral essence. It was priceless and had no market price, almost impossible to measure in terms of money and nearly unobtainable on the open market.

In the Superpower Bureau, it would take at least thirty thousand contribution points to exchange for three vials.

’But...’

"What did Mr. Ji say?"

Lu Chao asked, looking at Yao Jin.

He didn’t believe for a second that the Tan family’s apology was sincere. They were only doing this to save face for Ji Lixian, not wanting to completely burn bridges with the Superpower Bureau.

"Mr. Ji only said one thing: ’You are a member of the Superpower Bureau.’"

Yao Jin smiled, shrugged, and relayed the short message.

Lu Chao’s expression softened; he naturally understood the meaning.

’He’s backing me up.’

However, it was precisely for this reason that he couldn’t act without consideration.

Killing Tan Yue would bring no benefits and would only escalate the conflict.

After all, the Tan family had an expert at the third level, the Transcendence Level, and was deeply rooted in the local area. If they completely fell out, it wouldn’t just affect him; the entire Superpower Sub-Bureau would be implicated and significantly impacted.

"I understand."

Lu Chao nodded, having made his decision, and accepted the compensation from the Tan family.

At least on the surface, he had to. Besides, he could use these resources for his cultivation to increase his strength. It was all benefit and no drawback.

’As for what comes next...’

A flicker passed through his eyes, but his expression remained calm, as if he had let the matter go.

Seeing this, Yao Jin quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although she was part of the hardline faction, she didn’t want to make a mortal enemy of the Tan family unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Also, regarding your appointment as a Superpower Team Leader."

She smiled and offered her hand, speaking respectfully, "Director Li is already preparing to establish the Fifth Team for you. Several squads will be reorganized under it later."

"So, Leader Lu... I look forward to working with you."

...

「That evening.」

Thick searchlight beams tore through the night sky, illuminating a bluestone-paved clearing within a complex of pavilion-style buildings.

Many figures inside the Tan family’s pavilions cast complex gazes toward it.

A hover-car was descending.

Amidst the hum of the air currents, gusts of wind swept across the ground, kicking up a little dust.

Security guards from the Jinggang Chamber of Commerce patrolled the area, while a crowd of the Tan family’s core members moved forward to greet the arrival.

Finally, with a HISS and a CLANK, the cabin door opened.

A severely injured Tan Yue could be seen lying on a mobile metal medical bed, his aura weak, as he was escorted out by several elite security guards in black combat suits.

"Patriarch..."

His face was pale, his eyes bloodshot.

His severe physical injuries were a secondary concern; with the resources of the Jinggang Chamber of Commerce, they could be slowly healed.

But the mental humiliation was carved into his very bones, impossible to forget.

It wasn’t just his own face he had lost; the prestige of the entire Tan family had been challenged.

Seeing this, Tan Shanzhong—dressed in silver-patterned brocade clothes, his hair white—remained expressionless, standing silently for several breaths.

His unwrinkled, ruddy face looked somewhat icy. He finally spoke, making a promise.

"Once Ji Lixian leaves, this matter will be settled."

He was indeed wary of that descendant of a cosmic hero.

But this was Red Maple, after all, not Yao Capital.

"Thank you, Patriarch."

Tan Yue coughed lightly, finally feeling relieved.

Then, he watched as Tan Yue was taken away to be treated.

Amidst soft rustling sounds, the lights in the bluestone clearing dimmed, and Tan Shanzhong’s face gradually disappeared into the gloom.

"Patriarch, are you really going to make a move?"

The man in camouflage, built like an iron tower, stood behind him and asked in a deep, powerful voice.

He was well aware of Ji Lixian’s power.

The fact that Ji Lixian would personally intervene, using the opportunity of visiting the old City Lord to apply pressure, was enough to show that the kid surnamed Lu had entered his sights and could not be touched rashly.

"Do you think that little brat will let the Tan family go in the future?"

Tan Shanzhong asked, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

The man in camouflage was taken aback for a moment, then gradually understood the implication.

A Superpower Level expert so young was bound to be proud and arrogant, with immense potential. No one could guarantee that the so-called compensation would be enough to erase the grudge and resolve the conflict.

In other words, if they waited until he grew stronger and broke through to the Transcendence Level, the Tan family might find themselves with another formidable enemy.

"Rather than placing our hopes in others, we should seize the opportunity ourselves."

"Besides, the Tan family’s things aren’t so easily taken. And that kid can’t hide inside the city circle forever."

Tan Shanzhong’s voice was frigid as he made his decision.

The man in camouflage understood and asked no more questions.

"I will inform Ma Biao and have him cooperate."

"Mm."

Tan Shanzhong nodded and then looked up at the night sky.

The bright moon hung high, surrounded by a smattering of stars.

The scene was like the Red Maple City Circle of today.

For the past century, the Tan family had been just one of the many stars revolving around the bright moon.

’But now...’

He sneered.

A flash of ambition seemed to cross his eyes.