Chapter 27: Mu Lingche, Su the Ninth

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Mu Lingche, Su the Ninth

"In truth, the time you have to spend together is quite limited. Some cultivate quickly and reach the Seventh Grade in a year at most, at which point they will form and lead their own teams," Chen Qiang said earnestly. "Others might encounter danger on missions and sacrifice themselves; they could be gone in less than a year, or even half a year. For the rest, you have a maximum of five years. If you still can’t break through to the Seventh Grade by then, you will be reassigned to a local branch, sent to the army, or simply dismissed.

"If you aren’t in the same department or region, your chances of interacting will naturally decrease. You might not even cross paths again for the rest of your lives. Everyone you meet in this life is brought to you by fate.

"Turning people into friends creates a driving force that helps you climb higher, even if only by a little. Turning them into enemies creates a dragging force that constantly pulls you down, even if only by a little. How your life turns out and the heights you ultimately reach all depend on your choices, time and time again!

"Of course, if you truly disagree and refuse to be managed, I can report it to the Squadron Commander, and you can leave at any time!

"I’ve said my piece. Think about it carefully!"

After speaking, Chen Qiang left directly, leaving the group some time to digest his words.

In reality, the only ones who needed to digest this were Jianng Hongfei, Yu Qiuyang, and the Jin Gui youth. Lu Yuan and Liu Zhi had already mentally prepared themselves.

"Brother Lu, I didn’t expect your saber technique to be so formidable. It was perfectly fluid and utterly natural..." Liu Zhi praised as he looked at Lu Yuan.

"I’m still far from it." Lu Yuan shook his head and looked at Liu Zhi. "How old are you this year?"

"Sixteen and a half, not quite seventeen. Why?" Liu Zhi asked in confusion.

"I’m seventeen this year, so I’m older than you. From now on, call me Brother Lu," Lu Yuan corrected.

"Oh," Liu Zhi nodded, but then froze. "Hey, wait a minute. Aren’t you not even sixteen yet?"

"Who did you hear that from?" Lu Yuan asked.

"Well... um..." Liu Zhi looked puzzled, unable to recall clearly. "Everyone says so."

"Then do you believe them, or do you believe me?" Lu Yuan asked with a serious expression.

"I believe... you?" Liu Zhi sounded a bit uncertain. If he went by Lu Yuan’s gaze and demeanor, claiming to be seventeen was believable. But could someone who hadn’t even reached the Eighth Grade at seventeen be admitted to the Demon Suppression Bureau without an exam?

"Call me big brother, and I’ll cover you from now on!" Lu Yuan patted Liu Zhi’s shoulder. Adding the ages of his two lifetimes together, he was indeed much older than Liu Zhi. Although Liu Zhi’s Cultivation was currently higher, Lu Yuan believed he would soon surpass him.

"You’re taking advantage of me!" Liu Zhi finally snapped back to his senses.

"Nonsense. You definitely won’t lose out by calling me that!" Lu Yuan shook his head. "I’m giving you a chance to latch onto a powerful backer, so don’t be useless. If you miss this window, you won’t get another chance."

"We’ll talk about that when you can actually beat me!" Liu Zhi said, unconvinced.

"Sigh..." Lu Yuan couldn’t help but let out a breath.

[Upon re-entering the Demon Suppression Bureau, your experience hasn’t been friendly. What’s worse is that your romantic rival and sworn enemy, Mu Lingche, is currently on his way to find you and trample you underfoot.]

[Mission Issued: Use the rules of the Demon Suppression Bureau to resolve this trouble, otherwise you will never know peace. Reward: 3 Root Bone points, 1000 Experience Points.]

"Mu Lingche? Mu Lingyan’s younger brother? The one who stepped out of the carriage that day..." Lu Yuan thought as his gaze swept around, searching for any trace of Mu Lingche.

He didn’t see him. He wasn’t here.

"What are you looking for?" Liu Zhi asked in confusion.

"I’m..." Lu Yuan’s gaze settled, suddenly landing on the Jin Gui youth. Could this person be Mu Lingche? He did bear some resemblance to Mu Lingyan...

"Don’t provoke him! He’s from the Su Family of the Grand General’s Mansion!" Liu Zhi warned with a solemn expression.

"The Su Family?" Lu Yuan paused at those words. Had he guessed wrong?

"Yes, the Su Family in the Zhen First Ring. The Su Family that has very close ties with Marquis Weiyuan’s Mansion," Liu Zhi explained.

"Ah." Lu Yuan suddenly felt a bit more certain. It was highly likely. He stepped forward.

"Hey..." Liu Zhi opened his mouth, then shook his head helplessly.

The Grand General’s Mansion wasn’t an entity just anyone could curry favor with. Even Jianng Hongfei couldn’t climb that high.

"What’s your name?" Lu Yuan asked as he stopped in front of the Jin Gui youth.

"Who do you think you are? Just based on your..." The Jin Gui youth cast a disdainful look at Lu Yuan a couple of times before remembering something. "Su, Su the Ninth."

"Su the Ninth? Does your family have that many siblings? You’re ranked ninth?" Lu Yuan asked in surprise. Did the Su Family have a lot of siblings, or did the Mu Family? Large families all favored quantity, allowing them to select the best to cultivate.

"Brat, mind your status. Are the affairs of the Grand General’s Mansion something you can casually pry into?" The Jin Gui youth, Su the Ninth, glanced at Lu Yuan with contempt. "Heh, you and Jianng Hongfei are just two weaklings pecking at each other. Don’t think that just because you won by half a move, you can show off in front of me."

"Two weaklings pecking at each other?" Lu Yuan thought, surprised and a bit embarrassed. He hadn’t expected to encounter this phrase in this world, let alone have it applied to himself. "Am I really considered a weakling?" he wondered.

"Who are you calling a weakling?" Jianng Hongfei quickly walked over and demanded. With so many descendants in the Grand General’s Mansion, Su the Ninth wasn’t necessarily highly favored.

"I’m calling you a weakling. Do you have a problem with that?" Su the Ninth abruptly straightened his posture, and a powerful aura erupted from his body.

BANG!

Jianng Hongfei was forced back two steps, his face filled with shock. "Great Success in Organ Refinement!"

The Eighth Grade True Gang Realm was divided into three steps: Bone Tempering, Blood Exchange, and Organ Refinement. Only when all three steps reached Great Success and were polished to perfection could one break through to the Seventh Grade.

In other words, Su the Ninth’s Cultivation was already at the High Tier Eighth Grade.

"Exactly. In half a year at most, I will break through to the Seventh Grade, and you’ll all be left staring at my back!" Su the Ninth said arrogantly. What a bunch of weaklings. Did they really think he was like them and would be stuck here for a long time?

Jianng Hongfei’s expression shifted. They were around the same age, but the gap in their Cultivation was... at least a year and a half. Before the age of twenty, this was an absolutely massive gulf.

"Hmph! If it weren’t for the resources of the Grand General’s Mansion, could you cultivate so quickly?" Jianng Hongfei retorted.

"As if you didn’t use the Jianng Family’s?" Su the Ninth shot back.

"I..." Jianng Hongfei’s breath hitched. Who would dare claim they hadn’t used any? Hadn’t Liu Zhi used the Liu Family’s? Hadn’t Yu Qiuyang used the Yu Family’s? Hadn’t even Lu Yuan used the Lu Family’s? Everyone was the same; they were two peas in a pod.

In truth, resources didn’t play a massive role or show a stark difference during the Ninth Grade and Eighth Grade. It was only in the later stages that the gap would gradually widen.

"Everyone is the same," Lu Yuan interjected. "What you possess is what you possess, regardless of whether it’s background or resources. The most important thing is converting it into your own strength. If two people fight to the death and one survives while the other dies, can the dead person really blame the survivor, accusing them of having more resources and calling it unfair?"

"I have a system, and none of you do," Lu Yuan thought.

"Yes," Su the Ninth nodded inwardly. "Not bad. What this kid said makes sense. It perfectly suits my liking." When it came to resources, apart from the Imperial Family, who controlled more than the Eight Great Marquis’s Mansions? And since there were too many Imperial Family members, their actual individual allocations might not even match theirs.

As a vested beneficiary himself, Jianng Hongfei couldn’t refute this either.

Coming from a small family, Yu Qiuyang naturally understood this even better. He had originally wanted to curry favor with Su the Ninth, but firstly, Jianng Hongfei had arrived earlier and already made a connection with him. Secondly, Su the Ninth simply looked down on him.

"Brother Lu’s words make sense. You have a profound understanding. You’re worthy of being my older brother," Liu Zhi said with a laugh.

"Get out of here," Lu Yuan waved him off.

[Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. Reward of 3 Root Bone points and 1000 Experience Points has been credited.]