Chapter 87: Sunx Jin’s Confidence

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Sunx Jin’s Confidence

"How could Sunx Jin know?" Chen Qiang frowned. The Demon Suppression Bureau also had a kinship avoidance policy. Logically speaking, Sunx Jin shouldn’t have had any access to the relevant information.

"Someone must have leaked it to him!" Qin Gang’s brows also furrowed. According to the avoidance policy, even the Squadron Commander of Sunx Jin’s unit wouldn’t know the specific details. But in the end... it could only have been leaked by a higher-ranking Hundred-Man Commander.

A Hundred-Man Commander was of the Fifth Grade and wouldn’t easily interfere in the trivial matters of the squadrons, especially those under a squad leader, unless there was a grudge. He wondered, "Is it the one who had conflicts and friction with Captain Lin of the Demon-slaying Bureau?"

Lin Qingfeng was usually quite low-key, but once someone infringed upon his interests, he would become exceptionally overbearing and ruthless, sparing no one’s feelings. The crucial point was that his combat power was overwhelmingly tyrannical—invincible among peers of the same realm, and even capable of fighting across cultivation boundaries. Many experts within the Demon Suppression Bureau had been suppressed by him. Therefore...

"Then after this is over, let’s arrest everyone here who needs to be arrested!" His unit was in charge of this area and possessed the authority to make arrests.

"By the way, I was attacked by a Peak Martial Artist of Middle Tier Eighth Grade after getting off work previously. They were likely from the Sunx Family’s Yaoyang Martial Arts Hall," Lu Yuan said, bringing up another matter.

"Oh?" Chen Qiang immediately raised an eyebrow. "When?" Attacking a member of the Demon Suppression Bureau was a public provocation and a crime of treason.

"The second night after the challenge was arranged." Lu Yuan’s memory of it was still fresh. It was the first time he had been ambushed by an expert.

"You didn’t seem to have completed your Gang Transformation at that time. You shouldn’t have been worth Sunx Jin sending someone to test you, right?" Chen Qiang was a little doubtful. Moreover, Lu Yuan had actually managed to escape.

"What if the people from the Yaoyang Martial Arts Hall were instructed by someone from the very beginning to specifically challenge me? And what if there’s a reason why Sunx Jin started causing trouble for me?" Lu Yuan smiled. He went on to explain the relationship between Yangg Lian, the Deputy Chief of Police at the Government Office, and his father. Yangg Lian was close to the Yaoyang Martial Arts Hall. He had learned all of this during casual chats with his father.

Qin Gang couldn’t help but shoot Lu Yuan a glance, thinking that his whole family was a magnet for trouble—his future father-in-law Lin Qingfeng, his father Lu Ming... However, only the mediocre were free from envy! The tallest tree caught the most wind! When someone stood out, they would inevitably face jealousy and suppression from certain people.

"Yangg Lian... the Sunx Family..." Chen Qiang sighed. It seemed they really needed to properly deal with them tonight. Leaving such a group around was a disaster, a cancerous tumor.

The three of them soon arrived at the Craft Workshop. Even Qin Gang could only wait outside and couldn’t enter as he pleased.

"Junior Brother, do you need something?" Yan Qing walked out, his face full of smiles.

"Junior Brother?" Qin Gang and Chen Qiang exchanged a glance. How did he become a Junior Brother? Didn’t this mean they had some connections? The Demon Suppression Bureau usually didn’t recruit people from sects, but those with specialized skills were the exception, such as Weapon-Forging, Alchemy, Arrays, and Talismans.

"I’ve mastered a top-tier Archery Skill, so the Squadron Commander is equipping me with a Strong Bow." Lu Yuan wasn’t overly polite, getting straight to the point.

"A bow and arrows? That’s a small matter. Do you have any specific requirements?" Yan Qing asked. Just as Lu Yuan had said, he was more than willing to help forge a Mortal Weapon for him.

"Ten piculs in draw weight, with both ends sharpened..." Lu Yuan gave a brief description. Ten piculs was stronger than eight. His root bone had strengthened, and his cultivation had grown again. It would continue to grow in the future. Having both ends sharpened was a precaution for sudden close-quarters combat when there was no time to draw a blade.

"Alright, give me about half an hour." Yan Qing turned and went back inside.

"A ten-picul bow, are you sure you can handle it?" Chen Qiang gave Lu Yuan a serious look. Drawing a bow was different from wrestling; even if your arms had a hundred catties of strength, you might not necessarily be able to draw a fifty-catty bow. Furthermore, drawing a bow and shooting arrows required frequent repetition. Drawing it once wasn’t enough.

"My cultivation base is constantly growing," Lu Yuan explained simply. He had only undergone his second blood exchange; he still had Organ Refinement ahead of him. After reaching Great Success and perfecting his Gang Qi, he would re-nourish and temper his muscles and bones to their absolute limit. His strength would soar drastically once again. This was the visible progress; invisibly, his root bone was still strengthening.

"Mhm." Chen Qiang nodded, expressing his agreement. He now felt that Lu Yuan probably had a Middle Class Root Bone, giving him greater strength than a normal Eighth Grade Martial Artist.

"Are you learning Weapon-Forging out of your own interest, or..." Qin Gang asked. He wanted to know if Lu Yuan wanted to learn it himself, or if Lin Qingfeng had pulled some strings for him.

"Naturally, it’s out of my own interest, and I also have a bit of talent for it," Lu Yuan answered with certainty. "I feel that Weapon-Forging can increase my cultivation speed."

"..." Qin Gang was stunned. He had just been about to say that Lu Yuan shouldn’t let learning Weapon-Forging delay his cultivation, but Lu Yuan actually said Weapon-Forging could increase his cultivation speed? What kind of logic was this? Could the Yan Sect’s Weapon-Forging Dao possess some other Secret Technique?

"That’s good. I still have matters to handle, so I’ll head back first. If you need any signatures, Chen Qiang, bring the documents to me."

"Got it." Chen Qiang nodded.

Qin Gang left, leaving only Chen Qiang and Lu Yuan waiting in front of the Craft Workshop.

Meanwhile, Sunx Jin was also making preparations and had ordered people to keep a close eye on their side. After learning some details about Lu Yuan, Sunx Jin deliberately acquired a shield out of caution. He planned to use a Sword and Shield Technique to counter Lu Yuan’s Archery Skill. This was the basic combat tactic infantry used against charging enemies. It would absolutely crush Lu Yuan’s Archery Skill, perhaps even score a lethal hit.

"Brother Sunx, someone sent a message." A teammate quickly walked over, his expression filled with worry.

"What is it?" Sunx Jin raised an eyebrow. What kind of news could make him look like that?

"That Lu Yuan has a Profound Weapon Blade!" Zhang Cheng said.

"What?" Sunx Jin’s expression drastically changed. A Profound Weapon! If Lu Yuan used a Profound Weapon, he wouldn’t be able to defeat him. All his preparations would be in vain. But soon...

"Heh, don’t worry. Profound Weapons aren’t allowed in a match between Eighth Grade combatants." A normal match wasn’t a fight to the bitter end where participants slaughtered each other. Items that exceeded one’s grade were strictly prohibited, and things like poisons and hidden weapons were also banned. In fact, he somewhat wished they were allowed, with no rules or restrictions. That way, he could also borrow a Profound Weapon and use hidden weapons, poisons, and so on. It was still uncertain who would have the upper hand then.

"Then I’m relieved." Zhang Cheng instantly let out a sigh of relief.

"So he has a Profound Weapon. No wonder he dared to push the match forward..." Sunx Jin sneered. Heh, if Lu Yuan found out before the battle that Profound Weapons weren’t allowed, would he despair? He was probably regretting it by now, wasn’t he? Because even if Lu Yuan didn’t know the rules, Chen Qiang definitely did and would surely remind him.

"Right, Lu Yuan, Chen Qiang, and Squadron Commander Qin Gang went to the Craft Workshop," Zhang Cheng reported again.

"The Craft Workshop? Forging a slightly better weapon won’t change anything. As long as it’s not a Profound Weapon, there’s no way he can beat me!" Sunx Jin brushed it off indifferently. No matter what, he simply didn’t believe Lu Yuan could defeat him.

"Right, Brother Sunx will definitely win!" Zhang Cheng nodded. "It’s a pity the power gap is so huge that no one even dares to open a betting pool. Otherwise, I could have made some easy money."

"Haha, what are you dreaming about? Who would dare open a betting pool for this? Wouldn’t that be seeking death?" Sunx Jin also couldn’t help but laugh. Betting pools were only profitable when the competitors’ strengths were evenly matched, or if someone knew one side had a hidden trump card capable of turning the tables. Right now, the power gap between the two of them was laid bare for all to see. Everything was crystal clear. Who would have so much money burning a hole in their pocket that they’d just toss it into the fire? It was a complete point of no return.

"Mhm, Brother Sunx is right." Zhang Cheng nodded.

"Someone opened a betting pool!" Suddenly, another person burst in, his face flush with excitement.

"What? Are you serious? What are the odds?" Zhang Cheng’s expression changed.

"The odds are one to ten for Brother Sunx to win, and five to one for Lu Yuan to win!"