Chapter 152: Kings Do Not Meet

Xu Yunzhou's brain worked at lightning speed, rapidly analyzing every possibility:

Wen Xi was now 29 years old, the renowned "Criminal Investigation Queen" at the peak of her success.

Following the logic of the game and the previous situations with Xu Nuo and others, she should currently be in a "cultivation complete" state!

In her perception, "I" should be the "teacher" or "master" who existed for the past several years as a "spirit behind her," a "system," a "mysterious mentor," or some other form—guiding her through cases, enhancing her abilities, and possibly even teasing her from time to time!

She had come to "meet face-to-face" after I left!

And she was doing so with some... uh, aggressive and ambiguous purpose!

In a flash, Xu Yunzhou made a core judgment:

Steady! Don't panic!

I'm now the man who helped her succeed, not the little Zhouzhou she used to bully!

So he slightly tilted his head, skillfully moving his chin away from her fingertips.

"..."

Wen Xi's fingers, now grasping at empty air, paused briefly.

A flicker of extreme surprise flashed in her eyes, quickly transforming into a stronger, more intense interest and a certain... razor-sharp eagerness to try her hand.

Almost at the same instant!

Wen Xi struck without any warning!

This was not a playful scuffle, but a swift, precise, and fierce attack that carried the distinct mark of grappling and combat techniques!

She went straight for Xu Yunzhou's neck and shoulder joints!

Her movements were as fast as lightning, clearly honed through years of frontline experience—her skills were incredibly solid!

Xu Yunzhou's pupils contracted. His body's instinctive reaction was far faster than his conscious thought!

He shifted his stance, dodging the chokehold on his neck by a hair's breadth. At the same time, he parried and countered, using clever force to neutralize the pressure of her grapple!

His movements were fluid and natural, as if he had practiced them a thousand times!

Naturally, this ability was gained from Xu Nuo's instance, especially from using the Kung Fu Master Experience Card a few times during life-or-death moments.

His awareness was already at the level of an elite special forces soldier, though his physical condition still couldn't keep up.

Bam! Slap! Thump!

In the living room, their figures crossed paths, fists and feet whipping through the air. Yet, paradoxically, they controlled their force perfectly, not knocking over any furniture.

Only the muffled sounds of fabric rubbing and limbs colliding, along with the occasional subtle crack of joints locking, filled the air.

A silent and thrilling close-quarters skirmish erupted in the narrow space and quickly drew to a close.

Wen Xi's moves were ruthless and crisp, embodying the simple efficiency of practical combat.

But Xu Yunzhou could tell at a glance that this routine must have been something he, from the future, had taught her in the past!

Xu Yunzhou's responses, on the other hand, were even more bizarre and unpredictable. His footwork was nimble, and the timing of his deflections was so precise it was infuriating, as if he could always predict her next move.

Occasionally, he even used joint locks and grappling techniques reminiscent of traditional martial arts, incredibly exquisite.

One final move!

Xu Yunzhou seized a slight gap in Wen Xi's power transition. Like a fish, he slid into her side and rear flank.

With one hand, he captured her wrist; with the other, he swiftly locked her shoulder joint. Using his waist and abdomen, he twisted and pushed with clever force.

"Mmph!"

Wen Xi let out a muffled grunt. Unable to resist, her body was carried by the clever force, losing balance entirely. He twisted her arm from behind and forced her down onto the spacious sofa!

Xu Yunzhou rested one knee beside her, firmly controlling her joints, pinning her in the sofa in an utterly embarrassing and powerless position.

The movements were clean and decisive. The outcome was decided.

Xu Yunzhou caught his breath slightly, looking at Wen Xi, who couldn't break free, and chuckled:

"Sister Xi, a few years gone by... and you've gone soft?"

Wen Xi, with her vital points controlled and joints locked, couldn't muster the strength to escape for the moment.

She turned her head, her cheek pressed into the soft sofa cushion, but she was smiling:

"Your skills have become... quite impressive..."

"Compared to that weakling junior in the hotel room sophomore year—shivering and totally helpless—you're worlds apart."

Xu Yunzhou's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably at the words "sophomore year," "totally helpless," and "weakling." That embarrassing, unspeakable memory from his black history once again assaulted him.

"What, you're not letting go? How long do you want to keep me in this position? Or do you like seeing your sister kneeling like this?"

Xu Yunzhou: "..."

He released his grip and stepped back, putting some distance between them. His face expressionless, his tone unreadable:

"Officer Wen pays a grand visit. To what do I owe the honor?"

Wen Xi slowly sat up from the sofa, casually stretching her wrist and shoulder that had been locked a moment ago. Her movements remained composed.

She even picked up the half-finished glass of water Xu Yunzhou had left on the coffee table and took a sip.

"What am I doing here?"

"Didn't you tell me to come?"

She curled her lips and reminded him slowly,

"Your... ah, according to your words, your last warm tip when your Dharmakaya left me—telling me to come find you here today..."

(TL: Dharmakaya (Sanskrit, literally "truth body" or "reality body") is a core concept in Mahayana Buddhism representing the absolute, unmanifested essence of a Buddha.)

She mimicked a certain slightly teasing tone that might have existed:

"You said you'd properly tame me, let me see that the master will always be the master."

Wen Xi concluded, her gaze burning as she looked at Xu Yunzhou:

"Well, looks like you weren't just bragging."

Xu Yunzhou fell silent.

These words... were probably half-true, half-false.

Knowing his "future self's" wicked personality, during the process of cultivating Wen Xi, he very likely had said something similar—either to motivate her or purely out of perverse amusement.

But...

There was absolutely no way he would have told her to come today!

Nor would he have let her appear like this, at this moment!

Today was a special day he had planned—a day where he might intersect with Xu Nuo in the real world!

Wen Xi's sudden intrusion had completely disrupted everything!

Having figured it out, Xu Yunzhou said with certainty:

"Heh, impossible. You remembered the wrong time."

He began fabricating without changing his expression—after all, according to the timeline, once he entered Wen Xi's instance and confirmed the agreement with her, anything he said now would become fact.

"I clearly told you... next month. And the place isn't here either; it's in San Francisco, America."

Hmph, the farther the better.

Wen Xi's eyes lit up. So they were the same person—he knew about the agreement.

This confirmation dispelled the last trace of doubt in her heart.

She crossed her legs, the long legs wrapped in leather pants flowing smoothly and powerfully. Her posture was bold and unrestrained:

"Isn't it just that... your big sister couldn't wait?"

Xu Yunzhou resisted the urge to roll his eyes, trying to keep his tone calm and distant:

"I have something serious to do today. I'm waiting for an important friend. It's not convenient."

He subtly hinted for her to leave.

Upon hearing this, Wen Xi showed no sign of getting up. Instead, she laughed softly:

"You're waiting for Xu Nuo, right?"

Xu Yunzhou's brow instantly furrowed!

What the hell?

She even knows about this?

She knows Xu Nuo? When? How?

Several possibilities flashed through his mind:

Right, Xu Nuo is now the Lamp-Lighter of the Incense Gang, with a network spanning overseas and a formidable intelligence network.

Wen Xi is the Chief Forensic Expert of the Security Agency. In major cases involving cross-border crime and foreign forces, it's entirely possible they would have crossed paths!

In fact, it's even possible that his future self arranged for them to meet!

Well, if that's the case, then it's explainable why she knows about his agreement with Xu Nuo.

Seeing Xu Yunzhou's change in expression, Wen Xi's smile grew even brighter:

"She won't come."

Xu Yunzhou was surprised by her certainty:

"Why?"

"Kings do not meet. Don't you understand? With me here, how would she dare to show her face?"

Xu Yunzhou frowned deeply, quickly grasping her meaning.

Wen Xi was the Chief Expert of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Great Xia Citizen Security Agency, representing the nation's law enforcement and legal order.

Meanwhile, Xu Nuo was a former assassin of the Nihon Underworld, now the Lantern Bearer of the overseas Chinese gang, the Incense Gang. Her identity, experiences, and the power she now wielded all existed on a gray or even black edge.

These two were inherently cats and mice, soldiers and bandits.

It seemed only natural that Xu Nuo would choose to avoid her.

Having figured this out, a faint sense of disappointment welled up uncontrollably from the depths of Xu Yunzhou's heart.

He had been looking forward to his first proper reunion with Xu Nuo in reality.

But then...

In the next second.

Xu Yunzhou's special agent-level perception, honed through his experience with Xu Nuo, keenly caught an extremely faint, unusual movement on the balcony.

It wasn't the wind.

It was the subtle rustle of a sleeve brushing against the railing, the almost imperceptible rhythm of a breath held under perfect control, a certain... presence he was deeply familiar with.

Xu Yunzhou smiled. He looked at Wen Xi, who was brimming with confidence, and calmly retorted:

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Kings do not meet?"

He slightly tilted his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through Wen Xi, directed toward the balcony glass door behind her:

"But..."

"She's already here."