Chapter 44: Cataclysm Grade Spirit Energy Items
The sun had fully risen, and sunlight streamed through the window, filling the entire room.
The girl woke up in a simple bedroom, opened her eyes, looked at the pristine white ceiling, and for a few seconds stared blankly before picking up her phone from the bedside table.
Jiang Li was awakened by the ringtone of her phone, which had been sending notifications since Ahua sent her the first message at 5:30 AM. Now it was 8:42 AM, and over three hours had passed, during which she had accumulated more than thirty unread messages and over ten missed calls.
“I actually overslept…” Jiang Li rubbed her forehead and muttered to herself.
It had been a long time since she was rescued from the Solar Eclipse Society’s hideout, and this was the first time she had slept soundly in a place outside the Amber Hall.
And in the Happy Neighborhood, a place where danger could emerge at any moment.
In fact, at first, she had maintained a half-asleep, half-awake state, waking up at the slightest sound, just like when Luxianbei left the room.
But later…
After pondering for a moment, Jiang Li gently shook her head, attributing her deep sleep to the familiar bowl of instant noodles she had last night.
If only I had an uncle nearby keeping watch, I should have been able to sleep well, right?
Jiang Li thought to herself as she picked up her phone to call Ahua back.
“Beep—beep—!”
The phone rang twice before Ahua’s eager voice came through.
“Miss, is that you? You finally returned my call, I was so worried, woo woo woo!”
“Last night…” Jiang Li slightly parted her lips, the experiences from last night flashed in her mind, and she momentarily became lost in thought.
“That guy didn’t do anything to you, right?”
“Nothing happened, we slept quite early…”
“Oh my god!” Ahua suddenly exclaimed on the other end, “Miss, you, you actually slept?!”
“I knew that guy was up to no good, but I didn’t expect he would dare to lay a hand on our miss! d*mn it! I must teach him a lesson this time!”
Ahua had always thought that if she had been a bit more resolute back when Jiang Li chased her away, perhaps Jiang Li wouldn’t have been kidnapped by that group of villains from the Solar Eclipse Society.
Thus, affected by this excessive guilt, when Ahua returned to Jiang Li’s side, she often displayed an overprotective attitude, sometimes even making some abnormal moves.
“Ahua…”
“Hmm? What is it, Miss?”
“You know, she’s currently in a girl’s state…”
“Miss!” Ahua interrupted seriously, “The urge to polish one’s mirror has existed since ancient times! Girls need to learn to protect themselves, even when with other girls!”
Jiang Li rubbed her forehead and said, “Ahua, nothing you are thinking happened.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Jiang Li replied lightly, “Could you come over when you have time?”
At this point, she looked down at her chest.
Since her clothes were torn last night, she had been covering herself with an apron from the rented room, making it inconvenient for her to move around.
“…Please bring me some clothes and daily necessities, I might have to stay here for a few days.”
————
Before leaving the bedroom, Jiang Li was still thinking about the instant noodles, planning how to ask Luxianbei to make her another bowl without seeming too weak.
However, as soon as she opened the bedroom door, she caught a whiff of a delicious aroma. Following the scent, she found Luxianbei busy in the kitchen.
“It smells so good…”
Luxianbei had already predicted that Jiang Li would approach from behind and smirked, turning around, “Of course, this is a family recipe of the old Wang family!”
Jiang Li rolled her eyes in mockery, “Not the old Lu family this time?”
“This… of course, not, I said that last night—your mind was a bit cloudy back then!” Luxianbei countered and turned back to her cooking.
When Luxianbei was young, she used to buy buns from a bakery in the morning, and if she had time, she liked to add a little something before serving them to Jiang Li.
The process was simple: she would pan-fry the buns with scallion oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top just before serving, elevating their taste and aroma significantly.
At this moment, Luxianbei was preparing buns she had just bought at the neighborhood entrance that morning, while the scallions and sesame seeds were borrowed from a neighbor last night—use it if you can!
“Crack—!”
After evenly sprinkling sesame seeds over the fried buns, Luxianbei flipped them over and, accompanied by a slight sizzling sound, quickly plated the golden-brown buns and brought them to Jiang Li.
“Here, eat up!”
Jiang Li looked at Luxianbei and then at the plate of golden crispy buns with a tempting aroma, tentatively asked, “You woke up so early just to make this for me?”
“Tsk!” Luxianbei scoffed, “I realized you not only look good, but you also think too highly of yourself. Of course, I’m making this for myself; you’re just a freeloader!”
It was just that last night, she thought about her father and suddenly missed his cooking!
Muttering to herself, Luxianbei picked up the chopsticks on the table and popped a bun into her mouth.
Seeing Luxianbei about to take her third bun, Jiang Li snapped back to reality and picked up her chopsticks.
If she didn’t hurry, Luxianbei would eat all the buns.
As the saying goes, one must not miss out on love and good food. Who would refuse good food?
Although Luxianbei’s words were harsh, her cooking tasted delicious!
While Jiang Li was enjoying the buns, Luxianbei casually added, “By the way, I ran into someone from the property management when I bought the buns earlier; they invited us to a welcome party this weekend.”
Jiang Li paused for a moment, frowning as she asked, “Did you agree?”
“Yeah…” Luxianbei replied vaguely, trying to lick the soup that dripped from her mouth with her pink tongue. Just as Jiang Li found it unbearable and prepared to hand her a tissue, Luxianbei raised her hand and wiped her mouth, then put her finger in her mouth.
Her pink lips, shining with soup, glistened as she licked her slim finger— the scene was rather enticing.
Jiang Li frowned slightly, “…”
How can this girl make breakfast so provocative?
Is it her problem, or do some behaviors of boys seem flirtatious when they are done by girls?
After silently criticizing her, Jiang Li calmly asked, “So what’s your plan about that party?”
The property management’s welcome party was certainly a must-attend event. In a time when clues were unclear in various aspects, participating in the gathering could be a good breakthrough.
However, the bizarre urban legends hidden within the Happy Neighborhood required a little planning before attending.
“My plan is…” Luxianbei put down her chopsticks, looked into Jiang Li’s eyes, and said seriously, “It’s for you to plan!”
In such a situation where danger could extend to the surrounding crowds, investigating urban legends was much more her professional area, Luxianbei thought.
After all, thousands of people lived in the Happy Neighborhood!
This wasn’t the mobile game world of “Love and Magical Girls,” where one could demolish buildings for materials and coins like Bai Xiaohua could, Luxianbei thought.
Was she considering the safety of the surrounding crowd? Jiang Li stared silently at Luxianbei for a couple of seconds before nodding, “Since you said that, I will handle the party arrangements.”
“At that time, try to be as low-key as possible, don’t interfere in matters that don’t involve you; just assist me during critical moments,” she said, intentionally emphasizing the words “interfere.”
Luxianbei sighed silently, “How much do you not trust me?”
“What do you think?” Jiang Li tilted her head and replied, “To be honest, if there’s an issue at the party, I’ll be thankful if you don’t ditch me.”
“How could I possibly do that? After all, I still love you!” Luxianbei declared, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly at the girl sitting across from her.
Facing her banter, Jiang Li remained indifferent, as if the person across from her was a fool, “So, your love is the kind that could disappear at any moment, right?”
Luxianbei shrugged, deciding to give up on the debate about that… after all, she was a main operative of the Siye Society, while Jiang Li was just an urban legend.
Even if she told Jiang Li that turning into an urban legend and causing trouble was not her will, she would still have to believe it.
However…
What she said was indeed d*mn true!
————
After hastily eating four or five buns, Luxianbei got up, changed into a loose casual outfit that didn’t show off her figure, and walked towards the door.
Noticing this, Jiang Li furrowed her brow slightly and asked, “Where are you going?”
“I have some matters to handle,” Luxianbei turned around and replied, “After all, you only gave me three days to prepare; I still have a whole list of unfinished tasks!”
“These include but are not limited to, continuing to chat with the old man, continuing to practice at the Art Center, and…”
Seeing that Luxianbei was about to launch into her usual ramblings, Jiang Li quickly waved her hand, interrupting, “Then go quickly and come back early.”
You said it… Luxianbei’s heart leapt with joy as she turned away, waving goodbye to Jiang Li and leaving the rented room. As soon as she stepped outside, her gaze sharpened slightly.
Time to continue practicing the suona and continue chatting.
But more importantly, she had to meet that contractor. If she could obtain information about the person who took away the ancient sword, perhaps she could get the ancient sword before the welcome party.
As for why she didn’t tell Jiang Li about such important matters…
That ancient sword sounded like a powerful spirit energy item. If it fell into the hands of the Siye Society, it could very well be confiscated, and Luxianbei couldn’t bear to let that happen.
Let’s see how it goes first; if it gets too tough, I can always report it later. Luxianbei thought.
————
In the Huacheng New District, Tang Han Art Trading and Transport Company.
In a vintage office, an old man hung up the phone.
Though he appeared slightly aged, his grizzled hair was meticulously combed, his suit was sharp, and his brows were stern and commanding.
The old man’s name was Li Shunian, the clandestine owner of this company.
Behind his desk, a young man who resembled the old man lay lazily on the sofa, eating grapes while casually asking, “Dad, what did they say over there?”
The young man’s name was Li Tanghan, the old man’s son and the nominal legal representative of this company.
Li Shunian glanced at Li Tanghan and said calmly, “Gave him several thousand, that person has already shut up.”
“Snort!” Li Tanghan sneered coldly, “That Qin guy was just a small-time contractor before; if you hadn’t spared his life back then, would he even be alive now? How dare he not be grateful!”
“Old man, how much money have you spent on him these years just to keep him quiet? If you ask me, it’s best to sever ties entirely!”
“Bang——!”
Li Shunian smashed the teacup in front of the young man, hot water splattered everywhere, nearly making him jump up in fright.
“Shut up, you fool! What do you know? If he dies and a whiff of wind escapes, that incident from back then could easily reach the Siye Society!”
Li Shunian glared at his son, “If the Siye Society investigates, do you think our little temple can protect that kind of treasure? Even if the deities bless us, I might still lose some skin!”
“……”
Li Tanghan was stunned for a moment, stubbornly saying, “Aren’t I just trying to help the family?”
After a brief silence, noticing the old man did not respond, he glanced around, a gleam in his eye, and tentatively asked, “Old man, I’ve always wondered, is that thing really part of a cataclysm-grade spirit energy item?”
Li Shunian shot Li Tanghan a quick look and said, “Of course, would the judgment of the deities be wrong?”
“But I still feel that it doesn’t seem so! The spirit energy fluctuation of that thing is so weak… old man, how about you let me study it? You never know, I might uncover the right way to use it!”
“Shut up! I can see you’re trying to make me explode today! Cai Jin? Cai Jin! Come in here!”
Li Shunian’s expression changed as he slapped the table loudly, and soon a tall, well-built man with a crew cut walked in.
“I don’t want to see this wastrel anymore; take him back,” Li Shunian said coldly. “Also, keep an eye on him. If he speaks recklessly again, pull out ten of his teeth for me!”
“Dad! I’m just…” Li Tanghan said, looking hurt, wanting to say more.
Li Shunian was too angry to care; he closed his eyes, rose silently, and quickly left the office.
Li Tanghan wanted to follow and say something, but he was blocked by the person named Cai Jin, and soon he was dragged away by Li Shunian’s bodyguards.
————
Li Tanghan returned home, lying on his bed and staring at the ornate antique palace lamp on the ceiling, lost in thought for a long time.
Recalling his earlier experiences in his old man’s office, he felt a surge of resentment. If it hadn’t been for his father, he might have exploded then and there.
“You old fool, you just look down on me, no matter what I do, I’m wrong, right?”
“You can even mingle with those sinister deities, but I can’t gather a few little urban legend followers?”
“d*mn it, I can’t deal with you, but I can’t take care of that Qin either?”
Sometimes, people react this way—if they hold back for a moment, they become angrier the more they think about it, and taking a step back feels like a loss.
Knowing he couldn’t confront his old man directly, Li Tanghan decided to vent all his anger on that leech named Qin Dalin.
————
The contractor Qin Dalin’s address was what Luxianbei had learned last time she went to find Old Tang.
That time, she had intended to thank him and treat him to his favorite buffet, but to her surprise, Old Tang’s expression turned pale as soon as he heard she was treating him to a buffet, as if someone was about to execute him, and he immediately refused her invitation without hesitation.
For Luxianbei, just having tea with her was enough to make him cringe; if he had to eat with her at a buffet, he feared it could lead to someone collapsing!
So, with Luxianbei’s repeated invitations, Old Tang gritted his teeth and gave her Qin Dalin’s address, repeatedly reminding her not to tell others, or she might end up in big trouble.
Seeing him act so mysteriously, Luxianbei felt even more compelled to meet Qin Dalin. Her intuition told her that he must have a way to find the person who had taken the ancient sword from the Happy Neighborhood.
————
After leaving the Happy Neighborhood, Luxianbei hailed a taxi and followed the address Old Tang had given her.
Before setting off, she checked the map. From the map, Qin Dalin’s residence didn’t seem far, only about ten kilometers away.
However, the complexity of Huacheng’s road systems was only slightly behind places like Shuangqing, making navigation nearly useless. The taxi took over an hour of start-and-stop driving to finally arrive at the destination.
Upon arrival, stepping out and looking at the building ahead, Luxianbei couldn’t help but murmur, “In this day and age, how can anyone still dare to live in such a run-down old building?”
“I wonder what Qin Dalin is thinking; doesn’t he fear colliding with urban legends if he gets up for a midnight bathroom break?”
Ahead, the crooked concrete road was overgrown with weeds, and the dense canopies of the roadside trees almost completely blocked out sunlight, allowing only sparse glimpses of a somewhat vintage red brick building in the distance.
Following the winding concrete path, after walking about a hundred meters, Luxianbei finally reached the vicinity of the address Old Tang provided.
It was a courtyard surrounded by dark gray walls, designed in a style reminiscent of Soviet architecture from the 1950s or 60s, with only one entrance—a large rusted iron gate.
In such a derelict and remote old building, where there was a high probability of ghost stories emerging before nightfall, those with slightly better conditions wouldn’t continue living inside.
After entering the building, the scene inside was exactly as she expected. The long, dark corridor, with severely aging walls, was completely empty, and the corners were piled high with garbage that hadn’t been cleared away, leaving a stench throughout the entire corridor.
“How strange, according to Old Tang, Qin Dalin made a fortune with the Happy Neighborhood project; why is he living in such a hellish place?”
“Old Tang wouldn’t be fooling me, would he? If that’s the case, I’ll have to treat him to an ice cream buffet another day.”
While Luxianbei was quietly murmuring, suddenly, the door of the room near the staircase opened a crack, and the old iron door creaked as it opened, catching her attention.
“Hello.” Luxianbei walked towards the room, but the occupant didn’t seem willing to show their face. The door only opened slightly, revealing half of a person behind it.
The corridor was dimly lit, but Luxianbei could make out that the person behind the door appeared to be a woman, her eyes bloodshot, looking in very poor condition, with a large dark red birthmark on her face.
“Excuse me, do you know where Qin Dalin lives?”
Though Luxianbei couldn’t manage a smile, she tried to keep her tone friendly. However, she didn’t expect the other person to react very strangely.
As soon as she finished speaking, the woman behind the door glared intensely at her before slamming the door shut with a “bang!” After waiting for a long time, even after knocking on the door twice more, there was no sign of her returning.
