Chapter 100: No Heartbreak, Only Mourning!
After explaining the issue of compensating for the sheep to Lu Yibei, Nanling Yaohua quickly left Hole Ridge Base with a Siye Association operative who brought the news.
Earlier, five approaching spirit energy fluctuations close to cataclysm grade were detected on the Gobi Desert, and after searching and surveying for most of the night, the Siye Association operative responsible for the matter successfully found the source of the spirit energy fluctuations and had already sealed off the scene.
A top-tier lockdown!
According to that group of Siye Association operatives, “We’ve never seen such a high degree of night erosion. The spirit energy items measuring the night erosion couldn’t bear it and blew up on the spot. A total of five groups of the portable solidification spell used to set up the lockdown were corroded, barely completing the lockdown.”
As the returning Siye operative spoke, Lu Yibei listened with a secret shock.
She had just experienced the event of the Haze God’s offspring being born in Shancheng and had also gathered some information about Siye Association’s cleanup of the underground space in Changlekou before leaving the city.
The Haze God’s offspring could be considered cataclysm grade already, and the night erosion it left behind didn’t even cause the Siye Association’s measuring spirit energy items to reach their limits.
It’s easy to imagine what kind of harm could occur if such a degree of night erosion were ignored.
Thinking of this, Lu Yibei’s mood suddenly became a bit complicated.
That imposter calamity also participated in this matter, and from the current situation, that guy seemed to be even more powerful than her…
She had heard of weaklings impersonating the strong for self-protection and enemies slandering others, but she had never seen someone unfamiliar yet stronger than herself impersonate.
This made her sense a whiff of conspiracy.
…
Such a serious incident had occurred around Yumen Pass, and as the current leader of the Yumen Sands Sea Branch, Nanling Yaohua naturally had to go take a look.
Lu Yibei originally wanted to follow her to get closer and gather some information, but was politely refused.
The reasons given were “just arrived, need to rest” and “unfamiliar with this location.”
Left with no choice, Lu Yibei could only remain at Hole Ridge Base for now.
She wasn’t particularly concerned about not being able to see the work of that imposter lady. After all, she had multiple tasks in this Gobi Desert, and there were things to do at the base as well.
For example, investigating members of the Solar Eclipse Society mixed in among the Siye Association operatives.
Although Hole Ridge Base was not the only Siye Association base around Yumen Pass, and an insider might not necessarily be here.
But this place was one of the larger bases, with many Siye Association operatives resting and resupplying.
By observing them more closely and getting closer, even if she couldn’t find any clues, she could understand the situation around Yumen Pass more quickly.
————
The sheep that Miss Lu Qingyi brought to her colleagues stationed at Hole Ridge Base was eventually cheerfully accepted by them.
Although the sheep had turned into mush, it didn’t affect its edibility!
A bonfire was set up in the open space outside the base, with a grill constructed from a circle of rocks to prevent sparks from being blown away by the wind.
The Gobi Desert was very dry, and even a tiny spark could cause trouble.
A plump Siye Association operative, wearing an apron, continuously brushed a sauce mixed with pepper, cumin, and other seasonings onto the lamb, occasionally flipping it to ensure even heating.
As the lamb meat sizzled, the drippings fell, making a soft hissing sound.
In a corner of the crowd, inhaling the tempting aroma, Lu Yibei was unusually quiet, holding a ceramic bowl filled with tea, her eyes calmly surveying the dozen Siye Association operatives in the base, straining to listen to their conversations.
Like searching for grains in a sand pile, she was trying to find useful information while also…
If possible, she could pick out some useful associates from among them!
Xing Yuan had only told her to act alone as much as possible to avoid exposing her identity and the special investigator’s mission but hadn’t said anything about not utilizing others’ strengths before acting alone.
Talent resources are one of the most valuable resources in the 21st century; why not use them?
Acting alone for the sake of it makes no sense—what matters is the timing.
At other times, when there are no special circumstances, just mingle!
After more than an hour of observation and listening, she found that these Siye Association operatives were not as harmonious as they appeared on the surface but instead had small groups gathering for various reasons, with some overlapping.
They were like the various WeChat groups in a girls’ dormitory, where six people could create dozens of groups.
They seemed united earlier, likely due to the common “truck bandit” threat…
Among these small groups, four were notably worth attention. The first consisted entirely of five people from Gusu City, led by a woman in her thirties with a somewhat flirtatious look in her eyes.
Gusu City is quite close to Hu City, where the Solar Eclipse Society’s affiliated organizations are most active.
This isn’t regional discrimination; it just means the probability of someone from the Solar Eclipse Society being mixed in among them is higher.
While the people from the Solar Eclipse Society are not exactly sane, if possible, they would likely look for opportunities to arrange an undercover agent nearby.
The second group consists of the first batch of Siye Association members deployed to support Yumen Pass. These are the so-called veterans; they’ve gone through life-and-d*ath experiences and have become quite seasoned.
If any danger arises during collective tasks, following them would increase survival chances.
The third small group was special; their leader is a Dachunyang Palace Disciple and thus naturally feels a connection to “Lu Qingyi.” As soon as Lu Yibei sat down in the open space, that guy came over to say hello.
Although the guy named He Yutao initially had doubts because he had never seen Lu Qingyi at Dachunyang Palace, after Lu Yibei shared a few interesting stories about Fu Xinyi and Huasang and cleverly misled him, he quickly gained her trust.
Now, He Yutao had assured her that he would help her with anything that comes up.
Haha, a tool person delivered right to her door!
Moreover, He Yutao always made her think of Li Xuan. As long as she didn’t plot to harm him, Lu Yibei felt no psychological burden in using him.
This was still considering the face of that old man Zhang Hainan; otherwise, she might not have any psychological burden in plotting against him either.
The reason for the fourth group was simple: one of them dressed like an office worker!
Where is this place? Yumen Pass, the Gobi Desert!
In such a place, still wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase, is something wrong with him?
Aside from these small groups, Lu Yibei also inadvertently overheard an interesting piece of information: the exact location of Yumen Pass.
From the casual chatter of a Siye Association operative, she vaguely heard, “…It’s said that the real Yumen Pass only appears when the sandstorm is at its peak. Usually, it hides in the vast yellow sands, and it’s quite possible that grabbing a handful of sand would capture part of Yumen Pass’s walls.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Yibei instinctively grabbed a handful of sand from her feet, holding it in her hand and rubbing it repeatedly.
If it were someone else who heard this, they might not feel much, but she was different.
Not only did she have the God Realm Prototype, but she had also successfully entrusted the God Realm Prototype to Ling Tai Purification.
If she could achieve this level with an A-grade urban legend, then it wouldn’t be impossible for a powerful cataclysm-grade entity to entrust the God Realm to yellow sand.
Maybe there’s actually a part of Yumen Pass in this handful of sand in my hand!
Lu Yibei thought, lowering her head to spread open her hand, watching the sand slowly fall through her fingers, slightly furrowing her brows.
At that moment, a graceful figure approached from behind and sat down beside her.
“Have you heard that legend?”
Lu Yibei turned her head to see Nanling Yaohua handing her a bowl of roasted lamb.
Before Lu Yibei could speak, she continued, “It’s true! My grandfather has told me since I was little that every year, when the sandstorms are at their peak, Yumen Pass opens.”
Lu Yibei took the ceramic bowl, grabbed a piece of lamb to taste, and grimaced slightly.
The taste was quite ordinary.
Seriously, how could that fat guy say he was a head chef for five years before joining the Siye Association?
If given the chance, she would definitely let him experience the strength of an achiever in both earthly joys and hellish trials!
“I was rushed earlier and didn’t get a chance to talk to you in detail. Did you say your last name is Lu? It’s Lu Qingyi?”
“Mm.” Lu Yibei nodded, “No falsehood.”
“Do you know someone named Wang Buliu?” Nanling Yaohua asked softly, a hint of reminiscence in her words.
Lu Yibei’s heart skipped a beat as she didn’t dare to look at Nanling Yaohua, hesitated for a moment, and then replied, “I don’t know him.”
“What about Lu Yibei?”
“…” Lu Yibei fell silent for a moment, steeled herself, and with a blank expression said, “I’ve heard of him, but I don’t know him. Recently, he stayed at our Dachunyang Palace for a while and has some interactions with one of my juniors.”
For a brief moment, she even wondered if Xing Yuan had sold her out.
“Oh,” Nanling Yaohua said, “Then I must be overthinking it.”
After waiting a moment and seeing Nanling Yaohua didn’t continue speaking and looked somewhat gloomy, Lu Yibei asked, “You seem a bit unhappy? Who is that Lu Yibei? Did he offend you?”
“Mm.” Nanling Yaohua pondered for a moment, then said, “To put it in outside terms, he would be considered an ex-boyfriend.”
“Why an ex-boyfriend?” Lu Yibei asked, confused.
Wait, when did we ever date?
Does your fiancé know you’re saying this?
Moreover, when did I d*e? I’m still here, how would I not know? Lu Yibei thought.
“Because one time, I caught him hugging his boss by the street, and then we broke up.” Nanling Yaohua glanced at Lu Yibei, then lightly clenched her pink fist and said, “You girls from outside might not know, but here, we’ve never experienced heartbreak, only mourning!”
“So, since that day, he’s considered dead in my eyes.”
Lu Yibei, “…” You just casually declare he’s dead? That’s quite a leap in reasoning!
At this moment, Lu Yibei still didn’t realize what kind of girl she had offended.
Although Nanling Yaohua now appeared quiet and graceful like a sliver of pure moonlight, she indeed had once been called the “little devil” by Bai Kai and caused Lu Ming considerable stress.
But…
Leader, street corner, hugging…
Lu Yibei extracted the key elements from Nanling Yaohua’s words, recalled briefly, and then her body suddenly stiffened.
Wasn’t that what happened in Dream City?
How would Nanling Yaohua here know about it?
Could it be… the Nanling Yaohua in Dream City isn’t just a projection but the real person?
Lu Yibei thought, discreetly glancing at Nanling Yaohua’s ankle, her skin smooth and fair with beautiful lines, but one of the bells that should have been a pair was missing.
The other one was in Lu Yibei’s possession, and it had even saved her life.
She discovered it shortly after leaving Dream City when she returned to Lu Family Manor, during which she also became aware that Nanling Yaohua had stealthily snuck into Lu Family Manor for a while.
Now, suddenly realizing that the Nanling Yaohua in Dream City might not be a projection, combined with the series of discoveries at the old manor, her mood suddenly became subtle.
It felt like being caught doing something immoral, rather than stealing.
“Is that guy really that despicable? But it doesn’t need to be said he’s dead in such an extreme way, right?” Lu Yibei said, “If you see him again…”
“If I have the chance to see him again, I will definitely open up his chest to see what color his heart is!” Nanling Yaohua said fiercely.
Then she turned back and smiled at Lu Yibei, “Sorry, I lost my composure and said some nonsense.”
“Please don’t mind me; I just have this nature where I think I can be friends. When I met you today, I felt a sense of closeness, so I thought we could be friends, and then…”
Lu Yibei, “…”
She felt a chill in her chest and suddenly regretted mentioning that Lu Yibei had some interactions with her junior to Nanling Yaohua.
Wasn’t that just incriminating herself further?
However, this also indirectly proved that Xiao Hua still didn’t know her true identity, right?
Otherwise, would she still be sitting here talking to her with all her limbs intact?
Thinking of this, Lu Yibei hastily changed the subject, “Alright, let’s not talk about these unhappy topics anymore. Let’s discuss something else?”
“Something else?”
“For example, what should I do?” Lu Yibei said, slightly puffing out her chest, “Before I descended the mountain this time, I made a vow to eliminate evil and uphold justice, but now…”
After a pause, she silently sighed and softly said, “I just arrived here, and I don’t even know where to start, and I have no clues about the inspector’s task.”
Let’s find something to do to keep busy, so she would forget about this girl wanting to k*ll someone!
“Is that so?” Nanling Yaohua thought seriously and said, “How about you come with me? I’ve already got some leads on that calamity and could use some help.”
Lu Yibei, “…”
Lu Yibei, Wang Buliu, calamity… hearing these three words one after another from the same person felt quite strange, didn’t it?
