Chapter 91: Chapter 82: Steady Progress, a New Mission

It looked no different from ordinary clear water.

But upon closer inspection, strange, multicolored specks of light glittered on the liquid’s surface, as if reflecting the bar’s lights.

The strange phenomenon lasted only a second or two before vanishing, as if it had been a mere illusion.

[Spiritual Spring Water]

[Quality: Lesser (Excellence)]

[Effect 1: Rich in minerals. When consumed alone, those at Professional Level or below will receive a slight increase in Life Energy!]

[Effect 2: Possesses properties that balance special nutrients. If consumed with Exotic Beast Meat, it will boost the nutritional effect by 30% the first time. The effect is halved with each subsequent use and becomes completely ineffective after the third time!]

His intuition flared, and Lu Chao’s eyes lit up. He knew he’d found the right thing.

Beside him, Zhou Qiang shrugged. "This stuff really isn’t easy to find. I heard it comes from a spring in the wilderness controlled by some warlord. Only a certain amount is sold to the public each year."

"I waited a month on the black market and this was all I could get. I don’t know if it’s enough for you."

"It’s enough. Thanks, Brother Qiang."

Lu Chao nodded with a smile, quickly calculating in his head.

According to the steps of the special method, he had to crush various materials and dissolve them into the Spiritual Spring Water. Then, he had to soak the Magic Power crystal in the solution for a sufficient amount of time to remove its contamination.

’These few hundred milliliters should be just enough.’

"Good to hear."

Zhou Qiang breathed a sigh of relief, but then his brow furrowed slightly as he remembered the other item Lu Chao had mentioned.

"As for the Cyan Spirit Grass, that stuff is truly rare. You can only find it in the wilderness... I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a bit longer."

"It’s alright, Brother Qiang. I’m already happy enough to have found the Spiritual Spring Water."

Lu Chao waved his hand, indicating he wasn’t in a hurry.

He was also keeping an eye on things at the Patrol Department. In fact, Cyan Jade Grass had appeared on the internal exchange network, but the quantity was very small and someone else had redeemed it first.

He had the patience to wait a while longer.

"If you say so."

Zhou Qiang nodded, and the two of them started chatting idly.

Lu Chao habitually glanced toward the second floor and asked about Brother Hao.

"He was invited to a banquet by the Young Master."

Shaking his head, Zhou Qiang’s voice dropped, his tone laced with worry. "I heard that many of our gang’s Hall Masters went too. On top of that, leaders from other smaller gangs were also invited. It seems like he wants to divide up new territory."

"This Young Master of ours is full of tricks. Who knows what he’s really up to."

Lu Chao grew thoughtful at his words, then remembered Brother Hao’s deeply hidden, unknown Elite Level strength.

He wasn’t too worried. Instead, he smiled faintly and patted Zhou Qiang’s shoulder.

"Don’t worry, Brother Qiang."

"Brother Hao never makes a mistake. He’ll definitely be fine."

"That’s true." Zhou Qiang nodded, not dwelling on it.

Their conversation soon ended, and he went off again to deal with other matters.

Watching him leave, Lu Chao sat at the bar for a moment to rest. He ordered and drank a glass of juice, then prepared to leave.

But just then...

"Goddammit, it’s you again."

"Are you blind, kid?"

A brief commotion erupted in the distance. A customer had been bumped into by a waiter and nearly fell.

Lu Chao subconsciously glanced over and caught sight of a pale-faced Xiaoyang rushing about.

He was as clumsy as ever. According to Zhou Qiang, the kid seemed to have figured something out and had come back to work on his own accord.

Moments later, he watched a security guard intervene and resolve the issue.

Lu Chao sighed to himself and shook his head slightly before finally leaving the bar with the Spiritual Spring Water.

As if sensing something, Xiaoyang, who was being pulled into a corner and lectured by the guard, suddenly looked up.

He saw Lu Chao’s back as he departed.

His expression flickered, and a sense of resentment he couldn’t explain welled up in his heart.

’Why... why can’t I be the one to get ahead?’

...

「That same night.」

The Inner Ring.

A glass layer like a celestial canopy sealed off the night sky, perfectly enclosing a standalone villa.

If one could step inside, they would see a dazzling starscape, as if the Milky Way itself hung in the firmament like a cascading waterfall.

Within the climate-controlled space, a warm breeze swept over green lawns and vibrant flowers, past rockeries and waterside pavilions, through a rustling bamboo grove, and sent ripples across the pond in the villa’s backyard.

Men and women in uniform stood on either side of the pond. Some held platters of nutrient crystals, others trays of warm juice. They remained as silent as servants, constantly awaiting orders.

In the center of it all stood a long-haired young man with a placid expression. Dressed in a black Martial Arts uniform with gold-thread cloud patterns, he would occasionally take the fish bait offered by a subordinate and toss it into the pond, causing dozens of goldfish to scramble for it.

"Young Master, Guo Yun and the others have arrived."

Suddenly, a figure dressed like a butler stepped forward and spoke softly.

Only then did Ruan Hui stop and turn his head to look.

At the entrance to the backyard, four or five young men and women in expensive Martial Arts uniforms appeared.

They looked as though they were recovering from a serious illness. Though their faces were ruddy, their breathing was shallow. It was none other than Guo Yun and his group.

"Come in,"

Ruan Hui said softly, not moving from his spot.

But upon hearing his voice, Guo Yun and the others’ faces lit up with joy, and they hurried into the yard.

"Ruan Hui, you have to help us get justice!"

Guo Yun, the leader of the group, said in a low voice tinged with a pleading tone.

The others had similar expressions and chimed in with agreement.

"That guy not only rejected your recruitment offer, he attacked us."

"We tried everything that day, reasoning with him and threatening him, but nothing worked. He’s too arrogant..."

"Why isn’t Jingyi here?" Their torrent of complaints didn’t cause any change in Ruan Hui’s expression. Instead, he cut them off, his tone flat.

Guo Yun’s face stiffened at the question, and he stammered out an explanation.

"Grounded?"

A corner of Ruan Hui’s mouth lifted into an amused smile.

"It seems even Hengjia Security knows you were acting on your own."

His tone was casual, but as Guo Yun and the others exchanged glances, they felt an inexplicable chill.

They subconsciously lowered their heads, suddenly regretting their actions.

’Come to think of it, he only mentioned it casually back then and didn’t seem to care much. We just acted on a whim.’

’But who could have expected this outcome?’ 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

’It’s all that damn country bumpkin’s fault!’

For a moment, their resentment toward Lu Chao deepened. The night wind gusted past, and in the pond, the goldfish continued to swim and fight for food.

Finally, just as Guo Yun and his group were standing with their heads bowed in silence, debating whether to take their leave,

"I can help you with this, just this once,"

Ruan Hui said suddenly, his eyes flashing as if he had just considered something.

Guo Yun and the others’ faces lit up, and they saw him turn toward them with a look of keen interest.

"However, in exchange,"

"you’ll have to do something for me."

...

The February weather gradually grew warmer.

Spring arrived in Ring City. The breeze blowing along the roadsides was no longer as biting and cold as before.

Most pedestrians had their down and cotton jackets unzipped, revealing the sweaters underneath.

In an apartment building in District Two, a window was half-open, and from it, the faint sound of incessant, worried muttering could be heard.

"Let me tell you, the wilderness is nothing like the city. I hear it’s extremely dangerous, so you have to be extra careful."

"Take all of this with you. A metal flashlight, self-heating meals, bottled water, a military dagger..."

Inside, Zhao Yuanqing stood by the living room window like a mother hen. Wearing cotton slippers, he lectured Lu Chao while taking inventory of a black backpack on the coffee table, stuffing various small items into it.

Lu Chao, dressed in his blue Patrol Department uniform, walked over slowly. He was holding a small black box filled with special steel nails.

"It’s a mission from the Department. I’m not going out of the city alone."

He walked closer and said with a helpless smile, "Captain Yang and Chen Xiao will be there, along with other squads."

"Besides, the Superpower Bureau is sending people along too. We’re just escorting some aid supplies. It’ll take two days at most, so don’t worry."

He spoke patiently, well aware of Zhao Yuanqing’s concerns.

It had only been two days since he got back from the bar, but the Patrol Department had suddenly assigned a new mission.

Regarding the matter of aid supplies, their Third Squad had been chosen to escort a shipment out of the city to a settlement called Black Water Town.

"Two days isn’t a short time."

Zhao Yuanqing stuffed the black backpack until it bulged, then zipped it up and looked at Lu Chao. "They say the Mutant Beasts outside the city have been getting more numerous lately. Have you forgotten what happened to Li Heng? It was the Mutant Beasts that got him."

"And those two warlords are still at war. There’s no harm in being over-prepared, right?"

Amidst the constant nagging, Lu Chao didn’t argue. He just smiled faintly, a warmth spreading in his heart.

"Okay, I get it."

He nodded and didn’t refuse anymore. After all, one backpack wouldn’t take up much space.

He then shouldered the black pack and slipped the small box of steel nails into his pocket.

Once everything was ready, he opened the door.

"Come back soon!"

Zhao Yuanqing called out suddenly, his face still etched with worry.

Hearing this, Lu Chao waved his hand without looking back.

"I will!"