Chapter 271: Chapter 229: Whoever Can Marry Her Will Be Set for Life

"Sweetie, turn the AC up a little. Don’t catch a cold," Zheng Qiuyi said from the sofa, stretching out her foot to nudge her daughter’s leg.

"It’s not cold at all! I think it’s perfect," Su Yue replied.

"Then why did you just sneeze?" Zheng Qiuyi said.

"Uh... I don’t know why I suddenly sneezed. Maybe... someone’s talking about me?" Su Yue said, rubbing her delicate nose.

......

In an old residential complex, a streetlight planted in the greenbelt cast a dim, yellow glow.

Moths swarmed the light, and every so often, a few would plummet into the grassy strip below.

A rather thin figure, carrying a bag of late-night takeout, walked in through the main gate of the complex.

In a remote corner of the old complex was a seldom-used basement.

The thin figure carrying the bag of takeout arrived at the basement entrance.

He didn’t go in right away. Instead, he paused at the entrance for several seconds, scanning his surroundings. Only after confirming that no one was following him did he enter the basement.

STEP, STEP, STEP...

Though the dim basement was crude, it was still habitable.

Inside, three tall figures stopped what they were doing the moment they heard footsteps approaching the entrance. They turned toward the sound, their eyes full of wariness.

"Gentlemen, sorry to keep you waiting... The snack stall was packed tonight, so I had to wait in line for a while."

The thin man carrying the snacks said apologetically to Tie Qiu Heng and the other two.

Even though Tie Qiu Heng and the others had waited a long time and were starving, they weren’t unreasonable. After hearing the explanation, they simply smiled and told him not to worry about it.

"Xiaoli, what’s it like out there today? Are those Investigators still around?" Liu Ke asked, pulling his egg fried rice from the bag before he began to eat.

"The Investigators stationed at the intersection outside the complex were gone today," Xiaoli said.

"Gone? Looks like the search in this area has weakened," said Wang Tao, swallowing a mouthful of fried noodles.

Xiaoli thought about the places he had gone that day. The intersections that previously had Investigators standing guard were now almost all clear. He offered his analysis.

"I took a walk around the neighborhood earlier. It’s not just the intersection outside this complex; the Investigators at a few other nearby intersections have been pulled as well.

It looks like the Superpower Administration Bureau couldn’t find you gentlemen here, so they’ve concluded you’re probably not in this area and have scaled back the search accordingly."

Liu Ke smiled. "Now that the Investigators have eased up on the search, we can finally breathe a little easier.

We also contacted our superiors today to explain our current predicament.

They should be arranging an escape plan for us in the next few days to get us out of this city."

"When your superiors arrange your escape, will it be by land or by water?" Xiaoli asked, curious now that he knew these three big shots from the organization were about to leave.

"It hasn’t been decided yet, but I’d guess it’s highly likely they’ll have us leave by water," Liu Ke speculated.

Xiaoli nodded. He’d had a similar thought about whether they’d leave by land or water.

The land routes were not only covered by countless cameras but also heavily patrolled by Investigators. The risk was just too high.

The city, however, had an extensive network of waterways with fewer cameras and even fewer Investigators on patrol. It might be slower and take more time than traveling by land, but the key was that it was safer.

Liu Ke and Wang Tao continued to chat with Xiaoli about the escape, while Tie Qiu Heng silently ate his fried rice noodles to the side.

’Ever since I escaped prison and won back my freedom, not a moment has passed where I haven’t thought about getting revenge on the bastard who put me here.’

But his current situation wouldn’t allow it. After thinking it through, he decided he would do as Liu Ke and Wang Tao said and leave the city for the time being.

He would lie low for a while. Once the dust settled from the prison break, he’d find his chance to take revenge on that Exotic Beast Hunter, Lin Li.

’Revenge is a dish best served cold.’ Though he, Tie Qiu Heng, was no gentleman, he would never forget a grudge. Even if it took more than ten years, his hatred wouldn’t fade, and he would absolutely find a way to get back at his enemy.

’I already know my enemy’s home address, and I have plans for what comes next.’

’Even if I can’t get my revenge right away, once I’m safely out of this city, I’ll arrange for someone to keep watching him, to gather intel on his every move.’ 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

’Then, the first chance I get, I’ll strike like lightning. I’ll make him understand what a foolish mistake it was to cross me and get me thrown in prison.’

......

「The next morning.」

The sun rose, and bright morning light streamed through the gaps in the curtains.

"Yawn..." Having slept soundly and without dreams, Lin Li slowly opened his eyes. He yawned and got out of bed.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH...

The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

A moment later, Lin Li walked out of the bathroom, all washed up. Any lingering grogginess on his face had been completely rinsed away.

He walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

Lin Li took out five free-range eggs and a container of fresh pork buns.

He opened the microwave and put the container of buns inside to heat.

Then, he heated some oil in a pan. Once it was hot, Lin Li fried five eggs.

Just as he finished frying the eggs, the buns in the microwave were done heating up.

’Time to eat.’ Lin Li placed the ten warm pork buns and five fried eggs on the dining table, then brought out five cartons of milk.

After devouring the entire breakfast he had prepared, Lin Li assessed his appetite and decided he was full.

His enormous appetite, a side effect of eating that magical little fruit, had diminished considerably overnight.

It should return to normal within a day or two.

After clearing the table, Lin Li returned to his room and changed into a gray training uniform.

He checked himself in the mirror. With everything ready, a thought flickered through his mind, and he vanished from the bedroom.

......

「A corner of the Spirit Realm, Dongwu City of the Chu Kingdom.」

A small tributary of the river that bisected Dongwu City flowed toward the outskirts.

On the bank of this tributary, a figure in gray clothes materialized out of thin air beneath a large, leafy tree.

A figure materializing from nothing would have given any passing resident of Dongwu City the shock of their life.

Fortunately, the location was remote, and no one was passing by when the figure appeared.

Lin Li, standing in the shade of the great tree, looked up at the enormous sun hanging in the sky and muttered to himself.

’Last time I chatted with that young carriage driver, he mentioned that the shop selling Spiritual Artifacts for ordinary people is a large chain, and there’s one nearby...’

The weather in Dongwu City was perfect. The azure sky was empty, save for the great sun hanging high above—one much larger than the sun on Blue Star.

There wasn’t a single cloud in sight.

With a thought, Lin Li retrieved the veiled bamboo hat from the Mysterious Small Island.

After putting on the face-concealing bamboo hat, he stepped out from under the leafy tree, left the secluded spot, and headed toward a bustling commercial street nearby.

......