Chapter 94: Chapter 77: Unstable Rift
When Niu Fenjin saw Elder Tie’s Wind Thunder Lion obliterate the ten Mechanical Octopuses with a single skill just as they were about to merge, his jaw nearly hit the floor.
A Wind Thunder Lion with that kind of power had to be at least Dominator Level.
He found it unbelievable that this plain, unremarkable old man—who looked no different from one of the grandpas playing chess in the park—was actually a Dominator Level Beast Master.
’And another thing, since when did Li Qian have such a powerful Beast Master by his side?’
’It hadn’t even been that long since they’d last seen each other. How could so much have changed!’
Niu Fenjin found it incredible, and Zhu Bingqing and Chu Xiran were just as surprised.
Zhu Bingqing stepped forward and asked Li Qian respectfully, "And this is...?"
Li Qian chuckled and made the introduction. "Elder Tie, a senior sent by Shazhou Beast Taming University. He’s temporarily in charge of my safety."
After the introduction, he pointed at Niu Fenjin. "I think our first priority is to deal with Brother Niu’s situation. He doesn’t look so good!"
’He looks like he’s on the verge of death,’ Li Qian had wanted to say, but he managed a more tactful phrasing.
"I already called for an ambulance. It should be here soon." Niu Fenjin glanced down at his own body and gave a sad, bitter smile.
Since an ambulance was on its way, all they could do was wait. This eased Li Qian’s mind considerably. He turned to Elder Tie and asked, "Elder Tie, can you find the Mechanic behind this?"
Elder Tie walked over to inspect the remains. "None of those ten machines showed any sign of a contract," he said. "The Mechanic behind them was likely controlling them with an AI virus, so trying to trace them back is useless."
Zhu Bingqing overheard Elder Tie’s assessment and said resentfully, "Those bastards from the Mechanical Desecration Association are as cunning as they come."
Just as they were talking, several cars from the Public Security Bureau came screeching onto the scene. The man leading the way was none other than Zhou Weiping.
Li Qian looked at Zhou Weiping and gave a wry smile. "Security Officer Zhou, what timely assistance. You’re just in time to clean up the mess."
’They’re always like this,’ Li Qian thought, ’showing up late, just like some of the cops in the Chinese movies from his past life. They always arrive after everything is over to... clean up.’
Zhou Weiping caught the sarcasm in Li Qian’s tone. He scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "Sorry, we were a bit slow to respond."
Worried that the young and impetuous Li Qian might say something he shouldn’t, Li Chengyang stepped forward with a smile to smooth things over. "You can’t be entirely blamed. After all, you have limited manpower, and you’re responsible for the security of all of Lingshui City. Arriving a little late is quite normal."
The words had barely left his mouth when Zhu Bingqing chimed in with a jab, "Still, some people are stupid enough to be plotted against, ambushed, and set up without even realizing it. In the end, Xiran and I had to step in just to save his life. What a good-for-nothing."
It was obvious who her words were aimed at; she might as well have pointed a finger at his nose and cursed him out. Hearing this, Niu Fenjin was both mortified and embarrassed.
If Chu Xiran and Zhu Bingqing hadn’t just saved his life, he really would have fired back a retort.
One jab wasn’t enough to satisfy her. Zhu Bingqing continued to lay into him, "I’ve reminded you several times to be more careful, but it just goes in one ear and out the other. You’re lucky this time. Your Pet Beasts are only severely injured; none of them died. Otherwise, you’d be finished for life."
Li Qian couldn’t bear to watch Zhu Bingqing berate Niu Fenjin any longer and cut in, "Teacher Chu, Teacher Zhu, what exactly happened here?"
"Uh..." Upon hearing his question, Zhu Bingqing instantly faltered, not knowing how to respond. She averted her gaze and looked toward Chu Xiran.
Chu Xiran didn’t know how to answer either. With an embarrassed look, she forced a smile. "It’s... nothing... We just found the Mechanical Desecration Association causing trouble and stepped in to stop them. We just... didn’t expect our skills to be lacking, and we ended up embarrassing ourselves."
It was a lengthy explanation, but Li Qian wasn’t an idiot. He could tell something was off.
From Chu Xiran’s evasive gaze and halting tone, he could tell she was clearly lying to him.
Seeing this, Li Qian just smiled, deciding to find an excuse to drop the subject.
’Teacher Chu must have her reasons for not talking,’ he thought. ’There’s no need for me to press the issue.’
’Besides, some things are better left unknown.’
Just as he was about to let it go, Elder Tie, who had apparently noticed something, spoke in a flat tone. "No need to ask them. If I’m not mistaken, they cannot reveal a single word to you about this matter without permission from their Clan Leaders."
He glanced at Li Qian and continued, "Besides, what this young woman is trying so hard to hide is actually trivial for you."
"Once you’re at Shazhou Beast Taming University, things like that will be easily within your reach. In fact, what you’ll have access to will be countless times better than whatever she has backing her."
Elder Tie’s blunt truths made Chu Xiran even more embarrassed.
What was even more frustrating was that the three of them only knew the gist of the situation. The specifics? This outsider, Elder Tie, probably knew more than they did.
Elder Tie’s words cast an awkward silence over the scene. Fortunately, the wail of an approaching ambulance broke the tension.
"Well, I’ll go with this calf to the hospital," Zhu Bingqing announced as the ambulance arrived, trying to lighten the mood. "If he croaks, at least there’ll be someone to collect the body!"
Her method of lightening the mood, however, was so hurtful that Niu Fenjin nearly passed out.
"You two, clean up the scene." After instructing two of his subordinates, Zhou Weiping also prepared to leave. "Uh, I have things to do at the bureau. I have to go."
"I have some things to take care of at school, too..." Chu Xiran added, offering a flimsy excuse to leave.
Li Qian found their excuses amusing.
’What could they possibly have to do at school or the bureau in the middle of the night?’
But he didn’t call them out on it, letting them continue their little charade.
"Oh right, let me ask, what’s the progress on Da Zhuang’s training?" Zhou Weiping asked as he was about to leave.
"It’s going well," Li Qian replied casually. "Your Koi Carp’s Talent is quite exceptional."
At this accelerated pace, it should be ready to start preparing for evolution in about a week.
In a flurry, the crowd dispersed, and soon, almost everyone was gone. Seeing this, Elder Tie added one more comment, "If I’m not mistaken, there must be an Unstable Rift hidden somewhere in Lingshui City."
"An Unstable Rift?" Li Qian repeated, a doubtful look on his face. He was about to ask for more details, but with a glance, he saw that Elder Tie was already walking away.
He clearly had no intention of explaining further.
Li Qian didn’t press him further.
He was confident that with the clue "Unstable Rift," he could find some information on his own. There was no need to get to the bottom of it right this second.
