Chapter 141: Departure to Qinghai City
“Huayang City Government reminds you not to go out casually at night. If you see any suspicious individuals, please call the Law Enforcement Hall immediately.”
“Also, a special announcement: The Gaokao, scheduled for one day from now, will be held in Qinghai City. Please bring your ID card, admission ticket, and other documents, and depart on your own.”
Driving his car, Su Jiu looked at the deserted streets, listening to the broadcast, and bit his lollipop with a hint of melancholy.
It seemed her father and the others had said that many members of the Ancient God Sect appeared that day. They had actually infiltrated the entire government. If her grandfather hadn’t arrived, this small city might have been completely taken over.
“Beep beep—”
“Si Chen’s identity has been found. He is a teacher at Zhiyuan High School. When we went to pursue him, we found the place deserted.”
“Si Chen was absent during the last assessment. I suspect he has a backup plan. You can handle this mission as you see fit. Grandfather’s intention is for you to lie low and not get involved.”
Glancing at Youyou’s serious expression on the video call on her phone stand, Su Jiu felt a chill run down her spine. The other party was so close to her.
After calming down, Su Jiu shared her thoughts, including the Ancient God Sect’s blood sacrifices in nearby villages, which might be Si Chen’s backup plan.
Finally, her eyes narrowed, and she said, “Sister Youyou, the death lines in those villages run through the paths of three cities. I think there’s something strange about this. Do you want to send someone to take over?”
“The possibility is very small, and Huayang is already under the attention of multiple parties. They’ve even sent a Battle King Level expert to guard it.”
Youyou smiled. They had received information from the military long ago about the villages that suffered blood sacrifices. The data indicated that it was done by cultists privately, and the incidents happened a long time ago.
Then, Youyou said with great seriousness, “…”
Su Jiu’s eyes drooped. Is that really the case… Since they don’t need her to take on this mission, she won’t bother.
After Awakening, she would go to Qinghai City, the only place with an airport nearby, and fly to the Eagle Country.
After more than ten minutes, Su Jiu stepped into the familiar Adventurer’s Guild. The sweet attendant beside her recognized Su Jiu at a glance and quickly asked with a smile, “Are you the Exorcist—Su Jiu?”
Without refuting, Su Jiu nodded gently. She found the place bustling with people, much more lively than when they were recruiting exorcists. She asked curiously, “Beauty, what’s going on here?”
The attendant blinked her eyes. She seemed to find Su Jiu’s lack of knowledge a bit strange, but she didn’t say anything.
Then, she quietly pointed to the bounties on the electronic display and began to explain, “The Ancient God Sect has caused widespread panic. Parents are afraid to drive to Qinghai alone, but they find it too expensive to hire someone individually, so they come here to form groups and split the cost.”
“Form groups and split costs? Then why don’t they take the train? There are attendants on the train, and it should be quite safe, right?” Su Jiu was stunned when she heard this. Can bounties be split like this?
She scanned the interior and indeed found many elderly parents, just as the attendant had said, and their attire suggested they were not well-off.
“What a sin~”
Shaking her head, it had nothing to do with her. She turned to the attendant and asked, “Do you have Awakening Stones here? I want to use one.”
The attendant looked at Su Jiu with some confusion, pointing the way and asking, “You should have already awakened your bloodline, so awakening it again wouldn’t be of any use?”
“Just take me there.”
Su Jiu smiled, not wanting to reveal that she was already at the War General Level. If this girl started shouting and attracting everyone’s attention, it wouldn’t be good.
Since she wasn’t taking on any missions now, she would keep a low profile.
Su Jiu followed the attendant to the back of the guild hall. On the desk in front were five beginner Awakening Stones. Opposite them sat an old man with a pale complexion and white hair, playing with his phone, looking idle.
The female attendant whispered to the old man, “Vice President, someone wants to awaken their bloodline.”
Su Jiu was about to say she was a War General Level awakened.
The Vice President narrowed his old eyes, looking at Su Jiu, who seemed young. He slowly stood up, rubbed his hands, made a ‘two’ gesture, and raised an eyebrow, “You know the rules, right?”
Re-awakening a bloodline cost twenty thousand, which was an open and tacit understanding. After all, a beginner Awakening Stone only contained so much energy. If they didn’t charge a higher price, wouldn’t they be doing charity?
“Okay.”
Su Jiu was a little surprised but nodded gently. Since he mentioned the old rules.
She didn’t hesitate and transferred two hundred thousand. She remembered that Bai Ming seemed to have paid fifty thousand when he awakened in the novel, so why was it cheaper now?
“You’re too young to have enough Coagulated Blood…”
The Vice President glanced at the transfer. His right eyelid twitched. It was a fortune. He remained silent.
However, a fortune of two hundred thousand was quite a sum.
He thought Su Jiu was a naive fool, while Su Jiu thought he was doing charity. The two reached a peculiar tacit understanding.
Under the attendant’s guidance, Su Jiu slowly touched the Awakening Stone. At first, she felt a slight chill, but the next moment, the feeling was gone… and the beginner Awakening Stone instantly dimmed.
She looked at the attendant confusedly and asked, “It seems like I didn’t feel anything?”
The Vice President glanced at the faded Awakening Stone and waved his hand, explaining with a smile, “Many of my Awakening Stones here haven’t been used. Try another one. This one should be out of energy.”
It was evident he was in a good mood. Anyway, if Su Jiu realized later and asked for her money back, he would just play dumb… Heh heh.
“No energy?” Su Jiu didn’t think much of it. She placed her hand on another one, and again, it was like the feeling was coming, but it stopped—a “tease,” leaving her quite annoyed.
Glancing at the leisurely Vice President, Su Jiu quickly touched another stone. It was the same “teasing” feeling—
“Damn it, you like to play, huh?” Su Jiu felt a surge of anger. The image of the Silly Duke teasing her flashed in her mind. Gritting her teeth, she directly clapped her hands onto two Awakening Stones.
The energy of the five beginner Awakening Stones combined was equivalent to one and a half intermediate Awakening Stones.
At this moment, Su Jiu felt a massive whale surge into her mind. It then violently broke through the green ocean and rushed into the sky, letting out a clear eagle’s cry, and transformed into a giant green roc.
As the roc appeared, Su Jiu unconsciously activated the Ice Dragon Transformation—a blue-green small wing appeared behind her with a “poof,” and an unparalleled life aura surged around!
Su Jiu came back to her senses and quickly restrained her aura, only letting a portion of it surge out.
The Vice President formed a barrier with his aura at any time, blocking the rushing aura. He looked a bit confused. Such a strong aura—S-Class or higher?
Did this require a second awakening? And he felt something was wrong, but what exactly was wrong?
Su Jiu found that only the Ice Dragon Transformation had awakened, and she was somewhat disappointed. But then she thought that awakening something for only two hundred thousand seemed normal.
After thanking the Vice President, Su Jiu walked out of the Adventurer’s Guild and went to buy a ticket at the station.
“This girl looks so familiar? Has she been here before?” The Vice President looked at Su Jiu’s retreating back, thinking more and more that it was strange. Although he had made a huge profit, his heart felt empty.
Then his gaze shifted to the Awakening Stones, slowly scanning them, the first, the second… What the hell, how did they all go dark?
At this moment, the girl, seeing his bewildered expression, whispered a reminder, “She’s an Exorcist registered here…”
“Exorcist? Wait!! You mean she’s awakened before!!” The Vice President looked at the five empty Awakening Stones in front of him, his eyes bloodshot. Good!
Look at you, you naive fool, you’re playing me! You, a War General Level, pretending to be a newbie here!?
One beginner Awakening Stone was five hundred thousand, five of them, a total of two and a half million!!!
…
On the highway to Qinghai, a black, somewhat retro Ferrari was driving at a moderate pace.
Si Chen drove with one hand, while the other hand was clutched around the neck of the military-clad man in the passenger seat, smiling and saying, “Those two idiots messed up and I’m being tracked by the Night Watchers—you’d better seize this last chance.”
After speaking, he slowly released his hand, picked up a piece of betel nut, and chewed on it, humming a tune. Although he looked relaxed, a hint of madness flickered in his eyes.
“Sir, we will definitely succeed. This blood sacrifice formation is personally organized by you. As long as we control this necessary route to Qinghai, with Lord [The Singer] there, they won’t dare to act rashly.”
“I hope so.”
Si Chen hummed a tune softly, his gaze deep as he looked ahead. He no longer hoped for a successful negotiation… he only wanted to delay the execution.
Ten years ago… America, snowy night.
In a street corner, a young boy, raggedly dressed, held hot milk and bread, rubbing his hands and breathing on them.
“Little begger, you have talent… Here’s some money for you to awaken.” The woman was not tall, wearing red high heels and twin ponytails, her voice hoarse.
“I want to work with you.” The little boy looked up, his face full of expectation, looking at the woman.
“Me? Interesting… Then kill the person who drove you out.”
