Chapter Eighty-Five: Departure

Chapter Eighty-Five: Departure

Moreover, Shen An was astonished to discover that the spiritual spring seemed to have taken root within the space, merging completely with it. From the very beginning, he had paid close attention to his own space. Everything he devoured seemed to integrate with the space, just as the display indicated, fusing utterly with it.

It began with the small lake, then the iron tree, the flames, and more recently, the spiritual fruit tree and the spring. The wonders of this space were something Shen An had yet to fully understand. Each time he entered, he felt subtle differences. This time, the amount of primal oxygen had increased once again, and the clouds in the sky seemed to drift slowly—something he was sure they hadn’t done before.

The fruits on the spiritual fruit tree hung bright and luscious, ready to be plucked, yet Shen An had not decided who should receive them, so he hadn’t harvested them all. Counting them, there would be one for each member of his family—his parents, his second uncle and his family. Two for his parents, one each for his second uncle’s family of three, making five. There should also be one reserved for Zhou Zhou. By this reckoning, these fruits were not so plentiful after all.

Leaving the space, Shen An gazed at the night sky. Clouds drifted beneath the moonlight, their outlines clear. Tonight’s moon was especially beautiful, full as it was on the fifteenth, and stars crowded the heavens—a rare sight in a city so plagued by pollution.

The next morning, Shen An saw his father and the others off. Shen Wenjing, whose graduation was still some time away, did not linger. Shen An had already promised her that once she graduated, he would arrange a job for her. On this point, both his second uncle and his father were not only unopposed but quite pleased.

Their journey there had been in ordinary hard sleepers, but for the return, thanks to Young Master Xu’s early arrangements, they traveled in soft sleepers. Young Master Xu was eager to curry favor with Shen An, and Shen An did not refuse his goodwill. At his current level, having people eager to please him was no bad thing.

Indeed, even if Shen An ignored him, Young Master Xu would still seek to ingratiate himself—perhaps even more diligently.

After parting with his family, Shen An quickly returned to the Imperial Grand Hotel. By then, his companions were fully prepared, awaiting only his command. Mu Linqiu, Wang Yuan, and Viper had all reached the third rank, while the others hovered around the second. Even Jiang Meng had attained second-rank strength. Jiang Meng’s rapid progress was due partly to his own efforts, but also, of course, to Shen An’s assistance. Though some were uneasy about Jiang Meng’s swift advancement, none dared voice any discontent.

"Enough talk," Shen An said. "Wang Yuan, you’ll lead these new recruits, and Viper, go with them." He assigned the newcomers to Wang Yuan, who was familiar with the terrain. Mu Linqiu took charge of the rest, with Jiang Meng joining their group. As for Shen An himself, he would head straight for the enemy’s lair. With these orders given, Shen An took the lead and vanished from their sight in an instant.

At the same time, a man in a golden mask tapped his finger incessantly on the table. Tap, tap, tap—it betrayed his anxiety. Xu Tianming had given no reply, as if he’d vanished into thin air.

"Damn it, could that Xu Tianming have run off?" Unease gnawed at him. For things to fall apart at such a critical moment was infuriating. After all their preparations, fleeing was never the plan.

Before long, his phone finally rang. "Hello? Xu Tianming, where the hell have you been?" he barked into the receiver.

"Calm down," came the reply, a laugh trailing after. "I’ve just received word—Shen An and his group have disappeared from the Imperial Grand Hotel. You’d better be careful."

Hearing this, the masked man suddenly sneered. "Xu Tianming, be honest with me—are you planning to run?"

There was no more room for guesswork; he might as well lay everything on the table.

"Don’t be ridiculous," Xu Tianming retorted. "My people aren’t in position yet, but don’t worry. We still have that thing, don’t we? Surely you don’t doubt its power?"

The mention made the masked man’s heart jolt. He suddenly remembered something and chuckled darkly.

"Fine, since you say so, I’m at ease. Just handle things at the top—I have no wish to end up wanted and hunted down."

He knew all too well the consequences of using that thing. There were already people watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake—waiting for an opportunity.

Now that Xu Tianming had spoken, it seemed there was a solution in place, and the masked man’s worries eased. He hung up and rose to his feet. Before him stood more than a dozen elite assassins of the Shadow Group, prepared and waiting. Their faces betrayed not the slightest emotion, as though nothing in the world could move them.

"You’ve been cooped up here long enough," he murmured coldly. "It’s time you saw the light of day."

These men were nothing like those previously dispatched. They were the true assassins of the Shadow Group. The likes of Mu Linqiu, frequently seen in public, were merely peripheral members. They had no idea the Shadow Group had this hidden side.

Meanwhile, at the Chu residence, Chu Dongwang sat outside East Mountain, drawing deep, troubled drags on his cigarette as his daughter paced restlessly before him.

"Dad, you have to help Shen An," she pleaded. "He’s being targeted by the Shadow Group. The Future Group could be dragged into this—and if they take the Future Group, do you really think you could still cooperate with them?"

She stamped her foot, her frustration plain. "I don’t care—you must help him this time."

Facing the persistent Chu Yuxi, Chu Dongwang could only sigh in resignation. His daughter was still too naïve. If only things were as simple as she thought. The Shadow Group was indeed powerful, but if he believed they had no backers, he would never trust it. Judging by recent events at the Future Group and the Chen family’s rise in the past, Chu Dongwang had his suspicions.

He wanted to help Shen An, but the mysterious force supporting the Shadow Group and elevating the Chen family was not one he dared offend.

"It’s not that I don’t want to help him," he explained, "but for now, he doesn’t need it." With no other option, he tried to reason with his daughter.

"That boy is proud and stubborn—he doesn’t need my help. If he dares provoke the Shadow Group, it means he doesn’t fear them. You can set your mind at ease."

"Really?" Chu Yuxi was skeptical.

"Really," Chu Dongwang affirmed. Fearing she still didn’t believe him, he added, "If you don’t trust me, ask Bai Weiwei. That girl knows more than I do—she’s been spending time with him lately."