"Oh?" Xu Lai's eyes sparked with interest. "How do you know that Jing Ke will definitely save you and not treat you as a mere expendable piece?"

Being treated as an expendable piece was a common occurrence, both in the ruthless Immortal Domain and on Earth. Only valuable pieces were worth spending chips to exchange for. Unless… this Faceless Demon possessed something that Jing Ke cared about. Otherwise, she would never have spoken so confidently about such an exchange.

"..."

No-Face suddenly fell silent. After a long pause, she said firmly, "He will definitely come to save me."

Xu Lai cast a deep look at the soul in the candlelight, which was collapsing and reforming incessantly, then gestured with his hand. The massive candle vanished from the mountain peak and reappeared above Cloud Summit, right next to Heavenly Dao's location.

Heavenly Dao put away his candied haws and nodded very seriously at Xu Lai, indicating that he would conduct the interrogation carefully.

Xu Lai glanced at Gao He and the others, who were still in shock, shook his head slightly, and turned to walk back toward the university.

The reason he had agreed to set up the Dragon Vein wasn't because of the money. It was primarily because Mount Fu was close to East Sea University, and students often jogged there in the evening or at dawn. The Pseudo-Spiritual Vein that Li Sanbai had created could only cover this single mountain range, but the current Dragon Vein… it covered nearly the entire East Sea City!

The place with the most abundant Spiritual Energy was Dongli University. After all, it was his workplace, so he naturally had to give it some special care.

Of course, there was another, deeper reason—he hoped the students' physical fitness would improve slightly.

What if he was in the mood one day to let them cultivate? They would need to have decent physical strength to embark on the Immortal Path. Otherwise, outsiders would keep intruding on campus, and as the school doctor, he would have to step in and resolve the issues, which was always a bit troublesome.

As Xu Lai left Mount Fu, the others watched his lean but seemingly towering figure disappear. The summit fell into an eerie silence.

After a long while, Gao He finally snapped out of his shock. He excitedly reached for Su Daiyi's hand, but realizing it was inappropriate halfway, he quickly retracted it. With an embarrassed yet thrilled laugh, he said, "Miss Su, I really must thank you this time!"

"You're too kind. It was Mr. Xu who helped; it has nothing to do with me," Su Daiyi hurriedly shook her head. Although she was the head of a Leading Family in Hangcheng, she didn't dare act arrogantly in front of Gao He.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Gao He remarked with feeling. "Mr. Xu... he might have acted out of consideration for you. Otherwise, whether at the Martial Dao Association that day or here on the mountain peak today, Xu Lai wouldn't have remained silent like a mere spectator. He only came up the mountain to see the excitement because you and Old Jiang Ba invited him."

"For me?" Su Daiyi was startled, a charming blush suddenly flushing her cheeks. In a gentle voice, she said, "President Gao, please don't tease me."

Though she said so, Su Daiyi felt a little delighted. If that's really the case… She secretly bit her lip, blushing as she lowered her head again.

Old Jiang Ba saw this and hesitated before finally letting out a sigh. It's hard for someone in the thick of it to see clearly. So be it. As an outsider, it really isn't my place to persuade her any further.

"So how much should I give Senior Xu?" Gao He was in a dilemma. Initially, he hadn't considered this question because he didn't think Xu Lai would necessarily succeed, but now it required serious contemplation. After all, this was the fourth Dragon Vein in Hua Country! Its significance, both symbolic and practical, was immense—enough to affect the lives and destinies of tens, or even hundreds, of millions of people.

Su Daiyi quickly put aside her girlish demeanor. With a composed expression, she held up three fingers.

Thirty million. That's Mr. Xu's standard rate, fair to all.

Gao He was startled. "This…"

"Does Chairman Gao think it's too much?" Su Daiyi's pretty face grew stern. "This price is already very low!"

"That's true." Gao He nodded. "After all, Li Sanbai spent nearly 1.5 billion to construct a Pseudo-Spiritual Vein. Getting a Dragon Vein for 3 billion is a steal."

Su Daiyi was dumbfounded. "What did you just say? How much?"

"Three billion," Gao He said, looking surprised. "Miss Su, you made a 'three' gesture. Surely you didn't mean 30 billion? That's a bit too steep. I'd have to apply to the higher-ups."

HISS!

Su Daiyi felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She didn't have a very intuitive understanding of the value of Spirit Veins or Dragon Veins, but hearing that even a request for 30 billion could be submitted for approval made her realize the true power and influence of the man she admired.

The little bit of happiness in her heart instantly vanished. A good match has always been one between equals. The gap between me and Xu Lai is too great. She couldn't help but lower her head and chuckle self-deprecatingly.

But just as quickly, she clenched her small fists. Only a man like that is worthy of my affection!

***

On his way back to school, Xu Lai received a call from his wife, but it was his anxious sister-in-law's voice on the line.

"Brother-in-law, the ground just shook a couple of times! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Xu Lai reassured her. "Don't worry, it's nothing serious."

Ruan Lan asked in confusion, "How do you know it's nothing? You're not an expert. Anyway, where are you? My sister picked up Yiyi, and now she's coming to the university to get us. We're planning to go hide out in the countryside for a bit."

"..."

Xu Lai couldn't help but smile wryly. "With me here, there's really no... Forget it. Just wait for me at the school. I'll be right back."

Xu Lai crossed five kilometers in a single step.

He saw many students from Dongli University standing out on the open athletic field and streets, including his wife Ruan Tang, Yiyi, and Ruan Lan. However, the most conspicuous people in the crowd were a man and a woman, shivering barefoot in the cold wind. One of them was wrapped in a small blanket, shoeless. Their bare legs peeked out from under the blanket; it was clear they weren't wearing pants. One could only wonder what they'd been doing right before fleeing to the field.

"Daddy, over here!" Xu Yiyi, with her sharp eyes, spotted Xu Lai and waved continuously.

Picking up his daughter, Xu Lai sighed, "My fault. If I had dealt with No-Face earlier, it wouldn't have caused such a commotion."

"Brother-in-law, my call is still connected! You teleported here, didn't you!" Ruan Lan exclaimed in shock.

Just then, the school's broadcast system came on at the perfect time. The announcement explained that the tremors were not an earthquake and told the students to go about their business.

"Really?" Ruan Lan was still doubtful. After all, East Sea City had felt the impact most strongly when No-Face's pressure spread, causing the Mount Fu mountain range to sink by three centimeters. The effect had been particularly intense at the nearby Dongli University.

"It's fine," Xu Lai said with a wave of his hand. "Ruan Lan, go on to class."

"What about you guys?" Ruan Lan asked instinctively.

"We're going to take a walk, just the three of us."

"..."

Ruan Lan was speechless. Alright then, being the third wheel was indeed awkward.

After she left with a look of resentment, Xu Lai took Ruan Tang's hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" she muttered under her breath. "There are so many people here."

"They're all students. They don't know you."

"They know you!"

"Good. Then they'll know I'm taken. It'll save me the trouble of anyone else getting ideas."

"..."

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