Chapter 502: The Hunter Arrives

"I just wanted to try it out."

Su Zhiwei smiled helplessly. "They are like an endless symphony orchestra, buzzing in my ears... I just wanted to see if I had the authority to conduct them..."

"And?"

"The authority seems to be there... but I haven't mastered the method yet."

Chen Ling looked at Su Zhiwei as if looking at a monster.

How long had it been since they left Shennongjia... She had already started to master the power of her own "theory"? And judging by the energy she had just condensed, the intensity could already be considered Tier 2. Although she failed in the end, she wasn't far from success... It was just a matter of a few more attempts.

For the Nine Lords, rank didn't seem to have much meaning. As long as one gradually deepened their control over their own "theory," their power could increase rapidly... One had to remember, Su Zhiwei had gone from an ordinary person to this point in just one night.

"Your spirit is a bit overdrawn; you need to get some good rest." Chen Ling noticed her pale face and reminded her.

Su Zhiwei leaned against the stone bridge railing, the breeze blowing the hair at her temples, and she nodded.

"By the way, how much do you know about this Teacher Xiao?"

"Teacher Xiao?" Hearing Chen Ling ask this suddenly, Su Zhiwei was a bit puzzled. "When we were back at the Su residence, she was our neighbor for a long time. When I was a kid, she was the one who went to my parent-teacher meetings. I know her quite well... Why?"

"When you were with her before, did you ever notice... anything strange about her?"

"Strange?"

"For example, occasionally being able to do things beyond common cognition, or behaving differently from others?"

Su Zhiwei understood what Chen Ling meant, and surprise flashed in her eyes. "Are you suspecting... that Teacher Xiao, like you, is someone who has stepped onto the Divine Path?"

"I’m just guessing."

Chen Ling knew that there were Divine Path possessors in this era, but their numbers were extremely rare... And thinking about it, Xiao Chunping was an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage in Su embroidery, having studied the way of embroidery for decades. It wasn't impossible for her to have stepped onto the Divine Path.

Moreover, the act of moving the museum from the bustling city to the remote suburbs was strange in itself... Added to the lingering feeling of being watched, Chen Ling was now 60% sure.

"Didn't you say there are fourteen Divine Paths in the world? Which one do you think she belongs to?"

"The Green Divine Path." Chen Ling said firmly. "Embroidery, painting, tattooing... anything that uses patterns to carry power is basically the Green Divine Path, though I don't know the specific path."

Chen Ling had been to the Red Dust Realm and had received a lot of information from Heart 9. If Xiao Chunping had a Divine Path, it could only be the Green Divine Path.

Su Zhiwei thought for a long time before shaking her head. "...No, I don't think there’s anything strange about her. If I had to say, it’s her strict requirements for embroidery? I remember Yao Qing getting a good beating several times because he ruined an embroidery piece playing soccer or didn't embroider well enough."

Chen Ling frowned, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Su Zhiwei hesitated for a long time before saying: "However, I think you don't need to worry... Even if Teacher Xiao possesses a Divine Path, she wouldn't have any malice toward us."

"That’s why I haven't done anything... Otherwise, I would have taken you guys to another place already." Chen Ling looked at the darkened museum, quiet and mysterious. "If she can truly be trusted, then this is the safest place."

"She can be trusted. The Xiao family can all be trusted."

Chen Ling raised an eyebrow and asked with interest, "Including Yao Qing?"

"Yao Qing is just a bit stubborn. At his age, he’s full of vigor and has the courage to question everything... He’s not a bad person at heart, and he can definitely be trusted."

Su Zhiwei’s expression was incredibly serious.

Seeing this, Chen Ling smiled slightly. "If he heard that, he’d probably be so happy he wouldn't sleep all night."

"...What?"

"You’re so smart, you can't tell he likes you?"

Su Zhiwei froze for a long time, seemingly not expecting Chen Ling to bring up this topic. She subconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shook her head.

"He... no, we are siblings... and we can only be siblings."

"Why? The way he looks at you doesn't look like a younger brother looking at an older sister."

"I’m eight years older than him... He’s just a sophomore in college, and I’m already... How could we possibly be together?" Su Zhiwei shook her head repeatedly. Always rational and intellectual, she was a bit flustered now, biting her lips.

"Let’s not talk about this anymore..."

Chen Ling looked at her deeply and didn't say anything more, just stood there quietly, watching the moonlight above.

The two were silent for a long time before Su Zhiwei finally spoke:

"I’m a bit tired... I’ll go back to rest first. You should get some sleep too."

"Okay."

As Su Zhiwei left, Chen Ling was left alone in the quiet museum.

He stood above the murmuring stream like a ghost in the darkness, his gaze fixed on the room where Xiao Chunping and Yao Qing were, lost in thought...

……

Gusu.

In a narrow, dim underground tavern, the pungent smell of smoke swirled.

Behind the old bar, the vibrant glow of neon tubes illuminated the tavern in a dreamlike way. Figures sat on sofas or chairs in front of the bar, ice cubes clinking against the walls of glasses.

"I heard... the one who issued the bounty this time is 'The Hunter'?"

"'The Hunter'? Which 'Hunter'?"

"Don't you know? It’s the 'Hunter' rumored to have slaughtered a hundred-man mercenary team with one gun in the Golden Triangle, wiping out the largest human trafficking organization there... They say the other side even deployed armored tanks and rocket launcher squads, but he still managed to kill them all."

"Him?! That 'Hunter' from the Golden Triangle? Is that for real?"

"'The Hunter's' strength could rank in the top ten among global killers, right? No... maybe even the top five."

"He issued the bounty himself?"

"Who exactly does he want to kill? Why not do it himself, and instead issue a bounty to us?"

"He seems to be held up by the police in Jingnan City right now. He’s afraid the target will escape, so he’s asking us to come and help... Calculating the time, he should be arriving soon, right?"

“……”

In the hidden underground tavern, a dozen figures were talking. A thin bartender stood quietly behind the bar, gently wiping a glass, his eyes occasionally glancing at the pendulum clock on the wall.

Clang—

A dull sound came from the side; it was the sound of a heavy metal door opening amidst rust. The tavern instantly fell into deathly silence.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward the door, and the bartender slowly narrowed his eyes, stopping his movements.

Shoe soles stepped on the old wooden floor, making a harsh creaking sound. In the dim neon light, a figure carrying a hunting rifle, covered in blood and gore, walked slowly from the darkness.

[Sky Wolf], Nie Yu.

He stood still in front of the crowd, his sharp gaze locking onto the bartender behind the bar, and he spoke in a low voice:

"Where is Su Zhiwei?"