……

On the highway back to Yunhai.

Since Yan Feifan’s car was drenched in blood, both he and Lu Ding ended up riding in Wen Yuquan’s car, while Yin Feng and Shi Yinghe took another vehicle.

On the road.

Yin Feng’s car led in front, with Wen Yuquan’s following behind.

Leaning against the leather seat, enjoying the comfort, Lu Ding asked,

“Wen Yuquan, this car’s pretty spacious, the interior looks nice, and the exterior’s sleek. How much did you pay for it?”

“Just over three hundred thousand.”

“Three hundred thousand?! This is a G-Wagon! And all the seats are genuine leather? Only three hundred thousand? My car cost over six hundred!”

Yan Feifan, sitting in the backseat, was visibly surprised.

“We don’t buy cars the way others do. Besides, mine doesn’t have proper registration. It’s a repossessed car. Yunhai’s an ancient capital with deep pockets everywhere. There are tons of repo cars, auctioned cars, and even black-market imports from overseas—plenty of good stuff, dirt cheap. No need to go through legit channels.”

“Once I slap a Bureau-issued plate on it, all the paperwork’s taken care of.”

Now that was a unique perspective—spending the least money for the most utility.

Yan Feifan leaned in.

“Brother Quan, you never ran into repossession teams?”

Repossessed cars had one major drawback—repossession teams could track them down anytime, with hundreds of GPS locators making them impossible to hide.

At the mention of this, Wen Yuquan’s smile twitched.

He nodded.

“Oh, I ran into them. I parked my car on the street, stepped away for a bit, and when I came back—it was gone.”

“But not even half a day later, the repo lot’s owner returned it to me, good as new. Even topped off the gas and got it washed.”

“Why?” Yan Feifan was puzzled.

“Check under the backseat, and you’ll see.”

Lu Ding turned to look. Yan Feifan hesitated for a moment before shifting over and lifting the seat—

Inside, lying neatly in place, was a beautifully crafted sniper rifle and several handguns.

Lu Ding chuckled.

That repo lot owner must’ve been scared sh*tless when he found these.

Investigators at the 749 Bureau were authorized to carry firearms.

But for Cultivators of Qi, guns weren’t all that useful.

Yan Feifan stroked the sniper rifle.

“Brother Quan, why’d you bring this thing?”

Wen Yuquan answered casually,

“Sometimes we have missions in the mountains. Not much entertainment out there, so I bring it along for bird hunting. It’s like a giant toy. You like it? I’ll give it to you. I’ll just file a request and get another one. The Bureau has plenty of guns—most of them just gather dust.”

This was one of the perks of being a Formal Investigator.

“No, no, I couldn’t…” Yan Feifan refused, but the gleam in his eyes betrayed his excitement. What guy didn’t like guns? Still, he wasn’t planning to take a hand-me-down—he wanted to earn his own when he officially joined the Bureau.

“Lu Ding, you looking to buy a car? I can hook you up. The repo lot where I got mine has tons of good, cheap options.”

“Sure, but you’ll have to wait until I sell off the Wind-Fixing Pearl first.”

Lu Ding figured it was about time he got himself a ride. Getting around without one was a hassle. As for a driver’s license—he could just get one when needed.

“You’re selling the Wind-Fixing Pearl?” Wen Yuquan was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected Lu Ding to part with such a valuable artifact.

“Keeping it doesn’t do much for me. Might as well sell it for cash—just not sure how much it’ll fetch.”

Lu Ding had no idea what a fair price would be. First time selling an artifact, after all.

“Hard to put a price on something like that. Selling it outright would be a waste. You’d be better off trading it for cultivation resources, plus some spending money. Should still net you several hundred million at least.”

Wen Yuquan sounded tempted, but he didn’t have that kind of money, and he wasn’t the type to rip off his own people.

The number made Lu Ding’s heart skip a beat.

He’d never even seen that much money before.

He turned to Yan Feifan.

“What do you think of this car?”

“It’s great—looks cool, solid build, and makes a statement. Plus, it’s durable. For our line of work, we need something like this. Sports cars are flashy but useless.”

“Alright then. Once I sell the Wind-Fixing Pearl, I’ll get you one. No need for your old ride anymore.”

Yan Feifan instantly sat up straight.

“Seriously, Lu Bro?!”

He could afford a car in that price range—but if Lu Ding was gifting it? That was different.

“Of course. Once the money’s in, we’ll both get one.”

“Thanks, Lu Bro!!”

Yan Feifan beamed.

Just then, Wen Yuquan’s face darkened.

“Looks like someone doesn’t want us making it back smoothly.”

Lu Ding’s smile faded.

Through the side mirror, he saw a convoy of black vehicles closing in from behind, positioning themselves on both sides of their two-car formation.

Turning his head, he locked eyes with a masked man in a nearby black sedan.

The man wore a grinning pig mask and tilted his head, forming a finger-gun gesture against his temple.

Laughter, wild and unrestrained, seeped from beneath the mask.

Lu Ding smirked.

Beside him, Wen Yuquan spoke calmly.

“They really have a death wish, trying to stop a 749 Bureau vehicle. There are too many cars on the highway—how about we take the next exit and play with them a bit?”

Before the words even finished, Lu Ding raised his hand—

A Slash Attack ripped through the air.

The black sedan beside them was instantly cleaved in two, erupting into flames.

Lu Ding yanked open the car door.

“What are we waiting for? No detours—just get back. I’ve got a Wind-Fixing Pearl to sell.”

Then, he leaped into the air, gliding effortlessly with the wind before landing firmly on the roof of another black sedan.

The Tianli Cult members were stunned.

“F***, is this guy really a 749 Investigator?! He actually attacked in broad daylight with this many people around?!”

They had dared to block the highway, thinking that the Bureau’s people wouldn’t risk acting in such a public place.

The plan was to force them off the highway, where an ambush awaited.

With numbers on their side, even the toughest Investigators would have to surrender.

But Lu Ding had shattered that plan in an instant.

Their carefully laid trap—obliterated.

Seeing Lu Ding already in action, Wen Yuquan called out,

“Feifan, take the wheel! I’m going to help him!”

Before, he hadn’t seen much of Lu Ding’s skills firsthand.

Now that he had the chance to fight alongside him, he wasn’t about to pass it up.

“Go ahead, Brother Quan! I’ve got the car!”

Yan Feifan scrambled into the driver’s seat.

Wen Yuquan swung the door open, climbing onto the roof of their vehicle.

Meanwhile, atop a black sedan, Lu Ding flicked his fingers.

The car’s roof shattered into pieces, sending bodies and severed limbs tumbling to the asphalt.

He grabbed a survivor by the collar, leaped back onto the G-Wagon, and tore off the man’s mask.

Underneath was a pale, terrified face.

“Who sent you?”

“Y-you took our property… I advise you to return it, or—”

BANG!

The man’s skull burst apart, spraying red and white across the vehicle.

“Not interested in your threats.”

Lu Ding wasn’t in the mood to waste time on empty posturing.

And really, it didn’t take a genius to figure out it was Tianli Cult.

The only thing he had taken… was their Wind-Fixing Pearl.

Wen Yuquan finally got a real glimpse of Lu Ding’s Decisive and Ruthless nature.

He knew now—this wasn’t going to end easily.

Pulling out his phone, he muttered,

“I’ll call for cleanup support. Keep an eye on things.”