Chapter 199 - 129: Bai Family Defeated, Braid Army Appears

Chapter 199: Chapter 129: Bai Family Defeated, Braid Army Appears

"What they’ve promised you is nothing but castles in the air!"

"The entire Hu Family acts perversely. They are hypocritical, venomous, and completely untrustworthy!"

"If you kill me today, you will suffer their backlash tomorrow!"

"You’d be better off working with me. Together, we could plot..."

"BANG!"

The gunshot, crisp and clean, cut off his tempting and threatening words.

The Scorching bullet Precisely struck the Blood Bat, obliterating it completely.

It dissolved into an even finer mist of blood, which was then scattered by the night wind, leaving no trace behind.

Only then did the familiar text appear as expected, slowly materializing before Lu Jing’an’s eyes:

[Refinable/restorable Divine Soul detected. Collect?]

The tension that had kept Lu Jing’an’s nerves taut finally eased.

A powerful wave of exhaustion washed over him, making him so unsteady he could barely stand.

’It’s finally... over,’ Lu Jing’an thought.

’Collect.’

’Refine.’

For the opponent who had nearly brought him and his family to a point of no return,

Lu Jing’an spared no expense, giving him the premium treatment from the Zhengqi Furnace.

Direct refinement, leaving no loose ends.

[Refining... Estimated time to completion: 36 hours!]

Seeing this notification, especially the unprecedentedly long Refining time,

Lu Jing’an was stunned at first, but then a look of irrepressible anticipation appeared on his pale face.

’Thirty-six hours... That long?’

Lu Jing’an licked his chapped lips, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

Based on past experience, the longer the Refining time,

the higher the quality of the Divine Soul, and the more precious the resulting entries might be.

’This time... I should get at least two red entries, right?’

’Otherwise, it would be a real slight to Commander Bai’s ’deep foundations.’’

As his thoughts turned, a bolder, more fervent suspicion emerged:

’Could it be... a legendary golden entry?’

That was a Domain Lu Jing’an had never touched before.

If he could really refine a sliver of golden fortune from an expert like Bai Ting...

Lu Jing’an suppressed the tremor in his heart and tossed the heavy rifle back to Zhao Laosuan.

It wasn’t that Lu Jing’an insisted on using a borrowed gun; his body was simply devoid of True Qi, without a single drop remaining.

The severe overdraft from [Peak Strike], combined with the ebbing rush from [Fighting Bravely], had taken a heavy toll. At this point, the only thing keeping him conscious and on his feet was sheer willpower.

"Old Shuan."

Lu Jing’an’s voice was clearly weak.

"Take two of our brothers and escort me back to the mansion.

Everyone else, head to the docks immediately to provide support."

"Yes, Chief!"

Zhao Laosuan took the rifle, straightened his back, and responded before quickly turning around.

He gave a few quiet orders to the Water Patrol members around him.

A moment later, Zhao Laosuan emerged from some corner with a rickshaw that was still in decent condition.

He pulled it in front of Lu Jing’an and lowered the handlebars. "Chief, get in. I’ll take you back."

Lu Jing’an didn’t stand on ceremony. With the careful support of two members, he settled into the passenger seat.

The rickshaw’s cushion was hard as a rock, but he couldn’t be bothered with that now.

"Chief, the road is bumpy. Hold on tight."

Zhao Laosuan advised, then grabbed the handlebars and started running.

His legs were steady, and he did his best to maintain a smooth ride, even on the pitted streets littered with broken bricks and tiles.

"Alright," Lu Jing’an replied softly, leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes to rest.

The night wind brushed against his face, carrying the smell of gunpowder, blood, and damp fog.

The sound of gunfire from the distant docks was still faintly audible, but it seemed to have thinned out somewhat.

The thick fog that had shrouded the world for so long was now visibly thinning.

The moonlight struggled to break through, casting a faint, dreary halo.

’The situation over at the Spirit Nest... should be resolved soon, too,’ Lu Jing’an mused.

The rickshaw traveled through the silent streets and soon arrived at the gates of the Lu Mansion.

The storm lanterns hanging under the eaves swayed in the wind.

They illuminated the stone lions by the gate and the figure of the anxiously waiting butler.

"The Young Master is back!"

"The Chief is injured! Quick! Go get Doctor Cui!"

The moment Zhao Laosuan brought the rickshaw to a stop, the crowd waiting at the gate rushed forward.

Chaotically yet carefully, they helped Lu Jing’an out of the rickshaw.

"I’m fine. Just help me back to my courtyard."

Lu Jing’an waved his hand, stopping any further panic.

The crowd surrounded him, leading him past the screen wall and around the corridor.

They took him straight back to his own private courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, the fragrance of medicine already filled the air.

Cui Jieyi was already waiting there. Before her stood a cypress wood bathtub, half a person tall.

The medicinal bath inside was dark brown, steaming with a rich, pungent aroma.

Faint wisps of pure Spiritual Qi were mixed within it.

Seeing Lu Jing’an being helped in, Cui Jieyi hurried forward.

Together with Orchid, she helped remove Lu Jing’an’s outer coat.

Leaving on only his inner shirt, they carefully helped him into the tub.

"Hiss—"

As the scalding medicinal liquid enveloped his body, Lu Jing’an couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

But almost immediately, an intense feeling of relief replaced the initial discomfort.

Lu Jing’an felt like a patch of completely dry, cracked earth, frantically soaking up a nourishing rain.

The Medicinal Power surged through his pores and into his meridians.

Everywhere it passed, his nearly depleted life force was like a withered seedling after a long-awaited rain.

It began to revive, bit by bit.

Deep within his Dantian, a faint thread of True Qi was quietly born, slowly gathering.

"Doctor Cui."

Lu Jing’an kept his eyes closed, his voice emerging from the swirling steam.

"Use the strong stuff. I need to recover some strength as quickly as possible.

The situation at the docks is still uncertain. I have to go back."

Cui Jieyi was crouching by the tub, carefully testing the water temperature.

Hearing this, she furrowed her elegant brows and said worriedly: